Invention-Con 2025: Empowering American ingenuity and innovation

 John R. Adler, Jr., MD is the CEO of Zap Surgical Systems. Dr. Adler is world-renowned for inventing the CyberKnife® and the related field of image-guided therapeutic radiation. Since 1987 Dr. Adler has served on the faculty at Stanford University, being appointed the Dorothy and TK Chan Professor of Neurosurgery and Radiation Oncology in 2007. Dr. Adler completed his entire neurosurgical education at Harvard, accepting a one-year fellowship at the Karolinska Institute with Lars Leksell, the "father of radiosurgery." As an academician, he is the author or co-author on more than 300 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters and serves or has served on the editorial boards of eight different
peer-reviewed journals. In 2009, Dr. Adler founded the Cureus Journal of Medicine, which today is one of the largest medical journals in the world. Dr. Adler is also a named inventor on more than 29 patents. While creating CyberKnife, Dr. Adler founded Accuray Inc. (NASDAQ: ARAY) in 1992 to commercialize his invention. Up until 2009, he served in varying roles at Accuray, including CEO, Chief Medical Officer, and Chairman. To date, Accuray technology has been used to treat nearly two million patients and most modern radiation equipment now incorporates Dr. Adler's basic idea for image-guided targeting. In 2002 Dr. Adler founded the CyberKnife Society, later (2012) renamed the Radiosurgery Society. He also serves or has served on the scientific advisory boards of 7 different medical device or pharmaceutical companies. In 2014 Dr. Adler founded ZAP Surgical Systems with a mission to "Advance Cancer Treatment for All Humanity." The 5,000th Zap-X patient was recently treated with his creation.

Tyler Baras is a founder and Chief Science Officer at Area 2 Farms. He has over 15 years of agricultural experience and a B.S. in Horticultural Sciences from the University of Florida. His past roles include Grower at 3 Boys Farm, Hydroponic Farm Manager at The GrowHaus, Head Grower at Dallas Grown, Special Projects Manager at Hort Americas, and Special Projects Senior Grower at Plenty. Tyler is the author of three books, including Roadmap to Growing Leafy Greens and Herbs, a guide for new growers and investors in commercial hydroponic leafy greens production. Area 2 Farms designs, builds and operates organic farms that are integrated within communities and enable farmers to be leaders within their local communities. Our mission is to "move the farm and not the food" and to bring a farm within 10 miles of 90% of the U.S. population.

Natalie Boyatt is an entrepreneur, product innovator, and author passionate about helping others turn ideas into reality. As the founder of Bevee, a patented reusable drink carrier, and FanFuel by Bevee, her sports themed product line, Natalie has successfully navigated the challenges of product development, funding, and retail expansion. Her journey from corporate America to full-time inventor inspired her to write Pivot &
Persevere, a step-by-step guide for aspiring entrepreneurs. Featured in publications like Women's Business Daily and recognized for her innovative approach to marketing and branding, Natalie is committed to empowering creators to bring their ideas to life and build thriving businesses.

 Will Covey is the Acting Deputy Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Acting Deputy Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). He serves as the principal advisor to the Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the USPTO, advising the Director and carrying out the agency’s policies, priorities, and programs. Most recently, Mr. Covey was the Chief Advisor to the Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the USPTO. He supported the Office of the Under Secretary and the USPTO on a wide variety of policy and operational matters. Previously, Mr. Covey served as the Deputy General Counsel and Director for the Office of Enrollment and Discipline (OED) at the USPTO. Mr. Covey was responsible for ensuring that the nation’s patent attorneys and agents are of good moral character and sufficiently knowledgeable to practice before the USPTO. He has held a number of other key positions at the USPTO, including Acting General Counsel and Deputy General Counsel for the Office of General Law. He supervised significant federal intellectual property litigation, such as Alice Corp. v. CLS Bank International and Tafas v. Dudas, numerous rulemaking efforts, administrative law matters, and employment and labor law issues. Prior to joining the USPTO in 2000, Mr. Covey was a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey. He also served on active duty in the Pentagon and was a senior officer in the Army Reserve assigned to the Office of the Army Staff, Office of the Judge Advocate General. He completed combat tours in Iraq (2007) and Afghanistan (2011) and served as Deputy Legal Counsel to the Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff. Mr. Covey retired from the Army at the rank of Colonel. Mr. Covey received his undergraduate degree from Fordham University (magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa) and earned his Juris Doctor from Fordham University Law School in 1991. He graduated from the JFK School of Government at Harvard University in 2005 and the U.S. Army War College with a Master of Science in Strategic Studies in 2010.

