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By: Josh Sloat
We’re very excited to announce the winners of our 2023 RISE Award. Originally called the Relief for Innovative Startup Endurance Award, this is an annual award that we launched during the pandemic to help innovators struggling to endure the financial hardships that ensued. And an award that has given us so much joy, we’ve continued to offer through the years beyond, but now as the Recognition of Innovative Startup Excellence Award. For the winner, we provide a free provisional patent application or $5,000 in service toward a non-provisional. And this year, as in several years past, we’ve also worked with impressive runners-up on awards customized based on need – oftentimes helping out with things like patentability and landscape searches. Selection Process
Using a weighted matrix, our team scored applications based on the following criteria:
We can't say it enough, but the recipients are a truly gifted collection of entrepreneurs who will surely do great things. We couldn’t be more thrilled about the potential to be a part of their journey!
2023 Winners
The first place, full $5,000 award goes to Absolute Concept Designs. Dustin Webb and his team at Absolute are developing a Hybrid Unmanned Aerial Underwater Vehicle (HUAUV) drone platform with the capacity to transition between air and water mediums and perform a number of different operations. At this time, we're unable to disclose anything more specific about the capabilities, but trust us – IT'S REALLY COOL! The platform would be utilized for various amphibious missions instead of sending a person into contested environments, resulting in saved lives of our Service Men and Women and increased security for the US and our Allies across the globe. The ACD team has serious experience in this space, having previously worked with the Department of Defense on the design of armored vehicles, underbody blast mitigation technologies, air-to-air missiles, cruise and surface-to-air missiles, fighter jets, helicopters, and drones. Our thought bubble. ACD's HUAUV is just the kind of impactful innovation, backed by the kind of DNA it takes to see through to market success. The development and protection of any technology that helps to keep US Service Men and Women out of unnecessary danger is a mission we’re proud to help facilitate in any capacity!! Being chosen as the winner of this year's Rise Award will allow our business to accelerate the development of our HUAUV (Hybrid Unmanned Aerial Underwater Vehicle) Platform. With Aurora's generous support and vast experience in the patent industry, we know that our HUAUV Platform is going to be well safeguarded against potential competitors, thus giving us a strong position as we enter the drone market. 
We’ve selected Rebel Cultures as our first runner-up, to receive a $2,500 patent services award. Rebel Cultures is on a mission to help the world overcome critical plant shortages by inventing a new, high-efficiency, lower cost method of plant production. Della Fetzer and her team are working on a lab-free method to efficiently propagate disease-free young plants. Their modular device stimulates the replication of thousands of young plants per cubic foot of production space!! This invention will allow plant producers in the forestry and agriculture industries to overcome their current barriers to producing enough young trees and crops to sustain our lives on earth. Founding Rebel Cultures team members were leaders in commercial-scale laboratory plant production for years, where they learned the techniques, industry, and shortcomings of the current fastest way to make plants. Rebel Cultures is positioned to succeed because their team is leveraging knowledge and experience gained in the ornamental horticulture market to be the first prominent non-seed solution for the forestry industry amid a growing global seed shortage. Our thought bubble. We’re very excited about Della's mission and think it’s the sort of innovation that’s not getting nearly the focus it deserves, given how important it is to literally sustaining all life on the planet. Her team also clearly has the internal expertise to really make a difference. This is the biggest piece missing from the environmental movement and something we’re happy to get behind and support however we can. Developing a new way to produce plants isn't easy, but with support from our community, early adopters, and trusted allies like Aurora Consulting, it's happening. This RISE award is an honor and will allow Rebel Cultures to participate in the centuries-old tradition of securing IP to accelerate our positive impact across the greater agricultural industry. 
