Table Talk: More Than a Lease: Building Security Through Space

Opening your first location or your fifth comes with serious decisions that affect your finances, freedom, and future. In this Table Talk, we’ll unpack how to confidently navigate commercial leases, scout for viable locations, and protect your financial security in a volatile real estate landscape. Whether you're dreaming of a brick-and-mortar or reevaluating your current lease, this panel conversation is designed to give you clarity, courage, and practical strategies to help you build smart and sustainably.

What You’ll Get From This Table Talk

• Clear frameworks to help you choose a location that aligns with your long-term vision

• A checklist of what to look for — and what to walk away from — before signing a lease

• Essential negotiation tips and lease terms every founder should understand

• Insight into how your real estate decisions can shape your cash flow and financial stability

• Honest reflections and lessons learned from both emerging and experienced founders who’ve opened (and closed) spaces across LA

Meet The Panel

Gefen Skolnick: Founder of Couplet Coffee, who took their queer, playful coffee brand from DTC and pop-ups to multiple storefronts. Gefen shares the behind-the-scenes journey of choosing their first space, what it really felt like to sign that first lease, and how they’ve approached growth with financial intentionality.

Madelyn Alfano: CEO and Owner of Maria’s Italian Kitchen, an iconic LA restaurant group with 8 locations and over 40 years of business history. From converting a tiny grocery store in Brentwood to negotiating major buildouts, Madelyn brings a legacy of experience in real estate, lease negotiation, and long-term business resilience.

Moderated by Jorgi Paul: Founder of Lady of Record, a real estate business helping women create long-term financial security. Jorgi brings thoughtful perspective and the right questions to guide a grounded, actionable conversation based on experience earned brokering transactions for women across the city.

Date: Tuesday, August 19, 2025

Time: 1:00 – 2:30 PM PT

Location: Couplet Coffee (New DTLA Location!)

This event is open to all Regarding Her members. Not a member? Join Here to access this session and more. IT’S FREE!