Registration area where you can meet and greet fellow attendees.

Bio
Misha Ghosh is the Founder of IDiyas, a global inventor platform visited consistently by over 140 countries monthly. He publishes a weekly newsletter that engages more than 43,000 inventors, patent attorneys, and IP professionals worldwide. He became a published author in June 2025 with his book, titled "Ideas That Made History: 50 Inventors, 50 Moments of Brilliance, Volume I," which is now available for sale on Amazon.  His career spans leadership roles at Wells Fargo Bank, Bank of America, Mastercard, and ADP. A prolific inventor with 95 issued utility patents and over 100 pending filings, Misha was inducted into Wells Fargo's Inventor Hall of Fame in 2023 and honored as Bank of America’s Inventor of the Year in 2008.

Join us for a mind-bending, interactive, and eye-opening workshop led by James Jorasch.

You Thought You Knew AI... Until James Jorasch Walked In.
This is not your average AI talk.
James will:
- Deconstruct your assumptions about how AI works
- Show you tools and techniques you didn’t know existed
- Let you experience AI like never before, with live, real-time demos and audience interaction
- Share insights from hundreds of inventions that have shaped the future

Whether you're a developer, entrepreneur, creative thinker, or just plain curious, this is your chance to learn from the mind of an inventor who sees around corners.

Expand your knowledge. Challenge your beliefs. Get inspired.

Bio
James Jorasch, the 72nd most prolific inventor in the world, with 786 patents and 65k plus citations. He is the Founder of Model Meetings, the Founder of Science House, and the Chapter Head of IDiyas in NYC. His patents are currently owned or licensed by companies such as Meta, Groupon, Zynga, eBay, and Priceline, and he is a true pioneer at the intersection of creativity, patents, and cutting-edge tech.

We’re taking a quick break, time to recharge your batteries, caffeinate, and maybe network with someone who could be your next co-founder.

We’ll be back shortly, so don’t wander too far, innovation waits for no one.

Discussion of issues foremost to Inventors and Innovators.  Moderated by James Jorasch, Founder of Model Meetings, and Chapter Head of IDiyas for New York City.  Confirmed Panelists: Chris Estes, EY Public Technology Leader and Former North Carolina Secretary of State and CIO; Jeff Grant, Founder and CEO of Black Pill Capital and Centurion Inventor; Devon Ryan, Founder of Flying Aces Films.


Bios:
Chris Estes is a nationally recognized technology leader with over 30 years of experience spanning the private and public sectors. As EY’s US Public Sector Technology Leader and Client Service Partner, he helps governments and educational institutions harness AI, automation, and advanced data analytics to deliver citizen-focused services. As North Carolina’s Secretary and State CIO, he established the Department of Information Technology and oversaw statewide modernization initiatives. A longtime NASCIO leader, Chris continues to advise CIOs nationwide on digital transformation and data governance. He has received multiple CIO of the Year awards and North Carolina’s Order of the Long Leaf Pine. He is a graduate of Mercer University and the Yale School of Management's Strategic Leadership Program.



Jeff Grant is the Founder and CEO of Black Pill Capital, a Bitcoin Treasury Companies Hedge Fund, and one of only five Centurion Inventors in the Charlotte metro area. Until recently, he was the Director of Innovation at InVue for over 15 years. With over 30 years of experience as an innovation practitioner, he transforms user insight, iterative prototyping, technology transfer, and compelling storytelling into market demand. As Director of Innovation at InVue, he was responsible for driving innovation, developing technology, and creating intellectual property across all current and future product categories. From designing satellite hardware for NASA to inventing toy & game concepts at IDEO to transforming the commercial client and associate experience at Bank of America, to launching a startup hedge fund at Black Pill Capital, his interdisciplinary nature always finds him at the intersection of inspiring and synthesizing the efforts of inventors, designers, marketers, engineers, researchers, builders, investors and storytellers. When not pursuing professional ventures, you might find him coaching high school wrestling, competing in Jiu-Jitsu cage fights, or going all out to create an immersive Halloween haunted trail for spectators and spooktators alike.


Devon Ryan is an award-winning filmmaker and founder of Flying Aces Films, based in Atlanta, Georgia. Blending entrepreneurial vision with cinematic expertise, he specializes in narrative films and visually striking commercial content, particularly in the automotive sector, bringing emotional, immersive storytelling to every project.

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.


Rob Glance, is Managing Director & Head of Intellectual Property at Wells Fargo Bank, where he drives intellectual property strategy and advises on patents and trade secrets. A registered patent attorney, he has also served as Associate General Counsel at Fannie Mae and practiced in private law. Rob holds a J.D. from Cornell Law School and engineering degrees from the University of Virginia and the University of Maryland.



Russell Blaise, is Senior Vice President and Associate General Counsel of IP at Truist Bank. Russell is a seasoned IP professional in the financial services and fintech sectors, having worked as both a patent agent and a patent attorney, and in both private practice and in-house settings, throughout his twenty-plus-year career. In his role, Russell and his team handle a wide range of IP issues, including managing and championing the newly established patent program, supporting patent litigation and M&A and technology transactions, and collaborating with numerous teammates to address the IP issues that arise daily in the bank's operations.



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 provides his clients with practical guidance to capture the economic value of their innovations 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.

Bios:
Mike Hawley is a retired partner of K&L Gates LLP, where he practiced tax, corporate, and nonprofit law for four decades. A former investment analyst and CFA, he has also served as a Trustee at Central Piedmont Community College and led organizations such as the World Affairs Council of Charlotte. His career reflects a blend of legal expertise, financial acumen, and civic leadership that has helped shape Charlotte’s global profile.



Tracy Finch Dodson is Chief Operating Officer and Head of Economic Development for the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance, where she oversees economic development, research, marketing, communications, business development, and investor relations. A 20-year veteran of the industry, she has been instrumental in attracting and retaining major corporate headquarters, including those of Honeywell, Lowe’s, Truist, and the Atlantic Coast Conference, generating billions in investment and thousands of jobs. She holds degrees from UNC Charlotte and Harvard University.



Chase Saunders is a Charlotte native whose career spans work as a prosecutor, North Carolina circuit riding jury and non-jury trial judge, lawyer, mediator, and business arbitrator, accompanied by attendant responsibilities and civic involvement. He describes what he does now as building bridges connecting business, civic, and legal communities. At this stage of his career, he
facilitates change by making connections at the intersection of technology, history, regional development assets, and the law to realize the potential of Charlotte as a growing city-state. As an aside, he has been painting watercolors of changing regional scenes for over 50 years.

The outline agenda is now complete; thank you all for attending, and enjoy the rest of your evening!

Please join us for a Happy Hour where Beer/Wine will be served