Women’s Entrepreneurship Symposium, part three: From inspiration to commercialization

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Women's entrepreneurship symposium -- March 30, 2-3:35 pm ET

In the first segment of this event, Ceata E. Lash, Founder, Inventor, and Co-CEO of PuffCuff LLC, and Georgia Grace Edwards, CEO and Co-Founder of SheFly Apparel, share how they turned ideas into commercial successes. Learn about their secrets to success and how they overcame obstacles in their journeys. See a recording of this segment.

The afternoon's final conversation on innovative women brought together U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo, Chair of USPTO’s Council for Inclusive Innovation, and Abi Olukeye, Founder and CEO of Smart Girls HQ, which promotes science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education by providing engaging content and facilitating exciting experiences that enable young girls to achieve STEM career literacy by age 12. These two dynamic leaders discussed their career paths, mentoring, and their thoughts on how to encourage more young women to pursue innovation and entrepreneurship. See a recording of this segment.

 

Agenda
(All times ET)

 

2–2:05 p.m.  Welcome and overview    

  • Sean Wilkerson, Innovation Outreach Program Manager, USPTO

2:05–3:05 p.m.  Finding innovation: Learn how exceptional innovators discovered their inspiration for success and commercialization

  • Georgia Grace Edwards, CEO and Co-Founder of SheFly Apparel
  • Ceata E. Lash, Founder, Inventor, and Co-CEO, PuffCuff LLC 
  • Hope Shimabuku, Director of the Texas Regional Office of the USPTO (moderator)

3:05–3:10 p.m. Break

3:10–3:40 p.m. A conversation on enabling success for the next generation of innovative women to succeed    

  • Abi Olukeye, Founder and CEO, Smart Girls HQ
  • Gina Raimondo, U.S. Secretary of Commerce 
  • Shirin Bidel-Niyat, Senior Advisor for the Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the USPTO (moderator)

3:40–3:45 p.m. Thank you and wrap-up

  • Sean Wilkerson, Innovation Outreach Program Manager, USPTO

 

Speaker biographies


 

This program is presented by the USPTO's Office of Innovation Outreach. For more information, please contact WES@USPTO.GOV.

The content and opinions shared by our guest speakers during this program are not those of the USPTO, nor are an endorsement of any persons, products, programs, or policies mentioned therein.

This event is part of a series: Advancing Equity, Women's Entrepreneurship