Innovate Crawford to host first event on February 28

BUCYRUS, OHIO – Monday, January 29 – Today, Innovate Crawford – a new collaboration between the Crawford Partnership and Braintree Business Development Center, together with the Galion-Crestline and Bucyrus Area Chambers of Commerce, among other organizations – announced its first free informational seminar “Safeguarding Creativity: A Crash Course in Intellectual Property (IP) Law” will take place on February 28 following the Crawford County Forecast and Economic Development Breakfast in Galion. Innovate Crawford is an initiative to bring entrepreneurial programming to Crawford County and stimulate more start-ups and small business growth.

Bob Cohen, of the Braintree Business Development Center in Mansfield, is pleased with the announcement. “We have worked with several Crawford County entrepreneurs and companies over the past several years, but we hope Innovate Crawford will expand our reach and make it easier for local companies to connect with us and other resources. Intellectual patent attorney Jake Ward will be a great way to kick things off.”

The seminar will cover intellectual property protection including patents, trademarks, and copyrights, headlined by patent attorney Jake Ward, and will take place on Thursday, February 28 from 9:15 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. at the St. Joseph Activity Center in Galion, Ohio. The seminar is free and open to the public, but registration is required at www.braintreepartners.org/events.

“Every business has intellectual property (IP), in one form or another,” said Ward. “Protecting IP is important, but it can also be expensive. With startups especially, every dollar matters.  Therefore, deciding whether and how to spend funds on IP protection is a key question that should be answered in the early stages of every new business.”

Crawford Partnership President & CEO David Zak thanked the collaborating partners of Innovate Crawford, saying, “We appreciate Braintree, the Chambers, the Small Business Development Center at Ashland University, the Ohio Statewide Development Corporation, and others who have partnered with us to make more resources available to local innovators, risk-takers, and business owners on an ongoing basis. More resources mean more opportunities.”

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About Jake Ward

Jacob “Jake” M. Ward is a registered patent attorney admitted to practice before the United States Patent and Trademark Office, in the State of Michigan, and before the United States District Court of the Eastern District of Michigan. Mr. Ward is also a registered Canadian Patent Agent, non-resident, admitted to practice before the Canadian Intellectual Property Office. Mr. Ward is the Founding Member with the law firm of Ward Law Office LLC in Tiffin, Ohio. His practice includes preparation and prosecution of patent applications and preparing legal opinions about patentability, infringement, patent validity, and freedom to practice.

Mr. Ward is also the founding author of the legal blog “Anticipate This!” which provides light and humorous commentary on the practice of patent law, trademark law, and science & technology. He is also an adjunct professor at the University of Toledo, College of Law, where he teaches classes on substantive Patent Law and Patent Practice. He is a regular speaker on the topic of intellectual property law to inventors clubs, technical organizations, chambers of commerce, business incubators, public libraries, etc. in the United States.

Learn more at wardpatent.com.

About Braintree Business Development Center

Braintree Business Development Center is a nonprofit incubation and entrepreneurship program that supports a variety of startup technology companies with a focus on the greater Mansfield area.

Since 1986, Braintree has delivered a number of critical resources to early-stage companies:

• Helps entrepreneurs with business planning, access to resources, intellectual property, lean business model canvas, pitch preparation, and market validation.
• Provides financing through Appleseed Microfinance and the Tech Sprout Fund.
• Hosts networking events including Caffeinated Ideas where individuals can get support with their business ideas.
• Maintains incubation and coworking space in Mansfield.

Learn more at braintreepartners.org.

About the Crawford Partnership

Started in 2006, the Crawford Partnership for Education and Economic Development is a private, non-profit corporation dedicated to driving collaborative economic, community and workforce development in Bucyrus, Galion, Crestline, New Washington, and all of Crawford County, Ohio. Twice in the last four years, the community has been nationally ranked in the top 20% for economic development and is pursuing an aggressive, strategic, and comprehensive agenda to become a community of choice for business and residents. To learn more about the Crawford Partnership, please visit us at crawfordpartnership.org

Disclaimer: While the Crawford Partnership issues press releases on economic, community, and workforce development projects, resources, assets, advantages, and activities in Crawford County, Ohio, to strengthen the community’s image and to promote additional development, publication of such announcements does not imply direct assistance from The Partnership unless specified.