Andrew Masson is an IPilogue Writer and 2L JD candidate at Osgoode Hall Law School.

I recently had the pleasure of interviewing , an experienced lawyer, litigator, self-described “Serial Entrepreneur”, and Founder and CEO of . In her career, Heather-Anne has tackled very diverse roles, including as a successful international tax law litigator. She has also succeeded outside of traditional legal practice. She established a consulting firm in Jersey on the Channel Islands and is now CEO and Founder of a financial services platform (Phundex) operating out of the United Kingdom. She provided great advice both for lawyers that want to practice outside of traditional law firms and for entrepreneurs at all stages. Heather-Anne is an inspirational person, one who encourages you to make the most out of life. Her advice and stories would make you believe that you can accomplish anything.

Heather-Anne spoke of taking risks and not being afraid to face new challenges from a place of experience. She did not start her professional career as a lawyer. She worked for several years before attending Osgoode Hall Law School, where she got her LL.M. in tax at night while continuing to work. She then went on to practice in tax litigation, start a consulting company, and eventually faced her biggest risk and stopped practicing law to focus on Phundex full-time. She said the day she decided to stop practicing law was tough, but she knew the skills she had learned as a lawyer would stay with her for life. This strategic way of thinking allowed her to branch out and explore other interests and take advantage of new opportunities as they arose. She transitioned from one job to another without trouble.  

Many may advise against a major life change like starting your own company after working for  3 decades as a lawyer. However, Heather-Anne has a unique perspective; she was simply motivated when “an opportunity presented itself that was really interesting!” Through her experience, she recognized that a lot of her work could be simplified and accomplished on a single platform – Phundex.

To protect users’ information, the Phundex platform allows an administrator to control user permissions from the same or different companies to collaborate on the same accounts and documents without compromising other private information. Developing Phundex was an iterative process and there were many steps and failures before reaching the final product. Heather-Anne believed this is an important part of the process and follows the motto of “fail early and fail often” about being an entrepreneur. For example, Phundex spent six months in development to ensure the platform was secure and encountered both failures and corrections to develop a final product having the functionality she envisioned. As a lawyer, Heather-Anne had the experience to understand what was required of her platform in terms of privacy laws. But she kept learning and still sought outside expertise with different parts of this process as needed. As an entrepreneur and lawyer, she stressed that you do not need to know and do everything yourself. It is important to seek help and utilize all resources available to you. For example, through Osgoode, entrepreneurs can use the to get legal IP advice. Additionally, for both lawyers and entrepreneurs, she stressed the importance of building a diverse network of people with different expertise and reaching out to them for advice. Legal work and lawyers tend to be insular, but experts across different areas add value to your network. From a strategic perspective, she encourages everyone to not simply network but to surround themselves with good people who give good advice.

In addition to her practical advice about being a lawyer and an entrepreneur, Heather-Anne also emphasized the importance of being a good person. With her companies and when looking for jobs, she suggests that you should determine what they offer in addition to money, notably in the context of fostering diverse and welcoming spaces. For example, after a co-worker informed her that they found the terms “whitelist”, “masters list”, and “blacklist” derogatory, Heather-Anne banned those terms from being used within her company. Additionally, during Ramadan, she changed her team’s eating habits to be conscious of others' fasting. Heather-Anne believes that these changes  are “little things, but really important to other people”. Heather-Anne provided some excellent life advice: build a network, ask about opportunities that intrigue you, empathize with others, and fail early and often. For anyone feeling unsure about their future, Heather-Anne’s story shows that you can take chances on opportunities you find interesting.

On behalf of the IPilogue Team, I am especially grateful to Heather-Anne Hubbell for her time. I would also like to thank 91��ɫ’s Provost, Lisa Phillips, and the Provost’s Office for introducing us to Heather-Anne and helping us arrange this interview.

The post Pursuing Your Passions with Heather-Anne Hubbell appeared first on IPOsgoode.

This post was originally published on YSpace.

The Collision Conference is North America’s fastest growing tech conference – taking a forward-looking approach to connect the tech industry with every other industry in the world. Typically, attendees must pay $79 to attend this annual event. For the second year in a row, Innovation 91��ɫ and the Student Success Office are joining forces to offer 91��ɫ students the exclusive opportunity to claim one free ticket (with 100 total tickets available on a first-come, first-served basis). The event will take place on April 20-22, 2021. 

To claim your free ticket, you must become a 91��ɫ Digital Ambassador!

