Women's Entrepreneurship Series – Leading with purpose: Women making a difference

As Deputy Commissioner for Patents, Robin Evans manages and leads patent examining functions in Technology Centers that examine a wide variety of technology including transportation, construction, agriculture, electronic commerce and national security, as well as biotechnology and organic chemistry arts. She also provides executive leadership to the quality related offices responsible for training, process improvement, quality statistics and stakeholder experience. 

Ms. Evans began her career at the USPTO as a patent examiner focused on applications in the mechanical area. Ms. Evans was selected as the first Regional Manager of the first USPTO regional office located in Detroit. Ms. Evans also served as the interim Director of the Rocky Mountain Regional Office in Denver. Prior to her present role, Ms. Evans served as Acting Associate Commissioner for Patent Quality. 

Ms. Evans serves as Executive Sponsor for a new Patents Business Unit Diversity, Equity and Inclusion committee to foster an inclusive workplace where diversity and individual differences are valued and leveraged. In this role, Ms. Evans provides leadership and direction to focus on equity, fairness and community. Ms. Evans also serves as Executive Advisor for USPTO’s chapter of Federally Employed Women (FEW), an affinity group focused on equality of women in the workplace. In this role, she advices FEW officers to align its initiative with the mission and goals of the USPTO. Ms. Evans holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Maryland.

Kimtique Eyewear, founded by Kimberly Adeyinka, is a leading provider of prescription-ready frames, offering a unique fusion of fashion and functionality. With a keen focus on quality and style, Kimtique has been delivering premium eyewear solutions for over two years. Under Kimberly's vision, Kimtique has become synonymous with trendy, comfortable, and prescription-friendly frames, catering to diverse vision needs with a touch of elegance and style. As a brand, Kimtique Eyewear embodies the perfect balance of practicality and chic design, elevating the eyewear experience for all its customers.

Shanae Chapman is an award-winning entrepreneur, speaker and author. Shanae is the Founder and CEO of Nerdy Diva, a consulting firm, whose mission is to inspire creative problem solving in tech and society, with a focus on increasing access and opportunity for everyone. She leads tech training, instructional design, and consulting for clients across the US. Shanae is also an Instructor for LinkedIn and a highly rated international speaker, including engagements at Harvard University, SaaStr, Lesbians Who Tech, National Society of Black Engineers, UXPA International, and more. She has over 15 years of experience in design and technology for global companies including IBM, Boeing, and The MathWorks (makers of MATLAB). She has also led summer internship programs through partnerships with Boys and Girls Club and St. Louis Youth Jobs for connecting underrepresented youth to tech career exploration. Shanae is a graduate of Northeastern University with a Master's in Informatics. She holds a Bachelors of Arts from Saint Louis University in Communication, Emphasis in Communication Technology, and Certificate in African American Studies, and certificates in Web Design from Webster University, and Leadership from MIT.

Keisha Mabry Haymore is a connector, convener and social entrepreneur on a mission to change the world one connection at a time. She is the owner of Heydays Coworking & Event Space and has been featured on National Public Radio, The Daily Show, Fast Company, Success Magazine, Huffington Post, Essence, Black Enterprise, Fox 2 News, Nine Network, The Business Journal, St Louis Magazine and more. In addition, Keisha is the Grow With Google Digital Coach for Missouri, an adjunct lecturer at the University of Missouri, an expert in residence at Washington University, an Aspen Ideas Scholar, a Hatch Fellow, a TEDx speaker and her book Hey Friend: 100 Ways to Connect with 100 People in 100 Days is a movement to make the world friendly again, or at the very least, friendlier than it’s ever been. She’s delivered more than 150 keynote speeches for Fortune 500 companies and top brands like Spotify, Mastercard, Square, South by Southwest (SXSW), Edward Jones, Bayer, Facebook, YUM!, Ikea, SHRM, New York Fashion Week, US Bank and Brit + Co. Learn more at keishamabry.com and heydayshq.com. 

As the daughter of first- and second-generation immigrant parents and raised in the US south, I’ve always lived at the center of ‘Equity’ as an imperative, not a nice to have. At 26, I became one of the youngest, and first Afro-latina, to receive my PhD in Neuroscience from the University of Illinois, creating a platform for others to go on and do the same. During that time, my work was focused on studying the biophysics and neurophysiology of depression and autism and I subsequently became a double-licensed emergency medicine technician and Medical Science Liaison for a global healthcare company. As both a previous patient care provider and now as beauty and health company founder of Florae, my passion has always been to expand the lens of equity and access.