Dr. Margaret (Meg) Brindle, Lecturer, UMD School of Public Policy and Co-Founder, The African IP Trust
Registration for this event is not required but is appreciated (for planning purposes).
Event Description
Despite significant progress, our world still holds roughly 1 billion individuals living below the poverty level and millions struggle with producing export products for which they receive 3-5% returns. This talk presents significant hope and demonstrable progress in 3 cases studies that show how to use Intellectual Property business strategies to return hundreds of millions to Ethiopian coffee farmers; the Maasai tribe of Kenya and Tanzania; and a Train the Trainers model. Funded by a $1.25million USPTO grant to create training for Government Ministers; Stakeholders and a Train the Trainer model, along with a book and 10 workbooks, I will also discuss the support organization I co-founded, The African IP Trust (africaniptrust.org).
Secondly, our work funds smoke-free stoves, with 6,000 distributed and demand for 30,000 more. I have been working with Social Impact Investors to fund a demand for 30,000 more stoves that have significant carbon emission credit reduction. These can be funded by the UN programs for carbon emission reductions. We will discuss the growth of Social Impact Investment and the new wave of resources for development bringing together East Africa and Impact Investors within 5 miles of SPP!
Speaker Bio
Meg Brindle, PhD has been working with an Ashoka-based organization for over a decade, designing Intellectual Property (IP) based strategies to produce significant income for producers and owners of cultural brands such as the Maasai in Kenya and Tanzania. Funded by a $1.25m USPTO grant, she has created and implemented entrepreneurial education in Uganda, Ethiopia, Kenya and Tanzania and Zanzibar and is co-founder of the NGO, The African IP Trust (africaniptrust.org). She has taught at the university level for 20+ years MBA and MPA as tenured professor for 14 years with 5 years at SPP as Lecturer. Professor Brindle has authored the book, Social Entrepreneurship for Development, by Routledge Press, along with 4 other books. She holds a PhD and post-doc and MPA from Carnegie Mellon University.