A Toy’s Journey: Ideation to creation, protection to commercialization, and sales to enforcement

As the Regional Director for the USPTO's Northeast Regional Outreach Office and Interim Director for the Southeast Regional Outreach Office and Midwest Regional Outreach Office, Elizabeth Dougherty carries out the strategic direction of the Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the USPTO and is responsible for leading the USPTO's Northeast, Southeast, and Midwest stakeholder engagement. Focusing on these regions and actively engaging with each community, Ms. Dougherty ensures the USPTO's initiatives and programs are tailored to each region's unique ecosystem of industries and stakeholders.

Ms. Dougherty has more than 25 years of experience working at the USPTO. She served as the Senior Advisor to the Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the USPTO. In this role, she worked closely across the Agency's leadership to implement the policies and priorities for the USPTO. She began her career at the USPTO as a patent examiner after graduating from The Catholic University of America with a bachelor's degree in physics. While a patent examiner, Ms. Dougherty went on to obtain her J.D. from The Columbus School of Law at The Catholic University of America and served as a Senior Legal Advisor in the Office of Patent Legal Administration for a significant part of her career. Over the years, she has also served in the USPTO's Office of Petitions, the Office of Innovation Development, and the Office of Government Affairs.

Ms. Dougherty has dedicated much of her career to the USPTO's outreach and education programs focusing on small businesses, startups and entrepreneurs. In this effort she has developed, implemented, and supervised programs that support the independent inventor community, small businesses, entrepreneurs, and the intellectual property interests of colleges and universities. Similarly, Ms. Dougherty has spearheaded a number of special projects with federal, state and local governments, and private organizations to promote and support invention and innovation in the United States.

Mark is an industrial designer by training that has run the gamut of design and innovation as staff designer at mattel, sr designer and ultimately director at KID Group, alum and faculty at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, entrepreneur, and now Inventor Relations at Hasbro, managing the action brands portfolio.  a recent graduate from Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business’ LEAD program, he is a proponent of using his corporate, boutique, entrepreneurial, and education experience to help today’s inventors and tomorrow’s innovators.

Jordan Goddard is the founder of Indy Toy Lab, a creative studio he launched with his wife in 2021. In 2023, he was named Emerging Innovator of the Year by Hasbro, and in 2025 his studio was honored as Most Innovative Design Vendor of the Year by the People of Play. That same year, Indy Toy Lab won Preschool Toy Designer of the Year for its work with Paw Patrol and Play-Doh. Jordan and the Indy Toy Lab Team are on a mission to bring more creativity and curiosity into the world, one playful idea at a time.  

Boaz  Green is a seasoned consumer product lawyer. He has extensive experience advising and representing a wide range of companies on product safety compliance, policy, and enforcement. He also advises companies on other consumer product regulatory requirements, such as labeling, advertising, and marketing requirements under federal and state laws. Boaz has worked with a diverse range of companies, ranging from leading retailers, private labelers, and manufacturers, to innovative startups, platform sellers, and franchisers.

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.

With 17 years of experience in the toy industry, having shaped some of the world's largest game brands during his tenure at companies like Hasbro and Spin Master, Dougal Grimes now channels that expertise into his venture, EightyTwo. As the founder, he operates a consultancy and incubator that partners with content creators and global brands to develop, launch, and scale original game intellectual property.

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Ms. King is the Intellectual Property Team Lead and Senior International Trade Specialist in the Office of Standards and Intellectual Property (OSIP) at the International Trade Administration (ITA) where she also serves as the lead for the U.S. government inter-agency STOPfakes program.  Ms. King has been with ITA for over 4 and a half years after leading King Consults, a global government affairs, external relations, communications and advocacy firm working with the global business and association community which focused on intellectual property, trade, cyber/data privacy, health, women’s issues and technology. Before starting King Consults, Ms. King worked in-house at the International Trademark Association (INTA) where she led their DC policy, communications and advocacy. Ms. King is the former chair of the Women in Government Relations (WGR) Telecommunications, Technology and Intellectual Property task force and former chair of the American Society for Association Executives (ASAE) Government Relations Section Council. In her personal capacity, Ms. King serves as a Regional Board Member for the American Jewish Committee (AJC) and as a Board Member of the Women’s Congressional Golf Association (WCGA).  Additionally, Ms. King serves as a Committee Member on the Bryn Mawr College Committee on Leadership Development. Ms. King has a BA in Biology from Bryn Mawr College and a Juris Doctor from the American University: Washington College of Law.  

Holly B. Lance is an Attorney Advisor in the Office of Policy and International Affairs at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).  As a member of the Enforcement Team, Ms. Lance focuses on anti-counterfeiting and anti-piracy issues domestically and abroad.  Ms. Lance’s international portfolio focuses on Sub-Saharan Africa, where she promotes and advocates for improved protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights in the region through capacity building and technical assistance programs.   Prior to joining the USPTO, Ms. Lance was in private practice, where she worked with clients of all sizes – from startups to Fortune 500 companies – on trademark, copyright and internet law issues, including counseling, trademark and copyright prosecution, enforcement and litigation. Ms. Lance holds a Bachelor of Arts degree, cum laude, in Cultural Anthropology and Public Policy Studies from Duke University, and her Juris Doctor degree from the University of Michigan Law School.  

