SAIPAN — Participants in the CNMI Innovation Incubator Program completed a Legal Readiness Workshop on March 28 at the Incubator Makerspace in Beach Road Plaza, the third module in a five-part strategic training series for program innovators.
The session, conducted in collaboration with the Northern Marianas College Center for Training and Innovation, was facilitated by Attorney Joseph Hallahan of Hallahan Law, LLC. Topics covered included business structures, compliance, contracts and risk management. Participants worked through real-world legal scenarios in group discussions to build practical problem-solving skills.
“Understanding the legal side of a business is critical to protecting what our Innovators are building,” said Program Manager Cherese Palacios. “With a strong legal foundation, many common challenges can be prevented. This training helps entrepreneurs identify risks early, maintain compliance, and make confident, well-informed decisions as they grow.”
Sakurako Halstead, founder of SakuBloom, said the session changed how she thinks about her business structure.
“This training helped me better understand how important it is to plan ahead and have the right legal protections in place,” Halstead said. “It gave me a clearer understanding of the risks involved and how to structure my business more thoughtfully moving forward.”
The next session in the series, focused on market expansion, is scheduled for May. For more information, contact cnmi.incubator@marianas.edu or follow the CNMI Small Business Development Center Network on Facebook and Instagram at @cnmisbdc.