To become a YU Digital Ambassador: complete the 3 steps, and the form below by 11:59pm – Friday March 26, 2021. 

1. Follow at least 2 of these accounts on Instagram: @yspaceyu, @ellawomenyu, @schulichstartups, @bestlassonde, @studentlifeyu, @yorkulaps, @c4.capstone, @lassondeschool, @collisionconfhq or follow @IPOsgoode on Twitter
2. Subscribe to at least 1 of these newsletters:
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3. Post your best startup/business idea on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook with the hashtags #YUDigitalAmbassador and #CollisionFromHome and tag @yspaceyu and @collisionconfhq (@CollisionHQ on Twitter and @collisionconf on Facebook)

Once you have completed the 3 steps above, to receive your FREE 2021 Collision Ticket.

Tickets will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis while quantities last, so act fast!

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The Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO) made building IP awareness and education one of the key pillars of our . Through the program we established, we’ve been able to engage directly with partners with a keen interest in growing IP knowledge, and helping business use their IP more strategically. In particular, our IP Awareness and Education Program has made a point of reaching out to women entrepreneurs, who traditionally have been less likely to use IP, to help them become more IP savvy and give them tools for business success that flow from their IP.

Our work on awareness and education supports the Government of Canada’s Innovation and Skills Plan, as well as the National IP Strategy which was announced in April 2018. In last year’s budget, the Government also announced $85.3 million over five years to support the National IP Strategy. CIPO was very proud to have our IP Awareness and Education Program established as a foundational piece of the Strategy.

We don’t have all the answers today about why women entrepreneurs and innovators are somewhat underrepresented in terms of global IP filings. We know that in 2017, 31.2% of all applications under the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) included women inventors, according to the World Intellectual Property Organization’s PCT Yearly Review.  For PCT applications originating in Canada, the number is 24.8%. Of all inventors named in PCT applications, only 16.4% were women. Data we’ve compiled at CIPO suggests that women-owned businesses are disproportionately among those with no IP.

We can take meaningful steps today to help ensure that more women have a better understanding of IP and are able to use it strategically, to try to move the needle in a positive direction. That includes continuing efforts to increase IP literacy and the strategic use of IP by women entrepreneurs and scientists through targeted initiatives like those we have in our IP Awareness and Education Program at CIPO. The Empowering Women Entrepreneurs symposium is just one outstanding example of the ways we strive to keep the dialogue alive about IP and innovation among women.

The tools and resources we offer to support businesses and innovators are free and accessible, and available at . They can help you learn about IP, from the basics of patents, trademarks and industrial designs, to more advanced topics for those further along on their IP journeys. We have a team of working in all the regions of Canada, who are there to answer questions and provide insight into IP strategies for businesses. And we’re adding more resources all the time to help Canadians get the IP knowledge they need to succeed.

We’re here to help! Reach out to CIPO any time you have questions about IP, and together we can continue to help women innovate, grow their businesses and succeed.

Written by Darlene Carreau, Director General, Business Services Branch at the Canadian Intellectual Property Office.

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Co-chaired by Osgoode Professor Pina D’Agostino, founder and director of IP Osgoode and the Innovation Clinic, and Darlene Carreau, Director-General, Business Services Branch, CIPO, the symposium will bring together an impressive group of successful women entrepreneurs, business leaders, and IP practitioners who will reflect on their own experiences and mentor the attendees on how to recognize, protect and commercialize their IP.

The symposium features a keynote presentation from , the co-founder of MaaS Pros and TIEIT Inc. Rawlley has been recognized for her outstanding entrepreneurship and contributions to the country’s innovation ecosystem. She is the Newmarket Chamber of Commerce’s 2018 Entrepreneur of the Year and TIEIT also received the Innovation of the Year award at the same event.

The morning panel, entitled “IP & Commercialization – Protecting and Leveraging Your Most Valuable Assets: You and Your Ideas,” will focus on the importance of having an IP strategy and best practices for leveraging some of the main areas of IP. The panel will also focus on key issues to identify and act on as well as the realities of starting a business. Chaired by D’Agostino, the panel features Darlene Carreau from CIPO, along with , former Chief Legal Officer and General Counsel at Research in Motion (Blackberry) and Senior Fellow, Centre for International Governance Innovation, and , Chief Revenue Office, Muse.

