Women’s Entrepreneurship Symposium: Necessity-driven innovation

Dr. Elizabeth P. Clayborne is an Emergency Physician and the CEO & Co-Founder of NasaClip, a medical device for nosebleeds. She has raised over $3.75 million in funding and was awarded an NSF SBIR Phase I grant for $256,000 to assist with the development of her device. NasaClip launched as the "Band-Aid" of nosebleeds in 2024 on NasaClip.com. Dr. Clayborne has been featured in several national interviews on networks such as CNN, MSNBC, CBSN, and TEDx discussing COVID-19, health equity, ethics, and challenges faced by Black female founders. Follow her on IG, X, Facebook, and Tiktok at DrElizPC.

Lisa F. Crites is the award-winning inventor of The Shower Shirt, the first and only patented (Patent No. 8,516,613), water-resistant garment to protect chest surgery patients while showering. Her invention, awarded for "design" and "method of use," was created following her cancer diagnosis and bilateral mastectomy. Reduced to showering in a trash bag, she was frustrated by the thought of future mastectomy patients being required to do the same. Subsequently, she designed, engineered, and now distributes The Shower Shirt to chest surgery patients all over the world. Lisa was a national InnovateHER winner for her work in creating The Shower Shirt. Sponsored by the SBA, Washington Post, and Microsoft, this accolade led her to travel with the U.S. State Department to present at WE-APEC in Singapore. Lisa also received a Patient Innovation award from the University of Portugal, Catholica School of Business & Economics, and was requested by Dubai ruler, King Sheik Mohammad, to present at the World Government Summit in the United Arab Emirates.

Lisa has been featured in Forbes Magazine, the Huffington Post, and Readers Digest; on Fox News, CBS, NBC, CNN, and Lifetime TV's, "The Balancing Act," discussing her patented, Class 1 Medical Device and legislative filing of the "Post Mastectomy Infection Reduction Act," sponsored by Congressman Bill Posey (R-FL) and Congressman Debbie Wasserman-Schultz (D-FL). The Shower Shirt company was also featured in "Women Inventors & the Top 7-Percent," by author Robert Bear, and recognized by Ivanhoe Broadcast News for "Women Inventors," airing in 72 television markets across the United States. A health/medical print journalist, Elysian Magazine columnist, guest lecturer, and entrepreneur, Lisa has more than 30 years of experience in the field of medical journalism. Her background in broadcast journalism includes anchoring at America's Health Network; reporting for both 'Success Central Florida' on WKMG Local 6, and Channel 13, in Orlando, with correspondent work for NADATV, and CNTV. She earned both her Master of Science in Digital Marketing and eCommerce, and MBA, from the University of Barcelona, European School of Business, Barcelona, Spain.

Sana Jafri is Founder and CEO of babygami co, a collapsible baby bottle that also grows with your child to 3-in-1 sippy cup and snack cup. She and her co-founder, Qudsia Khan, were be part of REI’s Path Ahead Ventures inaugural accelerator called Embark. Sana’s background is as a public school teacher, nonprofit executive, and grantmaker who has made a career of leading and bolstering philanthropic support organizations that promote education and make the world a better place for children and their families. A mother of three boys, Sana couldn’t find a baby bottle that suited her active family’s needs, so she set out to create her own and babygami was born.

Nancy Kamei is the Chief Public Engagement Officer and Director of the Office of Public Engagement (OPE) at the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). As Chief Public Engagement Officer, she leads the Office of Public Engagement and is responsible for carrying out the strategic direction of the Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the USPTO by overseeing the strategy, promotion, and implementation of outreach, education, customer experience, and customer engagement activities across the USPTO.

Ms. Kamei has more than three decades of experience in all major aspects of the innovation ecosystem. She served on the startup teams of four Silicon Valley biotechnology startup companies and has more than 20 years of experience as an investor, having selected and managed portfolios of both public equities and venture capital investments.

Ms. Kamei has a doctorate in pharmacy from the University of California, San Francisco, and a master's degree in business administration from Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business. In addition, she has over 40 years of service in the nonprofit sector, serving on the Board of Governors for the Japanese American National Museum and on the Board of Advisors for Stanford University’s GAP Fund evaluating faculty inventions for early-stage funding.

Read Nancy Kamei’s full biography

Paden Sickles is a U.S. Army veteran, former Engineer Officer, and Founder of SickFit, the first woman-owned, veteran-owned, and minority-owned sock company. After 11 years in the military and overcoming career-ending injuries, she reimagined her future by creating high-performance socks designed to reduce fatigue, prevent injury, and enhance foot health. With a background in economics and finance, her expertise blends innovation with practicality, earning recognition in Inc. Magazine, an award-winning documentary, and even Martha Stewart’s keynote speech. Through SickFit, she has collaborated with Olympic athletes, pioneered the world’s first sock mural, and continued to push the boundaries of performance and healthcare solutions.

Coke Morgan Stewart is the is the Acting Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Acting Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). As the acting chief executive, she leads one of the largest intellectual property (IP) offices in the world—a $4.2 billion operation with over 13,500 employees located across the 50 states and Puerto Rico. She is also the principal IP advisor to the President and Administration, through the Secretary of Commerce.

Ms. Stewart worked at the USPTO for ten years, from 2011 to 2021, and re-joined the agency on January 20, 2025. During her tenure at the USPTO, Coke served in many important roles, including as Acting Deputy Under Secretary and Acting Deputy Director, Acting Chief of Staff, Counsel to the Director, Senior Policy Advisor, Acting Deputy Solicitor, and Associate Solicitor. In these roles, she defended agency decisions in federal court and advised multiple administrations on a wide array of legal and policy matters, from patent eligibility to drug pricing to artificial intelligence.

Ms. Stewart is a graduate of Duke University cum laude and the University of Virginia School of Law, where she served as Executive Editor of the Virginia Tax Review and Editor-in-Chief of the Virginia Law Weekly. After law school, Ms. Stewart clerked on the U.S. Court of Federal Claims, which hears monetary claims against the U.S. government, including patent cases.

Read Acting Director Coke Morgan Stewart's full biography

Sean Wilkerson is an Innovation Outreach Specialist at the USPTO. In this role he works closely with USPTO colleagues and leadership, federal agency partners, national organizations, and industry to design and implement programs and initiatives that bring innovation resources to independent inventors, small businesses, entrepreneurs, makers, under resourced communities, and universities. Wilkerson uses his experience from working across multiple areas of USPTO outreach to consistently contribute to a variety of initiatives across the agency.  

Wilkerson joined the USPTO in October of 2008, initially serving in the Global Intellectual Property Academy (GIPA) as an education program specialist for international programing and outreach. From 2012-2014, Wilkerson served as program manager for the inaugural Select USA Summit, developing the structure and outreach efforts for this U.S. government-wide program housed in the International Trade Administration of the U.S. Department of Commerce. Wilkerson worked with the New York engagement team to manage and develop the 2015 Future of Urban Innovation Startups Summit in coordination with Columbia University and the USPTO. He later served in the Office of the Undersecretary as an acting Regional Outreach Officer for the Southwest Regional Outreach Office to help coordinate the office’s opening and to develop stakeholder connections in the region. Prior to joining the USPTO, Wilkerson served as the Director of Events for the National Association of Homebuilders in Washington, D.C., and as the Ideas Exchange manager for Accenture in Reston, Virginia.