Welcome I'm Sean Wilkerson.
Innovation Development Program
manager here at the United States
Patent and Trademark Office,
otherwise known as USPTO.
Want to thank you all for joining us today
for the Women's Entrepreneurship Symposium.
We're excited to have you here for
the 2nd in our series of discussions
being held every Wednesday in March.
Celebrating Women's History Month.
Before we start the program,
pathways to invention,
entrepreneurship and STEM careers
for K through 12 and beyond.
I have a few housekeeping notes to go over.
The agenda for today's program
is in the inbox of everyone who
registered for the program.
However,
it can also be found online at www.uspto.gov.
During the panel we will be
accepting questions by email,
so if you'd like to submit a
question to our panel today,
you can provide that question by
sending an email to wes@uspto.gov.
We will try to get to your
question an answer.
All of your questions at
the end of each panel,
if not,
will try to answer those
questions after the panel today.
If for any reason you get
disconnected today during the program,
you can log back into the
program at anytime via the Webex
portal that brought you here.
If you missed a portion of today's program,
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we will be posting today's program online
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If you're urgently ready to
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Facebook page for USPTO,
where the Facebook page is being streamed
for our presentation today and you'll
be able to see that video, right
away.
At this time I would like to
introduce you to our panel moderator,
Joyce Ward.
Joyce Ward is the director of the
Office of Education here at USPTO,
and at this time I'd like to make
sure all of our panelists have
their microphones and cameras
turned on and joist.
I'll let you take it from here.
Thank you so much Sean.
I am delighted to be here today
with this wonderful panel of women
who are going to talk with us about
pathways to expanding innovation.
But the exciting thing is that
each one of them are trail,
Trail Blazers and are actually
actively engaged in creating
pathways and on their own pathway.
So we want to start out first by
asking each one of our panelists.
Introduce themselves and to tell
you a bit about themselves,
and so we're going to go
in alphabetical order.
Here I'm going to start with Carol Dahl.
Great thank you Joyce.
It's a pleasure to be here today and
was such a great group of women.
So I'm Carol Dahl.
I'm executive director at the Lemelson
Foundation and our mission is to
improve lives and true invention
so we have a lot in common with
the USPTO and we do that through
supporting the education and
cultivation of the next generation
of inventors as well as supporting
the pathway that allows them to
take their ideas to turn them into
products and businesses with impact.
So I'm a scientist by training.
I have both my undergraduate and
graduate degrees in life Sciences.
I think I came to that because most
of the people in my extended family
are in some way involved in health care,
but I did not end up in healthcare.
I actually ended up as a scientist
because an undergraduate I began to do
research and I just fell in love with that.
So I started with the kind of
traditional career I was on the faculty
at the University of Pittsburgh and
the Pittsburgh Cancer Institute.
But at the time I was there,
the Human Genome Project was starting
and I got very excited 'cause I saw,
well transformation Lab was going to be.
So I left academia to go to the
National Institutes of Health.
Where I worked on the Human Genome
Project and there was involved with
shaping programs to invest in cutting
edge technology to both decipher the genome,
but then to use that to
actually improve therapy,
diagnosis and health in general.
I saw how important inventors and
companies an entrepreneurs were and
that became a passion for me.
It's really followed me through my life.
I also is working with the
Advanced Technology program in
the Department of Commerce.
While I was there,
which was investing in
incentivizing companies to invest
in breakthrough technologies,
so my tie to entrepreneurship and
the importance of industry really
really birth that for me I moved to
the National Cancer Institute to help
bring these cutting edge technologies.
The genomic approach to the National
Cancer Program and there got involved
in launching programs around
complex molecular technologies and
emerging technologies and so on.
Also involved with working with
corporate partners to ensure we we had
progress against the National Cancer Mission.
I did leave the Cancer Institute to
help start a diagnostics company,
so I had spent some life being a bit of
an entrepreneur really learned about
what it takes to build an enterprise.
The risk, the challenges,
as well as the excitement
of building something new,
but I got an offer while I was
there that I couldn't refuse,
which was to launch the grand
challenges programs at the Bill
and Melinda Gates Foundation.
So I spent eight years of the
Gates Foundation bringing novel
technologies and new solutions
to neglected problems with low
and middle income countries.
All that basically took me down
a path where I became very
interested in innovation invention.
How we turn inventions into
solutions that really reach people
and that led me to my current role,
which has the additional advantage.
But being able to also help with
fostering the next generation inventors,
I guess I've always been a bit
of an entrepreneur.
Whether it's building or joining
something fundamentally new but
also an intrapreneur building new
things within an organization.
I feel super lucky to have.
Had the opportunity to do that as
well as to help invest in others
who have great ideas to bring them
to fruition as entrepreneurs.
Thank you, thank you Carol and
that is outstanding and it's it's
it's very nice to see just the the
pathway and the various experiences
that you bring to the discussion.
And I love the fact that you talked
about always being an entrepreneur
as well as an intrapreneur and so the
next one of our panelists that I want
to introduce to you is Rozalynn Goodwin.
And I had the pleasure of speaking with
Rozalynn's daughter a couple of weeks ago.
And just very anxious to have
you tell us about yourself,
and certainly about what you're
doing with your daughter as well.
Rozalynn. Hi good afternoon everyone.
It really is an honor to be on such
an esteemed panel with amazing women.
This women's History Month.
My name is Rozalynn Goodwin.
I live in Columbia, SC.
I am a first generation entrepreneur
raising a second generation entrepreneur.
Our journey started when she
was just seven years old.
At five she daily nagged us about these
barrettes that would not stay in her hair,
or.
I was aggravated by the barrettes that
would not stay in her hair and
after a social media exchange with
a number of moms and a suggestion
from our pastor too that this should
maybe be a market we break into
Gabby at 5 ask me everyday about
these magical barrettes that we would
create that would stay in her hair.
That led to a two year journey to invent the
perfect hair bow and Gabby bows were born.
It is a hair barrette,
a double face,
double snap hair barrettes guaranteed,
non slip for barrettes.
That we have patents on.
So now got a 14 year old with three patents.
We started the company
confidence with that invention,
but it's expanded beyond that.
We now have a full line of plant based
girls natural hair care products.
Our entire mission is to remove stress
from the styling process or moms,
dads and girls can cherish this
precious time they have together doing
her with their girls during the day.
I am Vice president and lobbyist
for the South Carolina Hospital
Association so I'm a health care
Policy wonk have been in
that for over 20 years,
so I'm excited to share just from a
mom who wanted to show her daughter
that nothing was impossible and
that she could solve problems.
My perspective is now an inventor as well.
That is wonderful.
Thank you so much Rozalynn.
And then our third panelist is Ruth Farmer.
I have had the pleasure of working
with Ruth in various capacities
over the years and so Ruth Farmer,
why don't you tell us about yourself?
You're, you're muted.
OK, um it's really here
to fund Rozalynn store here.
It's fun to hear Rozalynn story
because I got my start in this space
creating an invention camp for girls
with the Girl Scouts back in 2001.
And it was just transformational to
see how just letting girls know that
they could change their environment.
And then if something didn't
work for them that they could
create something and fix it,
and I'm still in touch with all of those
girls who back in 2001 were inventing
solutions for their lives and an for
the lives of the people around them.
And so I am not a technical
person like Carol.
