Today is World Intellectual Property Day, and this year's theme focuses on celebrating the achievements of women in the field of innovation and creativity. Laura is certainly one of the many women who deserve to be celebrated today, not only for her technical and entrepreneurial achievements, but also the work she is doing to lift other women up alongside her! 

Women and minorities still face numerous barriers to entry into STEM fields. During this episode, Laura shares what actions should be taken by educational institutions, companies, and organizations to combat these. 

Tuning in, you will also hear about the founding story of Laura’s consulting company, Fuentek, and her top pieces of advice on how to set yourself up for a successful career in technology transfer! 

In This Episode:

[00:38] The theme of this year’s World Intellectual Property Day!

[01:02] Introducing today’s guest, Laura Schoppe, founder and president of Fuentek LLC.

[02:09] An overview of Laura’s career trajectory to date.

[04:05] The initial steps to take when you embark on the journey of founding a business.

[05:08] What made Fuentek an unusual company at the time of its founding in 2001. 

[05:38] The value of going after government contracts as a technology transfer professional. 

[06:21] Some of the biggest challenges that Laura has faced since founding Fuentek. 

[09:08] How to get more women and minorities into STEM fields. 

[11:30] Support that Fuentek provides to small businesses. 

[15:55] How to set yourself up for a successful career in technology transfer.

[20:03] How companies do to create a more inclusive workplace culture (using Laura’s personal experience as an example). 

[22:03] Laura’s thoughts on what can and should be done about the problem of unconscious bias in the workplace. 

[28:01] Examples of how to help inventors overcome the barriers to entry into the technology transfer space. 

[31:10] The importance of celebrating women innovators.

Resources:

Laura Schoppe on LinkedIn

Fuentek

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