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.
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 has served in board, advisory, and leadership capacities with several organizations including STEM to Market, a national accelerator started by the Association for Women in Science (AWIS); California Lawyers Association Executive Committee of the Intellectual Property Section, Licensing Executives Society USA/Canada Women in Licensing Committee, and the Palo Alto Area Bar Association. 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 is a Commissioner with the city of Menlo Park in California; a member of the Silicon Valley Leadership Group (SVLG); and a delegate to CALNET, a statewide network of California’s Asian Pacific American public elected or appointed officials. Soody is 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 listed in the IAM Strategy 300: The World’s Leading IP Strategists 2019. She was honored as one of the 100 Women of Influence 2020 by the Silicon Valley Business Journal. In 2022, Soody was appointed to the Northern California District Export Council (NorCal DEC) by the Secretary of Commerce.
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. She is co-author of “Women Securing the Future with TIPPSS for IoT: Trust, Identity, Privacy, Protection, Safety, Security for the Internet of Things.”
Soody is currently working on a new start up, Presque, a wearable health-tech platform in the maternity space. One of her most fun ventures has been as co-founder of HighNoteCoffee Co.
- 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
- Association of Women in Science (AWIS): Advisory Board Member, STEM to MARKET National Accelerator
- TechFuture Group (SBDC): Adviser
- TechLab Innovation Center: Adviser and Strategic Partner
- C4Cube Accelerator: Adviser and Expert In Residence
- West Company, Economic development organization serving entrepreneurs and microbusiness owners: Adviser
- SFMade, California: Adviser Global Innovation Summit, Business Committee: Member
- California Lawyers Association, Executive Committee of the Intellectual Property Section
- Association of Women in Science (AWIS): Advisory Board Member, STEM to MARKET National Accelerator
- Licensing Executives Society, USA & Canada: Chair, Women in Licensing
- Silicon Valley Leadership Group, member
- 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 the Sports and Athlete Professionals: Adviser
- Defy Ventures: Business Plan Judge, Mentor, Coach
- Full Circle Fund: Member
- Shoebox Ventures: A non-profit helping other non-profits: General Counsel; Member, Board of Directors
- 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
- Techwadi, Building bridges between Silicon Valley and the MENA region: Mentor
- Victorian Government of Australia: Adviser
- City of Menlo Park, CA: Commissioner, Finance and Audit Committee
- Silicon Valley U.S. Export Assistance Center, U.S. Commercial Service, U.S. Department of Commerce: Partner
- Frequent speaker at USPTO Silicon Valley