I actually have my background in
marketing and communications,
but I'd like to say that I manufacture
engineers and I have spent almost
20 years now working on ways to
increase girls participation.
In technology and engineering
pathways I was at the Girl Scouts
for seven years working on
Actually rejected the STEM label.
I focused exclusively on
tech and engineering.
One of the big achievements there
was establishing the robotics
programs within Girl Scouting,
and now we have some 78 badges related to
engineering and the Girl Scout Movement,
which is super exciting because
that will reach literally millions
of girls every year forever and
in every zip code I was with the
National Center for Women and IT
for nine years building up programs.
Specifically related to girls and
women sort of K through 20 in the
computer science space joined the
White House to lead tech inclusion
for President Obama in 2016.
And then started working with an
organization called CS NYC which
together with the leadership there
we pivoted that organization
from focusing just on NYC,
which arguably is as big as an
entire state school system.
If you look at New York City public
schools to bringing that knowledge to
the whole nation for how to do systems
change for computer science education,
and then my most recent thing is I
just launched something called the
Last Mile Education Fund, which.
Um is really from learning.
20 years of watching girls go
through the gauntlet of becoming an
engineer and seeing the different
gaps in places where we're failing,
one big one is we're doing a great
job of getting more girls and
women into pipeline.
We're not doing a great job of
getting students out the other end,
and so the last mile education fund
funds the last mile for low income
tech and engineering women right
now will probably be expanding
to fund young men as soon.
But you know,
uh,
a little obstacle can be a huge obstacle
when you're in those last few months.
And those last few credits.
And so we're getting students over
the last mile and into a career.
And on Monday it was announced that
were a finalist for the $40 million
equality Can't Wait Challenge,
which will award $10 million to
three different organizations to
improve women's power and influence.
So we're super excited about that,
and I'm excited to be part
of this conversation today.
Very good. That is all very exciting Ruth.
And we thank all three of you
for being here today so we we
want to start the discussion.
There was a recent report that was
published by the Council on Competitiveness
and we're very fortunate in that.
I know that Carol Dahl is instrumental
in working with that group and so
I'm hoping that Carol will will
help set the stage for us.
But but basically the thing that I
wanted to highlight in there is that.
There's language that that that
basically says that we want to ensure
that every student has the opportunity
to experience invention and innovation
throughout pre K12 and higher education and.
I guess my question is how do we
do that and why is it important?
And so Carol,
I'd like you to start out if you will.
Great thanks, Joyce and
If you don't mind I'm gonna take just
a little bit of time to frame why
this report is so important and why
they report was actually even done.
So thank you for mentioning it.
I think it is a really important
breakthrough report.
Just provide a bit of context that
Council on Competitiveness is a
membership organization that is
comprised of leadership of industry,
universities, national laboratories,
in labor unions,
and it was formed decades ago with a mission.
To inform and advise the nation on the
needs to ensure US competitiveness.
So in late 2019 they formed a Commission
on innovation and competitiveness
Frontiers on how to tackle how the
US can really strengthen and create a
more resilient innovation ecosystem to
ensure future global competitiveness
for the US and as Joyce as mentioned,
I am thrilled to be part of this.
I'm actually a Commissioner an
involved with this activity and I
think it's it's really important.
About report highlights.
The importance of fostering innovation
and why is that so important?
I guess that's really fundamental
to our discussion today.
An it is that it leads to high quality jobs,
and we think that high quality.
It's not just about having a job,
it's about having a good job and
turns out innovation.
Workers earn a median salary of
like 85,000 in 2017.
In contrast to all other workers
where it's more like 38,000.
So definitely higher quality
jobs creates new industries.
More resilient economy,
essential for addressing key
challenges we may face as a society.
Certainly seen that in the pandemic
without vaccines, diagnostics, etc.
We'd be in trouble.
But of course innovation runs dry
without the engine of invention,
so invention is critical to this as well.
The bottom line is our nation
is falling behind at the end of
the last century.
We were the world's leader by
far and away in investing in
research and discovery that
drives invention and innovation.
An inventions per capita,
but that's not the case anymore.
So the report has identified
50 priority recommendations on
how to strengthen innovation
and competitiveness in the US.
And if people are interested,
it's at www.compete.org,
and it's called competing
in the next economy.
And I'd like to focus on 3 themes.
And then I'm going to turn
to your question Joyce.
So just the three things are
the following that I think are
really important in the report.
The first is that there are opportunities
to enhance our innovation efforts
both in the innovation path where we
take ideas and inventions and turn
them into products and businesses.
We talked about that a lot,
but we don't talk about.
A lot is also the importance of the path,
the educational process that
cultivates the needed talent.
So we need to strengthen
both aspects of that.
So the second point I want to make is that
it's critical in order to cultivate more.
And more diverse individuals prepared to
invent and be inventors and entrepreneurs,
we need to make some specific changes
in our approach to education is
not just more of the above.
More of what we're doing,
but really change it, and so I'm I'm
sure we will get to that in a moment.
The third thing is that we need to
make a more supportive and inclusive
environment for all inventors,
innovators and entrepreneurs to take their
ideas into those products and businesses.
And currently it is not
an inclusive environment.
In fact,
women and people coming from
low income communities,
communities of color,
also rural communities just don't have the
same access to take their ideas into impact.
So the questioner had experiencing
invention and innovation.
There's a growing community of practice
among educators who have introduced
invention education into their classrooms.
And after an out of school programs as well,
and we're seeing there
seeing remarkable results,
and we really have been
learning through them.
What it is is that they're
using invention education.
So what is that?
It's literally the experience of inventing,
going through the iterative
innovation process,
foreign ideas reduced to practice and
exploring routes to make sure that
you can identify a path to taking it
to those people who might want it.
So the elements of entrepreneurship.
You know,
like the integrates design thinking,
STEM engineering,
computer science,
range of disciplines from the social
Sciences and its hands on a promise.
Problem based,
but we're really distinguishes
it from a lot of other hands-on
type programs or the kind of
education we tend to introduce now
Generally is it starts with
students identifying problems
that they see as worth solving.
I'm really unpacking those
problems in the context of those
who might want the solution,
so it's quite different from current
approaches to education that start
with a problem someone else is defined,
which the child may or may not care about
may have no cultural relevance to them,
and then a strict rubric for how to solve it.
So really allowing them to define it
themselves and what we're seeing is
that kids who go through this starting
early an on going it,
changes their perceptions of what their
own potential and empowerment is.
They see that they can change the path there.
Rear opportunities,
they also get more interested in learning
and self learning or particular around stem.
And they cultivate mindsets and skill sets.
The CEOs of innovation based
companies say they're looking for
in their recruiting and workforce.
I think the critical thing just come
close here is that you know it's
reaching kids early with the experience.
As data suggests that kids
make their decisions early,
like by middle school,
about what they're not good at an there are
lots of queues and messages that are given.
Earlier on in their educational
process to girls and kids from
underrepresented minorities.
Kids in rural settings that they are not
right for the innovation jobs of the future.
So we can change that by early exposure,
ongoing exposure,
and so the Commission makes that
point to reach all students,
not just those from you know,
high income communities.
Not just boys,
but all students from pre K
to 12 into higher education.
The invention education experience
and that we expand the number of
girls and students from historically
underrepresented minorities
involved in invention, innovation,
entrepreneurship.
It's going to strengthen our country,
give those individuals an opportunity
for really high quality jobs and being
part of the future innovation economy.
