Fletcher Yoder

To conclude this year's celebration of LGBTQ+ Pride Month, the Fletcher Yoder Diversity Committee is spotlighting Tim Cook, the CEO of Apple Inc. Tim Cook is not only an innovator and creative thinker but also a trailblazer for LGBTQ+ representation in corporate leadership. Since joining Apple in 1998, Cook has played a crucial role in transforming the company's supply chain and manufacturing processes. By streamlining Apple's production methods, he significantly reduced costs and improved efficiency. Since taking over as CEO in 2011, Cook has overseen the development and launch of several groundbreaking products, including the Apple Watch, AirPods, and advancements in the iPhone and iPad lines. Cook stands out as a leading figure in the tech industry and a pioneer in corporate leadership representation. As one of the few openly gay CEOs of a major global corporation, Cook has used his position to advocate for greater acceptance and equality for the LGBTQ+ community. His coming out in 2014 was a landmark moment, providing a powerful example of courage and authenticity in an industry that often lacks visible LGBTQ+ leaders. By openly embracing his identity, Cook has paved the way for more inclusive corporate cultures and has encouraged other LGBTQ+ professionals to bring their whole selves to work. Cook's advocacy for diversity and inclusion is evident not only in his public statements but also in Apple's corporate practices. He has championed initiatives to increase diversity within Apple’s workforce, aiming to create a more inclusive environment that leverages the strengths of a diverse team. Cook has also been a vocal supporter of policies that promote equality and protect the rights of marginalized groups. His leadership has led Apple to support various social causes, including LGBTQ+ rights, racial equality, and gender diversity. By integrating these values into Apple’s core operations and culture, Tim Cook exemplifies how leaders can drive positive social change while steering their companies toward greater innovation and success. #Pridemonth2024 #diversityininnovation

🌈 Happy Pride Month! 🌈 Fletcher Yoder proudly supports the LGBTQ+ community and reaffirms our commitment to promoting equality, diversity, and inclusion both within our firm and in the communities we serve. #LoveIsLove #DiversityAndInclusion

As part of our celebration of LGBTQ+ Pride Month, the Fletcher Yoder Diversity Committee is spotlighting LGBTQ+ inventors who made significant impacts in their respective career fields. Dr. Martine Rothblatt is a pioneering figure whose contributions to society span across technology, medicine, and social activism. As a co-founder of SiriusXM, Rothblatt revolutionized the way people listen to music, news, and entertainment by developing satellite radio, which provides clear, wide-ranging audio broadcasts without the limitations of traditional terrestrial radio. Rothblatt is an inventor on several U.S. patents and patent applications in a variety of fields, including innovations directed to computing devices for enhancing communications, a selectively deployable heated propulsor system, and method and compositions for treating pulmonary hypertension. Rothblatt's impact extends significantly into the field of biotechnology. Motivated by her daughter’s diagnosis with a rare, life-threatening disease called pulmonary arterial hypertension, she founded United Therapeutics. Under her leadership, the company has developed life-saving treatments for this condition and continues to push the boundaries of medical science. Rothblatt’s work in xenotransplantation, the process of transplanting animal organs into humans, holds promise for addressing the critical shortage of human organs available for transplantation. Beyond her technological and medical achievements, Martine Rothblatt is also a staunch advocate for transgender rights and gender inclusivity. As a transgender woman herself, she has used her platform to promote understanding and acceptance of gender diversity. Rothblatt has written extensively on the subject, challenging traditional notions of gender and advocating for a more inclusive society. Her work not only raises awareness about transgender issues but also encourages a broader societal shift towards embracing diversity in all its forms. In January 2018 Rothblatt was presented the UCLA Medal, the university's highest award, in recognition of her creation of Sirius XM satellite radio, advancing organ transplant technology, and having "expanded the way we understand fundamental concepts ranging from communication to gender to the nature of consciousness and mortality." In 2019 Rothblatt was recognized as one of Business Insider's most powerful LGBTQ+ people in tech. In April 2023, Rothblatt received the Benjamin Franklin Medal for Distinguished Achievement in the Sciences in recognition of her many transformative, diverse, singular scientific and public service contributions. Through her diverse contributions, Rothblatt exemplifies how one individual can drive progress across multiple fields, enhancing the quality of life and fostering a more inclusive world. #PRIDEmonth2024 #diversityininnovation 🌈 🌈🌈

In honor of Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage month, Fletcher Yoder's DEI committee is spotlighting AAPI inventors and scientists who made significant impacts on our society. Diosdada "Dado" Banatao was born in 1946 to a rice farming family in northern Luzon, Philippines, and educated at a prominent regional university. After beginning his career in the airline industry, Dado immigrated to the U.S. and obtained a masters degree in electrical engineering from Stanford where he met Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak in a local computer club.   With opportunities in the early personal computer industry (at National Semiconductor and Commodore), Dado collaborated on the design of calculators, data control and logic chip sets, and graphics accelerator technologies. His work led to many patents over the span of his career, particularly in the areas of graphics displays and accelerators, single-chip computing, and chip interfacing. He started, and later sold, several companies, including S3 Graphics and Chips & Logic (later sold to Intel).   Throughout his career Dado maintained his close ties to his motherland where he is sometimes referred to as "Bill Gates of the Philippines." He still works in the semiconductor and software industry, and has founded philanthropic programs, both in the U.S. and the Philippines, focused on educational opportunities for promising engineering students. #AAPImonth2024 #diversityininnovation

