Hope Shimabuku, Director of the USPTO Texas Regional Office
As the Director of the USPTO's Texas Regional Office, Hope Shimabuku carries out the strategic direction of the Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the USPTO, and is responsible for leading the Texas Regional Office. Focusing on the region and actively engaging with the community, Shimabuku ensures the USPTO’s initiatives and programs are tailored to the region’s unique ecosystem of industries and stakeholders.
Shimabuku brings to the USPTO nearly two decades of experience as an engineer and intellectual property attorney. Most recently, Shimabuku was a part of the Office of General Counsel at Xerox Corporation serving as Vice President and Corporate Counsel responsible for all intellectual property matters for Xerox Business Services LLC. She also worked for BlackBerry Corporation advising on United States and Chinese standards setting, cyber security, technology transfer, and intellectual property laws and legislation. As an engineer, she worked for Procter & Gamble and Dell Computer Corporation.
Shimabuku is a leader in the Texas region. She sits on the Board of Visitors for the University of North Texas Law School and is an honorary member and inaugural member of the Barbara M.G. Lynn IP Inn of Court. She is a past chair for the Intellectual Property Section of the State Bar of Texas, served as past president of the Dallas Asian American Bar Association, chaired the Dallas Diversity Task Force, served as a facilitator for the DFW Women in Intellectual Property Group, and served on the board of the Dallas Bar Association and as a member of the Grievance Committee for the State Bar of Texas – District 6.
Throughout her career, Shimabuku has championed diversity efforts, including service as the first Asian-American Chair of the Intellectual Property Law Section of the State Bar of Texas, and was honored with the Champion of Diversity Award by the Association of Corporate Counsel and separately by the Asian Pacific Interest Section of the State Bar of Texas. She has received numerous professional honors, including being honored as a Hero of Innovation by the Center for American and International Law, being selected as a Dallas Business Journal “Top 40 Under Forty,” named Dallas Business Journal’s Corporate Counsel Rookie of the Year, and selected as one of D CEO’s “500 Most Powerful Business Leaders.”
Shimabuku received a B.S. in mechanical engineering from the University of Texas at Austin, and graduated cum laude with a J.D. from the Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law. She is a native Texan, born and raised in Houston. She lives in Flower Mound, Texas, with her husband and two daughters.
Ally Davidson, Founder of Camp Gladiator
Ally founded Camp Gladiator (CG) in 2008 in Dallas, Texas. CG is one of the fastest-growing fitness addictions on the planet dedicated to transforming lives through dynamic, fun, and challenging outdoor (and now virtual) group workouts. CG focuses on the power of community to motivate and push individuals to reach their fitness goals. What began in a parking lot in Dallas with 40 campers has multiplied to over 3,500 locations in five states across the nation. CG is now Austin based.
Dana (Rygwelski) Wildeboer, Senior Director of Marketing for MassChallenge
As a Senior Director of Marketing for MassChallenge, Dana helps companies connect with consumers through strategic customer experiences and branded programing. Since the launch of MassChallenge, she has helped accelerate 84 startups, raised more than $30 million, generated more than $20 million in funding, and created 524 jobs. In her free time, you can find Dana in the gym, with her family and dogs, or on the yoga mat meditating. To date, Dana is one of less than 10 women in history to squat more than 700 lbs and holds the Squat, Deadlift, and Total World Records across the Revolution Powerlifting Syndicate, and is a proud cancer survivor.
Corey Jackson, Personal Trainer and Nutrition Coach for Clear Path Fitness
Corey Jackson has a master's degree in nutrition and is a personal trainer and nutrition coach who works with women in perimenopause to maximize their health and fitness through their menopausal transition. Jackson owns and runs Clear Path Fitness, where she trains clients online and in person in her hometown of Austin, Texas. Prior to founding Clear Path Fitness, Corey started Pretty Good Planners, where she wrote The Healthy Habits System of Planners, to help users weave their fitness and nutrition goal planning into their daily lives. She uses the principles from the planner to help her clients succeed in fitness and whatever is important to them.
