Joe Fiore, Executive Vice President, Tradespace

Joe Fiore is the Executive Vice President at Tradespace, an AI-enabled platform helping organizations evaluate, manage, and commercialize intellectual property.

Throughout his career, Joe has built a reputation for leading growth, organizational transformation, and commercialization efforts across a wide range of industries, including technology, higher education, real estate, construction, hospitality, and venture development. His professional journey has included roles as a CEO, founder, vice president, managing director, entrepreneur, and college professor.

Prior to joining Tradespace, Joe served as Vice President of Operations and Business Development for the Zucker Institute for Innovation Commercialization at the Medical University of South Carolina, where he helped bridge the gap between research, intellectual property, and market adoption. He also served as Chief Executive Officer of Republic Hospitality, leading a multi-unit organizational transformation and implementing AI-driven systems to improve operations and customer engagement.

Joe previously taught Entrepreneurship and Artificial Intelligence at the College of Charleston and is passionate about helping organizations navigate growth, innovation, and change. Known for his practical leadership style, Joe believes that while industries may differ, successful organizations are built on the same core principles: strong people, disciplined execution, clear communication, and a relentless focus on creating value.

Originally from Chicago and now based in Charleston, South Carolina, Joe enjoys sharing lessons from his unconventional career path, which has taken him from construction sales to technology commercialization and executive leadership. He frequently speaks on innovation, commercialization, leadership, organizational growth, and the evolving role of AI in business.

Priya Sinha Cloutier, IP Manager, UC San Diego

Priya Sinha is a patent attorney and intellectual property leader who has spent her career helping innovators turn ideas into durable IP strategy. She currently leads intellectual property operations at UC San Diego’s Office of Innovation & Commercialization, working with faculty, researchers, startups, and commercialization teams across a broad technology portfolio. Before UCSD, Priya spent nearly three decades in private practice advising startups and emerging companies on patent prosecution, licensing, litigation support, and M&A due diligence. She brings a practical, business-minded approach to IP, with a focus on helping innovators understand not just what can be protected, but why it matters.

Alecia Muth, Partnerships & Ventures Manager, Gladstone Industries

Alecia Muth is a strategic business development and commercialization professional with more than 15 years of experience at Gladstone Institutes, a nonprofit biomedical research organization affiliated with the University of California San Francisco Medical School. In her role, she directs and manages business development activities across Gladstone's scientific portfolio, working closely with investigators, legal, industry partners, and external stakeholders to advance opportunities for research translation, strategic partnerships, and commercial impact.

With a background that bridges science, business, and institutional strategy, Alecia brings organizational knowledge and a practical understanding of how early-stage academic innovation moves toward external partnership and real-world application. She has also applied AI-enabled tools to business development and commercialization workflows, supporting more efficient opportunity assessment and data-informed decision-making. Alecia holds an MBA in Entrepreneurship and a BS in Biology, and is particularly drawn to the space where academic discovery meets company building.

Jennifer Souter, Senior Managing Director for Research Commercialization, Texas Tech University

Jennifer Souter serves as Senior Managing Director for Research Commercialization, where she leads the Office of Research Commercialization, the technology transfer office for the Texas Tech University System, in advancing the university's intellectual property (IP) portfolio, strengthening commercialization pathways, and cultivating strategic industry partnerships. Her leadership plays a vital role in driving innovation and expanding the impact of university research across Texas and beyond. With more than 17 years of experience in intellectual property management, licensing, and research commercialization, Jennifer has built a career focused on transforming early-stage discoveries into real-world solutions. Before joining Texas Tech, she served as Director of Patents and Licensing at WiSys, managing IP and licensing activities for the 11 regional campuses of the University of Wisconsin System. Jennifer’s career also includes technology transfer roles in both the United States and the United Kingdom, where she supported university researchers and entrepreneurs across a broad range of disciplines. She holds a bachelor’s degree in the life sciences and an MBA. Throughout her career, Jennifer has been dedicated to developing innovative strategies that protect, commercialize, and accelerate the societal and economic impact of academic research.

Hester Borgers, Counsel, Bird & Bird LLP

Hester is one of Bird & Bird's Life Sciences lawyers, specializing in life sciences regulatory law. She also has a background in complex patent litigation.

As one of the co-heads of the Dutch Life Sciences and Healthcare Group, she works daily on complex cross-country cases together with our other offices. She leads the Dutch life sciences regulatory practice and take part in the firm's international Food & Beverage Leadership team.

She also assists a broad range of life sciences clients with their regulatory matters, including litigation. Her expertise covers a wide range of innovative sectors, including pharmaceuticals, medical devices, chemicals, cosmetics and food. My regulatory experience also includes advising with regard to all things digital health, from telemedicine to AI.  She is also experienced in complex patent litigation, with a strong focus on the medical devices industry and pharmaceutical sector.

