Recordings of Invention-Con 2020's wide variety of panels and presentations are now online. See the agenda below for links to sessions you may have missed or would like to review.
The USPTO's annual Invention-Con is a chance for independent inventors, entrepreneurs, small business owners, and intellectual property (IP) professionals to learn from top government and private sector experts. This year’s theme was “Your IP: A power tool for building success.” Participants took the opportunity to:
- Learn from accomplished innovators, inventors, entrepreneurs, and business owners how to use IP to achieve success
- Learn about resources available to assist innovators
- Receive valuable information to assist with developing an IP strategy
- Learn about IP networks
For more information, or to ask questions about Invention-Con, email InventionCon@uspto.gov. Learn more about past Invention-Cons on the Invention-Con program webpage.
Invention-Con 2020 agenda
View the speaker biographies and download the full program.
Thursday, August 20
| Time | Topic | Speaker |
|---|---|---|
| 12:00 – 12:05 p.m. | Introduction | Sean Wilkerson, Innovation Development Program Manager, USPTO |
| 12:05 – 12:10 p.m. | Leadership welcome | Andrei Iancu, Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the USPTO |
| 12:15 – 1:10 p.m. | Understanding the patent examination process | Patrick Nolan, Training and Development Program Manager, Office of Patent Training, USPTO Leonard Chang, Academy Supervisory Patent Examiner, USPTO |
| 1:15 – 2:10 p.m. | Filing a provisional application | Sudhanshu Pathak, Supervisory Patent Examiner, USPTO |
| 2:10 – 3:10 p.m. | Break | |
| 3:15 – 4:10 p.m. | Best practices for filing a successful patent application | Janice Tippett, Management and Program Analyst, Office of Patent Application Processing, USPTO |
4:15 – 5:10 p.m.
| Applying for a trademark | Matt Schwab, Staff Attorney for Electronic Filing and Public Web Services, USPTO |
5:10 – 5:15 p.m. | Wrap up and reminders |
Friday, August 21 (all times ET)
| Time | Topic | Speaker |
|---|---|---|
12:00 – 12:05 p.m. | Introduction | Dennis Forbes, Innovation Development Program Manager, USPTO |
12:05 – 12:10 p.m. | Leadership welcome | Drew Hirshfeld, Commissioner for Patents, USPTO |
12:15 – 1:10 p.m. | Government resources | Wayne Stacy, Director of the Silicon Valley Regional USPTO, moderator Craig Buerstatte, Director, Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Economic Development Administration Joann Hill, Chief, Office of Business Development Minority Business Development Agency George Koklanaris, Associate Administrator Small Business Development Centers, office of Entrepreneurial Development, Small Business Administration |
1:15 – 2:10 p.m. | Building your business model | Corinne Hodges, CEO, Association of Women’s Business Council, moderator Jody Keenan, Managing Director, Mason Enterprise Center, State Director, Virginia SBDC Network Mike Watts, CEO of LoveHandle Ira Carl Wolpart, attorney, SCORE |
2:10 – 3:10 p.m. | Break | |
3:15 – 4:10 p.m. | Building a virtual business | David Sardi, Founder, DineroHispano, moderator Andrew Baluch Co-Founder of Markup LLC Ramona Ortega, CEO & Founder of My Money My Future David Toledo, Director of Product Development, Thrasio |
4:15 – 5:10 p.m. | Keynote | Sam Zaid, CEO and Founder of Getaround |
5:10 – 5:15 p.m. | Wrap up and reminders |
Saturday, August 22
| Time | Topic | Speaker |
|---|---|---|
12:00 – 12:05 p.m. | Introduction | Sean Wilkerson, Innovation Development Program Manager, USPTO |
12:05 – 12:10 p.m. | Leadership welcome | David S. Gooder, Commissioner for Trademarks, USPTO |
12:15 – 1:10 p.m.
| Building your network for success | Bismarck Myrick, Director of the Office of Equal Employment Opportunity and Diversity, USPTO, moderator Miguel Alemañy, Founder at Innomatrix, LLC; Chair of the Board SHPE Harry Alford, III, Co-Founder of Humble Ventures Nina Archie, Diversity and Tech Policy Advisor, The Commercializer |
1:15 – 2:10 p.m.
| Market research/Know your customer | Warren Tuttle, President, United Inventors Association, moderator Brandon Andrews, Co-Founder, Gauge LaKisha Greenwade, Brand Strategist, Wearable Tech Ventures Founder Lyndsey Maddox, Digital Third Coast Internet Marketing |
2:10 – 3:10 p.m. | Break | |
3:15 – 4:10 p.m. | Building your pitch | Brittany Sickler, Senior Innovation Policy Advisor at the U.S. Small Business Administration, moderator Shelly Bell, Founder, Black Girl Ventures Scott Hynd, Co-Founder, Performance Dr. Heather Metcalf Chief Research Officer, Association for Women in Science, Project Director, STEM to Market (S2M) |
4:15 – 5:10 p.m. | Understanding licensing | Dana Colarulli, Executive Director, Licensing Executive Society International (LESI), moderator David Fedewa, Founder, Invent Tribe Bob Held, Held Intellectual Property, LLC Robin Rasor, Executive Director of Licensing, Duke |
5:10 – 5:15 p.m. | Wrap up and reminders |