Thank thank you Carol.
As you were talking I couldn't help but
think Rozalynn Goodwin is a case study.
Invention, education and she's doing
all the right things when you talk
about nurturing a child's interests.
Rozalynn, I'd love for you to tell us
more about your case study and what
you and your daughter Gabby are doing.
Not only to serve as examples,
but also to encourage others along the way.
Absolutely, and now I'm definitely
seeing the resilience in the the
picture potential for high earning.
Even with our daughter our daughter.
Growing the business.
Patenting an invention,
she was able to hit six figures
by the 6th grade, so it's not just
for our economy in our country,
but it is on an individual level that
some of the same things that Carol
was talking about for our country.
Why it's beneficial for our country as a whole,
as our economy,
that is the impact it has on our children.
So we've certainly gone through that,
and you know,
experience the challenges.
All of the hurdles that are there
and the lack of access to capital
and funding and how my husband and
I basically just had to pull money
out of retirement to to give birth
to this dream our daughter had.
You know we we can talk about the
hurdles and the challenges that are there,
but you know,
we've been on a mission since
then and instituted in 2018.
The mommy and me entrepreneurship Academy.
We're really trying to and this is
what Gabby's request to to me and
her dad was as we were traveling
the country and she was speaking.
And, you know, inspiring girls.
She wanted girls who looked up
to her to know and to figure out
how to be CEOs just like her.
So she has a very unique story that she
started when she was seven and you know,
she really just wanted to solve a problem,
inspire people.
But she was also extremely shy.
Joyce, you just met her so you
probably don't believe this.
And if you've ever seen her on camera,
now you're like no way but the first
video shoot when she was seven,
right when we were launching,
she cried the entire time and I
had to take over her lines.
But innovation, solving problems.
All that comes with owning a business,
starting a business,
having to pitch an idea that
nobody else sees,
but you, build up that confidence.
Encourage that now she's a
traveling keynote speaker,
so all of those things develop,
but she wanted all of the girls who
looked up to her to also bcoz like
her so we created an Academy of
mentoring Academy to help girls and
their moms start their own businesses.
With our help under the brand,
so that exposes these girls directly
to a mentor and Gabby where she has,
you know,
monthly calls with them where
we've had to postpone.
But we are going to have
hopefully this year or
retreat with them.
And these girls are learning
how to sail through E Commerce.
They're learning how to pitch their
product's face to face at vendor shows.
Also, where we're exposing them to
those and what we're seeing in that
Academy is that they're coming up with.
Ideas and concepts and they're seeing
problems that they want solved.
You know Gabby solve the problem.
I have problems every day,
but what type of problem can I solve
and they see the example that
OK, here's a little girl who looks like me.
She did it. I can do it too, so the exposure
Is just invaluable for people to look at.
Looks like them. Who does something
that they only dream of doing
And it's not just something in a history
book and it's not so far away that we
only celebrated a certain month out of
the year and it's Black History Month.
So yeah, we're gonna celebrate.
Person invented the traffic light.
but now I'm seeing a real life example.
I have someone coming to my school who's
doing the school Assembly and she started
a business and had an invention Patent at 7
like I think that's kind of where we start.
We've got to really lift up the
stories like this in support.
The companies like this,
you know, God forbid,
I don't want anybody any other family
to go through all that we went through
to help our daughter's dream come true.
So we gotta really encourage that
expose children to that. But then.
Support the support system.
For those children,
through their parents through the
Girl Scout troops through the the
organizations in the communities that
will really help them continue to innovate,
invent and help change the world.
Thank you Rozalynn and Ruth.
I know that you have worked in a
number of areas and you've been able
to pull in students and programs
that haven't been served before,
or that that people have not targeted.
Could you talk a little bit about some
of the work that you've been able to do?
And certainly chime in with regard to
what Rozalynn and Carol have mentioned.
Yeah, actually one thing that both Rozalynn
Carol talked about was the you know, the
Students responding to problems
that are relevant to them,
and I remember so years ago Intel
had given a grant to the Girl Scouts
to increase girls participation in
the science and engineering fair
in the engineering and computer
science and math categories,
and that was what ended up becoming
the design and Discovery program.
And I remember the first time we show up at
the science fair and it's the science fair.
So everything, science, science,
science and I was like, OK, girls?
Your projects are engineering.
We printed out a thing there's like.
This is the engineering design process.
So when people come talk to you,
This is why you explain why you don't
have a hypothesis because you're
doing an engineering project and
there was another class that came
in every single kid had done make
a bridge out of popsicle sticks
and see how strong you can make it.
It was exactly the same product like and
those kids didn't have any skin in the game.
They just didn't care and I
remember my my little girls.
All kinds of different inventions
that they'd come up with,
but one was a girl who played the bass.
And when you play the bass you have
to hold your hand in this weird like
kind of nano nano way and her teacher
would put rubber bands around her
fingers together to hold hand position.
So after lots and lots of materials
engineering experiments she came
up with what she called bass space
which was a flexible plastic device
for holding your hand position.
Well,
I just saw something just like
that swing by me on wish.com on
an advertisement on Facebook and
I was like this.
12 year old came up with that way
back in in 2001 and I'm seeing
all these things popping up now.
You know, remote control,
wireless Christmas tree lights,
other things that girls were
thinking of back then and
I think we're missing out as a country.
When we don't access all of our talent,
we're leaving, you know, like it
mixed up all kinds of metaphors here,
but leaving a lot of the team
on the bench, right? And so
Women are not an underrepresented minority.
Women are half of humanity.
1/2 an 100% of the Mothers of Humanity,
so like this is not a niche market that
we need to do something special for.
Like this is half the team.
Now if you add up all of the
people that are typically excluded
from the innovation pathways we're
looking at 75% of the population.
Women people of color,
people with disabilities. And.
So you know when Carol was talking
about global competitiveness in
the United States, it's like
More than half of the kids in the
United States today are on free lunch.
So. We have a real issue.
If all the pathways into these jobs that
are going to be very high performing
that are going to bring people's
innovative minds to the design table,
that's gonna create technologies
to help all of us.
If we're leaving out half of kids
because they don't have financial
access pathways, that's just.
A really foolish way to go about things,
and so I think.
You know, given what's going on in the
country in the last 12 months or so,
you know the borders are affectively closed.
And we're not, you know,
using migration as a way
of increasing talent.
You know the H1B visas and so on like
you were not going to fill our these
innovation rolls with international talent
Anymore. one because of Covid too,
because of other immigrations
policies and things going on.
But also you know we've got the
people right here in this country.
You know we have
Millions of really qualified people.
And the other thing that I think
is missing from the conversation.
Every piece of research says
that diverse teams make better.
Stop.
All the research,
nobody argues that the United States
uniquely has a native diverse population.
In our country and we are not
leveraging that competitive advantage,
we are not investing in the home team
that is black and Brown and women
an men and all the people that we
could be engaging in our economy.
And so I think some of the things
I'm really proud of,
1 Obviously all the work with the
Girl Scouts because I'm really
interested in permanent change.
Like if we make
Computing and engineering and invention.
A regular part of being a Girl Scout.
It's there for every American girl,
forever, right?
Other places that are doing that.
Boys and Girls Club 4H all these
organizations that serve literally
millions of kids all the time forever
and have over 100 years of experience.
That's a great place for us to put this.
