Laura A. Schoppe is president of Fuentek, LLC, a consulting firm that provides intellectual property management and technology transfer services. A Registered Technology Transfer Professional (RTTP), Schoppe has an extensive background in all aspects of IP management, particularly leading license negotiation activities from transition innovations to new products. She has been a lead negotiator for major licensing agreements, strategic relationships, and collaboration agreements at top universities, government agencies and Fortune 500 companies around the world. She conducts training workshops and is a sought-after speaker at national and international conferences. She’s even published many peer-reviewed papers and book chapters, and she blogs and is interviewed frequently.
Laura recently served on the board of the Association of University Technology Managers as the vice president of strategic alliances, and she currently serves on the North Carolina State University Electrical and Computer Engineering advisory board. Schoppe has been recognized with multiple awards, including being named one of the top 25 business women in the Research Triangle Park region of North Carolina. Prior to founding Fuentek in 2001, Schoppe worked as an engineer and manager for several defense contractors, leading multi-million-dollar projects. She earned her MBA, with a focus on technology marketing, at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill; her MSE in mechanical and aerospace engineering/fluid dynamics at Princeton University; and her BSE in mechanical engineering and engineering/public policy at Carnegie-Mellon University.
Although she is busy running one of the world’s leading technology transfer consulting firms, Laura Schoppe volunteers her time, energy, and efforts to promote STEM topics to students, especially young women.
Each year she is a judge for North Carolina’s annual FIRST Robotics Competition. She also enjoys visiting local schools — from elementary schools to colleges — to talk with students about her experiences growing up and how she worked her way into a career in STEM. In particular, she seeks out opportunities to connect with students who are minorities. Examples include a presentation she gave in Spanish at a local elementary school. She also uses her company blog to encourage her clients and industry colleagues to get involved in STEM outreach.
Laura previously served on the steering committee for North Carolina Technology Association (NCTA) WISE (Women in Information Science and Engineering) Committee, where her main responsibility was organizing the Technology Tea, a program to encourage 7th — 9th grade girls to pursue science and mathematics.
For more information, please visit her official website.
JJ DiGeronimo — the president of Tech Savvy Women — is a speaker, author, and thought leader for women in tech and girls and STEM. Through her work, JJ empowers professional women and consults with senior executives on strategies to retain and attract women in technology to increase thought and leadership diversity within organizations.
Don’t miss our online resources library for eCourses, online discussions, downloads, retreats and tools for professional women. Learn more here.