If you're a small business owner exploring your options for research and development, including commercialization, join us virtually on May 9, from 2-3:15 p.m. ET, for an overview of the U.S. Small Business Administration's (SBA) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs. Learn how the programs work and what resources are available to help you navigate the processes. You'll also hear about United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) resources and programs that can help you protect your intellectual property (IP): your ideas, products, and product names.
Register today
Agenda
(Subject to change. All times ET)
2-2:05 p.m. Welcome and introduction
2:05-2:35 p.m. SBA SBIR/STTR overview and updates
2:35-3:05 p.m. USPTO resources and programs overview
3:05-3:15 p.m. Conclusion
Speaker biographies
NaThanya Ferguson, Innovation Outreach Manager, USPTO
NaThanya Ferguson serves as the manager of the USPTO’s Innovation Outreach Division, which focuses on outreach to independent inventors, small businesses, entrepreneurs, and underrepresented communities of innovators across America.
Ferguson joined the USPTO in 1989. During her 35 year tenure at the agency, she has worked as a contracting officer representative, lead patent analyst for the Patent Process Reengineering initiative, strategic planning project manager for the Office of the Commissioner for Patents, and project manager for the National Council for Expanding American Innovation.
Ferguson has received numerous awards, including a Department of Commerce Gold Medal in 2015 for her contribution to the innovative and collaborative implementation of the First Inventor to File statutory provisions of the America Invents Act, a Department of Commerce Distinguished Career Award in 2011 for continued outstanding service, and a Silver Medal Award in 1999 for her contribution to the development and implementation of the Patent Process Reengineering initiative.
Ferguson holds a Bachelor of Science degree in business and management from Johns Hopkins University and a Master’s Certificate in project management from Management Concepts and Regis University.
Carlos Gutierrez, Innovation Outreach Specialist, USPTO
Carlos Gutierrez started his career with service in the United States Marine Corps working in the field of logistics. He completed two tours overseas, one of which was in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom in the Persian Gulf. Subsequently, Gutierrez held roles in the private sector, including several years as an Executive Team Leader with Target retail stores and Adjunct Professor of Entrepreneurship at The University of Texas – Rio Grande Valley.
Additionally, Gutierrez holds a U.S. patent, was the founder of several companies, and has served as an advisor for several nascent-stage tech startups. He has written and managed grants that have been awarded a total of $1.73 million.
Gutierrez has served with several agencies within the federal government, including the Department of Energy, the Minority Business Development Agency, and the Small Business Administration. Gutierrez also previously served as the Director of the Texas Veterans Business Outreach Center.
Gutierrez has a background in business development and program management in the private sector, state government, federal government, academia, and non-profit spaces. He holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in management from The University of Texas – Rio Grande Valley, a Master of Business Administration from the University of Phoenix, and a Master of Science in technology commercialization from The University of Texas at Austin.
Erick Page-Littleford, Acting Director, Small Business Innovation Research and Technology Transfer, SBA
As the Acting Director and Program Manager for the Small Business Innovation Research and Technology Transfer division within SBA’s Office of Investment and Innovation (OII), Erick leads the strategic planning, management, monitoring, and implementation of America’s Seed Fund, also known as the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs, the nation’s largest non-dilutive federal research and development and technology commercialization program for small businesses.
This program is a collaboration between the USPTO and SBA and is part of an annual quarterly webinar series, Intellectual property and SBIR/STTR, designed to cover the basics of IP and provide updates and information about upcoming SBIR/STTR solicitations.
The USPTO offers inspirational and educational events, open to all, that feature successful innovators from a wide variety of backgrounds. Come learn about intellectual property, innovation, and valuable resources available to independent inventors, small businesses, entrepreneurs, and underrepresented or underserved populations. Find out more at www.uspto.gov/innovationforall.