Alison Evans is an Innovation Ecosystem Strategist with SBA’s Office of Investment and Innovation where she focuses on place-based policy to support the development of innovation ecosystems and manages the Regional Innovation Cluster program. Alison was formerly a Presidential Management Fellow with the SBA and through her fellowship she worked in the Office of Investment and Innovation, Office of Women’s Business Ownership, and Office of Credit Risk Management. She also did a detail to the Department of Treasury’s Office of Recovery Programs (now Office of Capital Access) where she worked with the Interagency Community Investment Committee. Prior to joining public service, Alison worked with Lewis-Burke Associates LLC, a government relations and consulting firm focused on higher education and science policy. Alison has spent her career in policy and is focused on community and economic development to support communities and enable people to build generational wealth and a high quality of life. Alison has a Masters in City and Regional Planning from the Georgia Institute of Technology and a Bachelor’s of Science in Biochemistry from Arizona State University.

 Deepak Dashairya works in the Office of Innovation Outreach at the USPTO creating intellectual property (IP) awareness programs and managing outreach services to independent inventors, small businesses, entrepreneurs, makers, and universities across the nation. Dashairya is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) with over 19 years of federal service. Before joining USPTO in June 2020, he served in leadership roles at the U.S. Department of State and the Department of Commerce in Washington, D.C. He currently resides in the metropolitan Detroit area. Dashairya received a Bachelor of Science in statistics and a Master of Science in applied statistics from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

Darius Davie is an entrepreneur and award-winning creative director who has redefined modern grooming and luxury hospitality. Based in Washington, he founded Groom Guy in 2020, creating refined self-care spaces through partnerships with leading hotels. His work has been featured in publications such as Forbes, GQ, and Hospitality Design, and he has collaborated with respected global brands. Licensed in Washington and New York, Davie continues to shape a new standard for men's wellness while mentoring the next generation of grooming professionals.

Gwen Davis grew up in North Dakota and started her Contracting career with the U.S. Air Force. She has filled various roles as a contract specialist, contracting officer and small business specialist throughout her 27 years of federal contracting. Ms. Davis also spent time in the private sector working for small businesses. She obtained her Bachelor’s Degree in Management/Human Resources from Park University in 2008 and currently lives in Minnesota with her husband Todd, 3 cats and a spoiled Weimaraner named Geno.

 President, United Inventors Association, Inventor, Board Member USIPA, FLIPA, IFIA, Author, Podcaster, Investor, Patent and Trademark Holder. Carmine Denisco has directed the launch, design, development, and manufacture for hundreds of products as seen on Shark Tank, shopping channels, online, infomercials, and retail shelves, some of which have gone on to be licensed by major companies. Denisco is dedicated to helping product developers correctly navigate the development and manufacturing process, giving each their best shot at success. Currently CEO of EarMark Sourcing, Carmine consults with a large number of consumer product brands across every major category to be sold in retailers around the world. Don’t miss his monthly New Product Show on Fox News!

Dr. Jack Elston is the CEO and Co-founder of Black Swift Technologies. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Colorado Boulder based on work that developed a complex meshed network, unmanned aircraft system, and control algorithms for in situ sampling of severe convective storms. His team was the first to intercept a tornadic supercell thunderstorm with a UAS, flying over 72 different missions, with ground speeds of over 100 mph, and never losing an aircraft. He's continued his work at BST in extreme environments, having visited all seven continents and has flown aircraft in the arctic, on the side of volcanoes, through a hurricane, and over wildland fires. Dr. Elston has over 1500 citations of his publications in the field of UAS, and is involved with several cutting-edge projects including a tube-launched UAS for hurricane observations, machine vision for low altitude flights and GPS denied environments, and even a NASA project to design a glider to explore the upper atmosphere of Venus.

