Virtual Water Cooler Chat

Unforgettable Presence with Lorraine K. Lee | Virtual Water Cooler Chat Podcast — Empowering Voices (Episode 101)

This episode of Virtual Water Cooler Chat features Lorraine K. Lee, Founder, RISE Learning Solutions. 
Lorraine K. Lee is a keynote speaker and the best-selling author of Unforgettable Presence: Get Seen, Gain Influence, and Catapult Your Career. She also teaches popular courses at Stanford Continuing Studies and LinkedIn Learning®. She is passionate about empowering leaders to elevate their presence, influence, and impact, and her insights have been featured in media outlets including CNBC, CNN, Forbes, Bloomberg, Fast Company, and Financial Times. 
Lorraine is recognized as a LinkedIn® Top Voice with hundreds of thousands of followers, and previously spent over a decade as a founding editor at companies including LinkedIn® and Prezi.  
She received her BSJ from Northwestern’s Medill School of Journalism and currently resides in San Francisco. 
Connect with Lorraine on LinkedIn. 
Virtual Patent Gateway (VPG) reduces overhead costs by providing PTAB attorneys with on-demand and affordable paralegal support services. Virtual Patent Gateway Founder Ashley Cheung has a passion for supporting the next generation in the workplace and is committed to developing a growth mindset within VPG.   
Learn more about VPG here. 
Legal Disclaimer: This podcast is posted for educational purposes and does not constitute legal advice. 

Empower Her Leadership Journey with Jackie Bonilla | Virtual Water Cooler Chat Podcast — Empowering Voices (Episode 100)

This episode of Virtual Water Cooler Chat Podcast features Jacqueline “Jackie” Wright Bonilla, a Director in Sterne Kessler’s Biotechnology & Chemical and Trial & Appellate Practice Groups. An accomplished intellectual property attorney, Jackie spent more than a decade at the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) of the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO), including six years as Deputy Chief Administrative Patent Judge. 
Jackie presided over hundreds of cases under the America Invents Act (AIA) at the PTAB, including inter partes reviews and post-grant reviews, as well as reexaminations, legacy interferences, and ex parte appeals. Her cases involved biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, biologics, medical devices, chemical compositions, and mechanical technologies. As Deputy Chief Administrative Patent Judge, Jackie managed operations and oversaw all judges and Board staff, including Vice Chief Judges, Lead Judges, and over 200 Administrative Patent Judges. She also developed and implemented USPTO policy, rules, guidance, and procedures regarding Board practices. In addition, Jackie served as Senior Legal Advisor to the USPTO Director regarding practices and policies, and as Acting Director for the USPTO’s Central Reexamination Unit (CRU). Before joining the USPTO, Jackie was a partner at a large law firm, where she was IP office chair in Washington, D.C., and served as a law clerk for the Honorable Randall R. Rader on the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. 
Jackie’s practice focuses on life sciences patent litigation and pre-litigation matters, including advising on PTAB challenges and policy, ex parte reexaminations, and federal district court and appellate litigation. She also has experience handling complex patent interferences and developing coordinated litigation strategies for clients involved in both post-grant and district court or ITC proceedings. With a Ph.D. in cellular and molecular pharmacology, Jackie brings deep scientific expertise to matters involving biotechnology, personalized medicine, diagnostics, pharmaceuticals, biologics and biosimilars, chemical compositions, and medical devices. 
Jackie earned her J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law and her Ph.D. from the University of Virginia. She holds a B.A. in Biochemistry from the University of California, Berkeley. 
Connect with Jackie on LinkedIn. 
 
Virtual Patent Gateway (VPG) reduces overhead costs by providing PTAB attorneys with on-demand and affordable paralegal support services. Virtual Patent Gateway Founder Ashley Cheung has a passion for supporting the next generation in the workplace and is committed to developing a growth mindset within VPG.   
Learn more about VPG here. 
Legal Disclaimer: This podcast is posted for educational purposes and does not constitute legal advice. 

