Kathryn V.

About

I believe ideas are entrusted to us for a reason. They deserve stewardship, not shortcuts. Protection, not fear. And the people building them deserve support, not intimidation. That belief has shaped everything I've done for over 25 years of protecting the past, present, and future of innovation as a scientist, former USPTO Patent Examiner, investor, and founder. I know that behind every idea is a person. Someone who has stayed up late thinking, worrying, hoping, and believing in something they simply can't let go of. I know how much courage it takes to build, to share, and to put your work into the world. That's why I founded VATT IP Management, an IP strategy practice serving startups and early-stage inventors, and founded moatly™, the world's first AI Chief Moat Officer that ensures your entire moat is protected. I believe protection should start early, even in childhood. Through Patent Prep Institute and our Born to Invent and Young Inventors of America programs, we're teaching K-12 students that their ideas matter and are worth protecting. And as Chapter Director of the Founder Institute IP Accelerator, I lead a globally positioned program where every graduating founder leaves patent-pending. I've been fortunate to learn from incredible mentors along the way, earning my bachelor's degree in Biology from the University of Pennsylvania and my master's degree in Biotechnology from Johns Hopkins University, and now having the privilege of writing "Startup IP Strategy For Dummies" (Wiley, 2027). I'm humbled to have been recognized as the #1-ranked IP influencer across the globe, a reminder to me that this message of protecting what you build is resonating with the people who need it most. But the credential I carry closest is this: I'm a mother of seven. I've watched invention moments happen at my own kitchen table, and it's why I treat every founder's idea with the same care I'd want for my own. This is more than my work. It's how I choose to serve.