Because what we want is longitudinal
experiences sending a kid to
an invention camp.
Is like sending a kid to horse camp
who's never going to own horse.
Like,
If you want them to keep going,
there needs to be some touch points,
so that's going to be part of school.
It's gotta be part of out of school.
There's going to be pulled through,
and that's critical role models as well.
As I was saying,
super critical,
we want to see role models for the
kids an and so we're talking about,
you know Patent Office has these
great inventor trading cards,
but also like who are the young
inventors when I talk to kids and
like I want to be a YouTube star,
well that's because that's
what they're seeing.
That's what they're seeing as.
As having value and and then finally,
one thing I just want to flag is a recent
project that I've been doing
with the federal government,
even though I don't work
for the government anymore.
With the Junior ROTC, there are 545
thousand kids in the Junior ROTC.
And they are more than half minority.
There are more than half on free lunch,
but these are young people who already
raised their hands to be leaders.
They've already raised their
hands from public service.
And so I've been working
with Senator Rosen's office,
and representative Brown from Maryland,
and the whole cohort of corporate
partners to make sure that every
gerety C cadet in the United
States has access to computer
science education in their school.
Because these are young people that have
raised their hand to serve the country.
And what better way to do that?
Then to contribute to technology.
So it sounds like we need the
technology piece in the computer
science piece because we know that
our jobs and our lives are changing.
But we also know that invention comes
in many forms and there are a lot of
different aspects of invention and
certainly of entrepreneurship. Carol,
How do we? How do we get more?
Emphasis on the invention and
entrepreneurship education.
Topic areas throughout.
I think you mentioned in the beginning
that the way we approach things from an
academic standpoint that we have to look
at at how this matter is integrated.
So what are some of your ideas
or suggestions for ways to make
sure that we're getting invention
education to more populations,
especially to girls?
You know it's a great great question, Joyce.
I think the important thing is the only
way we're going to reach all students is
actually by going through the Public systems.
You know there are kids right now
who are getting this exposure,
but they are by and large either in
affluent communities who were there
and private schools are so on and we
really need to reach children at the
place where we know we can reach them all,
which is the public school system.
So I think there is an opportunity to bring
Educate invention experiences
and education into the classroom.
In addition to the after school
programs and you know,
it's only a very small portion
of our educational process that
actually happens in the classroom.
But it is the one that reaches all students.
Making sure that they are all of these
out of school experiences as well that
they can tap into is really important.
So I think a critical thing is to
step back and realize in order to
bring it into the educational system,
we actually need to have both
examples of what works right and
and there are examples out there,
and there's actually free
curriculum available.
There's a site called Invention
education.org where people can find stories
of students and stories of the educators
themselves and what they see is the benefits.
But also can find free
educational materials there,
but we need more of that.
We need to be able to bring that in.
We need the kind of space in the school
day that will allow this kind of
integrative student Lead learning to happen.
But that also means that we need
to provide resources to help
provide professional development.
This is not the way educators
are caught to teach.
They are now kind of like
the sage on the stage.
They stand up there.
They were supposed to know
everything they're supposed to.
You know, bring a rubric and kids are
supposed to perform according to that rubric.
And in fact, this really puts
you in the guide on the side.
I mean,
you know if a student came up to
me and said she wanted to invent
their better hair Barrette.
I would have told you how about doing that.
I don't have a rubric, right,
but it is to help guide them
in that self learning.
As as the wonderful example we
have here today on the panel,
right?
But to help them in that learning,
they want to do and we see students
who are wanting to create all kinds
of things to either help their own
communities or communities they see a need,
but that needs to change the
school day as well, so I think.
You know we need a freedom in
the schoolrooms to do that.
We need government and other types of
also philanthropic support and so on to
provide resources to get these programs
off the ground to get the metrics.
The research that needs to be done,
supported and then to get
the curriculum out there,
but also to provide the professional
development for the educators so that
they are prepared for this very open ended
potentially uncomfortable way of teaching.
That's actually very liberating,
because they see such
transformation in the kids.
So I think those are major pieces.
We just want to emphasize also that
there's opportunity for everybody in
the community to play a role right?
Because the parents need to be supportive.
It it takes extra time and effort for kids
to be able to immerse in this sort of thing.
And the kind of wonderful support that we
see that Rozalynn is provided for her daughter,
right?
Parents need to see the opportunity
for their kids to have this experience.
Also think that you know community
members like companies and businesses
need to provide opportunities for.
Students to see examples of people in
these careers to provide resources.
Access to facilities you know.
Summer internship programs that
someone that will allow kids to
go on that path as well.
So lots of opportunity there to make change.
I wanna add something to that,
but something Carol said sort of
sparked something was just this.
Letting educators know and
parents know that it's hard,
but you're really just sort of playing
like a concierge role like an advisor role
and the hardest thing with this program.
I launched with the Girl Scouts Design
and Discovery was the fact that every
student was doing a different project.
And so I swear we were like driving back
and forth to the hardware store all day
long because we were trying to, you know,
you couldn't know what the supplies would be.
You couldn't predict.
And so I think that can be challenging.
That's one of the really nice things
about computing is when what you're
inventing is ones and zeroes.
The supplies are not a constraint, right?
But physical supplies and the other thing
I would add is with parents, I think.
We all have to sort of hold back
our need to like control, and
Just let them play around and break
things and make a mess and and it's OK.
And explore and I remember a commercial
that came out a while back that was about,
you know,
with a girl where the parent was
constantly Oh no that's not safe or
no that let your brother do that.
And those kinds of things that we've
all had indoctrinated into us.
You really have to encourage
that exploration.
And that starts very early early as
seven or younger, as Rozalynn said.
It's sometimes hard for us to do.
Thank you Ruth and Rozalynn.
I know one of the things that,
well, several things struck
me as I talked with Gabby,
but one of the things she said is, you know,
at first I think my mom thought of this
as a science experiment and so you know,
I was always working on this.
I was collecting the data.
I was, you know, trying to figure out
what work and and she shared you getting
different products for her to examine.
Could you tell us sort of about
your iterative process about the
The way that you had Gabby or the way
that you and Gabby together, I guess,
kind of as a guide on the side.
How did you work together to
come up with your solution?
Right, I honestly I did
think it was a science project.
I as I mentioned.
1st Generation entrepreneurs and even
as we were talking about the idea,
I did have the thought that wow,
you know if we come up with
something maybe we.
And salad can sell the idea
to an established company,
'cause I certainly couldn't think about.
Starting our own company,
I just had not been exposed to it,
so it really was just a sitting
down at the kitchen table and
gathering various types of barrettes
that we already had in our home.
And then we went to the store to
buy some others and we sent her to
school with certain barrettes and say,
OK, how did these come?
How did how many of these came back today?
These hung on.
So let's make some observations
about what it was and that the
level of her age comprehension.
You know, she said, well,
maybe it's the spiky things
that's on the faces, OK, teeth,
so let's write down teeth.
Teeth are important.
My mom.
Her grandmother had a pet peeve
about Bretts that was flip and
you would just see the strip on
the back and she just constantly
every time she saw Gabby and are
the barrettes was turned around and
you couldn't see the design.
You just saw the ugly strip on the back.
She re twist their hair and say you
know rise and you don't know how
to twist their hand at the barrettes
design is always seem so that was
one of the things we wrote down so
we gotta get rid of that problem.
