Nancy Kamei is the Chief Public Engagement Officer and Director of the Office of Public Engagement 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 previously served as a Program Development Specialist for the Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer programs, supporting the growth and success of small businesses across America. For several years prior to joining the government, she served as a national instructor for the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Innovation Corps program, training National Institutes of Health and NSF grantees on how to commercialize their technologies.
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.