Following a networking luncheon, attendees will break into smaller groups and circulate through four IP-themed mentorship sessions. These sessions offer an interactive networking opportunity for the participants to ask questions, connect with leading experts and entrepreneurs, and receive mentorship directed at their professional and business goals. The four mentorship session themes are structured around pivotal aspects of the commercialization cycle: 1) IP identification and protection, 2) IP commercialization and strategies, 3) IP and financing, and 4) growing and scaling.

Carreau will be joined by , Associate, Bereskin & Parr LLP, and , Lawyer and Patent Agent, Norton Rose Fulbright LLP, to discuss how entrepreneurs should recognize the value in their ideas and inventions and protect them via various forms of IP law.

During the IP commercialization and strategies sessions, Karima Bawa will be joined by , Partner, Cassels Brock, to discuss how IP can be effectively leveraged and commercialized in many ways.

The IP and financing mentorship sessions will give attendees insight into the importance of having and leveraging IP to secure external funding. , Regional Innovation Officer, Innovation Canada (Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada) and , CPA, CA, Baker Tilly Vaughan LLP, will draw from their experiences in areas such as entrepreneurship and manufacturing to guide attendees forward.

Recognizing the important role that scale-ups play in Canada’s economy, Jackie Cooper and , Partner, Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP, will speak to the unique challenges that entrepreneurs and start-ups face as they move towards the scale-up level.

The ‘Empowering Women Entrepreneurs: Effective Strategies for IP Commercialization and Success’ symposium continues the efforts of IP Osgoode and CIPO to encourage and empower entrepreneurs across Canada. IP Osgoode and CIPO staff will be on hand to connect with attendees looking to access services and tools such as IP Osgoode’s and the CIPO’s new .

Founded in 2010, the Innovation Clinic is the largest pro bono IP legal clinic and the first of its kind in Canada. In collaboration with and , the Innovation Clinic provides experiential learning experiences for Osgoode students in the areas of IP and technology law while at the same time providing pro bono one-to-one IP law information and support to inventors, entrepreneurs, and start-up companies in Toronto, 91��ɫ Region, Waterloo Region, and beyond.

CIPO’s IP Awareness and Education Program serves as a one-stop shop that helps connect Canadians with the IP tools, resources and experts they need at every stage of their IP commercialization journey.

The symposium is free of charge and open to all members of the 91��ɫ community and anyone interested in learning more about IP law and the role of IP in commercial success.

About IP Osgoode

Conceptualized & founded in 2008 by Professor Giuseppina D’Agostino, IP Osgoode, the Intellectual Property (IP) Law and Technology Program at Osgoode Hall Law School, is an independent and authoritative voice which explores legal governance issues at the intersection of intellectual property and technology. IP Osgoode cultivates interdisciplinary, comparative and transnational research, collaboration, policy-thinking and practice on the basis of a tight connection between teaching, research and clinical action. IP Osgoode has put Osgoode and 91��ɫ on the map in the global IP debate. We aim to influence the IP debate in Canada and internationally by educating our students and collaborating with the IP community in Canada and worldwide. Together, we have built an innovative program that is cutting-edge and completely unique to Osgoode

About 91��ɫ

91��ɫ champions new ways of thinking that drive teaching and research excellence. Our students receive the education they need to create big ideas that make an impact on the world. Meaningful and sometimes unexpected careers result from cross-disciplinary programming, innovative course design and diverse experiential learning opportunities. 91��ɫ students and graduates push limits, achieve goals and find solutions to the world’s most pressing social challenges, empowered by a strong community that opens minds. 91��ɫ U is an internationally recognized research university – our 11 faculties and 25 research centres have partnerships with 200+ leading universities worldwide. Located in Toronto, 91��ɫ is the third largest university in Canada, with a strong community of 53,000 students, 7,000 faculty and administrative staff, and more than 300,000 alumni.
91��ɫ U's fully bilingual Glendon Campus is home to Southern Ontario's Centre of Excellence for French Language and Bilingual Postsecondary Education.

About CIPO

The Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO) is a Special Operating Agency (SOA) of (ISED). CIPO is responsible for the administration and processing of the greater part of  (IP) in Canada. CIPO's areas of activity include trademarks, patents, copyright, industrial designs and integrated circuit topographies. CIPO's mandate is to deliver high quality and timely IP services to customers, and to increase awareness, knowledge and effective use of IP by Canadians.