I don't want my mom embarrassing me
and redoing my daughters here every time.
I see here so we got to create
something that has two faces.
So anytime the hair terms you're
always able to see the design.
So we literally would just write
down observations testing different
barrettes and said OK,
we gotta come up with something
that has the team that has room
for the hair to be wrapped around
the center strip that has two faces
so you can always see the design.
So by the time you had all these
things we wanted to have on the barrettes
to make it work and stay in.
We just kind of started.
Just kind of drawing OK,
what would that look like?
It is going to have all these things.
OK, so it probably has to have two
faces of two faces look like this and
literally the first idea we had was
two faces sticking out like this and
then the center strip in the middle.
And the final thing I thought I had
it with me know what it did with it.
Something that looked a little different
that we had to have our engineers and
manufacturers help us work through,
but that was literally the science project.
A sitting down at the kitchen table
and trying to figure out what that is.
A science project with observations and
then enlisting help because we had the idea,
but neither one of us can really draw.
So I. Reached out to an artist
who was at our church is that,
you know,
can you sit down with me for
about 30 minutes to an hour?
I have an idea in my head and he was
able to talk with the 3D image of
what I have right here before you.
That something that feels
more like an N or a Z,
but that is literally the process it
took us about two years because we
certainly had a number of hurdles I
didn't know who to reach out to and
the people who are reached out to were
probably more discouraging than encouraging.
And but we made it through.
We persevere,
and she's definitely an example
for other girls to look at now.
And I'm very curious because
two things I will say why this
is extremely interesting to me.
I'm much much older than Gabby
and probably more so than you
All is well, but I remember you
know my mom talking to me when
I would come home without those
little barrettes 'cause they were
a big thing even way back then.
And it was always a struggle.
And I also remember the fact that
you know it only showed on one side,
so that's very relatable.
To me and I suspect it's very
relatable to other students
and to children because again,
you and Gabby identified a problem
that they could relate to and
I think there's a lot of difference
when there is a problem or
there's an issue that is personal.
You're a lot more invested.
That's why Gabby was asking
you about this everyday.
I guess you're a lot more invested in it,
but I'm really curious to know because
you are in the South in South Carolina.
I believe you made it how how
did you go about finding
Support or help for or to try to
get this product into market areas.
I read an article in the Washington
Post Kids section a couple of weeks,
but well I guess about a month
ago so I know that you're now in
a major big box store.
And so I'm just curious,
how did you do that from
rural South Carolina to the point of
getting this into a major market.
That first I I did that I
had about selling it.
I literally would take my lunch break
and I had a company in mind that
once we came up with the concept.
So I'm going to pitch.
I'm going to get in front
of the right person.
I don't know exactly who to talk to,
but I'm gonna keep calling
everyday until I find that person.
It took me about six months,
but I did find that person
who explores new ideas and we
had submitted the drawing in.
Anybody listening?
Please don't do what we did.
We submit this drawing of our idea no.
No protection, no patent,
no nothing was just sitting out.
This 3D image of our idea to
companies and their idea database,
and it's it's only by the grace of
God that Gabby bows aren't just
like all over the place and Gabby has
nothing to do with them because we
were literally just sending them out.
We didn't know about patent,
Trademark Office and how to protect
our idea at the time,
but we actually I got to that person
in the concept of the idea of a
double face double snap barrettes.
Was taken before a focus of this
major established hair accessory company.
They went through about a few rounds
and at the end it didn't meet.
They're strategic planning as far as
what they were going to be investing in,
so he, you know,
turn it down.
I was just torn to pieces, just shattered.
'cause that's all I had in mind.
Was selling this idea and putting some
money aside for Gabby Gabby's college fund.
That's all I could think about.
But of course, today you see
that that is not the path that
we had that was in store for us.
But that person at that company.
I told them we know when he
called me and told me I'm sorry.
This is not something that fits
along with our strategic plans,
but you know, thank you for going
through this process with us.
I said wait a minute,
my daughters at home everyday
ask me about this Brett.
You can't just hang up on me.
You gotta help me make one bet
Brett and these are my exact words.
You gotta help me finish the
science project and he said,
ma'am, you can't understand how
much money is gonna cost you to
finish this little science project.
I said, well, I mean,
I can't let my daughter down.
I can't show that you know,
things get hard and people
tell you know and you quit.
We got at least finish science project.
You don't have to get a mold,
you're gonna have to get engineers.
You don't have to manufacture.
I don't know what that costs,
but I can't go home and tell my
daughter because you said no, we quit.
So he was the one who gave us some
recommendations of engineers that
were close to us and Charlotte, NC.
Those engineers connected us
through our manufacturing.
We literally working with the same
engineers and manufacturers today.
Our score. We have a score mentor.
Our small business development Office,
still a great support to us.
Our city and our mayor support just
came out of the woodwork because
we network and we went out there.
You know,
Gabby was pitching in front
of 1,000,000 cups.
We were having meetings with banks and now
most of them turned us down for money,
but we establish some really good
relationship that they were able to
refer to other people who could help
us along this seven year journey.
So it's through persistence
It took just continuing to talk about
it and get in front of the right people,
but eventually people were aiding us
and helping us get through a number
of the hurdles that we had as far as.
Financing,
manufacturing,
and knowing what next steps to take.
Thank you.
I just jump in here to say there was
an story is so compelling because
it really tells the story of.
Not only do you need the inspired student,
obviously you and your
daughter really inspirational.
I'm just taken away with your story
but also this challenge of the
downstream is really, really hard.
I mean the statistics are really
against women and certainly against
women of color out and girls of color.
I can't even imagine what the statistics
are there for someone so young.
But, you know,
in terms of dollars that have gone to
Female led startups only.
About 2.3% of all the dollars
are going there.
And when you look at female and
male Co founded companies even
it's only 9% and as you know Joyce.
I mean in terms of invention even
though women are more than half of
the college educated workforce and
not even talk about girls like girls
in the whole different category,
only 21% are
The patents are from female inventors is,
as you know probably inventor and only
12% of all inventors are women,
so we are not taking advantage
of that opportunity.
I just think your story is so
inspiring because you these
downstream hurdles are equally large.
Even if you have a great idea so
very impressive. Well then I I.
I was struck by that as well, and that.
There's a hidden curriculum, right?
And
I think what Rozalynn story really
illustrates is the immense role that
social capital and networks plays,
and being successful at this and
and you know, it's not that.
Um,
under represented groups like
women and people of Color,
Don't have the great ideas
or don't have the drive.
It's that you didn't happen to
know that person who knows that
manufacturer or knows that you
know an when you when you you know,
look at the story of spanks,
you know the story of the founder of Spanx,
that like she went to manufacture
an after manufacturer to say like
this is an idea that I think is
going to work and they all said no.
No, no,
never sell and then it was a
female employee who was like yeah
I would buy that product.
That got that first manufacturer to say yes.
And and for people who have.
Um affluent networks.
It's easier for others to say yes to them.
Because they're doing a favor for
somebody else in their network,
it's easier for others to bet on them.
And
and so we really need to broaden
our minds about who has potential.
I think that's the the key takeaway.
So true.
Absolutely, I would agree.
Now I wanted to mention that the US
Patent and Trademark Office has formed
a National Council for expanding
American innovation and its consists
of people from industry from other
government agencies from nonprofit
organizations from academia and one of
the things that that National Council
has been charged with is developing
a national strategy to expand,
Innovation and the question that I
have for you ladies is what do you
think we need to do as a as a country
as a nation to expand innovation?