The Narrative You Didn’t Know You Needed with Jesse Landry | Virtual Water Cooler Chat Podcast — Empowering Voices (Episode 99)

This episode of Virtual Water Cooler Chat features Jesse Landry, a technology operator, market narrator, and builder of signal in noisy systems.  
Raised in Long Beach, New York, Jesse learned early how to read rooms, move with urgency, and earn trust through service work and early sales roles. That foundation shaped a career rooted in execution, pattern recognition, and clear communication. 
Professionally, Jesse operates across two lanes. He works closely with leadership teams as they design and scale engineering organizations, and he publishes daily analysis tracking how capital, talent, and technology are actually moving across the tech ecosystem. His work translates raw activity into usable insight for founders, operators, and investors. 
Jesse believes the next generation of leaders won’t win by being louder, but by being clearer: pairing disciplined execution with narrative clarity. This conversation explores how storytelling transforms static ideas into living systems that strengthen communities and sharpen decision-making. 
Connect with Jesse on LinkedIn.  
Virtual Patent Gateway (VPG) reduces overhead costs by providing PTAB attorneys with on-demand and affordable paralegal support services. Virtual Patent Gateway Founder Ashley Cheung has a passion for supporting the next generation in the workplace and is committed to developing a growth mindset within VPG.   
Learn more about VPG here. 
Legal Disclaimer: This podcast is posted for educational purposes and does not constitute legal advice. 

Getting [IN] to Work for You with Kevin D. Turner | Virtual Water Cooler Chat Podcast — Empowering Voices (Episode 98)

This episode of Virtual Water Cooler Chat features Kevin D. Turner, a seasoned business leader and Managing Partner at TNT Brand Strategist, where he specializes in elevating organizational and personal brands through innovative strategies. “Go Grand, Never Bland” is one of his favorite mantras. With a wealth of experience spanning multiple industries, Kevin has successfully pivoted his career five times—from management roles in Fortune 50 companies to leadership positions in venture capital, turnarounds, and non-profit organizations. His global impact includes managing a non-profit into 140 countries and building a thriving business from a side gig over 14 years.  
Committed to excellence, Kevin has optimized over 7,000 LinkedIn profiles and trained more than 50,000 individuals on best practices since 2005. His expertise extends to visioneering, team development, and creating disruptive advantages in branding. He has achieved significant successes, including overseeing a $352 million P&L and raising $25.3 million through crowdfunding.  
Kevin's philosophy centers on prioritizing customers and championing the Triple Bottom Line—People, Planet, and Profit. He is a sought-after speaker and coach, dedicated to empowering others and fostering high-performance teams, while also holding esteemed positions with notable organizations such as SONY and the American Heart Association.  
Connect with Kevin on LinkedIn. 
 
Virtual Patent Gateway (VPG) reduces overhead costs by providing PTAB attorneys with on-demand and affordable paralegal support services. Virtual Patent Gateway Founder Ashley Cheung has a passion for supporting the next generation in the workplace and is committed to developing a growth mindset within VPG.   
Learn more about VPG here. 
Legal Disclaimer: This podcast is posted for educational purposes and does not constitute legal advice. 

Cerebral Assets with Jaime Siegel | Virtual Water Cooler Chat Podcast — Empowering Voices (Episode 97)

This episode of Virtual Water Cooler Chat features Jaime Siegel, the founder, CEO and general counsel for Cerebral Assets, an advisory firm that provides guidance related to Intellectual Property matters for global industry participants.  
With over 25 years of experience spanning top New York law firms, Sony, and executive management at a Nasdaq-listed patent licensing company, Jaime is a seasoned leader in international intellectual property. In his role(s) at Cerebral Assets, he advises global industry leaders on IP strategy, licensing, litigation, and valuation.  
Jaime also serves as Global Director of Licensing for Open Invention Network, helping expand the world’s largest patent non-aggression community. Beyond IP, he is a National Trustee of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Museum and a dedicated advocate for Teen Cancer America. 
Connect with Jamie on LinkedIn. 
 
Virtual Patent Gateway (VPG) reduces overhead costs by providing PTAB attorneys with on-demand and affordable paralegal support services. Virtual Patent Gateway Founder Ashley Cheung has a passion for supporting the next generation in the workplace and is committed to developing a growth mindset within VPG.   
Learn more about VPG here. 
Legal Disclaimer: This podcast is posted for educational purposes and does not constitute legal advice.