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Before her Osgoode appointment, she was recruited by the federal government’s Recruitment of Policy Leaders (RPL) program for the Department of Canadian Heritage and worked at the Copyright Policy Branch. She is the Editor-in-Chief of the Intellectual Property Journal (IPJ) and previously was an associate at a large firm in Toronto. Her research interests in the intellectual property, technology and innovation law and policy fields are wide-ranging and she is highly sought after as a public speaker and consultant.  She is a cited authority at the Supreme Court of Canada and in various media, and is regularly called on by foreign and Canadian federal and provincial governments for advice.

Prof. Giuseppina D'Agostino

Q1 Why is it important that more women get involved in the IP system?

It is more important for women to be involved and represented in business generally, the IP system being a slice of it. More women entrepreneurs lead to more diversity from the products we will create and commercialize, to the boardrooms we will be in, governing our leading companies. Ultimately, we will have more female role models our girls and boys looking up to, sorely need.

Q2 Why is there a persistent gender gap in the innovation ecosystem? Are current efforts enough to change this situation?

The gap persists in various ecosystems, not limited to the innovation space. Generally women are the traditional caregivers and this takes up a lot of time, time away from innovation. We need to be doing much more to support women in the innovation space, starting with ensuring more women are encouraged to enter into STEM fields and stay in them. Within legal education, we embraced and conquered this challenge long ago. Now at Osgoode we actually have more women than men enrolled in the JD program who ultimately are very active in our Innovation Clinic helping start-ups, taking our IP classes and volunteering their time at our many IP Osgoode activities, including this blog.

Q3 Do you think it is more difficult for female innovators and entrepreneurs to secure funding (and, therefore, be able to afford IP costs)?

I learned an interesting fact at this year’s International Women’s Day event hosted by Collins Barrow Vaughan and BDC that women are more risk averse in borrowing than men, and that when they do, they tend to borrow less than their male counterparts. This invariably translates into less risk-taking in their business ventures and funding their IP costs. The documentary film Dream, Girl (notice the punctuation!) showcasing the stories of inspiring and ambitious female entrepreneurs helps lead the way to bolster women’s confidence. I would encourage as many of you reading this to see it, no matter your gender or interest in the inventor/start-up space.

Q4 Are there unique challenges that female inventors and entrepreneurs face?

Inventors and entrepreneurs already face more challenges in Canada than in some other hot spots, like the Bay Area in California for instance, men and female alike. As women, however, the challenges are greater because of a convergence of factors, such as lack of role models and lack of funding from investors. Some investors stereotype and feel that women can’t run companies. This is patently false. Pardon the pun!

Q5 How can the innovation and IP ecosystems become more inclusive for under-represented groups, such as female entrepreneurs?

I think it starts from the grassroots in encouraging more girls go into traditionally poorly-represented disciplines (ie STEM). There also need to be more men and women at the top supporting and encouraging talented women. Whether it be through venture capital, angel and other needed financial backing. Educational curricula and the media too could help by showcasing female entrepreneur role models and, albeit successful, not hearing about Elon Musk and Steve Jobs all the time.

Q6 What types of assistance will benefit female entrepreneurs?

Places like the are particularly sensitive to supporting underrepresented groups, such as female inventors and entrepreneurs. We are currently working with the Canadian Intellectual Property Office to further support women in their exciting start- ups. At the Innovation Clinic we already assist such women by empowering them with information and know how to protect their technologies, grow their businesses and make the difference we know they can!

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Karima is also a and the former general counsel and chief legal officer for Research In Motion (now BlackBerry); she was involved in overseeing the development of the company's valuable IP portfolio (with over 44,000 patents) as well as managing its IP litigation.

Karima Bawa

Q1 Do you believe that it is important to have more women involved in the IP system?

There is a growing body of which suggests that increased diversity in the workforce can result in stronger performance. I believe this holds true for the IP system as well. I think women can bring a different perspective to evaluating ideas and can help better support women inventors, particularly those that are designing products that are targeted to women. I think female representation needs to be stronger in all of the different areas that contribute to IP - everything from coming up with the ideas and their expression, to protecting the ideas and their expression (through filing and enforcing IP), to leveraging IP in a commercial context.

Q2 Have you noticed a gender gap in your industry? Is the situation changing?

My own experiences as well as studies in the area point to a gender gap in the IP legal sector. There are fewer women who are patent agents, patent attorneys and IP litigators (likely because many of them do not have the technical background that is either a real or perceived prerequisite to practicing in these areas of law). For example, while there are no formal education requirements to become a patent agent in Canada obtaining a position as a patent agent trainee is almost impossible without having a science or engineering degree and because there are still fewer women who are pursuing fields like mathematics or physics or engineering there is an even smaller funnel for the number of women who can become patent agents. However, the landscape is slowly changing as more women pursue a STEM education and explore fields like biotech and clean tech. Also, women are increasingly becoming experts in other areas of IP law like copyright, trade marks, data privacy and protection (which are increasingly being recognized as valuable).

