1. Yes, and an O-1 is often the visa that we get for talented founders (from Russia and elsewhere).
2. With the long view in mind, I would recommend that you all hire a lawyer to handle the corporate stuff.
That’s very interesting. I was under the impression that O-1 visa require verifiable world class talent (such as making the olympics in your discipline). Could you elaborate on what the bar is to be eligible for O-1 visa?