We've selected Sand Baggage as our second runner-up, receiving a free patentability search and analysis. Sand Baggage founder Michael Wahlstrom designed a neoprene bag with a clever locking mechanism that uses beach sand for securing valuables while at the beach. Michael's inventor story is an inspiring one about the power of self-bootstrapping when leveraging your own expertise. His company is 100% bootstrapped with zero debt, and he possesses all the core competencies required to take his product to market without the need to outsource a single function. Michael is a professional with over 20 years of experience in the apparel and accessories industry. He runs a creative design, cut, and sew consumer product studio specializing in handbags, leather goods, pet accessories, private label fashion apparel, and merchandising brand strategy. His background spans the entire product lifecycle starting with retail management, merchandising, wholesale, buying, product development, technical design, sourcing, manufacturing, construction, and finishing. Our thought bubble. Michael's invention is a very practical solution to a real world problem – and a great example of the kinds of solutions that can be informed by experiences in our wonderful Northern Michigan backyard. We’re beach dwellers in our spare time and have very much felt the insecurity that comes with leaving valuables behind on the beach while swimming or doing other water sports that require leaving high dollar items behind and untethered. Beyond that, we love gritty entrepreneurs who roll up their sleeves and find ways to innovate – and really appreciate how Michael is self-bootstrapping and leveraging his own talent stack to bring this product to market. We couldn’t be more thrilled to be a part of his innovation journey! Winning the RISE Award and working with the team at Aurora has been the greatest gift for my startup. As a finalist in various business pitch competitions, they have helped structure an invention protection strategy that has allowed me to focus on other facets of my business. 
We've selected Chefshare as this year's final runner-up, also receiving a free patentability search and analysis. Erin Eatough, PhD and her team at Chefshare are on a mission to help modern families reclaim their most precious non-renewable resource of time and bring peace, connection, and joy back into weeknight dinners. Hooray! They do this through a service that will offer heat and serve meals specifically designed for busy modern families, from local area chefs. The approach uses customer-provided preference data, paired with chef-prepared weekly menus to cluster and match meal orders in order to reduce the price point of private chef services, making it more accessible. Erin is a mother, psychologist, and start-up tech executive. She founded Chefshare after becoming fed up with the time-starvation in her own life as a working mother. After auditing her time, nightly dinner was the most consistent, daily demand - both cognitively and physically - getting in the way of spending more quality time during the busy week with her kids. After hiring a private chef, she realized firsthand the huge return on the investment of outsourcing not just the food but the deciding, inventorying, planning, cooking, and cleaning for nightly dinners. She founded Chefshare to make outsourcing this part of modern life more affordable and accessible for other families too. Our thought bubble. As parents who'd prefer to be playing with our kids or doing something else rather than cooking dinner, Chefshare really resonates with us. More broadly, so many households do not like or have enough time to cook (or learn to cook!) and if you can create a good meal that is healthy and affordable, that’s a big win. We also appreciate Erin's local, stepwise approach to scaling the business model. We're excited to be a part of Erin's innovation journey and can't wait to be one of her first customers! I am incredibly grateful for Aurora and the RISE award! This award is enabling me to get the foundational legal searches done for patentability potential in using technology to improve the lives of busy working families by outsourcing all things related to weekly family meals. Ashley and Josh not only have instrumentally done legal work to support this business but have supported me with encouragement to build something amazing! Past Winners
To learn more about past recipients and hear stories about their innovation journeys, check out our Patently Strategic Podcast episode where we interviewed winners from the 2021 RISE class.
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By: Josh Sloat
From patenting classic board games like Monopoly and Battleship back in the 1930s to challenges with protecting modern innovations in areas like game development and VR, our experts are breaking down everything you need to know about patenting games so you don’t end up just rolling the dice when investing in protections for your entertaining innovations. As a bonus, in this month’s episode, we’re bringing you two dealers: Dr. David Jackrel, President of Jackrel Consulting, will be covering the physical realm of board games and toys. Kristen Hansen, Patent Strategist and software guru here at Aurora, will be covering all things computer and video games in the second half. David and Kristen are joined by our always exceptional group of IP experts. Two exceptional gamers who would never be regarded as NPCs:
David, Kristen, and the panel discuss:
Mossoff Minute: Inventor's Hall of Fame
Professor Adam Mossoff recently attended the annual Inventor’s Hall of Fame induction ceremony and for this month's Mossoff Minute, discusses two sets of inductees and their groundbreaking inventions of the mRNA platform and CRISPR gene editing technology. We’re also publishing excerpts as short-form videos on Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, and TikTok.
