As Coke Morgan Stewart joins C4IP as President and CEO, we caught up with her for a wide-ranging Q&A. From her path to IP and the experiences that have informed her perspective to her priorities for C4IP and the interests and influences that have shaped her, Coke shares her thoughts below:
What first drew you to the IP space?
I was drawn to intellectual property because it sits at the intersection of so many things I care about — law, innovation, entrepreneurship, technology, and economic opportunity. The more time I spent in the field, the more I came to appreciate how uniquely American that idea is. Our Founders thought encouraging invention and creativity was important enough to put directly into the Constitution. More than two centuries later, that principle continues to help ensure the United States remains the most innovative country in the world.
You have worked across government, academia, and private practice, including serving as Deputy Director of the USPTO. How have those experiences shaped your understanding of what innovators need from the IP system?
My time at the USPTO reinforced for me that IP policy isn’t abstract. Decisions made in Washington affect whether someone gets funded, whether research becomes a product, whether a startup can compete against a much larger incumbent, and ultimately whether investment and innovation happen here in the United States or somewhere else. Innovators need a system that is predictable, accessible, efficient, and fair. And, above all, they need confidence that when the government grants an intellectual property right, that right is meaningful and enforceable.
What do you see as the biggest challenge facing the IP policy space today? Is there a common misconception about IP that makes addressing it more difficult?
One of the biggest challenges is that the conversation about IP too often begins with the assumption that intellectual property rights are barriers to competition rather than engines of competition. But that is profoundly wrong. A patent, for example, can give a small inventor or startup something essential: the ability to compete with a company that has vastly greater resources. Without enforceable IP rights, the company with the deepest pockets usually wins.
What’s one goal you hope to accomplish as C4IP’s President and CEO?
I would like C4IP to help broaden the conversation about intellectual property. IP policy shouldn’t be viewed as an issue just for IP lawyers or large companies. It is an economic policy issue, a small-business issue, a manufacturing issue, a national competitiveness issue, and increasingly a national security issue. My goal is to bring more inventors, creators, entrepreneurs, researchers, investors, policymakers, and other voices into that conversation — and to make the connection between strong IP rights and the innovations Americans experience every day more tangible.
What advice would you give to young professionals, particularly women, interested in pursuing careers in IP?
Some of the best opportunities in my career came when I was willing to take on something new before I knew exactly how I was going to do it. Be willing to raise your hand and take assignments that stretch you. I would also encourage young women to invest in building relationships. We often have so many commitments at work and at home that we don’t invest enough in our professional and social networks. Those relationships are critical to future opportunities and to remaining resilient.
What is one object in your office that has a meaningful story behind it?
I have two American flags and one USPTO flag that were flown over the USPTO during my time there. They represent an important chapter in my career and the privilege of public service. The USPTO is an extraordinary institution with a long history of supporting American innovation, and I was incredibly fortunate to work alongside so many talented and dedicated people there. The flags are a reminder of that experience — and of the responsibility we all have to keep America’s innovation system strong for the next generation.
What book has stayed with you long after you finished it?
Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl. I first read it years ago, and its central message has stayed with me — that even when we can’t control our circumstances, we can choose how we respond to them and find meaning in what we do. It’s an extraordinary book about strength, perspective, and purpose.