Safdar (Saf) Mahmood is a senior management and technology consulting executive with >15 years of experience in the Communications, Media, and Technology industries where he has a track record of driving innovation and delivering exceptional client value. His experiences include digital transformation, new product introduction, complex program delivery, and workforce transformation. He has direct engagement with client C-suites as a strategic advisor on key initiatives.
Global practical experience (North America, Europe, and Australia) in the Telecommunications space, with proven delivery success around leading transformational programs across Network, Video, Digital, OSS/BSS, and IT Strategy.
Saf has a Bachelors of Applied Science and Engineering (Electrical) from the University of Toronto. He lives in Toronto, Canada with his wife and three children.

Graham’s work encompasses all areas of intellectual property law. In addition, his background as in-house intellectual property counsel at a Toronto-area technology company gives him a business perspective that is invaluable when advising clients.

Vandhana is a big Data technology enthusiast with a passion for driving innovation in financial services and startups .
She have worked across all stages of SDLC with over 10 years experience in Project Management,Product Management,Business Analysis and Software Development. In addition she bring to the table her insights gained from her multi-cultural experience of working and collaborating with people from across India,Sweden,Netherlands and Canada. She believes that learning ends the moment you are in your comfort zone and she constantly challenges herself to ensure that never happens.
Vandhana is interested in connecting with people who are in Technology, Financial Services, Fintech or Startups. She is also actively engaged in causes supporting LGBTQ rights and female empowerment. She would love to connect with other people involved in these causes.
Specialties: AGILE,Innovation,Program Management,Project Management,Product Development,User Experience,Business Analysis,Cross cultural team work,Fintech,Financial Services
Interests: Business Design,Financial Services,Technology,Startups

Adrienne Bieber McNeil is the founder and principal of ABM Intellectual Property.

Adrienne is a registered Canadian Patent Agent and a Registered US Patent Agent. Adrienne received the Marie Morency Memorial Prize for obtaining the highest mark nationally on the drafting portion of the Canadian Patent Agent Qualifying Examinations. Adrienne was also named as a “Rising Star” in the field of Patents in the 2017 issue of Expert Guides – Rising Stars.

Adrienne began her career working in-house in the intellectual property department of a large Canadian medical device manufacturer. She then spent a decade at a top-ranked Canadian Intellectual Property Law Firm. After working both in-house and in a law firm, Adrienne founded ABM Intellectual Property.

Adrienne has an undergraduate degree in Engineering Chemistry from Queen’s University, as well as a Master’s degree from McGill University. During her studies, Adrienne received the NSERC Undergraduate Student Research Award and the Dean’s Scholar Award.

Adrienne has expertise in drafting and prosecuting patent applications in a variety of technologies, including:

Medical devices, such as surgical tools and implants, drug delivery devices, and patient handling devices;

Environmental science and cleantech, such as water treatment and membrane separation technologies, and flue gas treatment;

Bio-industrial technology, such as biofuel production and bio-resource engineering;

Food science, including food processing, and food packaging;

Consumer products, such as toys;

Agricultural technology; and

Automotive technology, such as brake parts.

Adrienne also has expertise in drafting and prosecuting design patents, industrial designs and their worldwide counterparts.

Adrienne has extensive experience teaching patent drafting and prosecution, including on behalf of the Intellectual Property Institute of Canada. As a result of her achievements in the Canadian patent profession, Adrienne was appointed by the Commissioner of Patents to the Patent Agent Examination Board. Adrienne is also a member of the Intellectual Property Owners (IPO) Association’s Industrial Design Committee.

Outside of work, Adrienne spends most of her time chasing around her two young children. She also enjoys playing ultimate Frisbee, doing yoga, and cooking for friends and family.

Kevin Shipley is an engineer, patent agent, lawyer, trusted advisor and (self-professed) all around good guy. Enroute to Gilbert’s, Kevin obtained degrees in mechanical engineering, economics and law, and has spent several years honing his craft and developing a practice based on patent prosecution and IP portfolio strategy and management. Kevin also has significant experience in large-scale freedom to operate and product launch/clearance projects (to avoid getting into trouble) as well as aggressive patent portfolio mining and offensive patent filing projects (to create trouble for competitors). He also opines on patent validity and infringement, and provides advice relating to IP licenses, confidentiality agreements and other IP-related agreements. Having been bitten by the entrepreneurial bug (but not quite enough to quit his day job) Kevin scratches his entrepreneurial itch by focusing a portion of his practice on working with start-up companies, and has worked with and provided support to a number of start-up incubators in South Western Ontario (including RIC Centre, ICube, Communitech, Impact Centre, DFZ and the like). For these clients, Kevin provides assistance with developing early stage and ongoing IP strategy, identifying commercially relevant innovations and securing registered IP rights, leveraging and licensing IP assets for commercial advantage and generally serves as a sounding board for business strategy development. To stay connected to his engineering roots, and to try to re-live his youth, Kevin currently serves as Chair of the Ontario Engineering Competition Advisory Board which supports the planning and execution of an annual, province-wide undergraduate engineering competition. When away from his computer, Kevin enjoys all things home theatre related, and is an avid dabbler in smart home/ IoT related gadgets – some of which he can actually get to work! He also enjoys spending time with his wife and two young sons, who are less interested in Intellectual Property and instead prefer playing catch, building Lego and reading books about trucks or super heroes.