Laure LeBlanc of ubi.Q Inc. is an inventive spirit with 30 years creating new toys. She specializes in the development of compounds, games, and novelty items, and has actively supported Women in Toys since 1991. Laure also contributes to the Ruth Handler Mentorship Program and WiT Empowerment Day. She has received several honors, including the Australian Toy of the Year 2021, Parents' Choice Award Winner 2019, and Mattel Hot Wheels Co-Inventor of the Year 2016. Be sure to check out the game, Ready Set Spaghetti, available on the market today.

Dan Luther has spent 15 years in the toy industry blending creative vision with strategic development, first as a design leader across multiple Hasbro brands and now leading Hasbro’s Inventor Relations team. He’s passionate about innovation, consumer insight, and helping ideas grow through clear storytelling and strong partnerships. Dan strives to foster collaboration so great ideas can take shape and deliver meaningful impact for Hasbro’s brands and consumers of all ages.

Matt Nuccio is a lifelong toy inventor and the president of Design Edge, a full-service development studio that has helped create and launch hundreds of toys and games over the past 30 years. Known for bridging the gap between inventors and manufacturers, Matt works with companies of all sizes to bring new ideas to life. He’s also a frequent speaker, writer, and mentor within the inventor community, helping guide creators through the process from concept to shelf.

Ramon holds a degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Puerto Rico and gained valuable experience through internships at Texas Instruments, where he focused on testing and characterization of mixed signal devices.

Continuing his educational journey, Ramon Mercado earned a PhD in Computer Engineering from Iowa State University, specializing in software/hardware co-design for embedded systems. During his time at Iowa State, he actively contributed to curriculum development, particularly in the area of embedded system design. Ramon designed lab exercises aimed at providing students with practical examples to enhance their theoretical understanding.

In 2010, Ramon joined the US Patent and Trademark Office as a Patent Examiner, specializing in computer memory and storage. Alongside examining patents, he played a role in training new hires at the patent training academy. Ramon served as the assistant outreach coordinator for the Eastern Region Outreach Office of the USPTO; where he focuses on educating the public on Intellectual Property and helping demystify the patent process. Currently Ramon leads a team of examiners in the area of Vehicle Control and Robotics, as a supervisory patent examiner.

Santa Claus (also known as Saint Nicholas, Saint Nick, Father Christmas, Kris Kringle or Santa) is a legendary figure who, as the world's most famous toymaker, brings gifts during the late evening and overnight hours on Christmas Eve. Christmas elves are said to make the gifts in Santa's workshop under his supervision, while flying reindeer pull his sleigh through the air.

Don Ullman has been inventing toys and games for over 30 years and, according to his wife Anne of 37 years, is still very much a big child. Some of Don’s products include the 2017 TAGIE and 2018 TOTY winner Soggy Doggy (co-invented with Steve Calhoun), and 2018 TAGIE winner Don’t Step In It! (co-invented with Bob Driscoll). Don is a big believer in collaboration and, with various partners, has licensed over 100 products to a diverse group of companies over his career.

Dan Vavonese is the Acting Commissioner for Trademarks at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). The Acting Commissioner serves as the primary agency official for trademarks, domestically and internationally, and is responsible for all aspects of the Trademarks organization, including policy, petitions, operations, register protection, and administration relating to trademark examination, registration, and maintenance.

Prior to becoming the Acting Commissioner for Trademarks, Mr. Vavonese served as the Deputy Commissioner for Trademark Operations from January 2021 to March 2025. He was responsible for leading the Trademark Law Offices and Trademark Services in all aspects of trademark examination, registration, and maintenance. He championed numerous initiatives to streamline and improve efficiency in examination, most notably the Trademark pendency reduction plan which resulted in a two-month decrease in pendency in 2024. He played a key role in the development and implementation of numerous rule and policy changes in Trademark examination. Mr. Vavonese first joined the USPTO as a Trademark examining attorney in 1995. In 2000, he was promoted to management within the law offices, and in that capacity, he served as a senior attorney and managing attorney. He joined the executive team as Group Director of the Trademark Law Offices in 2015. Mr. Vavonese also served as the Business Architect for Trademarks, where he prioritized and planned for updates to IT systems and business processes.
Mr. Vavonese received his Juris Doctor from the University of Baltimore School of Law and his Bachelor of Science in biology from the State University of New York at Geneseo.

Brian Weiss is the President of Goliath North America and the Global Head of Toys, overseeing the company’s strategic vision, product innovation, and key retail partnerships. With over 25 years in the toy and games industry, he has led major brand development efforts and works closely with the global inventor community to bring new ideas to market. Brian also serves on the Board of The Toy Foundation, championing initiatives that expand access to the power of play for children worldwide.