Strategy Driven Patent Insights with Jennifer Che | Virtual Water Cooler Chat Podcast — Empowering Voices (Episode 96)

This episode of Virtual Water Cooler Chat features Patent Attorney and Managing Director of Eagle IP, Jennifer Che. 
Jennifer is a US Patent Attorney with a deep, multi-faceted understanding of the biopharmaceutical industry, currently residing in Hong Kong. She has a strong track record of driving creative and unique global IP strategies for various types of products, research collaborations and business development deals. Having worked as a scientist, patent attorney, and executive over her 20-year career, Jennifer has a deep appreciation and understanding for how to devise IP strategies that take into account both the technical as well as the long-range business needs of an organization. 
Jennifer has a strong scientific foundation, from her chemistry degree at MIT to her six years working as a medicinal chemist in drug discovery at Takeda Oncology (formerly Millennium Pharmaceuticals). Prior to joining Eagle IP, she was Vice President of IP and Legal Affairs at Axcella Therapeutics, a Flagship Pioneering originated startup focused on addressing metabolic dysregulation by leveraging amino acid biology. She has a B.S. in Chemistry of MIT and earned her JD from Suffolk Unievrsity Law School.  
Jennifer is a well-recognized speaker and is regularly invited to give talks in Hong Kong (HKU, CUHK, HKUST, HK Science Park, MIT Innovation Node), and around the world (US, Europe). She writes regularly on patent law issues and is the founder and author of the blog  chinapatentstrategy.com.
Learn more about Eagle IP here and connect with Jennifer on LinkedIn here. 
 
Virtual Patent Gateway (VPG) reduces overhead costs by providing PTAB attorneys with on-demand and affordable paralegal support services. Virtual Patent Gateway Founder Ashley Cheung has a passion for supporting the next generation in the workplace and is committed to developing a growth mindset within VPG.   
Learn more about VPG here. 
Legal Disclaimer: This podcast is posted for educational purposes and does not constitute legal advice. 

Ideate, Create & Strategize with Seth Godin | Virtual Water Cooler Chat Podcast — Empowering Voices (Episode 95)

This episode of Virtual Water Cooler Chat features author, entrepreneur, and—most of all—teacher Seth Godin. 
Seth is probably most well-known as a best-selling author and speaker. In addition to launching one of the most popular blogs in the world, he has written 22 best-selling books, including The Dip, Linchpin, Purple Cow, Tribes, and What To Do When It's Your Turn (And It's Always Your Turn). His book, This is Marketing, was an instant bestseller in countries around the world. In 2024, Seth released THIS IS STRATEGY which is a game-changer to rethink strategy as “the philosophy of becoming.” 
His previous books include The Song of Significance and The Practice, and creatives everywhere have made it a bestseller. 
Though renowned for his writing and speaking, Seth also founded two companies, Squidoo and Yoyodyne (acquired by Yahoo!). He's credited as the inventor of email marketing (the good kind). Seth has given five TED talks, including two that rank as the most popular of all time. 
By focusing on everything from effective marketing and leadership, to the spread of ideas and changing everything, Seth has been able to motivate and inspire countless people around the world. 
In 2013, Seth was one of three professionals inducted into the Direct Marketing Hall of Fame. In an astonishing turn of events, in May 2018, he was inducted into the Marketing Hall of Fame as well. He might be the only person in both.  
Check out all of Seth’s work, his podcast, and his 35 years of projects on his website. 
 
Virtual Patent Gateway (VPG) reduces overhead costs by providing PTAB attorneys with on-demand and affordable paralegal support services. Virtual Patent Gateway Founder Ashley Cheung has a passion for supporting the next generation in the workplace and is committed to developing a growth mindset within VPG.   
Learn more about VPG here. 
Legal Disclaimer: This podcast is posted for educational purposes and does not constitute legal advice. 

A Chat with Connor Houghton | Virtual Water Cooler Chat Podcast — Empowering Voices (Episode 94)

This episode of Virtual Water Cooler Chat Podcast features Connor Houghton, a partner in Reichman, Jorgensen, Lehman & Feldberg LLP’s Washington, D.C. office.  
Connor’s practice is focused on intellectual property and commercial litigation in a wide variety of technologies and sectors, including in cases before federal district and appellate courts, the International Trade Commission (ITC), and the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Connor’s experience includes participating in all phases of litigation, from pre-litigation through trial and appeal. He has also managed filing and defending inter partes review proceedings before the Patent Office, and briefed complex issues before district courts and the Federal Circuit. 
Connor earned his B.S. in Chemistry from Northeastern University and his law degree from Harvard Law School. Before joining RJLF, he was an associate at Finnegan in Washington, D.C. 
Connect with Connor on LinkedIn. 
 
