Coming this Friday—Black Innovation and Entrepreneurship program, part three: Learning from leading Black Innovators

Don’t miss the final session of the 2023 Black Innovation and Entrepreneurship program this Friday, February 24 from 2-4:30 p.m. ET. Register today to attend online or in person at the Morgan State University Earl G. Graves School of Business and Management. 

• Learn how Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) function as regional centers of excellence for inventors, innovators, and entrepreneurs. 
• Hear from special guests about intellectual property (IP) innovation in the hair care industry. 
• Learn from business experts how you can build a successful brand. 

Watch the world premiere of the documentary short "America’s Ingenuity," created in partnership with the National Inventors Hall of Fame (NIHF). The film focuses on Richard F. America, one of the youngest Black inventors on “Baker's list,” the first repository of African American patent holders compiled by lawyer, assistant patent examiner, and civil rights activist Henry E. Baker (1857 – 1928). The documentary features an interview with America’s son, the only known living child of an inventor on Baker’s list.    

Special guests include:   

• Dr. Isfahan Chambers-Harris, Founder and CEO, Alodia Hair Care     
• Dr. Tye Caldwell, CEO and Co-founder of ShearShare 
• Dr. Mary Foster, Professor of Management, Earl G. Graves School of Business and Management, Morgan State University  
• Dr. Johnny Graham, Associate and Regional Director, Howard University and PNC National Center for Entrepreneurship 

• Tiffany House, Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program Commercialization Analyst, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) 

Operation HOPE, Inc. founder, chairman, and CEO John Hope Bryant and NIHF inductee Lonnie Johnson will also provide prerecorded remarks. 

In-person attendees: join subject matter experts from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE) for a networking reception hosted by NIHF immediately following the program, from 4:30-5:30 p.m. ET. Take the opportunity to also chat with event speakers. Light refreshments will be served.   

The Black Innovation and Entrepreneurship Program is presented by the Office of Innovation Outreach. For more information, please contact BlackInnovation@uspto.gov.