Join the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) in cooperation with the MacDill Military & Family Readiness Center on Tuesday, March 28 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. ET to learn about starting your own business and the resources and tools that can help you succeed. From honing your business plan and protecting your brand and ideas, to market analysis and financing, we’ve got every angle of entrepreneurship covered.
This event is free and will be available via livestream and in person. To register for in-person attendance, please visit the registration page or for questions, please contact MacDill Military & Family and Readiness Center at (813) 828-0145. For those attending in person, you must be a valid Department of Defense (DoD) ID card holder with installation access.
Panelists include highly regarded experts in business development and intellectual property protection, as well as successful military spouse and veteran entrepreneurs. Experts from entrepreneurial support organizations will also be available before and after the event for networking and one-on-one discussions.
Agenda:
10 - 10:30 a.m. Resource Fair (in-person attendees only)
10:30 a.m. - 11:15 a.m. Panel 1: Entrepreneurship essentials and resources
11:15 a.m. to noon Panel 2: Fireside chat with veteran and military spouse entrepreneurs
Noon - 1 p.m. Resource Fair (in-person attendees only)
Panel 1: Entrepreneurship Essentials Workshop and Resource Fair
Kathi Vidal — Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the USPTO
Kelly Douglas — MacDill Chapter Lead, Association for Military Spouse Entrepreneurs
Col. Russ Barnes, Ph.D., U.S. Air Force (retired) — Vice President of Education, Tampa Action Zone
Linda Olson — President and CEO, Tampa Bay Wave
Yanina Rosario — Associate Director, Tampa Bay Small Business Development Center
Panel 2: Fireside chat with veteran and military spouse entrepreneurs
Brian Butler — President and CEO, Vistra Communications
April Caldwell — Co-founder and CEO, fayVen
Lakesha Cole — Co-founder and Principal Publicist, she PR
Accessibility accommodation
If you are an individual with a disability and would like to request a reasonable accommodation, please submit your request to the contact information listed above.