Live Webinar - USPTO Intellectual Property (IP) Basics

8/27/2025

1:00 PM - 2:30 PM

Location: Online

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As a small business your intellectual property (IP) is often one of your biggest competitive advantages. And protecting your IP early is critical for the life of your business. During this live webinar experts from the United States Patent and Trademark Office will walk you through the basics of IP including patents, trademarks, trade secrets, and copyrights. Register now!

Highlights:

IP basics
Steps to protecting your IP
Understanding IP strategy
Local resources and assistance available through the USPTO and other collaborating agencies

This training is for small business owners and entrepreneurs seeking to learn the basics of IP and how to protect their ideas and brand.

Presenters:

Jason Lott, Managing Attorney for Trademarks Customer Outreach, USPTO

Hope Shimabuku, Regional Director of USPTO Southwest Regional Outreach Office, USPTO

Reynaldo Vasquez, Southwest Regional Outreach Officer, USPTO

It is imperative to add sbdctraining@uh.edu and no-reply@zoom.us to your approved senders' list to be able to receive event confirmations and links to SBDC events.

Your registration confirmation email will contain a link to join the webinar via Zoom.

Presenter(s):

	Jason Lott Jason Lott is the Managing Attorney for Trademarks Customer Outreach at the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) where he specializes in helping small business owners understand trademarks and the federal trademark registration process. He conceptualizes and delivers educational content using live presentations, creative videos, and other multimedia platforms. He also presents to experienced practitioners on advanced trademark topics, providing them the tools and expertise to better serve their clients. Jason began his career at the USPTO in 2000 as a trademark examining attorney.
	Hope Shimabuku Hope Shimabuku is the Regional Director of the USPTO's Southwest Regional Office, where she leads outreach and engagement across a diverse regional innovation ecosystem. She brings nearly 30 years of experience as an engineer and intellectual property attorney, having served as Vice President and Corporate Counsel at Xerox and held senior legal roles at BlackBerry, advising on cybersecurity, standards, and IP law. Her engineering background includes roles at Procter & Gamble and Dell. Ms. Shimabuku is a leader in the Texas legal and innovation communities, serving on the boards of SMU Dedman School of Law, Texas IP Alliance, and ChIPs Texas Chapter. She is a past chair of the State Bar of Texas IP Section and has received numerous honors, including the Justice David Wellington Chew Award and recognition as one of DCEO’s “500 Most Powerful Business Leaders.” She holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from UT Austin and a J.D. from SMU Dedman School of Law, cum laude.
	Reynaldo Vasquez Mr. Vasquez is the Southwest Regional Outreach Officer for the USPTO, leading stakeholder engagement across eight states. Prior to joining the USPTO, he served with the U.S. Small Business Administration from 2009 to 2021 as an Economic Development Specialist, Veterans Business Development Officer, and District International Trade Officer. Mr. Vasquez also worked for the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) from 2006 to 2009 in purchasing and administration at the Port Isabel Detention Center. Additionally, Mr. Vasquez served in the U.S. Army from 2004 to 2006 and continues to serve in the U.S. Army National Guard as a Human Resources and Dental Specialist. He holds a BA in Business Management and an AA in Business Administration from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. Coming from a family of entrepreneurs, Mr. Vasquez has developed expertise in real estate management, entrepreneurship development, and commercial and international trade financing.