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2022 Diversity & Inclusion: The Carlson Caspers Inventor Spotlight Authors

Frank Jossi//October 6, 2022//

The Carlson Caspers Inventor Spotlight Authors

The Carlson Caspers Inventor Spotlight Authors. Top row, from left: Alexandra J. Olson, Jennell C. Bilek, Bradley W. Micsky, Caroline L. Marsili, J. Derek Vandenburgh. Bottom row, from left: Hannah Mosby O’Brien, Iain A. McIntyre, Saukshmya Trichi, Seung Sub ‘Elvis’ Kim, Tara C. Norgard. Not pictured: Katherine Chen, R. Willets Ely (Will), Harpreet S. Mahal, Keane Nowlan, Justin Oakland and Elise Wu.

2022 Diversity & Inclusion: The Carlson Caspers Inventor Spotlight Authors

Frank Jossi//October 6, 2022//

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Carlson Caspers Vandenburgh & Lindquist, PA

Looking for a way to celebrate diversity, the intellectual property and litigation firm Carlson Caspers Vandenburgh & Lindquist, PA created an “Inventor Spotlight” series on its website to highlight innovators.

Populated by people from diverse backgrounds, the webpages feature inventors who have changed the world with their patents. Created by attorneys Tara C. Norgard and Jennell C. Bilek, the “Inventor Spotlight” website began in February 2021 and continues as a monthly feature.

Norgard and Bilek created a monthly diversity calendar and inventors are selected who identify with the group honored that month. For example, February showcases Black inventors to celebrate Black History Month, while June features LGBTQ Pride Month.

At least 16 attorneys have showcased inventors. Norgard said attorneys select the inventors that resonate with them. “Behind every patent and every invention and every advancement in technology, there is an individual or team of individuals as diverse as technology itself,” Norgard said.

Bilek said the inventors selected are not clients, nor did clients drive the idea. The firm’s diversity and inclusion committee hopes the profiles give the legal community and the public a sense of the diversity of innovation. And attorneys get a chance to write. “We leave it up for our members to go out and search for and find someone,” Bilek said. “It’s been fun.”

In the first year and a half, the “Inventor Spotlight” website saw nearly 4,500 page views, capturing around 4% of overall traffic. Norgard, who has won several awards for her D&I work from Minnesota Lawyer and other organizations, has been impressed by the interest. “The Spotlight series has been a learning opportunity for our staff, clients, people in the legal community and beyond the legal community,” she said.

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