Alison Evans is an Innovation Ecosystem Strategist with SBA’s Office of Investment and Innovation where she focuses on place-based policy to support the development of innovation ecosystems and manages the Regional Innovation Cluster program. Alison was formerly a Presidential Management Fellow with the SBA and through her fellowship she worked in the Office of Investment and Innovation, Office of Women’s Business Ownership, and Office of Credit Risk Management. She also did a detail to the Department of Treasury’s Office of Recovery Programs (now Office of Capital Access) where she worked with the Interagency Community Investment Committee. Prior to joining public service, Alison worked with Lewis-Burke Associates LLC, a government relations and consulting firm focused on higher education and science policy. Alison has spent her career in policy and is focused on community and economic development to support communities and enable people to build generational wealth and a high quality of life. Alison has a Masters in City and Regional Planning from the Georgia Institute of Technology and a Bachelor’s of Science in Biochemistry from Arizona State University.

 Brian Fried, known as "The Inventor Coach," is a distinguished inventor with 15 patents who has successfully licensed and manufactured his inventions, gaining recognition through major television networks, infomercials, catalogs, and national retailers. For over 19 years, he has empowered thousands of inventors to navigate their product development and market entry pathways as a mentor and licensing strategist, while also providing turnkey manufacturing solutions that transform inventors into successful entrepreneurs. A recognized thought leader and sought-after speaker on innovation and invention, Brian is the visionary founder
of the National Inventor Club and creator of the Inventor Smart Community app, the first dedicated mobile platform for inventors. He is also a three-time author on bringing inventions to market and host of the Got Invention Show, continuing to spearhead innovation and support inventors worldwide in their pursuit of
success.

Dr. Elesia Glover works in the Office of Public Engagement at the USPTO as a marketing and communications lead. Dr. Glover manages the promotion of IP awareness programs to independent inventors, small businesses, and entrepreneurs across the nation. Prior to joining the USPTO, Dr. Glover served in communications and policy roles for the Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Postal Service. She has also served in roles at various nonprofits aiding public private partnerships to enhance circularity and sustainability. She currently resides in Charlotte, North Carolina. Dr. Glover received a bachelors and masters degree from North Carolina A&T State University and her doctorate from Walden University.

 Janet Gongola is the Acting Chief Communications Officer (CCO) at the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Ms. Gongola manages a team responsible for development and implementation of USPTO's strategic communications in coordination with the U.S. Department of Commerce and the White House. In addition, she supports and advises the Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the USPTO. Prior to serving as Acting CCO, she was the Vice Chief Judge for Strategy at the Patent Trial and Appeal Board from 2016 to February 2025. She also served as a Senior Advisor for Law and Policy in the Office of the Director from 2014 to 2016, Associate Commissioner for Patent Examination Policy from 2012 to 2014, the Patent Reform Coordinator for implementation of the America Invents Act from 2011 to 2012. Ms. Gongola started her USPTO career in 2006 as an Associate Solicitor in the Office of the Solicitor. Ms. Gongola received a Juris Doctor summa cum laude from the Indiana University, Robert H. McKinney School of Law, and a Bachelor of Science summa cum laude in chemistry and mathematics from Muskingum College.

Frank Gruber is a seasoned CEO, entrepreneur, new media journalist, author, speaker, startup advisor, & investor. He is currently the Co-CEO and Co-founder of Established, which supports the Small Business Administration (SBA) & America's Seed Fund, USAF, among other agency and corporate clients. Frank invests in startups as the Managing Director of Established Ventures and as an LP & VP at NextGen VP.

Conrad Hollomon currently serves as Lab-to-Market Development Strategist at the Office of Investment and Innovation for the US Small Business Administration. Prior to federal service, he spent the last fifteen years in venture capital and tech startups. At The Engine, an investment fund spun out of MIT, Conrad developed public-private partnerships in support of lab-to-market transition, for commercialization of critical and emerging technologies. Previously to that at Techstars, the world's most active pre-seed investor, he served as Program Director for the U.S. Air Force Accelerator, responsible for general operations, tech scouting, and program design. Other roles include Senior Technical PM on the artificial intelligence team at Unity Technologies, and Executive Director of Operation Code, scaling a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping veterans and military spouses learn software development, enter the tech industry, and deploy the future. Early in his career, he served overseas as a US Army infantry officer. Conrad holds an MBA from Boston University specializing in social impact and organizational behavior.

Ben is an award winning Electronics Engineer with recognition from the Lemelson-MIT foundation and American Farm Bureau. He graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 2021. During his time at college, he worked with his father to create prototype robots to solve unique challenges in his community. This lead to the formation of Grain Weevil - a grain bin safety and management robot designed to do the work no human should.

