Lindsay Karas Stencel

I’m a partner in the New Ventures practice group, but cross over heavily into the venture capital fund formation side of the firm. I advise entrepreneurs, investors and fund managers on venture capital and startup matters, venture capital fund formation, mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance, federal and state securities filings and compliance, including public and private securities offerings, and corporate organization and governance matters.

Unlike most people in this space, as a general partner of 6 venture funds, I am an actual venture capitalist and acutely understand what investors are looking for in a high growth start-up. I’ve spent the last 12 years at NCT Ventures, an early-stage venture capital firm based in Columbus, as investor-side counsel and an investment partner, helping to select, manage, grow and exit the very businesses to whom we would be providing capital.

Additionally, I served as Chief Investment Officer and Managing Partner of the investment vehicles of Launch New York, Inc., a venture development organization that provides mentorship and industry agnostic funding to seed-stage businesses throughout the State of New York. I led the firm to become one the most active seed funds in the country which earned me the 2018 Upstate Capital Association Early Stage Dealmaker of the Year Award, 2019 Upstate Venture Connect Community Catalyst Award, 2019 Upstate Capital Association Investor of the Year Award, and being named a 2020 NVCA American Spirit Award Finalist (so I guess you could say I’m pretty savvy in the venture game).

I began my own law firm in 2010 to primarily service venture funds and high-growth startups. I am an adjunct professor at THE Ohio State University Michael E. Moritz College of Law (Go Bucks!!) where I teach Venture Capital and Dealmaking to budding legal eagles. I’m also a co-founder of The W Fund, an organization seeking to get more venture capital dollars into the hands of women across the country and BOLD Ventures, an entrepreneur-focused investment firm that strives to help provide founders and teams the tools that they need to function at their best and highest self (which should, as we believe, lead to better business decision making, and ultimately (we hope) better investor returns).

When I’m not practicing law, I turn to my other passion – fitness. I founded and own my own fitness facility, CrossFit Westerville, which we initially launched in 2014, and continues to be one of the largest gyms in the Central Region.

• Ohio
• Michigan
• New York

• “The Gray Matter Experience Welcomes Layla Dotson Lumpkin,” Thompson Hine New Ventures Update, July 2022
• “Employee and Contractor Classification – Rules of the Road,” Thompson Hine New Ventures Update, May 2022
• “Startup Building Blocks: Allocating Equity, Thompson Hine New Ventures Update, April 2022
• “New Ventures Group Sees Marked Growth,” Thompson Hine New Ventures Update, February 2022
• “Serving Underserved Populations and Markets Proves Key to Maximizing SSBCI Capital,” Thompson Hine Business Law Update, Winter 2022
• “Immense Deal and Transactional Volume,” Thompson Hine New Ventures Update, January 2022
• “Business Certification: Good Business for Small Business,” Thompson Hine Business Law Update, Fall 2021
• “Midwest Venture Capital is Booming & Thompson Hine is at the Heart of It, Thompson Hine New Ventures Update, December 2021
• “A 50-Year-Old Venture Capital Model Reinvented,” Thompson Hine New Ventures Update, November 2021
• “Underserved Capital Markets to Receive a Major Boost with $10 Billion in Federal Stimulus Capital,” Thompson Hine Business Law Update, Summer 2021
• “Chaos to Cohesion: Dramatic Improvements and Clarity Brought to Private Placement Regulation,” Thompson Hine Business Law Update, Winter 2021
• “Delaware Annual Reports/Franchise Tax Returns Due Soon,” Thompson Hine Early Stage & Emerging Companies Update, January 2021
• “Volcker Rule’s VC Changes Will Support Underserved Regions,” Law360, October 2020
• “Turning the Heat Back on in Venture Capital Investing,” Thompson Hine Business Law Update, Fall 2020
• “Managers and Controllers Owe Fiduciary Duties to LLC Members and Limited Partners – What Does That Mean for Fund General Partners Moving Forward?” Thompson Hine Business Law Update, Summer 2020
• “Volcker Rule Changes Will Expand Banks’ Investment Abilities,” Thompson Hine Investment Management Update, July 2020
• “SBA Issues Updated PPP Loan Forgiveness Applications and Additional Clarifications,” Thompson Hine COVID-19 Update, June 24, 2020
• “PPP Flexibility Act Becomes Effective, Modifying Options for Borrowers and Providing Additional Benefits,” Thompson Hine COVID-19 Update, June 5, 2020
• “SBA Releases New Rules on PPP Loan Forgiveness and SBA Review Process,” Thompson Hine COVID-19 Update, May 27, 2020
• “SBA Releases PPP Loan Forgiveness Application and Related Instructions,” Thompson Hine COVID-19 Update, May 19, 2020
• “SEC Proposes Rule Changes to Crowdfunding Regulations,” Thompson Hine Business Law Update, Spring 2020
• Contributor, “How to Make It: Advice from Four Women Who Never Let the Challenges Stop Them,” ColumbusCEO, August 2019

• Recipient of Thompson Hine’s Diversity Champion Award, 2021
• Selected for inclusion in Columbus CEO Future 50 class of 2021
• Selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America^© 2021-2023 for Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships)
• Selected for inclusion in Columbus Business First 40 under 40 class of 2020
• 2020 NVCA American Spirit Award Nominee
• 2019 Upstate Capital Investor of the Year
• 2019 Upstate Venture Connect Community Catalyst Award
• 2018 Upstate Capital Early Stage Dealmaker of the Year
• 2018 Upstate Venture Connect Community Catalyst Award Nominee
• 2017 Upstate Capital Early Stage Dealmaker of the Year Nominee
• 2016 “20 People to Know in Finance in Columbus, OH” Columbus Business First
• 2016 Named “5 of Ohio’s Most Trailblazing Attorneys,” Ohio Bar Association

• Adjunct Professor, The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law, 2019-present
• Ohio State Bar Association
• Michigan Bar Association
• New York Bar Association
• Upstate Capital Association, Board Member
• Chairwoman, Venture NY Startup Selection Committee
• Board of Directors, Data Inventions, Inc.
• Board of Directors, Small Biz Cares, Inc.