We've heard from Rozalynn that it it there
were a number of I don't want to say
barriers or hurdles because you jump.
You jumped over though and I think that
is beautiful and I think that the fact
that you had that drive and that
That boldness that allowed you to keep going.
You were motivated.
You said I cannot go home and tell my
daughter that this is not possible.
I need at least one to show that yes,
this is possible.
How do we make sure?
Or how do we help people not
only get highly motivated,
but then have the tools to actually
to know what to do from an
intellectual property standpoint.
From a manufacturing standpoint, how do we?
How do we connect those resources
in those materials?
Ruth.
You mentioned the fact that you
know not everyone is going to
have that social network.
They're not going to have.
You know the neighbor or a church
member or someone in the community.
Carol, you pointed out that
it takes everybody that it's.
It's not just.
One group that where the help comes from,
so I posed to each one of you what
what should be in this strategy.
How do we do this?
How do we get these resources and these
materials in front of people who who
need them and who have these great ideas?
So we can start up top with Care
Ruth 'cause you look like you're
dying to say something and well.
One thing I think we need to like.
Flip our mindset,
right from scarcity to abundance, right?
There's abundant talent in this country.
There's abundant,
great ideas,
and we should be searching for this talent.
Not waiting for it to like fight
its way through a thorny forest
to get to us right and and.
Rozalynn's path should have been easier.
Right? So I think putting resources into.
People that can serve as those guides.
For inventors, you know if we as a
country are going to benefit from the
economic impact of new businesses,
new entrepreneurs of new inventions.
There needs to be a resource,
someone that you can can reach out to.
That's an expert. So say,
if we had an organization that had, you know,
source experts in like 7-8 different sectors,
that could be that person who has all those
social network connections that can help.
So I think there's some ways we
should be thinking about this from a
talent search perspective versus a,
you know, wait for them to come to
US perspective and you know some
in the tech space in computing.
There's been a lot of talk of like
we should be recruiting kids like
you recruit for, you know,
for sports we should be recruiting
talent and I think we should think
the same way about invention.
'cause inventors don't just invent
once, right? They keep inventing.
I guess I I did it a few
thoughts here, which is,
I think on the talent cultivation side.
There's two major things we need to do,
although a lot of things underneath that
one is the point was made earlier about.
How important is to shine a light
on women and minority inventors,
innovators and entrepreneurs?
So kids really begin to believe
I could be an inventor?
I could be an entrepreneur.
I think there's sort of this
leap of faith to say, oh, oh,
that's something I could possibly
could be because as rising point out,
you know somebody who looks like
me has done a similar thing.
But then there's that next step.
I think so often we leave it there.
We say, Oh well, we just need to,
you know, celebrate people,
and then it'll be.
The path will be easy with
path is not going to be easy.
I mean here you have a story
of highly motivated individuals
are facing a lot of barriers so.
I think on the education side,
count cultivation side means we also need to.
Once again,
I'm sort of a broken record on this,
but ensure that every child has the
chance to experience that invention,
Innovation learn about entrepreneurship
and that means starting at the
earliest stages of elementary school
all the way through higher education.
It means changing the culture in those
institutions to one that celebrates
that kind of experience and not just
road learning and performance on,
you know.
Very structured tests.
It means also that those requires
additional work you need to do the
professional development of educators.
I talked about that before.
That also means that the programs
need to have cultural relevance
to the kids so that girls,
students from diverse backgrounds so that
the experiences such that they can walk away,
saying, hey,
I can be an inventor entrepreneur.
Not just I could it be.
I actually am, you know, an inventor.
Entrepreneur think that's really important.
But on that innovation pathway side?
We need to breakdown the barriers there.
There are a lot of barriers right now
in access to support and resources
as as you know was just pointed out.
It's that people don't have
the networks in the access.
It shouldn't be dependent on your
networks and access, and frankly,
even when people get in the door
there is discrimination that they
face just because of who they
are and what they look like.
There's a wonderful young woman who
tells the story about she started
a company with a couple of her
collegiate partners that works on
a disinfectant material and she
said she would show up for these
business plan competitions and they
would look at her and they'd say.
So who's presenting from your team?
Assuming that because she was
a diminutive young woman,
that she was not the professional
resource that was going to get up
there on the stage and present
in pitch effectively well.
They've done amazing job.
She's a powerhouse,
but that shouldn't be the way it is.
So we need to create access to mentors,
networks, resources,
funding for women and minorities.
By breaking out of barriers
but also I think there is disappointed us
we have to intentionally seek them out.
We see venture capital firms who
are finding terrific programs
already even though we haven't
built up the pipeline and welcome
people to the innovation table.
But they have to go out and
really deliberately look within
those communities to find those
great inventor entrepreneurs
and bring them to the table.
So I think there's a lot that could be done.
Go into the capital we need.
More people of color be successful
so that they can be investors,
because so often the investors are like,
well, this isn't relevant to me,
so I don't get it.
And I think we're missing so many
products that serve women and serve
people of color an I once went to,
it was a hackathon for Women's Health,
and one of the big innovations that
came out of that was a no innovations
around breast pumps like nobody's
doing any work on these things,
because if the bulk of people creating
technology and creating products
are basically white and Asian men.
We're just gonna miss out
on a lot of innovations.
And and it's it's costing us
in terms of quality of life,
it's costing us in terms of of
serving people and also you know
what we need to women are so good
at adapting to communities and
resources and buildings and cars and
things that weren't built for us.
Like, let's just stop adapting.
OK, we don't need to make do
with what's not good enough,
and we need to say yes to
things that are better.
And the example I always give
to illustrate this to kids.
So I'm like OK when you're in the car.
Where does your mom put her purse?
And they're like on my lap on my feet.
Like why does no car in the market
have a place for a purse when half
the population carries a purse?
Crazy missed opportunity.
Now extrapolate that to the way
like safety devices are built.
Airbags, seatbelts,
you know the way we interact
and act with technology.
If the minds of women are missing
from the design of technology.
We're missing out and I think.
We need to take a look at this very
much from this abundance viewpoint, but.
I think it's really hard when all
of the investors are largely.
White men,
that's who has all the money
in the wealth to invest.
And it makes it really accounting.
One person I would flag is Arlan Hamilton,
who has a venture firm and she
specifically identifying and
investing in startups of color led
by people of Color and Rozalynn
I definitely want to hear your
thoughts here and what is echoing
in my mind is just we are the ones
that we have been waiting for.
But please go on.
Now that that that is so good and
they've been so many things that
are shared that is just so good.
I and I love how this conversation
is about solutions,
and I wouldn't expect anything less
from the USBTO, but the exposure.
I cannot stress that enough.
Girls seeing girls who look like them
doing and solving problems that are relatable.
You know, Joyce,
when you mentioned you know,
I remember my barrettes it's turning around.
I think a lot of times when you
say invention and science and math.
A lot of times girls thoughts.
Maybe going to things that are.
A lot more complex than they think versus
real life everyday problem solving.
So that has been a lot of you know
when Gabby speaks to students,
he speaks to schools and and speaks to girls.
It's about problem solving,
so it doesn't seem so mystical and beyond.
You know peoples reach, you have
problems every day that you can solve.
You can innovate.
