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Tonya Drake
Chancellor and Regional Vice President, Northwest at Western Governors University
Tonya Drake is an accomplished Deputy General Counsel currently leading the Intellectual Property (IP) group at iRobot. Prior to joining iRobot, Tonya honed her skills at Fish & Richardson, where she worked as a principal, associate, and technology specialist. Her extensive career also includes working at Intel, Hewlett-Packard, and Procter & Gamble.
Tonya has a rich educational background, obtaining an MS in Electrical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, a BS in Electrical Engineering, and Computer Science from Purdue University. She also has a Law degree (JD) from Boston University School of Law.
Tonya's notable achievements at iRobot include leading the company's first ITC litigation, resulting in the exclusion order for multiple Respondents. She is responsible for all IP issues, including IP licensing, litigation, and portfolio strategy, as well as compliance, advertising, and contracts.
Tonya's expertise in managing international patent and trademark prosecution and litigation in China and Germany is unmatched. In recognition of her achievements, Tonya was named a "40 under 40" honoree by the Boston Business Journal in 2013.
Her background in electrical engineering has allowed her to delve deeper into areas such as semiconductor fabrication and circuit design during her early career.
