Regional Director of US Patent Office to Speak at 1MC
We have a rare and exciting opportunity! On April 22, Hope Shimabuku, Regional Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office’s Southwest Regional Outreach Office, will be the guest speaker at 1 Million Cups. The Kansas Small Business Development Center at Wichita State University is coordinating the visit and presentation.
A mechanical engineer by training, and an IP patent attorney, Shimabuku has more than three decades of experience in the technology and intellectual property space. She has been recognized nationally for her work advancing intellectual property law.
Regional Director and acting CX Director of USPTO Hope Shimabuku.
This event will take place in the Maker Labs, our rapid product prototyping facility, a natural fit between an intellectual property expert and the very equipment designed to develop proprietary and transformational technologies. For those within the entrepreneurial ecosystem who are not prototyping physical technologies, it’s a rare a glimpse inside the lab.
WHO: Hope Shimabuku, Regional Director of the USPTO’s Southwest Regional Outreach Office, will present at 1 Million Cups Wichita.
WHAT: 1 Million Cups Wichita, a weekly gathering where entrepreneurs present to an present to an engaged community of founders, mentors, and business leaders.
Shimabuku will present in the traditional 1 Million Cups format - six minutes of presentation followed by Q&A. We expect more questions than normal and will extend the Q&A session if necessary.
When: Wednesday, April 22, 2026. Doors open at 8:30 a.m. Presentation begins at 9 a.m.
Where: Groover Labs Maker Labs - 334. N. St. Francis, Wichita, Kan. 67202
When you enter the building, our team will direct you to the lab. We respectfully ask that, while in the lab, you may observe the equipment and some of the projects, but please don’t not wander outside the designated area or touch any of the equipment.
NOTE: We have multiple events on April 22, and parking will be limited. Click HERE for information about additional parking. Please do not park in WAVE’s parking lot. Instead, park in the Coleman Lot (see map), which is free because it’s owned by the county. Parking along St. Francis is also free. Click the link for info about our alternative lot.