You can engineer re engineer.
I suggest that exposure to
people who look like them.
Solving relatable problems
really gets those wheels turning.
You know, in our Academy,
we've got girls who are coming up with
products constantly and some don't.
You know, make it very far,
but I just love that they're thinking about.
That now I am exposed to someone who looks
like me who solved a relatable problem.
I'm thinking about.
OK, I'm tired of the crayons
always breaking in my box.
And going through the process of OK,
what does that look like?
What does a better crayon box?
And so we went through this experiment with
this little girl and her mom in our Academy.
You know it didn't hasn't gone very far,
but I just love that the
girl is thinking about.
Breaking you know.
Broken Crayons is a problem
for me and I need to figure out
how to solve it and she's 7.
So that is definitely at the beginning.
Thinking now I'm thinking about a
conversation I had with city government
which did not go anywhere but I it
came to my Remembrance this morning.
We were literally figuring out.
How could we duplicate or scale
the concept in curriculum of the
Academy in their housing project?
And I I love that we had the conversation.
Like I said it didn't go anywhere,
they would change the staff.
But we've got to get these different in
season and partners together at the table.
OK, let's expose our children
to people who look like them.
Who'd unrelatable problem solving things
and OK, how can we scale what that is?
Yeah, and let's let's get
him speaking at assemblies.
Let's get them.
You know, doing virtual graduation programs.
Let's get the children exposed.
But then let's give these
children an opportunity.
Through an Academy through,
you know,
through some type of education I
after school during school classes
with their continually touched and
continually have an opportunity to
continue to think about problem solving.
You know can we bring County
governments together?
Can we bring city governments together?
Can we target certain populations
when we were talking to the city they
wanted to target the women in their
housing development and help them
develop businesses with their girls.
We know that we can close the wealth gap
if we do more to invest in black women.
Black women entrepreneurs in particular.
Since we're the population that
is starting businesses more than
any other population.
So you know they were really
thinking strategically.
OK,
how can we scale and and get what you're
doing to the residents that we have
here this housing project so you know,
creative ideas like that.
I love what the Girl Scouts are doing
is particularly with with the badges.
So tapping into nationwide,
worldwide organizations like the,
the Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts.
Boys and Girls Club,
I mean and then city governments,
County governments,
state governments.
All those people partnering together.
And you know what was just mentioned related
to the funding and and that was that was,
you know, honestly,
a big hurdle and we've certainly had people
who didn't look like us be advocates for us.
But my daughter was exposed to probably more.
Nos or more? You're cute,
but I don't understand what
you're trying to do is I just?
I just made a very long work.
Then I probably would have liked you
because we are in South Carolina and every
time we did go to any of these rooms,
she literally was the only black girl there.
But outside of me there was
no one else of color there.
You know we were pitching
in boardrooms to white men,
and many of them were bald.
You know, so don't even have her,
so that definitely was a disconnect.
We're talking about barrettes I mean,
we can even do a demonstration with the hair.
I mean had nothing to put the barrette on.
But you know,
having people who've gone through this
process and proud and I pray one day,
I am blessed to be able to
invest in other startups.
But we're doing what we can right now
and that is sharing and mentoring and
coaching other moms and daughters at
the level that we can until we have
the funds that were able to invest
in these ideas and help to resolve
the problems of broken crayons and
anything else that a girl imagines.
Yes,
she can solve.
Thank you very much, Rozalynn,
and I would be remiss if I did not mention
that there is a wonderful children's
book out there called Abby Breaks.
No Abby invents unbreakable crayons,
which actually it follows the story
of a little girl who comes up with a
way to have crayons that don't break.
And I love the fact that this children's
book actually shows a little girl.
Who is going through,
The invention process she is a problem
solver and and there's a mantra in the
book that says something like I am a problem.
You know, I I'm a problem solver.
I solve problems big and small because
I have great ideas and we really need
to figure out how we make sure that all
our kids know you have great ideas and
you are a problem solver an you can,
you know,
solve problems big and small and it is.
It is possible.
It's hard work.
Sometimes there are barriers that you
have to overcome but you can do it.
Because here all these other examples
I love that that that you drew that
out and one thing I did want to say is
that Gabby said to me that could come
up with a new way to deal with no.
Yeah things can you tell us, Mom?
Yeah, so right after a $50,000 no,
Gabby was just nine years old at the
time there's a $50,000 no in front of
a live audience of about 500 people so.
I'm getting chills just remembering
what that was like an I'm 43,
but she was nine at the time and just
been told no came in second for $50,000.
Second means you get nothing.
You don't know they had a camera in her
face like immediately after which which is.
That's that's media for you,
but and she she mumbled something.
But then she said in the
camera this is straight face.
She said, no,
it's just an abbreviation for
next opportunity.
And everybody's jaw dropped.
The camera man was like.
And then somebody besides like
did you get that?
And she's been saying that ever since
no is just an abbreviation for next
opportunity and I'm like I mentioned,
she certainly experienced more of
those than I could have ever imagined.
Between 7 and 14 years old now.
But that is what kept us going.
Kept us being persistent and
is made her super resilient.
And you know any parents watching
right now that that is what I tell any
parenting your child does not have to
be an entrepreneur or an inventor.
Even if they're gifting,
is soccer or dance or something else that
were not particularly discussing today.
Exposing your children to rejection,
exposing them to those risk certainly
builds a type of resilience that
will carry them far in life.
Yes, I am incredible point.
I just got and what what the brilliance
on her part to come up with that in
the moment I wouldn't have thought of
it but it's incredible I I think it's
part of why we really need to change
fundamentally the way we do education.
Because if you think about the way we
currently educate and I see this experience
with my own kids who are grown now.
But you know you're supposed
to do it in one way, right?
There's only one answer.
There's only one approach if you don't get
it right on the 1st test, it's not about.
Oh let's, let's take you to the next.
Let's get you to that level, right?
It's like no, you did it wrong.
You got a bad grade.
You know you are not good.
I just think that there's a huge
opportunity through experience.
This kind of iterative it's really what?
Both invention and entrepreneurship
about this iterative experience
of failing and going on.
I love her next opportunity,
you know,
going to that next opportunity if we could
get all kids to have that kind of resilience.
What an amazing country we would have.
What amazing planet we would have?
I I really think just brilliant.
We we need a daughter like
framed an inventor card.
Well an I wanna sort of just elevate this
idea of it's about the process right?
So it's not that every idea you
have is going to make it to market
or going to be the one it's about.
The process of figuring it
out and learning and
I remember I had this little girl
who she wanted to be able to
sort her nail Polish by color.
She had a lot of nail Polish,
so she designed this whole machine that
would like use a light sensor to to
recognize the color and then a little.
It had like a conveyor and a bunch of stuff.
Was this a marketable product?
Probably not,
but the fact that a 12 year old spent
the time to understand enough about
conveyors and light sensors and and
the technology behind all of that.
That was what was powerful about
her excitement about that idea.
And so the process of figuring it out.
And I remember having. Um?
The little girl who did the base
space hand thing she went through
so many different like materials
engineering experiments an I had a
whole box that I remember flying with
her to the International Science Fair.
I had this plastic box full of
all these different things.
I'm like I don't know if I'm going
to get through security with this
box of plastics of different shapes
and different materials,
but it was a whole process of her
figuring out what was the right
material that was what was super powerful.