Q3 Do you think it is more difficult for female innovators and entrepreneurs to secure funding (and, therefore, be able to afford IP costs)?

Recent suggests that the percentage of female founded companies that are venture-backed has not increased since 2012. These studies suggest that it is more challenging for women to secure funding from VCs because they are still predominantly represented by men who tend to pick which businesses they back largely based on “who’s running the ship.”  Also, according to these studies, because men don’t use the products that many women innovators come up with and they don’t understand the need for these products or have a passion for them. I would agree with these observations, but I would also add from that from my personal experience, it is more challenging for women to secure funding because, it is often more difficult for them to ask for help and women don’t typically have the same extensive network as men do in the financial and VC space.

Q4 Are there unique challenges that female inventors and entrepreneurs face?

In my opinion, one of the most significant challenges for female inventors and entrepreneurs, is the lack of female mentors who hold leadership positions.  For example, in the IP legal sector, there are still fewer women in leadership positions and therefore young women don’t have leaders and mentors that they can turn to who can support them through issues like maternity leave or how to balance work life and family life.  Also, there is still an unconscious bias on a number of levels. For example, in a law firm, it is quite often a male partner that owns the client relationship and he may unconsciously disproportionately provide opportunities for his male colleagues with whom he may feel a closer connection. In addition, as alluded to above, women tend not to have the same influential networks that they can call upon.  Also, a very real challenge which exists for women in all sectors is the fact that women are still the primary care givers in most family situations, and as such they simply can’t dedicate the same amount of time and energy for their professional endeavors because there are only so many hours in the day. As such, we need to have meaningful discussions about the structure of modern-day work, especially in time-intensive professions such as law, and what can be done about helping women who want to have a career and raise a family and actually be successful in both domains.

Q5 How can the innovation and IP ecosystem become more inclusive for under-represented groups, such as female entrepreneurs?

The innovation and IP ecosystem can become more inclusive for women by, as a starting point, encouraging women’s interest and engagement in technical fields (for example STEM). Also, women who are in leadership positions have to take it upon themselves to mentor other young women and to encourage flexible working arrangements and the adoption of programs that support issues tending to affect women like transitions to and from maternity leave.

Men too can play a very powerful role in bringing women along. I for example, had the benefit of working with men who supported my desire to have a family and be actively involved in raising a child because they understood that I needed to be able to have flexibility to remain committed to and passionate about what I was doing in the workplace.

Q6 What type of assistance will benefit female entrepreneurs?

I believe that women should be encouraged to network and that workplaces should find ways to facilitate this recognizing that traditional networking opportunities are sometimes more limited for women who are often already struggling to manage their familial commitments alongside their professional commitments. Also, women should be encouraged (through coaching if needed) to feel comfortable talking about themselves and their achievements and get over the fact that doing so is not boastful (if done appropriately).  VCs need to have more female representation so that women entrepreneurs and their products aren’t as easily dismissed. And finally, it is important to implement working arrangements that are flexible and that recognize that many women have competing demands, like raising their children or supporting their aging parents, that many men simply don’t.

The post #WorldIPDay Spotlight on Karima Bawa: Securing and Tracking the Exchange of Data Files with 3D Bridge Solutions appeared first on IPOsgoode.

Maya Medeiros

Q1 Do you believe that it is important to have more women involved in the IP system?

I believe that diversity (including gender diversity) in business generally is important as it provides a range of perspectives for better decision making and problem solving to increase performance. This extends to the IP system, which includes IP professionals such as lawyers and agents, as well as innovators or IP creators. IP, and particularly patents, can be looked at through a “problem and solution” lens and a diverse set of players should highlight a wider range of problems, “eureka moments”, and innovative solutions.

Q2 Have you noticed a gender gap in your industry? Is the situation changing?

There is a gender gap in the legal industry and technology industry so the intersection of these industries further widens the gap. I am lucky to be part of a diverse team at my firm but I know this is not the norm. We are starting to see more data which creates awareness so hopefully this will lead to solutions.