Chad Johnson is the co-founder and CEO of Grain Weevil Corporation. He help start the company with his son following a long career as an informal science educator. Chad was selected as a NASA Messenger Fellowship, won awards from the Association of Science and Technology Centers, American Public Power Association, The American Farm Bureau, and the Nebraska Small Business Development Innovation Company of the Year.

 Nancy Kamei is the Chief Public Engagement Officer and Director of the Office of Public Engagement at the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). As Chief Public Engagement Officer, she leads the Office of Public Engagement and is responsible for carrying out the strategic direction of the Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the USPTO by overseeing the strategy, promotion, and implementation of outreach, education, customer experience, and customer engagement activities across the USPTO. Ms. Kamei has more than three decades of experience in all major aspects of the innovation ecosystem. She served on the startup teams of four Silicon Valley biotechnology startup companies and has more than 20 years of experience as an investor, having selected and managed portfolios of both public equities and venture capital investments. Ms. Kamei has a doctorate in pharmacy from the University of California, San Francisco, and a master's degree in business administration from Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business. In addition, she has over 40 years of service in the nonprofit sector, serving on the Board of Governors for the Japanese American National Museum and on the Board of Advisors for Stanford University’s GAP Fund evaluating faculty inventions for early-stage funding.

 Deborah Lashley-Johnson is the Acting Director for the IP Attaché Program at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).  She provides legal and policy direction to USPTO’s Intellectual Property Attachés based in Beijing, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Rio de Janeiro, Lima, Mexico City, New Delhi, Geneva, Bangkok, Abu Dhabi, Kyiv, Johannesburg and Brussels. From 2015-2021, Deborah Lashley-Johnson was the USPTO’s IP Attaché for the World Trade Organization (WTO) at the U.S. Permanent Mission to the United Nations and Other International Organizations in Geneva, Switzerland.  She worked on issues involving the WTO Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS), the World Health Organization (WHO) and certain substantive committees of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). In prior assignments, Ms. Lashley-Johnson has worked at the USPTO’s Office of Policy and International Affairs (OPIA) as an attorney/advisor and as a Senior Advisor, detailed to the Office of the Under Secretary.

 Jason Lott is the Managing Attorney for Trademarks Customer Outreach at the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) where he specializes in helping small business owners understand trademarks and the federal trademark registration process. He conceptualizes and delivers educational content using live presentations, creative videos, and other multimedia platforms. He also presents to experienced practitioners on advanced trademark topics, providing them the tools and expertise to better serve their clients. Jason began his career at the USPTO in 2000 as a trademark examining attorney.

 Aisha McCain is a 3x cancer survivor, med tech inventor, and founder of Casual Recovery. She turned over ten surgeries and years as a patient into a portfolio of breakthrough medical technologies. She holds seven issued utility patents and fifteen pending across the United States and internationally, spanning post surgical care, wound care, and respiratory devices. One of her inventions, Drain Care Wear, is a patented and insurance reimbursable garment designed for patients with post surgical drains, offering a safer and more dignified alternative to outdated recovery methods. She also invented the Smart Sleeve and the Everyday Hero app, patented technologies that connect emergency medication to real time GPS alerts and 911 activation, helping users get life saving assistance in seconds. Aisha is the creator of Young Superheroes, a platform that empowers pediatric patients through bold storytelling, representation, and imagination. Her work has received multiple national and international awards for innovation. Aisha continues her mission in ovation Aisha con memory of her sister Deesha and her late co founder and close friend Dr. Annemarie Sheets, building the future of healthcare from the inside out.

Dr. Andy Myers a member of the Executive Board for the Federal Laboratory Consortium, supporting those in IP protection, licensing, and ultimate commercialization of research carried out at federal laboratories. He is also the Technology Transfer Lead for the Kansas City National Security Campus (KCNSC), a Department of Energy facility where he works with inventors to evaluate inventions, protect IP, and cultivate partnerships with industry to transfer those technologies to the public sector. He has a PhD in Chemistry and an MBA, with experience with Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and academic research management.

 Linda Quigley is the Senior-Level Attorney and Team Lead of the Copyright Team in the Office of Policy and International Affairs (OPIA) at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) where she works on a variety of copyright policy and legal matters, including issues related to Artificial Intelligence. Prior to joining OPIA, Linda has held a variety of positions in the federal government, including on the Innovation and Intellectual Property team at the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative. Before entering government, Linda worked in private practice focusing on intellectual property and technology issues. Additionally, Linda taught as an adjunct professor of law at William & Mary Law School and worked in the law school’s Center for Legal and Court Technology and Institute of Bill of Rights Law. She received her J.D. from William & Mary Law School and her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Notre Dame.