In honor of Jewish American Heritage Month, the Fletcher Yoder DEI Committee proudly presents Ralph Baer, the Father of Video Games. Baer was born in Germany in 1922 to a Jewish family. At age 14, he was expelled from public school due to anti-Jewish legislation in Nazi Germany, so he started attending an all Jewish school. In 1938, just two months before Kristallnacht, a night when rioters in Nazi German destroyed thousands of Jewish homes, businesses and synagogues and killed dozens of Jews, Baer’s family fled to New York City due to the increasing persecution of Jews in their native Germany. In the United States, Baer became a naturalized citizen and developed an interest in electronics. He graduated from the National Radio Institute as a radio service technician in 1940, but that career was put on hold when he was drafted to fight in WWII from 1943-1946. Upon returning from the war, Baer graduated in 1949 with a BS in Television Engineering and began work at a small electro-medical equipment manufacturer, and he held positions at various other electronics companies before joining a defense contractor, Sanders Associates, in 1956, where he stayed the remainder of his career. Interestingly, it was through his work at Sanders developing electronic systems for the military that he conceived his home video game console, commonly referred to as the “Brown Box” because he wrapped the units in brown tape to simulate wood veneer. After filing a patent application on his device, Baer met with a patent examiner at the USPTO to demonstrate a prototype and within 15 minutes every examiner on the floor of the building was in the office wanting to play the game. The Brown Box was awarded U.S. Pat. No. 3,728,480 on April 17, 1973. In the meantime, Magnavox licensed Baer’s technology and released the Magnavox Odyssey in September 1972 featuring the first television video game, Pong. Baer would go on to develop other popular electronic games, including Simon, Super Simon and Maniac. At the time of his death in 2014, Baer held over 150 patents in his name, including patents to video games, other types of electronic games, electronic greeting cards and tracking systems for submarines. Other accolades included the Game Developers Pioneer award and the IEEE Edison award, as well as being inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2010 and receiving the National Medal of Technology presented to him by President George W. Bush in 2006. His Brown Box and the Magnavox Odyssey are on display at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington D.C. #JewishAmericanHeritageMonth #diversityininnovation

Fletcher Yoder is proud to sponsor the Asian Pacific Interest Section of the State Bar of Texas Annual Conference! 🎉 FY believes that diversity drives excellence. We’re committed to fostering an inclusive environment where individuals from all backgrounds thrive and contribute their unique perspectives. We look forward to seeing you at the conference and engaging in meaningful conversations about the future of law. Let’s connect, learn, and grow together! #DiversityandInclusion #LegalExcellence

To finish out our Women's History Month series spotlighting women inventors and technologists who made significant impacts in their respective fields, we highlight Judy W. Reed, who challenged the status quo with her inventive spirit and determination.   Judy Reed was born in 1826 and died in 1905. Unfortunately, Ms. Reed’s background and upbringing remain largely undocumented. Nevertheless, her inventive spirit propelled her into history as the first recorded African American woman to receive a patent (U.S. Patent No. 305,474) for her invention, the “Dough Kneader and Roller.”    The patent provided for an improved design of rollers that help the dough mix while covered and protected. In particular, Reed’s invention allowed the dough to mix more evenly as it progressed through two intermeshed rollers carved with corrugated slats that acted as kneaders. The dough then passed through a covered receptacle, in the form of a continuous sheet, to protect the dough from dust or other particles in the air. The patent was granted to Reed on September 23, 1884. Notably, the patent was signed with an “X,” which may indicate that Reed was unable to read or write.   Ms. Reed’s patent stands as a testament to her ingenuity and resilience, challenging the prevailing stereotypes and prejudices of her time. Her accomplishment serves as a reminder of the countless untold stories of resilience, creativity, and achievement for generations of women. #diversityininnovation #womenshistorymonth  