Q3 Do you think it is more difficult for female innovators and entrepreneurs to secure funding (and, therefore, be able to afford IP costs)?

indicates that women-led ventures secure a lot less funding which suggests it is more difficult for female innovators and entrepreneurs to secure funding. A business network often leads to funding opportunities (or at least introductions) and if most of the network is made up of men it is likely harder for women to establish themselves within the network.

I am involved in (with their Radical Generosity funding model) as an activator and part of a global community of women that exclusively fund women-led ventures and provide business support. and join the community.

If a female innovator is solving a problem that targets female demographic it may be harder for male investors to understand the market and the value of the solution. also shows that the investor/financial industry is also predominantly male ().

Q4 Are there unique challenges that female inventors and entrepreneurs face?

The challenge of securing funding discussed above is significant if the inventor or entrepreneur cannot bootstrap their venture. There is also the significant problem of unconscious bias and the unfair results it can lead to particularly in industries where females are not well represented. suggests a lack of females in leadership positions which leads to a smaller pool of female mentors. In my personal experience, female mentorship has been very important for navigating issues in the professional world (and personal world).

Q5 How can the innovation and IP ecosystems become more inclusive for under-represented groups, such as female entrepreneurs?

Both men and women in leadership roles should take active steps to provide assistance to female entrepreneurs, such as informal strategy discussions, feedback on business plans, and mentorship generally.

Q6 What types of assistance will benefit female entrepreneurs?

An increase in funding opportunities can address the lack of funding noted above. Mentorship and business networks targeting female entrepreneurs can also provide support for their business. Sponsorship programs can be established and linked to funding models. A sponsor may be rewarded if a female entrepreneur meets significant milestones with their support, for example. Increased flexibility in the workplace can help both women and men, particularly when they are also caregivers or have other significant family roles.

The post #WorldIPDay Spotlight on @MayajMedeiros of @NLawGlobal: @IPOsgoode #InnovationClinic Supervising Lawyer appeared first on IPOsgoode.

Charlene Lindsay

Q1 Do you believe that it is important to have more women involved in the IP system?

Yes, I think it is extremely important for woman to be involved with the IP world. , we know that there were approximately 24 female CEOs leading Fortune 500 companies such as Pepsi, IBM, General Motors, Avon, and Hewlett Packards, to name a few. By 2017, this number rose and quite significantly, if I might add. However, we still have a long way to go. By this, I mean, women are still underrepresented in almost every sector of the job force and this includes IP work as well. In the , woman with full time jobs were paid 20% less than their male counterparts. Although the pay gap has narrowed since the 1970s, wage disparities are still a cumbersome issue for women.

Q2 Have you noticed a gender gap in your industry? Is the situation changing?

Well my industry is multidimensional; in addition to the pursuit of my entrepreneurial endeavours with SDNR, mentoring Indigenous youths, getting my writing published, launching a clothing line, and Co-producing the Toronto Indigenous Fashion Week,  I am also extremely passionate about education. So, even though I have already earned several degrees, my overall goal is to finish my Ph.D, which I am currently pursuing.

In terms of the gender gap in academia, I would have to say there is definitely a gender gap between male professors who receive far more compensation in comparison to their female colleagues. I am proud to say, however, that 91��ɫ has recently shattered the glass ceiling with the recent announcement of our new President, Rhonda L. Lenton. In this regard, I would say the situation is changing, but I would also add that we still have more work to do if we want to close the gap completely.

From an entrepreneurial perspective, females have a harder time climbing the ladder as compared to men. For example, a recent U.S Senate Report, showed that only 4.4% of small business loans went to women-owned businesses. According to Bloomberg, woman in the U.S comprise of only 7% of founders who received approximately $20 million dollars or more in overall funding. The backlash to this argument suggested that if women were pitching high-quality business ideas, they would be rewarded accordingly. However, another conducted at Harvard Business School found that the same video pitch for a start-up was twice as likely to get funded by investors when narrated by a male voice than by a female one. Regrettably, these same gender gaps also exist in Canada as well. Though I would like to add that a recent conducted by the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business found that the tide is slowly turning for Indigenous entrepreneurs. So, I am extremely hopeful and I look forward to nurturing and fostering this positive new growth in any way I can.

Q3 Do you think it is more difficult for female innovators and entrepreneurs to secure funding (and, therefore, be able to afford IP costs)?

I think the pursuit of entrepreneurship is a difficult road to navigae and only the strong survive. shows that more than 50% of new businesses fold within three years after launching. More often than not, it is because many new entrepreneurs are unable to secure funding or afford the costs of protecting their ideas. If I could go back and start my entrepreneurship mission over again, the one thing I would like to share with other female entrepreneurs is: "Please protect your ideas and share on a need to know basis only."