She is ontinuously ranked as a rising star in the Legal 500 EMEA 2023 - 2026 for Life Sciences and as a WIPR Trailblazer 2023.

She is a board member of both the Dutch association Pharma & Law (Vereniging Farma & Recht) and Female Intellectual Property Experts (FIPE). She is a member of the International Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property (AIPPI).

Sophie is a senior associate in the Intellectual Property Group in London with a particular focus on the life sciences and healthcare sectors.

John Squires, Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)

Mr. Squires received his Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from Bucknell University and earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law (magna cum laude). Mr. Squires has served as an Adjunct Professor, Legal Writing at the University of Pennsylvania School of Law, and as a faculty member and lecturer with the Cybersecurity Workforce Alliance (a partnership with the New York Federal Reserve Bank, its Member Banks, and the CUNY and SUNY systems).

Raymond Van Dyke, Technology and Intellectual Property Attorney, Patent Practitioner, Van Dyke Intellectual Property Law

Mr. Van Dyke practices in patent, trademark, copyright, intellectual property and technology law; enjoys helping his clients achieve their goals, obtain market share, and thwart unfair practices, with particular emphasis on U.S. and foreign patent and trademark consulting, preparation, prosecution, portfolio management, and patentability, validity, enforceability, and infringement opinions, including defending and bringing the third party oppositions and other post-grant procedures. Also, teaching others on IP and changes to IP laws. He is the LES DC Chapter Chair and an LES Senior VP for Special Events. He is active in and/or chairs the IP Sections for the Bar Association of Montgomery County, Maryland and the Maryland State Bar Association’s Intellectual Property Section. He also teaches IP law at George Washington University and has taught IP/tech law across the world.

Specialties: Technology and Intellectual Property Law, Patent, Trademark and Copyright Law, Preparation, Prosecution, Opinion, Oppositions, Reexaminations/Reissues, Consulting, Strategizing, Licensing, Negotiation and Litigation. Advising, Educating and Teaching for Universities and Government. Information Technologies, Software, Life Sciences, Emerging and Converging Technologies, AI, Quantum Computing. Publishing and Media Rights.

Judge Alan D. Albright

Judge Alan Albright is a federal district judge for the Western District of Texas, Austin division. He was nominated by President Trump in January 2018. Judge Albright earned his J.D. from The University of Texas School of Law where he was a member of the Texas Law Review. He clerked for The Honorable James R. Nowlin in Austin, Texas. From 1992–99, he served as a Magistrate Judge. In 2016 he was admitted into the American College of Trial Lawyers. He is also a member of the American Law Institute. Prior to taking the district court bench in 2018, Judge Albright practiced IP litigation as a partner in the Austin office of Bracewell, LLP.  He has run 26 marathons. Judge has two sons, James and Grayson. His oldest, James, just finished his first year of law school.

Jennifer Vanderhart, Ph.D, Managing Director, Secretariat

Jennifer is a Managing Director at Secretariat.  As a PhD. Economist based in Washington, DC, she provides a range of services including litigation support services and economic consulting.  Dr. Vanderhart has more than 25 years' experience in the evaluation and quantification of economic damages including claims arising from patent, copyright and trademark infringement, trade secret misappropriation, and contract disputes.  She has also assisted companies in patent and trademark licensing negotiations, royalty investigations and calculations, and intellectual property asset valuations.

Jennifer has published on the subjects of valuation, damages, and intellectual property, and frequently speaks on these topics at conferences and lectures.  She is listed in the IAM Patent 1000 and has been recognized in Who's Who Legal as a Thought Leader in the area of Quantum of Damages.

Mr. Van Dyke practices in patent, trademark, copyright, intellectual property and technology law; enjoys helping his clients achieve their goals, obtain market share, and thwart unfair practices, with particular emphasis on U.S. and foreign patent and trademark consulting, preparation, prosecution, portfolio management, and patentability, validity, enforceability, and infringement opinions, including defending and bringing the third party oppositions and other post-grant procedures. Also, teaching others on IP and changes to IP laws. He is the LES DC Chapter Chair and an LES Senior VP for Special Events. He is active in and/or chairs the IP Sections for the Bar Association of Montgomery County, Maryland and the Maryland State Bar Association’s Intellectual Property Section. He also teaches IP law at George Washington University and has taught IP/tech law across the world.

Specialties: Technology and Intellectual Property Law, Patent, Trademark and Copyright Law, Preparation, Prosecution, Opinion, Oppositions, Reexaminations/Reissues, Consulting, Strategizing, Licensing, Negotiation and Litigation. Advising, Educating and Teaching for Universities and Government. Information Technologies, Software, Life Sciences, Emerging and Converging Technologies, AI, Quantum Computing. Publishing and Media Rights.