Inspiring Conversations with Ashley Sloat, Ph.D. of Aurora Patents

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ashley Sloat, Ph.D.

Hi Ashley, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Believe it or not, I originally wanted to be an optometrist, but my time spent in the lab during undergrad quickly shifted that focus to becoming a researcher/professor. So I started grad school at the University of Michigan to begin this career path. After about 2-3 years in my Ph.D. program, I realized that lack of control of my time and schedule (which at that time, was dictated by my experiments) was not the right fit for me. So while finishing my Ph.D., I explored other career options. I was fortunate enough to get connected with an ambitious woman in California who needed assistance with her startup patent business. She and I hit it off. She apprenticed me in my early patent years, supported me while I took the patent bar, and then I ran the business while she was in law school and had a family. When she finished, she wanted to pursue other career paths, so Josh and I made the grand leap into business ownership. It was incredibly intimidating, at least because you don’t know what you don’t know, but Josh’s tech job, at that time, helped provide financial stability for the family, while I tried my hand in the business world. It fortunately all worked out for us, so much so that Josh left his CTO role with Axios in 2019 to join Aurora and become our Chief Everything Else Officer. Together, we’ve amazingly scaled the business from myself and a paralegal, to two paralegals, 4 practitioners, and our Chief Everything Else Officer. We are incredibly blessed.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I don’t think anyone could, with a straight face, say that the road was always smooth. Every person definitely has different sizes and shapes of obstacles, but always smooth doesn’t exist. I’ve been fortunate in that the road has been challenging at times, but those challenges afforded opportunities for growth and change. Operating a patent business remotely in Traverse City, when most of your clients are historically in California or elsewhere, was definitely an interesting business move. We embarked on this journey because we wanted to offer our kids a childhood that included access to outdoor recreation out their back door, great schools, bigger city amenities without being in a big city, and at least some of our extended family. And let’s be honest, Josh and I love living in the sticks, not far from city-like opportunities. However, this was challenging in that I had to travel more frequently to see clients, and it was more difficult to embed myself in the local ecosystem since I wasn’t going into an office every day. It honestly took the better part of about 6-8 years to finally feel like I was a part of the Grand Traverse ecosystem. The other significant obstacle has been trying to strike the right balance between family focus, business growth, and community engagement. Josh has been an amazing partner to help navigate this tuning, encouraging when the balance is good and being the voice of reason when things are imbalanced.

Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Aurora Patents helps entrepreneurs and innovators protect their inventions with quality U.S. and foreign patents. We specialize in working with early-stage companies across a wide variety of industries including life science, medical device, digital health, green tech, robotics, drone, and software companies to develop valuable patent portfolios through highly tailored, comprehensive strategies. We scale with our clients’ needs and deeply understand the nuances of technology and patent strategy, and how to tie them effectively to business objectives. We are responsive and accessible, and we move at the speed of startup.

Some key distinguishing factors are our high-touch services and approachability. I would argue that most law firms can be perceived as a little stuffy. We break down the barriers that often exist to comprehend and effectively utilize patent law by providing complimentary educational resources (like our podcast, Patently Strategic) that are fun while also covering the sharp corners of patent law that catch many entrepreneurs. Our secret weapon for approachability is our Chief Everything Else Officer, Josh Sloat. Coming from the tech space, not the patent world, he helps shape our story, material, and branding to make patent law accessible to everyone, especially entrepreneurs new to the startup journey.

Do you any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
I couldn’t possibly narrow it down to a single for-instance, but my Minnesota childhood shaped my passion for travel. We didn’t take extravagant vacations, but we embarked on amazing road trips. From the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, across the Mackinac Bridge to the ghost towns out west to Pikes Peak in Montana, most summers were filled with adventure. The highlights were, of course, the sites, but we also loved eating “regional food” (especially on Mackinac Island) and swimming in the hotel pool. It wasn’t a complete family vacation without “Tremors” playing on the hotel T.V. at night (not sure how TNT could keep running it for so many years). These shared experiences are part of the strong foundation that our family still benefits from today and that we’ve been passing on to our kids.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.aurorapatents.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aurorapatents/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aurorapatents/
• Twitter: https://x.com/AuroraPatents
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@aurorapatents
• Other: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/patently-strategic-patent-strategy-for-startups/id1558735784