I was fortunate to have a rich network of colleagues, peers, and other professionals within 91��ɫ that I consider family. I, therefore, had a large professional network of people to turn to when I encountered difficulties with my new business, particularly where IP costs were concerned. Unfortunately, not all female entrepreneurs have this kind of support, particularly Indigenous women. For this reason, our team is in the process of creating and adding a specialized mentoring sector to our organization. Once we have this launched and underway, we plan to expand these services to those living in isolated Indigenous reserves where the costs associated with IP and other entrepreneurial endeavours are harder to access.

Even though the government of Canada has recently decided to pour more money into entrepreneurship endeavours, there are still many obstacles to overcome in terms of securing funding, and this is especially true for female innovators from every racial background.

Q4 Are there unique challenges that female inventors and entrepreneurs face?

Indeed there are many challenges that female inventors and entrepreneurs face. Despite the fact that entrepreneurship has shifted and become more inclusive of the female voice; according to a recent study conducted by the , females face unique challenges in terms of cultivating success and getting their businesses to the next level. The seven steps include, but are not necessarily limited to:

1) Defying Social Expectations,
2)Limited Access to Funding,
3)Having to navigate a male lead industry,
4) Owning Their Accomplishments,
5)Building a Support Network,
6) Balancing Business and Family Life; and
7) Coping with Fear of Failure.

Q5 How can the innovation and IP ecosystems become more inclusive for under-represented groups, such as female entrepreneurs?

Women are rising and overcoming obstacles they once faced in the employment sector, and this includes the world of IP and entrepreneurship. According to of the CPA Global IP Platform, women are also producing ground breaking inventions and taking leadership of multimillion dollar technology companies to heightened levels. For example, a recent found that 29% of the international patent applications filed in 2015 included at least one female inventor, compared with just 17% in 1995. This is exciting news because it means that women are filing more patents and building more innovative ideas than ever before. And they are going the extra mile to protect their activity.

I feel like the world of innovation and IP ecosystems can do more to be more inclusive of under-represented groups. For one, I think government bodies, stakeholders, and academia have a role to play in this regard. And by addressing the above-noted seven steps, as per the National Association of Women Business Owners, I think a lot more can be accomplished. 91��ɫ has recently taken the lead in this regard and I am extremely proud of the launching of the new platform and the which I myself am a proud graduate of. With rich networks like these based inside great academic institutions like 91��ɫ, the sky is the limit, even for female and underrepresented entrepreneurs.

Q6 What types of assistance will benefit female entrepreneurs?

As noted in the conducted by the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business, I think there are a variety of challenges that entrepreneurs face, and this also includes Indigenous lead innovators. , founder of and Dell’s former entrepreneur-in-residence, has found that the number one reason female entrepreneurs fail is their lack of confidence and not having access to mentors. I would have to disagree with her on this one, only because I myself struggled with getting my business off the ground and it had nothing to do with my lacking of confidence or accessing mentors. The difficulties I encountered were two-fold, first I had grave difficulty accessing funding. And the second was gaining the trust of Indigenous peoples who live in remote areas, as well as overcoming difficulties associated with covetousness. One would think that Indigenous women can turn to their own for support, but the fact of the matter is, that simply is not true.

Overall, I think female entrepreneurs are more likely to succeed if they have access to a professional network of well-educated people who have their best interest at heart. In addition, I also feel that women are more likely to succeed with their business ventures if they are provided with more access to financial support systems. Even if their business is a not-for-profit.

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Lara Hammoud

Q1 Do you believe that it is important to have more women involved in the IP system?

It is important that every citizen gets the chance to contribute to the economy in one way or another. Diversity of opinion and thought is the cradle of creativity and innovation. The gender, race or age of the contributor is insignificant as long as their contribution furthers our goal to make a positive difference in each other’s lives. This especially applies to the IP system as the shield and the protector of innovation. People from different backgrounds and experiences and of different gender see the world through different lenses. With that diversity and a dose of female sense of compassion and responsibility, women’s participation in the IP system will certainly boost innovation and ensure a proper intellectual property protection.

Q2 Have you noticed a gender gap in your industry? Is the situation changing?

In my brief experience in the finance and legal world, as well as my current experience as an entrepreneur, the gender gap is definitely evident in some industries more than in others. However, I would definitely say that the tide is turning. At the Western Accelerator that I am currently a part of, female entrepreneurs are by far not a minority. As a matter of a fact, out of the group of eight start-ups, only three are led by men.