RISE 2023 Award Winners
In this episode, we're also announcing the winners of the 2023 RISE Award! To learn more about this year's RISE award winners including Absolute Concept Designs (Dustin Webb), Rebel Cultures (Della Fetzer), Sand Baggage (Michael Wahlstrom), and Chefshare (Dr. Erin Eatough), please read the full announcement.
Availability
Patently Strategic is available on all major podcasting directories, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Podcasts. We're also available on 12 other directories including Stitcher, iHeart Radio, and TuneIn, so you should be able to find us wherever you listen to podcasts.
ResourcesRelated Episodes
Transcripts We're also providing computer-generated transcripts for improved accessibility and additional reference opportunities. Slides For the visual learners out there, we also like to make our presenter slides available for your reference.
By: Josh Sloat
Illustration: Declan Wrede
Join us November 16th!
Dr. Ashley Sloat has been invited to deliver this year's Patsnap Frontier Conference Keynote. This incredible online conference connects innovators and industry leaders from across a diverse array of technology sectors to share key insights and dive deeply into current trends. With thousands of online attendees each year, this annual event has evolved into a thriving hub for conversations about the future of innovation. This year, expert speakers will be discussing topics ranging from optimizing the integration of artificial intelligence and overcoming technical obstacles, to strategically leveraging intellectual property to drive innovation and pave the way for the future. Our keynote will explore the ongoing and impending impacts of AI in the IP world and the possible futures it could create, looking at both dystopian and utopian outcomes for the patent system.
Will AI Terminate or Save the Patent System?
Our news feeds are overrun with stories of how AI is profoundly reshaping the world at a breakneck pace and achieving results that were only recently the mere dreams (or perhaps threats!) of science fiction. But how will this now inevitable rise of the machines reshape our IP legal industry and the very property rights systems that undergird science, technology, and the modern innovation economy? Beyond fears of a dystopian employment outlook for agents, attorneys, and searchers, could AI actually invalidate the entire patent system once it’s no longer able to deliver on its constitutionally expressed goals? Or could super intelligence actually be just the kind of cybernetic hero from the future that the breaking system needs to save so many patents (and an unsustainable bar) from an unfortunate judgment day?
Learn more and register
The conference takes place online on November 16, 2023. Our keynote will start around 9:20 am ET. Registration is free! Learn more and sign up below.
By: Josh Sloat
In this month's podcast episode, we’re talking about claims – the fundamental building blocks of a patent. There simply is not a more important concept to grasp in all of patenting. As a former chief justice of the Federal Circuit once famously said, “The name of the game is the claim.” And in terms of what game you’re playing, the claims are where you separate the patents playing checkers from the patents playing chess. This is where your patent practitioner earns their money and as you’ll learn today, also where the most costly mistakes can be born. As David Cohen, a Patently Strategic regular, has said in the past, "Ninety percent of the mental exercise in drafting patents is in the strategy of looking around corners, anticipating the future, and trying to capture as many would-be infringers as possible.” How your claims are crafted is literally the difference between a patent being an intellectual asset and a worthless stack of paper. In this month’s episode, Ty Davis, Patent Strategy Associate here at Aurora, leads a discussion, along with our all star patent panel, delving deeply into:
Ty is joined by our always exceptional group of IP experts, including:
Mossoff Minute: Advancing America's Interests Act
This month's Mossoff Minute, featuring Professor Adam Mossoff, looks at the poorly named Advancing America's Interests Act and its potential impact on the ITC being able to block import of products that infringe on American patents. We’re also publishing excerpts as short-form videos on Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, and TikTok.
Availability
Patently Strategic is available on all major podcasting directories, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Podcasts. We're also available on 12 other directories including Stitcher, iHeart Radio, and TuneIn, so you should be able to find us wherever you listen to podcasts.
ResourcesRelated Episodes
Related Reading Transcripts We're also providing computer-generated transcripts for improved accessibility and additional reference opportunities. Slides For the visual learners out there, we also like to make our presenter slides available for your reference.
