Overview

Gender

female

With over 25 years of operational experience in law, technology, and management in start-up and fortune 100 companies, Soody’s strategic insight coupled with her practical approach is a key asset, whether acting as counsel and adviser or leading her own ventures. Soody lectures on IP, licensing, technology transfer, and entrepreneurship at domestic and international universities and forums.

Her extensive and diverse experience enables the counseling of clients on intellectual property and transactional matters in a range of technologies including life sciences, software, medical devices and diagnostics. Based on the range of her experience and having founded companies of her own, she is well accustomed to challenges facing emerging as well as mature companies.

Soody started with a vision for Presuqe, in 2012 after learning that a family member was not able to breastfeed her newborn due to insufficient milk supply. She continued developing that vision until 2016 when she decided to take the solution to market and started forming a team around it.

After holding technical and management positions at Schering Plough and HP; and practicing law at Hewlett-Packard Inc., and a successfully acquired medical device start up, and two national law firms, HellerEhrman and Townsend and Townsend; she formed the boutique intellectual property law firm, STLGip, where she counsels domestic and international clients in IP and technology transactions in a wide range of technologies. Soody serves in board, advisory, and leadership capacities with several organizations including Association of Women in Science STEM to Market national accelerator; Licensing Executives Society USA/Canada Women in Licensing Committee, and the Palo Alto Area Bar Association.

Soody is a Commissioner with the city of Menlo Park, CA; and an active hands-on volunteer with several civic organizations including Defy Ventures, an entrepreneurship, employment, and character development training program for currently and formerly incarcerated men, women, and youth. Soody is currently working on her new start up, a wearable health-tech company. Soody has instructed courses in IP and licensing at the University of California and Stanford University and is a mentor with several entrepreneurship-focused courses/programs.

Soody also consults in non-legal capacity on select projects with both domestic and international sectors including company assessment and market positioning. She is engaged by European universities to consult and establish technology transfer programs and policies. She is an inventor on patent applications and issued patents. Soody holds a J.D., M.S. in industrial chemistry, and B.S. in chemistry, and is licensed to practice before the State of California and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. One of her most fun ventures has been as co-founder of HighNoteCoffee Co.

Exemplary Organizations
Soody is actively involved in various organizations some of which include:

Universities, Training & Development

Stanford University: Lecturer, Mentor
University of California (UCSC): Lecturer
Pozan University, Poland: Lecturer, Technology Transfer Adviser
Technopreneurship Center, Nanyang University, Singapore: Mentor
LES Graduate School Business Plan Competition: Mentor
University of California (UCSF): Mentor
Silicon Valley in-bound international universities/delegates (e.g., Dongbei University): lecturer

Entrepreneurial Sector

TechFuture Group (SBDC): Adviser
C4Cube Accelerator: Adviser and Expert In Residence
TechLab Innovation Center: Adviser and Strategic Partner
West Company, Economic development organization serving entrepreneurs and microbusiness owners: Adviser

Professional Organizations

Association of Women in Science (AWIS): Advisory Board Member, STEM to MARKET National Accelerator
Licensing Executives Society, USA & Canada: Chair, Women in Licensing
Licensing Executives Society, USA & Canada: IP100 Executive Forum, Member; Annual Meeting Planning Committee, Member; Emerging Enterprises Committee, Member
Licensing Executives Society, Silicon Valley Chapter: Board of Advisers, Member; Past Chapter Chair
Palo Alto Area Bar Association: Board of Directors, Member; Co-Chair Patent Section
Silicon Valley Common Ground, bridging industries and legislation: Co-Founder and Co-Chair
Association for Women in Science (sfAWIS): Member of the Board, Program Chair
Association for the Sports and Athlete Professionals: Adviser
Techwadi, Building bridges between Silicon Valley and the MENA region: Mentor
SFMade, California: Adviser
Global Innovation Summit, Business Committee: Member

Non-Profit & Philanthropy

Defy Ventures: Business Plan Judge, Mentor, Coach
Full Circle Fund: Member

International Sector

U.S.-Polish Trade Council: Lecturer, Adviser
Vinnova (Swedish Governmental Agency for Innovation Systems): Adviser
California Israel Chamber of Commerce (CI-CC): MedTech Committee, Member

Government

City of Menlo Park, CA: Commissioner, Finance and Audit Committee
Victorian Government of Australia: Adviser
Silicon Valley U.S. Export Assistance Center, U.S. Commercial Service, U.S. Department of Commerce: Partner

Other

Shoebox Ventures: A non-profit helping other non-profits: General Counsel; Member, Board of Directors
Sylk Global, A business & educational consulting firm: Founder
HighNote Coffee Co.: Board of Directors, Member
Presque, A consumer healthtech company: Founder & CEO