Previously in our Advisory Board Series we introduced Dan Tyre, Hubspot Sales Director.
Today’s spotlight is on social entrepreneur, Barbara Clarke. Our CFO often jokes about the female force of Traklight and our networking prowess. We are firm believers in not only networking but also paying it forward with introductions. Our path to meeting Barbara started with 85 Broads in Phoenix and wove its way to Boston’s 85 Broads president, then onto a fabulous startup attorney, Nancy Cremins, who made the initial introduction to Barbara.
Mary met Barbara for lunch in November 2013. With an impressive background valuing intellectual property (IP) with both KPMG and PWC, Barbara understands the Traklight mission. They hit it off and Barbara has been a huge supporter ever since. We are thrilled to have Barbara join our Advisory Board.
Mary: In your opinion, what’s the most exciting thing Traklight is working on in 2014?
Barbara: I’m really excited about partnering with more startup incubators and accelerators. Most startups avoid going to an intellectual property lawyer not just because they think it will be expensive but also because the whole topic of IP is unfamiliar to them. Frankly, it’s intimidating for most startups. Traklight’s product demystifies the whole process and puts you back in control, and you can have a great working relationship with your IP lawyer and protect your essential assets.
M: What is something about you that would be a surprise to learn?
B: I was a pretty talented artist growing up and through college. But I am also a big data nerd and since that seemed like the more certain path to security, my creative talents went dark for a long time. Now they are back a bit; recently I took a class on making glass animals.
M: Any deep dark secrets that are past statute of limitations?
B: When you have kids, I think the statute of limitations gets extended a bit, so my secrets have to stay secret for a while longer. Boy, are there a lot.
M: If you were alone in the car by yourself, what song would you sing and why?
B: My youngest daughter hates it when anyone sings along to the radio so when she’s not in the car, my oldest daughter and I get loud. I especially like old disco music because it isn’t on the radio much. So when we hear it, we let loose!
M: What, if anything, have you learned about IP or startups from being on the Traklight Advisory Board?
B: I’ve really enjoyed watching the Traklight team create a really national company and it bodes well for going international, too. Personally, I’ve been with them in three different cities on two different coasts and I haven’t even been to the headquarters in Arizona yet! It’s hard to do so much travel, but they make the most of every trip. And, they are the best networkers. 🙂
If you are interested in identifying your intellectual property (IP), check out ID your IP online for next steps.
{{cta(’56fb76c9-aa68-430e-8016-670c5d455a90′)}}
Not quite sure what sort of IP risk you might have? Never fear! Take our FREE risk quiz to identify your risk level.
{{cta(‘b32aea04-c0cd-4c06-98b7-9243020f9d33’)}}