By: Josh Sloat
Illustration: Declan Wrede
20Fathoms Know Your Worth: Intellectual Property
Join us for lunch at 20Fathoms on October 11th when we'll explore how to leverage patents as one of your startup's earliest and most important assets. When you're first starting out, you don’t have customers, you don’t have revenue, and you probably don’t have physical assets. What you do have are your intellectual assets. These fruits and labors of the mind are not just defensive tools for protection, but chips you can leverage on that glorious path to investment, physical assets, customers, and revenue. Constitutionally enshrined property rights like patents and copyrights allow you to define ownership boundaries around your inventions and creative works, much like the title for your home defines the boundaries of your physical property. And just like your physical property, your intellectual property can be used as leverage, transferred, sold, and leased. And at the earliest stages, these IP assets can get you access to the venture capital you need to scale or to build the bridge from intellectual to real capital and from the garage to the marketplace.
You'll learn about how to protect these key business assets while avoiding common mistakes in the context of an overall IP strategy in this lunch-and-learn presented by intellectual property expert, Dr. Ashley Sloat. We'll be covering intellectual property like trade secrets, trademarks, copyrights, and patents, as well as how open-source IP should be treated. We'll also touch on responsible engagement with employees and vendors, especially around contracting, and typical mistakes made with IP. This event is hosted by 20Fathoms in partnership with Aurora Patents. This is an in-person event, and there is no charge to attend. Lunch will be provided. Date and Time: Wednesday, October 11 · 11:30am - 1pm EDT Location: 20Fathoms | 10850 East Traverse Highway #Ste, 4400 Traverse City, MI 49684
By: Josh Sloat
It's impossible to overstate the importance of protecting our most important natural resource. And that's why we couldn't be more excited to announce that we're joining forces with AquaAction to provide patenting assistance for their vital mission to restore freshwater health in North America! Aqua's programs, like its Hacking Challenge, present incredible opportunities to help accelerate technologies that will both improve and protect our precious water ecosystems, as well as boost the local innovation economies they touch. Aurora will be providing patent coaching to all participants, as well as service-based awards for the top three finalists in the annual, bi-national AquaHacking Great Lakes Challenge. We are thrilled about this partnership, eager to see where our collective energies take this, and confident it will mean great things for the region and the sustainability of its most important natural resource. AquaAction
AquaAction is a Canadian and US registered charity established by the Fondation de Gaspé Beaubien in 2015, created to disrupt the status quo with innovative ideas and engage youth in the fight against the water-related climate crisis. AquaAction has developed three programs focused on water innovation and technology: the AquaHacking Challenge, AquaEntrepreneur and the AquaAction Alumni Community. Since its establishment, 28 innovative start-ups have been created across Canada.
AquaHacking Challenge for the Great Lakes
The AquaHacking Challenge is a tech innovation program focused on developing solutions to pressing freshwater issues within the Great Lakes watershed region. The program is open to American and Canadian post-secondary students and young professionals looking for a hands-on way to apply their talent and fight the freshwater crisis. The solutions developed today will help save our freshwater systems for generations to come.
The 2023 Challenge started in September and will run for 9 months. Participants will receive mentoring and expert coaching, have access to on demand content in innovation, entrepreneurship, leadership and be eligible for micro-credits and digital badging. The 2023 AquaHacking Challenge is the first of three that will run sequentially from 2023 to 2026. Michigan's Blue Economy
We're personally and professionally very excited about the potential for initiatives like Aqua's Hacking Challenge, the Fresh Coast Maritime Challenge, and related water-focused technology efforts around things like electric boating. When you combine the access to our natural assets, a strong desire to protect them, the collective background expertise of so many who've grown up around freshwater, and the startup support given by groups like 20Fathoms and institutions like NMC, there's no reason why Northern Michigan shouldn't establish itself as a leading innovator in the blue economy.
The AquaHacking Great Lakes Challenge is co-hosted by Northwestern Michigan College (NMC) and AquaAction. We are very proud to have been invited by NMC to collaborate on this bi-national program for the Great Lakes. This immense watershed region is home to 27% of the population of Canada and the US, accounts for 28% of our combined economic activity, and holds 21% of the world’s freshwater. The business case for solutions is clear and we welcome a new generation of innovators to lead the way towards a clean and healthy freshwater future for us all and future generations – thanks to their innovative ideas.
