From Sessions to Social Events, EDI Opportunities Abound at the Annual Meeting 
  

Michael A. Invernale, PhD
Senior Licensing Manager, Physical Sciences, University of Connecticut
Member, AUTM EDI Committee
2024 Howard Bremer Scholar

As you’re planning your agenda for the 2024 AUTM Annual Meeting, remember that this event is filled with opportunities to improve your awareness and practice of equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) in tech transfer. Take it from me: At my first Annual Meeting, last year in Austin, I learned about the incredible work being done by the Global EDI in Tech Transfer (GEDITT) organization and made connections that led to a spot on the AUTM EDI Committee.
 
I can’t wait to raise my EDI game even higher this year, and I am excited to share some of the relevant sessions and activities you’ll want to check out for yourself.
 
This year’s EDI highlights start with educational sessions but also include a host of networking opportunities. And if you’re unsure how to integrate EDI into conversations, you’ll find some useful tips. The full schedule can be found here.
 
EDI and Education
Check out these can’t-miss sessions and use AUTM Connect to add them to your personal itinerary. Because inclusive innovation requires making our tech transfer conversations multinational—particularly initiatives that involve developing economies—sessions focused on global tech transfer are included along with sessions on more traditional EDI topics.

Monday, February 19​

11 a.m.: 

  • Hidden Founders: Diversifying Entrepreneurship and Closing the Pipeline Gap​
1:45 p.m.:
  • The Economic Imperative of FemTech Innovation
  • Accelerating Research Translation: A Global Perspective
3:45 p.m.:
  • Scaling Social Innovation: Illuminating New Pathways for Impact
Tuesday, February 20

10:45 a.m.:

  • Including Neurodiversity in Workplace EDI Strategies
  • Sourcing Talent. Where Can We Find Our Next TTO Hire? 

2 p.m.:

  • Indigenous Knowledge: Community-led Design of Policies/Procedures to Ensure Benefit Sharing and Participation in Commercialization
  • European Patents: The Unified Patent Court Becomes Reality
Wednesday, February 21

9 a.m.:

  • The Elusive Duo: Impact and Funding to Commercialize Social Innovations
  • Global Entrepreneur-In-Residence Programs for Startup Talent Retention and Recruitment

10:30 a.m.:

  • When Leveling the Playing Field is Not Enough: Promoting EDI in the Workplace and Beyond

1 p.m.:

  • Technology Transfer and Commercialization Capacity Building Practices in Emerging Economies
  • International Outreach to Emerging Innovation Systems: A Bridge Too Far?
EDI in Your Interactions 
The AUTM Annual Meeting is a great place to meet new peers, find prospective clients, and catch up with old friends and former co-workers. It’s also ideal for making your network more diverse and inclusive, and respectfully introducing EDI into conversations. Use AUTM Connect for more details about specific events and to schedule one-on-one meetings with your new contacts. Find me there, and let’s connect!
 
Ribbons that Represent
The AUTM Ribbon Center (find it near Registration) helps you customize your badge and signal which of your personal and professional traits you want to highlight for others in the crowd. Including EDI-themed ribbons in your collection lets others know you’re comfortable with those topics. Examples include:
  • Male, Female, and Nonbinary pronouns
  • I Support Women Inventors
  • Tech Transfer Pride
First-Time Attendee Briefing and Reception: Sunday, February 18 from 4 to 5 p.m.
If you are a new member of AUTM, or if this is just your first Annual Meeting, you should absolutely attend, this is a great opportunity to network before the main event—and an even better opportunity to practice making your network more inclusive and diverse. So put on your social hat and help kick-off the Annual Meeting EDI style!

Here are some pro tips:
  • Unsure how to approach folks? Try to have a list of three questions you can ask literally anyone as a starting point for any conversation! A great opener for the AUTM crowd is: “What did you study?” since many of us in tech transfer have very diverse educational backgrounds.
  • Use the Annual Meeting as an opportunity to learn more about diversity, equity, inclusion and justice initiatives at other institutions. Express how your office does things and see if there are practices out there that could be adopted by your organization, or vice versa!
AUTM Booth EDI Meetup: Tuesday, February 20 from 3:15 to 4 p.m.
Join the EDI Committee at the AUTM Booth (#309) in the Exhibit Hall to share your ideas and learn how you can get involved as a volunteer. While you’re there, check out the AUTM Membership Map to see just how geographically diverse our global community is. And don’t forget to pick up some AUTM swag!