A federal agency focused on entrepreneurship and innovation is advancing its mission with local and grassroots initiatives, while sharing lessons on increasing diversity in those sectors.

The U.S. Patent & Trademark Office (PTO) kicked off its annual Women’s Entrepreneurship Symposium with a fireside chat on advancing women in intellectual property. 2021 also features a new presidential administration, and in true D.C. style, this event series started with a nod to the transition. The virtual March 3 event featured the U.S. Department of Commerce’s current deputy assistant secretary for administration, Wynn Coggins — the same day she stepped down as the acting secretary of commerce.

The former PTO executive started the event series by emphasizing the importance of mentorship. According to Coggins, the PTO has been more impactful than technical industries and law firms in “blazing a trail for women in executive leadership positions,” with over 30% of executive positions filled by women. She attributed their success partly to mentorship, which emerged as a prevalent topic for panelists.

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