IP Workshop for Business Incubator & Accelerator Staff

Join the Innovation Asset Collective and Springboard Atlantic for a half-day workshop designed exclusively for business incubator and accelerator (BAI) staff. This interactive session will strengthen your knowledge and provide practical tools to better support the startups and innovators you work with. Attend in person in Halifax or join us virtually from anywhere.

Workshop Topics

1. Freedom-to-Operate (FTO) vs. Patentability (Approx. 60 minutes)
   Learn practical methods to assess risk, map your competitive landscape, and decide when—and whether—to file for IP rights. While prior sessions touched on searching, this module introduces the full FTO workflow and decision-making framework.
2. Trade Secrets vs. Patents vs. Confidential Information (Approx. 60 minutes)
   A practical playbook for protecting and governing sensitive business information. We’ll cover onboarding/offboarding practices, NDAs, research and employment agreements, and decision-making frameworks for safeguarding key assets.
3. Filing Strategy for Lean Teams (Approx. 60 minutes)
   Explore realistic IP filing strategies for Canadian startups, including CA/US filing choices, PCT timing, and cost-sensitive staging. This session addresses common uncertainties faced by scaling companies.

Speaker

Erin Pisko
Vice President, IP Strategy, Innovation Asset Collective

Erin provides strategic leadership in innovation and IP strategy, helping companies build roadmaps that align IP with business objectives. A registered patent agent, she has decades of experience both in-house and at top-tier Canadian law firms, working with diverse industries to advance innovation strategies. Erin holds Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees in Civil and Environmental Engineering.

Fun Fact: A former nationally ranked cross-country skier, Erin competed across Canada and in European World Cups. Today, she enjoys exploring Calgary’s trail systems through skiing, hockey, and sledding.

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