Dr. Rawand Rasheed is the CEO and co-founder of Helix Earth, a startup developing breakthrough HVAC retrofit solutions that cut air conditioning energy use while improving indoor health in buildings. He earned his PhD in Mechanical Engineering from Rice University, and has more than 5 years of experience at NASA, first as a graduate research fellow and then as a Life Support Systems Engineer where he developed a patented no-touch distillation system for spacecraft water recovery. Under his leadership, Helix Earth has raised $7.3 million in venture funding and $2.3 million in non-dilutive support from agencies such as NSF and DOE. The company has received recognition on the national stage, with Rawand himself named to Forbes 30 Under 30 in Energy, ACHR 40 Under 40,  and the ASME Mechanical Engineering Magazine Watch List in 2025.

Ramon Ray is unapologetically positive and passionate about making the world a better place. Ramon's an in-demand motivational keynote speaker and event host at the best and most impactful events around the world and within the USA. He's the publisher of ZoneofGenius.com, Bitdefender Small Business Evangelist and author of "The Celebrity CEO - How entrepreneurs can thrive by building a strong personal brand". Ramon works with SMB focused brands to help them better reach small business owners and entrepreneurs. He's produced and hosted over 200 episodes of the USA Today Network Show, "The Rundown with Ramon." Ramon's interviewed all 5 Shark Tank sharks and President Obama. He's shared the stage with Deepak Chopra, Simon Sinek, Seth Godin, Gary Vaynerchuk and other notable business leaders.

Dr. Ben Schrag is an SBIR/STTR Program Director and Policy Liaison. He joined NSF as a Program Director in 2009, leading the Advanced Materials and Instrumentation portfolios. Prior to NSF, he was the Director of Research and Development at Micro Magnetics, where he led an effort to commercialize a new family of high-performance magnetic microsensor products. During this time, he also served as a visiting scientist at Brown University. Ben received his Ph.D. in Physics from Brown University.

Ashley Tucker is a public affairs specialist in the Public Information and Education division (PIE) division of the U.S. Copyright Office, where she implements various communication efforts directed to external specialized audiences. Prior to joining PIE, she administered the copyright law as a copyright specialist in the visual arts division. Ashley came to the Library of Congress in 2018, from PR Newswire (a Cision Company), where she served as an account executive, offering counsel on public relations, marketing and various communication strategies to government agencies, as well as public and privately held companies. Ashley holds a bachelor's degree in English and creative writing.

 Larry Udell is best known as founder and Chairman of the California Invention Center created in 1995 at California State University with federal funds. He has taught courses, new ventures, and entrepreneurship for over 40 years at universities throughout the United States and in foreign countries for World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). A member of the Licensing Executives Society since 1982, he founded the Silicon Valley Chapter in 2000, which today is the number one chapter in Licensing Executives Society International (LESI) countries.

 Sean Wilkerson works in the Office of Innovation Outreach at the USPTO creating intellectual property (IP) awareness programs and managing outreach services to independent inventors, small businesses, entrepreneurs, makers, and universities. Wilkerson previously worked as an outreach coordinator for the programs leading up to the opening of the USPTO’s Silicon Valley and Texas Regional Offices. He also spent a year as part of the New York engagement team that developed the 2015 Future of Urban Innovation Startups Summit in coordination with Columbia University and the USPTO. From 2011–2013, he served as the program manager of the inaugural Select USA Summit, developing the program, structure, and outreach efforts of a U.S. government-wide program housed in the International Trade Administration of the U.S. Department of Commerce. As an education program analyst in the Global Intellectual Property Academy from 2008–2011, he managed international programs focused on providing IP training related to enforcement of patents, trademarks, and copyrights and the U.S. patent and trademark system.

Paul Zielinski, Executive Director of the Federal Laboratory Consortium for Technology Transfer (FLC), supporting over 300 federal labs across all federal agencies in moving federal technologies from the laboratory to market.  Prior to this role, Paul has spent over 30 years in government service across several agencies, including leading government-wide policy workgroups for technology transfer.  Mr. Zielinski has an MS in Civil Engineering, an MBA, and a bachelor’s degree in biology.