Proud Innovation – Learn from LGBTQ+ innovators
Event Information
About this event
Don’t miss this special online event celebrating the remarkable work of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ+) innovators. Join us to hear a discussion on creating change, building legacies, securing funding, and networking. Register early.
Tune in on the day of the event: https://livestream.com/accounts/4828334/events/9699289
Agenda (subject to change)
See speaker biographies
1-1:05 p.m. Program welcome and overview
Sean Wilkerson, Innovation Outreach Program Manager, Office of Innovation Outreach, USPTO
1:05-1:10 p.m. Agency leadership greetings
Fred Steckler, Chief Administrative Officer, USPTO
1:10-2:10 p.m. Inspiring innovation: A discussion on creating change and building a legacy
Moderator: Peter N. Fowler, Senior Counsel for Enforcement, USPTO
Panel members:
- Jay D. Keasling, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Berkeley
- Dirk Trauner, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Chemistry and Neuroscience, New York University
- Sean Whelan, Ph.D., Chair of the Department of Molecular Microbiology and the Marvin A. Brennecke Distinguished Professor, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis
2:10-3:10 p.m. Creating opportunities: A conversation about building networks and securing funding
Moderator: Gavriel Legynd, CEO, VisioneerIT
Panel members:
- Safi Mojidi, Director of Strategic Partnerships, TransTech
- Sabrina Kent, Senior Vice President, Corporate Relations, National LGBT Chamber of Commerce
- Braxton Fleming, CEO, Stealth Bros. & Co.
- Amita Mehta, Founder, AMP Consulting
3:10-3:20 p.m. Closing and wrap up
Sean Wilkerson, Innovation Outreach Program Manager, Office of Innovation Outreach, USPTO
This LGBTQ+ Pride Month event is presented by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s Office of Innovation Outreach. For questions or assistance, please contact InnovationOutreach@uspto.gov.
Don’t forget: The USPTO offers many informative presentations, panels, and chats year-round. Find one that interests you on the events page.
The content and opinions shared by our guest speakers during this program are not that of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, nor an endorsement of any persons, products, programs, or policies mentioned therein.
Organizer The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
Organizer of Proud Innovation – Learn from LGBTQ+ innovators
The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is the federal agency for granting U.S. patents and registering trademarks. In doing this, the USPTO fulfills the mandate of Article I, Section 8, Clause 8, of the Constitution that the legislative branch "promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries." The USPTO registers trademarks based on the commerce clause of the Constitution (Article I, Section 8, Clause 3). Under this system of protection, American industry has flourished. New products have been invented, new uses for old ones discovered, and employment opportunities created for millions of Americans. The strength and vitality of the U.S. economy depends directly on effective mechanisms that protect new ideas and investments in innovation and creativity. The continued demand for patents and trademarks underscores the ingenuity of American inventors and entrepreneurs. The USPTO is at the cutting edge of the nation's technological progress and achievement.
The USPTO advises the president of the United States, the secretary of commerce, and U.S. government agencies on intellectual property (IP) policy, protection, and enforcement; and promotes the stronger and more effective IP protection around the world. The USPTO furthers effective IP protection for U.S. innovators and entrepreneurs worldwide by working with other agencies to secure strong IP provisions in free trade and other international agreements. It also provides training, education, and capacity building programs designed to foster respect for IP and encourage the development of strong IP enforcement regimes by U.S. trading partners.