As part of Women’s History Month, Fletcher Yoder's DEI committee is spotlighting women inventors and technologists who made significant impacts in their respective fields. Kay McNulty was an extraordinary Irish American computer programmer whose contributions to the burgeoning field of computing were groundbreaking.    Born in Ireland in 1921, McNulty immigrated to the United States with her family in 1924, settling in Philadelphia. Growing up during the Great Depression, McNulty's family emphasized the importance of education, and she excelled in mathematics and science from a young age. Her mother encouraged her to do her best "to prove that Irish immigrants could be as good, if not better, than anybody." Despite facing barriers as a woman in a male-dominated field, and additional barriers as an Irish emigrant, McNulty persevered and became one of the pioneering figures in early computer programming.   McNulty's pivotal role came during World War II when she was recruited to work on the Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer (ENIAC) project at the University of Pennsylvania. ENIAC, one of the earliest electronic general-purpose computers, was developed to calculate artillery firing tables for the United States Army. Alongside other women programmers, McNulty played a vital part in programming the complex machine, which involved physically setting switches and cables to perform specific calculations. Her expertise in mathematics and logic was instrumental in programming ENIAC to perform the required calculations efficiently, contributing to the success of the project.   After the war, McNulty continued to work in the computing field, contributing to various projects and advancements in technology. She married fellow computer scientist John Mauchly, one of the co-inventors of ENIAC. On their honeymoon, he presented Kay with a cookbook, with the words: “You are our new cook.” While cooking and raising seven children, Kay continued, uncredited, to program the new computers that her husband developed.    Despite her significant contributions to the ENIAC project, McNulty's role, along with those of her female colleagues, was often overlooked or downplayed in historical accounts of early computing. It wasn't until much later that their contributions began to receive the recognition they deserved. In 1997, the six ENIAC women were inducted into the Women in Technology International Hall of Fame, and in 1999, a computer science prize in Kay’s honor was established at Letterkenny IT. McNulty's work laid the foundation for modern computer programming and helped pave the way for future generations of women in STEM fields. Her legacy serves as a reminder of the importance of diversity and inclusion in technology and the invaluable contributions that women have made throughout the history of computing. #diversityininnovation #womenshistorymonth #womenintech

As part of Women’s History Month, Fletcher Yoder's DEI committee is spotlighting women inventors and technologists who made significant impacts in their respective fields. Kay McNulty was an extraordinary Irish American computer programmer whose contributions to the burgeoning field of computing were groundbreaking.    Born in Ireland in 1921, McNulty immigrated to the United States with her family in 1924, settling in Philadelphia. Growing up during the Great Depression, McNulty's family emphasized the importance of education, and she excelled in mathematics and science from a young age. Her mother encouraged her to do her best "to prove that Irish immigrants could be as good, if not better, than anybody." Despite facing barriers as a woman in a male-dominated field, and additional barriers as an Irish emigrant, McNulty persevered and became one of the pioneering figures in early computer programming.   McNulty's pivotal role came during World War II when she was recruited to work on the Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer (ENIAC) project at the University of Pennsylvania. ENIAC, one of the earliest electronic general-purpose computers, was developed to calculate artillery firing tables for the United States Army. Alongside other women programmers, McNulty played a vital part in programming the complex machine, which involved physically setting switches and cables to perform specific calculations. Her expertise in mathematics and logic was instrumental in programming ENIAC to perform the required calculations efficiently, contributing to the success of the project.   After the war, McNulty continued to work in the computing field, contributing to various projects and advancements in technology. She married fellow computer scientist John Mauchly, one of the co-inventors of ENIAC. On their honeymoon, he presented Kay with a cookbook, with the words: “You are our new cook.” While cooking and raising seven children, Kay continued, uncredited, to program the new computers that her husband developed.    Despite her significant contributions to the ENIAC project, McNulty's role, along with those of her female colleagues, was often overlooked or downplayed in historical accounts of early computing. It wasn't until much later that their contributions began to receive the recognition they deserved. In 1997, the six ENIAC women were inducted into the Women in Technology International Hall of Fame, and in 1999, a computer science prize in Kay’s honor was established at Letterkenny IT. McNulty's work laid the foundation for modern computer programming and helped pave the way for future generations of women in STEM fields. Her legacy serves as a reminder of the importance of diversity and inclusion in technology and the invaluable contributions that women have made throughout the history of computing. #diversityininnovation #womenshistorymonth #womenintech

Continuing our series of spotlighting Black inventors in honor of Black History Month, Lewis Howard Latimer (1848-1928) was a pioneering American inventor whose inventive contributions include improvements to the light bulb and air conditioning. Latimer was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2006. Latimer, the son of former enslaved parents, was born in Massachusetts and enlisted at the age of 16 in the Union Navy during the Civil War.  After the war, he taught himself drafting and worked at the Bell Patent Law Firm. His drawings were part of Alexander Graham Bell’s patent application for the telephone. Latimer went on to work at the United States Electric Lighting Company, where he invented the carbon filament light bulb, U.S. Patent No. 252,386, an improvement over earlier light bulb versions with paper filaments.  This improvement allowed the light bulb to burn for hours instead of minutes and was a key advancement in allowing light bulb technology to be adopted into widespread use. Beyond his groundbreaking work in electric lighting, Latimer’s contributions extended to other areas as well. He continued to innovate throughout his career, securing numerous patents for various inventions, including an air conditioning unit improvement and a railroad car bathroom. Later in his career, Latimer worked as an engineer and patent investigator for Edison Electric Light Company, where he helped the legal team involved in the light bulb patent wars. He also authored a comprehensive guide to electric lighting to educate engineers about the emerging electrical lighting system. Not only was Latimer a talented engineer, he played the violin and flute and wrote poems and plays. He also gave back to the community by teaching mechanical engineering and drawing to new immigrants. His pioneering spirit and dedication to excellence have left an indelible mark on the world of technology. #diversityininnovation #blackhistorymonth2023