Virtual Patent Gateway (VPG) reduces overhead costs by providing PTAB attorneys with on-demand and affordable paralegal support services. Virtual Patent Gateway Founder Ashley Cheung has a passion for supporting the next generation in the workplace and is committed to developing a growth mindset within VPG.   
Learn more about VPG here. 
Legal Disclaimer: This video is posted for educational purposes and does not constitute legal advice. 

Building Next Generation Patent Lawyers with Thomas W. Yeh | Virtual Water Cooler Chat Podcast — Empowering Voices (Episode 93)

This episode of Virtual Water Cooler Chat Podcast features Thomas Yeh, a Partner at Cleary, Gottlieb, Steen & Hamilton. His practice focuses on patent and trade secret disputes in federal district courts, the Patent Trial and Appeal Board, and the International Trade Commission. Thomas has successfully litigated dozens of high-profile intellectual property matters, frequently through trial. Most recently, he secured back-to-back jury trial wins, followed by a complainant-side victory at the International Trade Commission that resulted in a nine-figure settlement.
In addition, Thomas served as global coordinating counsel for one of the largest worldwide patent enforcement actions in history on behalf of a leading global semiconductor company, simultaneously filing more than 20 patent cases in U.S. district courts, the International Trade Commission, and around the world. 
Connect with Thomas on LinkedIn. 
 
Today’s guest interviewer is Camelia Gilani. At the time of this interview, Camelia had been working as a Litigation Assistant at Virtual Patent Gateway for nearly two years. Now, she is 1L studying law at Southwestern Law School in Southern California. 
Connect with Camelia on LinkedIn. 
 
Virtual Patent Gateway (VPG) reduces overhead costs by providing PTAB attorneys with on-demand and affordable paralegal support services. Virtual Patent Gateway Founder Ashley Cheung has a passion for supporting the next generation in the workplace and is committed to developing a growth mindset within VPG.   
Learn more about VPG here. 
Legal Disclaimer: This podcast is posted for educational purposes and does not constitute legal advice. 

Exploring Modern Fatherhood with Steven Ngo | Virtual Water Cooler Chat Podcast — Empowering Voices (Episode 92)

This episode of Virtual Water Cooler Chat Podcast features Steven Ngo, the host of 2 Dads 1 Car, a leading podcast that discusses modern fatherhood and the unspoken truths about parenting. By day, he is a technology lawyer at Rivian, a law professor at the University of British Columbia, and a guest lecturer at UC Berkeley. 
Steven was named one of Canada’s Top 25 Most Influential Lawyers by Canadian Lawyer Magazine and serves on the Board of Governors for the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA), representing over 80,000 legal professionals across North America. He is also the recipient of the BC Medal of Good Citizenship in recognition of his advocacy work against anti-Asian hate crimes during the pandemic. 
On the weekends, you’ll likely find Steven out in nature with his four-year-old daughter, making music with friends on his guitar or piano, or honing his BBQ skills on the patio. 
Connect with Steven on LinkedIn.
 
Our guest interview is Eli Chan, a third-year undergraduate Biology student at the University of Santa Barbara. Through working as a marketing and business development intern for the past two years at Murgitroyd and RWS, he has gained valuable skills in the communication, technology, and legal fields; having conversations with many experts in corporate and intellectual property law has given him a new passion to find a career in patent law. By studying biology, Eli is hoping that he will be able to apply his background to assist with patent ideas and better understand new inventions with biotech and pharma.  
Eli has been an ADAPT.legal mentee for the past year, enabling him to meet both in-house and outside counsel, and learn about the processes to enter the field and how to succeed. In his free time, Eli enjoys playing basketball, golfing, and reading sci-fi novels. 
Connect with Eli on LinkedIn. 
 
Virtual Patent Gateway (VPG) reduces overhead costs by providing PTAB attorneys with on-demand and affordable paralegal support services. Virtual Patent Gateway Founder Ashley Cheung has a passion for supporting the next generation in the workplace and is committed to developing a growth mindset within VPG.   
Learn more about VPG here. 
Legal Disclaimer: This podcast is posted for educational purposes and does not constitute legal advice.