March 22, 2012

Press Release, 12-18

USPTO to Host Women's Entrepreneurship Symposium in Honor of Women's History Month

U.S. Senator Mary L. Landrieu to keynote event

 

Washington – The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), in collaboration with U.S. Senator Mary L. Landrieu (D-LA) and the city of Shreveport, Louisiana, will host a symposium focused on women entrepreneurs, innovation and the importance of intellectual property to business. The symposium, open to all, will be held Mar. 25 - 26, 2012.

Senator Landrieu, Chair of the Senate’s Small Business Committee, will deliver the symposium’s keynote address.  Additional confirmed speakers include Deputy Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Deputy Director of the USPTO Teresa Stanek Rea, and Commissioner for Patents Margaret Focarino, as well as experts in intellectual property law and successful entrepreneurs.

“America is still the world’s greatest home for innovation and entrepreneurship,” Sen. Landrieu said.  “In fact, the U.S. filed more than twice as many patents as any other country in 2010 and small businesses develop more patents per employee than larger businesses.  The Women’s Entrepreneurship Symposium will recognize the key role that women play in fostering innovation and entrepreneurship.  This event is also a great opportunity for companies and innovators – both men and women - to interact with officials from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and network with other Ark-La-Tex entrepreneurs.   I am pleased that USPTO agreed to hold this event in northeast Louisiana, so we can keep Shreveport-Bossier and the state of Louisiana on the cutting edge of new products and technology.”

“Innovation is America’s competitive advantage,” said USPTO Deputy Director Rea. “We look forward to this chance to share knowledge about intellectual property with the women-owned businesses that make up such a vital part of the U.S. economy.”

According to the Department of Commerce’s (DOC) Economics and Statistics Administration (ESA), 7.8 million firms were owned by women in 2007, accounting for almost 30 percent of all non-farm, privately held U.S. firms.  Women-owned firms had total receipts of $1.2 trillion that year, and firms with paid employees employed 7.6 million workers.

Registration for this two-day event is $40.00 ($20.00 for students) and includes all conference sessions and materials, light refreshments, a keynote luncheon and a networking reception.

To register, contact Matthew Palumbo at (571) 272-7517.  To view the full agenda, go to: http://www.uspto.gov/inventors/wes_main.jsp.

Stay current with the USPTO by subscribing to receive email updates at our Subscription Center at www.uspto.gov/subscribe.

 

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