Thank you Ruth and I I don't
know where the time has gone.
But we we are almost to the end of our time,
and so I did want very briefly just to
give you an opportunity to say a last I,
I guess word if you will regarding this
topic of pathways and again moving forward.
And thank you all so much.
Again, I'll Rozalynn let me
go to you really quickly.
And then Ruth and Carol.
I really hope that anyone watching
has been inspired by all of the
stories that have been shared and the
amazing feats that the one the women
on this panel have have accomplished.
I hope by hearing our story that
you are inspired to go out looking
for problems to solve,
and if you are in a position to help
empower another Gabby that's in
your neighborhood in your community,
in your school, and your Girl Scout troop.
To take an idea.
And to teach them that really nothing
is impossible if they really put the
work in toward it and you be that
support system whether you're in a
non profit organization or community
organization or you're government
official really take some of these
amazing ideas that were shared
today in this really was a problem
solving session so you got plenty
of things that you can work on,
whether it's exposure, investing,
you know, County governments.
Community organizations.
There's so many Nuggets that were
shared as far as things you can do if
you just commit to doing one thing,
taking one thing,
and you may be inspiring and
helping the next Gabby.
Thank you Rozalynn, Ruth, and then Carol.
That's fantastic,
so obviously if you're a
parent or an educator.
Or an adult and a child's life.
I want you to absolutely like open your
mind about who has potential and you know,
see abundance and opportunity in every child.
If you are an engineer or a technologist
or a tinkerer or an inventor yourself,
please for women's History
Month called the Girl Scouts.
They have thousands and thousands
and millions of girls who want to do
these badges and their leaders don't
necessarily have the skills to do that.
So you can be a volunteer.
You can go help of troop with an
invention badge with an engineering badge.
And there's a massive shortage of volunteers,
so that is an easy thing you can do.
Just do one badge event for one fruit.
You could do it on zoom.
So you're an engineer.
There's an action item for you.
Shameless plug here before I go to Carol.
You can also help them with
their intellectual property path,
which is a program that was introduced
by the USPTO in collaboration with
intellectual property Owners,
Education Foundation and Girl
Scouts of the nation's capital.
But it's all over not just in Washington DC,
so Carol, please.
No,
I just I think actually the comments
made already were so eloquent but
particularly Rozalynn's. I think the point is,
we all need to commit to this
because it's not
just important for the individual
girls and the individual people,
but it is hugely important for them.
It is important for all of us.
It's important for our country.
It's the way we're going
to have better ideas.
We're going to have more ideas.
We're going to have a better economy
and better jobs for everyone.
I really think we need to commit personally,
as was being said,
we all have a role to plan this.
Ann, if nothing else,
I encourage all of you to look at
invention education.org to really
see the transformative effect
that this has an individual kids.
And on the educators were helping
them through this journey.
If you can get behind and support
this in your own communities to
demand it in your own schools,
I think it's it's a number one
thing we can do to really change
things for all children coming
through the public school system.
Thank you so much Ruth and Rozalynn
and Carol and I turn it back over to
the very capable hands of Nathanya
Ferguson and Sean Wilkerson from the
USPTO Office of Innovation Outreach.
Thank you so much for the opportunity.
Thank you Joyce for leading today's
discussion and our panelists.
Ruth Carol Rozalynn for giving
us so much information,
resources and inspiration to encourage
young women young women to be innovators.
This was an absolutely amazing panel.
Thank you.
And at this time I would like
to introduce Nathanya Ferguson.
She works here at USPTO
in the Office of Innovation
Outreach is our manager and she
will be closing today's program,
Nathanya, I turn it over to you.
Thank you Sean for the introduction
and thank you, Joyce, Ruth, Carol
and Rozalynn,
for that rich conversation,
that should leave all of us thinking
about what we can do to inspire
and motivate girls to become.
Inventors and entrepreneurs.
What actions can we take to empower
and support young women pursuing
their dreams to have stem careers
or starting their own business?
So Speaking of action,
the USPTO actively supports
all inventors and entrepreneurs,
so I'm going to take a few minutes to
talk about some of our programs and
resources that may be of interest.
First slide.
So Joyce and her team,
the Office of Education,
will conduct a virtual national
Summer Teacher Institute,
also referred to as NSTI in July.
Workshops at the NSTI will cover a broad
range of topics and intellectual property.
STEM education, an invention and
entrepreneurship, presentation.
Speakers and workshop instructors include
subject matter experts from the USPTO,
other federal government agencies.
An organizations For more
information about NSTI,
please visituspto.gov/teacher Institute.
The Office of Education is currently offering
to monthly programs for K12 educators.
The last month,
the last Tuesday of the month,
there is an intellectual property workshop.
Participants will learn about the
different types of intellectual property.
The last Wednesday of the month.
Attend office hours to obtain
answers to questions about
intellectual property and learn more
about USPTO resources. links
To obtain information about the
monthly programs are available on the
USPTO events page at uspto.gov/events.
If you have questions about NSTI or the
monthly programs for K12 educators,
please send your email to.
Education@uspto.gov next slide please.
The USPTO's kids pages contain
many great resources for our
creative children and their parents
and teachers on the kids page,
you can find inspirational
stories about young innovators,
fun hands on activities and some
really cool intellectual property
lesson plans for elementary,
middle and high school students.
To access USPTO's kids pages,
please visit uspto.gov.
Forward slash kids next slide please.
Each month, our journeys of Innovation
series, tell stories of adventures
in entrepreneurs who have made
positive impacts in the world.
For example, this month story
focuses on Juliette Gordon Low's
remarkable accomplishment of
founding and growing the Girl Scouts.
Please visituspto.gov to
learn more about Low's story.
Another inspiring stories of amazing
innovators who may serve as role models.
Very young inventors and
entrepreneurs next slide please.
The Patent and Trademark Resource Centers,
also referred to as PTRC.
are a great resource.
There are designated by the
USPTO to support to support the
diverse IP needs of the public.
As you can see from this map,
they are located throughout the US.
Most PTRCs are located in a city,
County, college or University library.
PTRC librarians help
inventors and small businesses.
Find the information they need to
protect their intellectual property.
They provide information about
Patent and Trademark processes.
They will not provide legal advice,
however, they will show you a directory
of local patent attorneys that are
licensed to practice before the USPTO.
For more information about PTRCs
and define a PTRC closest to you,
please visituspto.gov/PTRC
next slide please.
I want to thank all of our virtual attendees
for spending your time with us today.
I hope you will be joining us
for our next three WES programs.
Registration is now open for
next week's program on Wednesday,
March the 17th.
We are excited about having subject
matter experts share valuable information
about the federal government resources.
You do not want to miss learning
about free legal research.
Sorry,
free legal services and programs and
resources to help protect your invention.
Brand or creative work.
On March 24th or a panel of experts
will share information about
securing funding for your invention
or small business on March 31st.
We will conclude the WES series by
hearing from successful women entrepreneurs.
For links to more information about and
how to register for upcoming WES programs,
please visit our events page @uspto.gov.
Forward slash in events.
While you were on our events page,
I encourage you to check out the many
other free virtual intellectual property,
education and awareness programs
that are available.
You will be receiving a short
survey for today's program.
Please complete it. We value your feedback.
Your input is important in creating
future programs to meet the needs
of our customers.
Thanks again for attending today's program.
We look forward to you joining us next week.
Goodbye.