By: Josh Sloat
Inventors are the lifeblood of innovation and the backbone of our economy! Join us in October as we celebrate this country's greatest asset with some of its strongest defenders! US Inventor is hosting its first annual conference to celebrate its 10-year anniversary. This conference offers an incredibly unique chance to connect with industry experts, gain valuable insights, and expand your network. The in-person event will take place Thursday, October 19, 2023, through Saturday, October 21st, and will feature industry experts and speakers including:
You'll also have the opportunity to meet industry champions like Paul Morinville, Randy Landreneau, and Josh Malone of US Inventor.
Podcast Road Show
We'll also be taking our Patently Strategic Podcast on the road to conduct interviews from the Madison building at USPTO Headquarters! Regular listeners might recall that one of our first episodes, American Inventor Horror Story, was recorded at US Inventor's Decade of Stolen Dreams Rally in Detroit, marking (commiserating) the 10-year anniversary of the passage of the devastating America Invents Act. We've also interviewed several of the conference's distinguished guests including, Professor Adam Mossoff, Randy Landreneau, and Judge Paul Michel, for our Patent Wars episode, which focuses on the largest problems plaguing patenting and some of the most promising solutions.
Proud Sponsors
We love inventors and inventors love coffee, so we'll be sponsoring the coffee bar at the event. Be sure to drop by, say hello, and have a cup on us!
The Details
You can view the full agenda here.
Dates: Thursday, October 19, 2023, through Saturday October 21st Locations: Capitol Hill, DC | USPTO in Alexandria, VA Cost: $150
By: Josh Sloat
Join us in Lansing!
Next week, we'll be attending, sponsoring, and speaking at MichBio's Life Sciences Showcase, held in-person in Lansing, MI. We'll have a table set up, so be sure to stop by and say hello.
The Showcase brings together industry professionals, thought leaders, and change-makers from all Life Sciences sectors with patients and patient advocates, higher education and research professionals, services providers, students, and economic development and non-profit partners to promote industry connectivity, share best practices and emerging trends insights, explore the changing healthcare landscape, and drive industry growth. This event will include four of MichBio's signature events – Drug Discovery Symposium, Medical Device Summit, Digital Health Forum, and Patient Advocacy Forum - with dedicated tracks for each event, as well as an exhibit floor featuring suppliers and vendors serving the life sciences, research and technology presentations, and networking opportunities. When: Monday, September 18th from 7:30a-7:00p ET. Location: Lansing Center in Downtown Lansing // 333 E. Michigan Ave, Lansing, MI 48933 Stronger Life Science Patents Talk
We'll be doing a talk in the afternoon on crafting stronger life science patents. Life science patents have grown increasingly vulnerable to rejection and invalidation due to subject matter eligibility and enablement interpretations. The implications are staggering with over 80% of abandoned life science applications having a final rejection stating that the innovation did not include patentable subject matter. In this talk, we’ll explore how to avoid these rejections, understand the implications for new drugs, and provide practical tips for creating robust life science patents. We'll also briefly touch on expanding your exclusivity window in light of FDA delays and what strings to be aware of when pursuing government funding from sources like SBIR and STTR grants.
For a complete list of topics and speakers, see the full agenda. Protect Before You Pitch / Patent Expert AMA
We'll also be doing a 15 minute talk about the dangers of public disclosure and the critical steps to take to protect your idea before pitching or approaching investors. At this time, Ashley will also be available for a patent expert AMA, so come armed with your intellectual property questions!
Proud Sponsors
Aurora is a proud supporter of MichBio, a member of the MichBio IP committee, and a sponsor of this event. Life science innovations are essential for human health and must be a vibrant component of Michigan's economy. For decades, MichBio has been important in driving bio-industry growth in Michigan and connecting the people, companies, and ideas necessary to create the next generation of bio-innovation. They are great partners, and we're happy to support their important mission in any way we can!
By: Josh Sloat
SBIR, STTR, and Your IP
In this month's episode, we’re talking about the use of government grants and the strings that can come attached to your IP! We’re exploring the various types of small business research grants, how the Bayh-Dole Act regulates inventions generated under government grants, licensing and ownership implications for your patent when using federal dollars, and the sticky webs that you may find yourself in if you are not carefully tracking IP and adhering to the numerous provisions and timelines.
