Celebrate the dynamic innovation ecosystem of the Charlotte Metro area.  

Location
Enventys Headquarters
520 Elliot Street
Charlotte, NC 28202
Date & Time
September 26th, 2024 from 3:00 PM - 6:00 PM
Schedule
2:30 PM
Coffee and Conversations
Registration area where you can meet and greet fellow attendees.
3:00 PM
Welcome by Misha Ghosh, Founder of IDiyas
Get to know about IDiyas, its mission and the progress of IDiyas since the first summit.
3:15 PM
Enventys Welcome by Louis Foreman, Founder and CEO of Enventys
Get to know Enventys and its unique history of innovation.
3:30 PM
Inventor roundtable
Discussion of issues foremost to Inventors and Innovators.  Moderated by Jeff Grant, Director of Innovation at InVue and Centurion Inventor.  Confirmed Panelists: Jennifer Pagan, CTO of AquiSense; Rama Kandala, CIO - Optical Communications and Life Sciences, Corning; Richard Kisley, Chief Engineer for the IBM Hardware Security Module & IBM Master Inventor

Bios:
Jeff Grant is only one of two Centurion Inventors in the Charlotte metro area. He is the Director of Innovation at InVue. With over 25 years of experience as an innovation and design practitioner, he transforms user insight, iterative prototyping, and technology transfer into market demand. As Director of Innovation at InVue, he is responsible for innovation, technology development, and intellectual property creation for all current and future product categories, spanning InVue's Asset Protection, Access Control, and Point of Sale businesses. From designing satellite hardware for NASA to inventing toy & game concepts at IDEO to transforming the customer experience at Bank of America, his interdisciplinary nature has always found him at the intersection of inspiring and synthesizing the efforts of inventors, designers, marketers, engineers, researchers, builders, and storytellers.

Jennifer Pagan is a pioneering inventor and the co-founder and Chief Technology Officer of AquiSense Technologies, where she has leveraged her expertise in LED disinfection technology to revolutionize water purification. Under her leadership, AquiSense has become the global leader in LED-based water disinfection, with products now used in critical applications worldwide. Notably, her innovations are aboard the International Space Station, ensuring safe drinking water for astronauts, and employed by the Las Vegas Valley Water District to protect public health. A key example of her work is the PearlAqua Micro, the world’s smallest and most certified UV LED-based water disinfection system, demonstrating her commitment to innovation and excellence. In recognition of her contributions, Dr. Pagan was voted one of Charlotte’s most influential women. She holds a PhD in Electrical Engineering from the University of North Carolina Charlotte, solidifying her position as a leading technical expert.

Rama Kandala is the CIO for Optical Communications and Life Sciences at Corning Incorporated. He is an IT executive with global multicultural experience who excels at leading senior technology leaders and solving complex business problems enabled by technology. He firmly believes that with digital transformation, every company is a technology company. He understands how technology can add value to a business. His team has successfully delivered several world-class technology and digital solutions. He serves on the board of Directors for NC Technology Association (NCTA) and is an Active member of the non-profit Apparo.

Richard Kisley joined IBM in 2001 and is currently the Chief Engineer for the IBM Hardware Security Module. Early in his career, Richard worked with mentors, focusing on intellectual property and innovation protection, which led to his early patents. Beginning in 2012, Richard was first honored as an IBM Master Inventor, a program that focuses on curating the IBM technology IP areas and submissions while coaching new inventors.

4:10 PM
Patent Attorney roundtable
Discussion of issues foremost to Patent Attorneys.  Moderated by Laura Peter, Executive Director, University of North Carolina, Charlotte, and Former USPTO Deputy Director.  Confirmed Panelists: Keith Agisim, Chief IP Counsel, Bank of America; David Easwaran, IP Attorney, K&L Gates; Koichiro Nakamura, Patent Attorney, Cantor Colburn.

Bios:
Laura Peter,  is the Executive Director of the Office of Research and Partnerships at UNC Charlotte, providing strategic leadership for the university's innovation, corporate research, and technology commercialization efforts. Previously, she served as Deputy Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Deputy Director of the USPTO, overseeing 13,000 employees and a $3.5 billion budget. With over 25 years of experience in intellectual property law, she is recognized as one of the “Most Influential Women in IP” by World IP Review. Laura holds degrees from Cornell University, the University of Chicago, Santa Clara University School of Law, and King’s College London.

Keith Agisim is the Deputy General Counsel for Global Technology Legal, leading a worldwide team of lawyers that support the bank’s Global Technology organization. He also leads the Intellectual Property (IP) teams that manages trademarks, copyrights and the innovation efforts of the bank’s inventors spanning across all lines of eight businesses. Keith also serves as Chairman of the Technology and IP Committees for the Bank Policy Institute and The Clearinghouse, and is also the Chair and lead negotiator for the Quality Patent Coalition. Previously he has served on the Advisory Board for Central Michigan University’s Entrepreneurship Program and Johnson & Wales University’s Entrepreneurship Program.

David Easwaran is a partner and a member of the IP Procurement and Portfolio Management practice group. His practice focuses on IP counseling for clients of all types, from universities and emerging startups to some of the largest companies in the world. He brings a unique understanding of the patent questions affecting software innovation. He has worked on these issues from various perspectives in private practice, in-house, and as a patent examiner. With his diverse experience in the IP field, David offers his clients practical guidance to capture the economic value of their innovation while mitigating the risks posed by third-party IP. David has rich experience in the financial services sector, having previously focused on financial services innovation as a patent examiner and an in-house IP counsel.

Koichiro "Ko" Nakamura, Counsel for Cantor Colburn LLP, has almost 20 years of experience in intellectual property, including performing and managing patent prosecution, IP counseling, invalidity and non-infringement opinions, and clearances for both domestic and international clients in a broad range of industries. Ko concentrates his practice in the mechanical and electromechanical fields and has experience handling technologies including automotive, aerospace, consumer electronics, medical devices, oilfield, desalination, manufacturing, 3-D printing, and sporting equipment. Ko is fluent in Japanese, has extensive experience handling Japan-origin patent applications, and has represented both the Houston Intellectual Property Association and the Carolina Patent Trademark Copyright Law Association as a delegate in annual meetings with the Japan Patent Office. Before joining Cantor Colburn, Ko practiced patent prosecution at two IP boutique firms and worked as in-house IP counsel for Techtronic Industries Power Equipment.

4:50 PM
Enventys Facility Tours
Join a guided tour Enventys' inspiring workspaces.
6:00 PM
Closing
Outlined agenda concludes; thank you all for coming and enjoy the rest of your evening!
 Join us on September 26th! 
We appreciate being able to bring this exciting community together; we look forward to reconnecting with existing friends, building new relationships, and to hosting you at this unique event.

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