The first man stepped in, suited up like Kelvin. Leila walked to the door, ushering them to their seats while welcoming them. The files had already been placed in front of them and the potential sponsors flipped through pages in silence. Leila took the slight bobbing of their heads as a sign they loved what they read.

After the introductions, Leila walked to the front and opened her laptop. She clapped. “Shall we begin?”

The man closest to the empty seat with the ashtray in ...