Largest Source of Early-stage Capital for Life Science Startups
The use of government grants for research and development is one of the most common areas of concern we get questions about from our clients. And for good reason! Non-diluting capital can be an essential source of funding when trying to get your innovation off the ground. Investor money comes with loss of equity and/or control. Family and friends’ money may come with the risk of strained relationships. So, essentially free money by way of government grants can seem like an obvious choice, right? And it is for many. The Small Business Technology Transfer (or STTR) and Small Business Innovation Research (or SBIR) grants are the largest source of early-stage capital for life science startups in the United States, combining to provide over $2B annually in support from federal agencies like the NIH.
With Strings Attached...
But like money from investors, friends, and family, these grants do still come with some serious strings attached and potential ramifications you need to be aware of. For instance, use of these funds grants the government a royalty-free license to practice your invention worldwide. To the surprise of many, and as we’ll discuss, this can include royalty-free use of patents obtained before even applying for the grant. This is potentially a big problem, especially if the federal government could be one of your primary customers. Other provisions can result in lost ownership rights if you fail to commercialize or neglect to file the correct paperwork on time. Most of these things are manageable, but when considering government grants, you need to be aware of these gotchas so you’re going in with clear eyes and can manage the hooks in a way that doesn’t jeopardize your patent rights.
That awareness is our focus today. Dr. Ashley Sloat, President and Director of Patent Strategy here at Aurora, leads the discussion along with our all-star patent panel, exploring:
Mossoff Minute: PREVAIL Act
In this month's Mossoff Minute, we discuss the introduction of a very important piece of patent reform legislation called the Promoting and Respecting Economically Vital American Innovation Leadership Act (PREVAIL). We’re also publishing excerpts as short-form videos on Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, and TikTok.
Availability
Patently Strategic is available on all major podcasting directories, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Podcasts. We're also available on 12 other directories including Stitcher, iHeart Radio, and TuneIn, so you should be able to find us wherever you listen to podcasts.
Resources
Related Episodes
Transcripts We're also providing computer-generated transcripts for improved accessibility and additional reference opportunities. Slides For the visual learners out there, we also like to make our presenter slides available for your reference.
By: Josh Sloat
Aurora is teaming up with Northwestern Michigan College (NMC) in Traverse City to help provide aspiring entrepreneurs with an Innovation Mindset Credential. This is a brand new curriculum, highly-tailored toward startup bootstrapping and turning ideas into real-world solutions. Getting off the corporate hamster wheel or finding the motivation to kick start your side hustle is just the beginning. The path to becoming a successful startup is one that comes with MANY hats. You know your domain like the back of your hand, but you'll have a massive oh-no second once you start running into all of the other things necessary to bring your idea to the marketplace. You'll be a technologist, a designer, a marketer, an accountant, an HR wizard, a salesperson, an attorney, and a professional people person. You don't have time to become all of these things and you don't have the money to pay to have them all done for you. This course is everything you need to know, presented in digestible bits, meant to get you off to the races on building the next great thing, while doing so from a foundation built to last. Program Summary
The Innovation Mindset Credential is a skills-development program designed to give participants the knowledge needed to think like an entrepreneur, act like an innovator, and turn ideas into tangible innovations.
Program Overview and Outcome
26 hours of interactive training focused on developing the skills to turn an idea into a viable business solution. The program focuses on the following areas:
Legal Issues
Dr. Ashley Sloat will be the instructor for the Legal Issues Course. She'll be covering many of the i's and t's you need to consider when getting started. From her position of domain expertise, she'll help you understand what you need to make sure you're protecting your intellectual assets like patents, copyrights, and trademarks. From her background as a business owner educated in the school of hard knocks, she'll share lessons learned about business formation, essential contracts, entity-based tax considerations, and what to think about before bringing on employees or contractors to help. Program Outcomes A Business Canvas and a disclosure-proofed Pitch Deck supporting your idea. Schedule and Cost
Courses start soon!
Enrollment is now open for classes starting in September. Hope to see you soon! And if you have any questions you'd like to make sure we address in our course, drop us a line!
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Ashley Sloat, Ph.D.Startups have a unique set of patent strategy needs - so let this blog be a resource to you as you embark on your patent strategy journey. Archives
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