USPTO to Host Women’s Entrepreneurship Symposium

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and the United States Women’s Chamber of Commerce (USWCC) will host a women’s entrepreneurship symposium Friday, March 11, focused on women entrepreneurs, the importance of intellectual property protection for their innovations, and how to leverage economic opportunities for women-owned businesses.  The symposium will be held from 9:00 a.m. – 6:30 p.m. at the USPTO headquarters in Alexandria, Va.

U.S. Senator Mary L. Landrieu (D-La.), chair of the Senate’s Small Business Committee, will serve as the symposium’s keynote speaker.  Additional confirmed speakers include newly-appointed Deputy Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Deputy Director of the USPTO Teresa Stanek Rea and CEO of the U.S. Women’s Chamber of Commerce Margot Dorfman, as well as experts in intellectual property law, government leaders and successful entrepreneurs.

“Women-owned businesses make a significant impact on the U.S. economy and more attention needs to be given to identifying opportunities that support and encourage women to become entrepreneurs and innovators,” said Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the USPTO David Kappos.

According to the U.S. 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.

The symposium will offer networking opportunities with experts in the intellectual property field as well as government and industry representatives, who will help  attendees gain insight into all facets of the business cycle. Agenda topics include intellectual property in the global marketplace, strategies to leverage intellectual property assets, accessing financial resources, driving business growth by leveraging business relationships, and federal contracting.

Registration for this one-day event is $41.00 and includes all conference sessions and materials, light refreshments, a keynote luncheon and a networking reception.

For more information, contact the USPTO at 571-272-8850.  To view the full agenda and register, go to: http://www.uswcc.org/meetings/womens-entrepreneurship-symposium-presented-by-the.html.

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