Q3 Do you think it is more difficult for female innovators and entrepreneurs to secure funding (and, therefore, be able to afford IP costs)?

Based on reports and stats, it is obvious that female-led start-ups are funded less. Now, the reasons for that may be various (e.g., not enough women venturing into the entrepreneurial route). However, there are many emerging initiatives that are addressing this specific concern. We are witnessing more and more venture capital firms, collaboration spaces, incubators and accelerators that either fully focus on female-led start-ups or make an effort to recruit more female entrepreneurs.

Q4 Are there unique challenges that female inventors and entrepreneurs face?

In my opinion, female entrepreneurs have the same opportunities as their male counterparts with respect to resources such as training, mentorships and sometimes funding. The challenges that women most often face are building their credibility and being taken seriously. In some industries, women have to prove themselves worthy to get that funding or to close that deal. In this sense, entrepreneurship is not any different than any other male dominant field.

Q5 How can the innovation and IP ecosystems become more inclusive for under-represented groups, such as female entrepreneurs?

Any change starts with a change in perceptions and values (i.e. culture). To make innovation and IP ecosystems more inclusive, the industry and the society should undergo a shift towards an impartial and more inclusive culture. The culture will then trickle into action and common practice. This is when we will drop the word “female” when we address a woman who is an entrepreneur, and the word entrepreneur will stand for both female and male entrepreneurs.

Q6 What types of assistance will benefit female entrepreneurs?

I believe that the best assistance an entrepreneur would benefit from is mentorship. Strong mentors can drag entrepreneurs out from their down-moments and help them reach their highs. As mentioned earlier, female entrepreneurs need to be resilient and must learn how to prove themselves worthy. And with a strong and trustworthy mentor – the sky is truly the limit.

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Roya Mahboob

As President and board member of the Digital Citizen Fund, Roya aims to increase women’s technological literacy and provide employment and educational opportunities for girls and children in developing countries like Afghanistan. The Digital Citizen Fund is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization founded in New 91��ɫ City. The Digital Citizen Fund helps girls and women in developing countries gain access to technology, virtually connect with others across the world, and obtain necessary skills to succeed in today’s expanding global market.

Roya was named one of TIME Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in the World for 2013 for her work in building internet classrooms in high schools in Afghanistan. The TIME 100 essay was written by Facebook COO and author of "Lean In: Women, Work and the Will to Lead", Sheryl Sandberg.  Roya is also a member of the 2014 Tribeca Disruptive Innovation Awards, Civic Innovators, The Advancement of Gender Equality through Education Award and Young Leader of World Economic Form in 2015.  She also sits on the Advisory Board of the Forbes School of Business of Ashford University, Resolution Project, and the Global Thinkers Forum organization.

Q1 Do you believe that it is important to have more women involved in the IP system?

I believe if more women get involved with IP systems then there would be more diversity and innovation in the new technologies. It’s absolutely a key factor for growing an innovation and business, and having a better product.

Q2 Have you noticed a gender gap in engineering/robotics? Is the situation changing?

There have been efforts to increase the number of the women in STEM-related disciplines through different initiatives, though the progress is still slow and this industry is very male-dominated. But there is hope in closing this gender gap in the future with the help of governments, accessible education, non-profit organizations and the tech industry.  

Q3 Do you think it is more difficult for female innovators and entrepreneurs to secure funding (and, therefore, be able to afford IP costs)?

It’s very difficult for any start-up to raise money or have access to capital but unfortunately it is even more challenging for women compared to men to get funding in their early stage or to afford the IP costs for their innovation on top of many other hurdles and challenges that women would face when they run their companies.

Q4 Are there unique challenges that female inventors and entrepreneurs face?

Lack of education and training, lack of access to finance, accessing to the market, networking, gender discrimination, negative and inadequate resources.

Q5 How can the innovation and IP ecosystems become more inclusive for under-represented groups, such as female entrepreneurs?

By helping female entrepreneurs protect their innovation and making the process easier and at a lower cost will help build a diverse start-up ecosystem. By empowering a female entrepreneur to feel secure about her innovation thus making easier for her to connect with venture capitalists.

Q6 What types of assistance will benefit female entrepreneurs?

Helping female entrepreneurs to have access to venture capital, networking, media coverage or providing them with mentorship would be a huge help to growing their business and lifting the new innovation to support society and the community.

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