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Diversity Pledge Companies Lead by Example with Public Disclosure of Women Inventor Rates

We are proud to share that 5 Pledgee companies have publicly announced their women inventor rate (WIR) numbers. Their efforts are a critical step towards the goal of increasing inventive and innovative capacity, which drives greater participation, firm performance, and social welfare.

Given the clear need for technological innovation in society, greater effort must be placed on attracting talented people into STEM fields and incentivizing them to invent and innovate. On the top level, the metrics are quite clear that much more can be done though the challenges are heterogeneous across different demographic groups. Now that the problem is clear and present, the hard work begins to find positive sum solutions that lift all ships. Our experience thus far is that an inclusivity-first approach is the best way to raise the engagement of all actors by capturing the latent potential of those already employed within organizations. Where inclusivity leads, diversity will follow naturally. To achieve this, we need better inclusivity metrics that can capture the complexity of invention and innovation, as well as more accountability. Afterall, greater inclusivity leading to higher firm performance is not only socially desirable, but the essence of good leadership.

We applaud AT&T, Lenovo, Owens Corning, Meta and Twilio for leading the way on improving employee engagement and R&D efficiency through their inclusivity efforts.

Entire press release here…

RECENT NEWS

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On August 1, 2023, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), the Council for Inclusive Innovation (CI2), and the U.S. Intellectual Property Alliance (USIPA) cohosted the second annual Increasing Diversity in Innovation Conference. As part of the Diversity Conference, USIPA board member Suzanne Harrison moderated a fireside chat with Kathi Vidal, Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the USPTO, and Don Graves, Deputy Secretary of Commerce. The two leaders discussed the roles government, public, and private organizations must play in expanding American innovation. 

Watch a recording of the fireside chat.

THE DIVERSITY PLEDGE

Innovators of all types have shaped many aspects of the world throughout the centuries. However, findings by WIPO and leading researchers show some groups remain severely under-represented in many areas of intellectual property use. All of the data suggests that the world has missed out on millions of inventors.

Maintaining a technical and innovative edge is vital for success in the marketplace and for global economic and technological success. For individual companies, more innovation can lead to increased market share, customer acquisition, employee retention, and more. Increasing Diversity in Innovation is the first step in reaching these goals, and the time for action is now.

The Diversity Pledge is a commitment to working to understand and address the issue of underrepresented inventors. The pledge is currently signed by many of the world’s largest companies and innovators.

WHAT COMPANIES ARE SAYING

PLEDGEES

Which companies can make the Pledge?
Companies with inventorship programs

Which companies can support the Pledge?
Law firms, non-tech companies, and other organizations e.g. by sharing its message and encouraging clients and partners to make the Pledge.

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About

The Diversity Pledge was designed to facilitate collaboration among corporations who collectively represent the largest filers of patents. Pledgees include over 40 companies spanning a variety of industries including consumer products, telecommunications, social media, software, finance and biologics among others.  We hope many more companies join the founding pledgees to make actionable and measurable change in increasing diversity in innovation with their current employee base.  

Contact

Suzanne Harrison
USIPA, Diversity & Inclusion

Bowman Heiden
UC Berkeley

Karla Soler Riba
Center for Intellectual Property (CIP)

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