The Women’s LeadershIP Initiative marks five-year anniversary with expanded programming and research 

New York, New York—March 7, 2025—The International Trademark Association’s (INTA) The Women’s LeadershIP Initiative (WLI) is celebrating its fifth anniversary with an exciting slate of programming, events, and initiatives designed to advance women’s leadership in intellectual property (IP). Originally launched on International Women’s Day 2020, the WLI has evolved into a cornerstone program supporting, empowering, and recognizing women leaders in IP globally. 

“Over the past five years, The Women’s LeadershIP Initiative has transformed from an ambitious vision into a dynamic force for change in the IP community,” said INTA President Elisabeth Stewart Bradley, Vice President of Innovation Law at Bristol Myers Squibb (US). “What began as a focused effort to address gender inclusivity has grown into a comprehensive program that touches every aspect of career development for women in IP.” 

The anniversary celebration will kick off with International Women’s Day activities on March 8, including a special video message featuring global leaders in IP. The Initiative is also launching a robust social media campaign that includes two series: The “Did You Know?” series will highlight facts about women in the IP, and the “WLI Journey” series will showcase the Initiative’s milestones and future vision. 

The WLI’s 2025 programming includes a new season of its successful Women Leaders Series, hosted in collaboration with INTA’s Brand & New podcast. Entitled “Women in IP History: Pioneers and Progress,” the first episode launches on March 13. It features an interview with Virginia Taylor, a retired partner at the firm Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton, who had an illustrious career spanning decades in IP law and won INTA’s President’s Award in 2014. Amanda Levendowski, founding director of the Intellectual Property and Information Policy Clinic at Georgetown Law, is also featured in the episode.  

As part of the milestone, the Initiative will also update its Best Practices Toolkit by year-end, providing organizations with enhanced resources for fostering women’s career advancement.  

Throughout 2025, The WLI will host specialized sessions at major INTA events, including a Capsule Keynote at The Business of Trade Secrets Conference in New York City, on March 20, entitled, “Trailblazers in Trade Secrets: Women Leading the Way.” Ayala Deutsch, Executive Vice President and Deputy General Counsel at NBA Properties (US) and Executive Champion of The Women’s LeadershIP Initiative, will serve as host. 

In addition, WLI Day will take place at INTA’s Annual Meeting on May 20, which includes a comprehensive program of events: a Capsule Keynote, Shattering Barriers panel, regional update panels focusing on Africa and Latin America, and an exclusive WLI Reception for members, speakers, board members, and sponsors. More activities are planned for the Trademark Administrators and Practitioners (TMAP) Meeting in September, and the Leadership Meeting in November.  

Women and men are welcome—and encouraged—to participate in all WLI initiatives and activities, including those mentioned here. 

Notable achievements over the past five years include the release of INTA’s 2024 Gender Indicator Study, “Shattering Systemic Barriers: How to Advance Gender Diversity in the Intellectual Property Profession.” The study provides critical insights into the evolving landscape for women in IP and identifies areas where progress has been made and areas where challenges remain. 

The Initiative continues to build on its three foundational pillars: addressing challenges in hiring and retention, promoting work-life integration, and fostering mentorship and sponsorship opportunities. 

“We applaud the progress we’ve seen over the past five years, but our work is far from complete,” noted Ms. Deutsch. “The WLI’s anniversary initiatives represent INTA’s ongoing commitment to raising awareness of and celebrating women’s contributions to IP while continuing to pave the way for a more inclusive future in IP.” 

As an Association, INTA has demonstrated a strong commitment to gender inclusivity, evidenced by the growth in female representation among our Board Members—from 50 percent in 2020 to 59 percent in 2024. This reflects the Association’s dedication to ensuring balanced gender representation at the highest levels of leadership. 

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