WASHINGTON, D.C. / ACCESS Newswire / August 17, 2026 / The Council for Innovation Promotion today announced that Coke Morgan Stewart, a nationally recognized leader in intellectual property law and policy and former acting director of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, has joined the organization as president and CEO. Her appointment marks a new chapter for C4IP as it expands its reach and advocacy for strong and secure intellectual property rights.
“America’s intellectual property system is fundamental to our economic strength and global competitiveness,” said Stewart. “Strong, reliable IP rights – properly balanced for 21st-century technologies – give inventors, entrepreneurs, creators, and investors the confidence to take risks, attract capital, and turn new ideas into new companies, technologies, and jobs.”
“I’m honored to join C4IP and excited to make the case for modern intellectual property policies that protect American ingenuity, strengthen our economy, and ensure America leads the world in innovation.”
Stewart most recently served as Deputy Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Deputy Director of the USPTO, where she also served as acting director in 2025. She has held senior legal and policy roles across government, academia, and private practice, including as a deputy attorney general for the Commonwealth of Virginia.
During her almost 12 years of service at the USPTO, Stewart worked for four directors across four administrations from both parties. She adds to C4IP’s bipartisan roster of senior leaders who hail from the executive, legislative, and judicial branches and who bring a wide array of political perspectives to the common mission of promoting innovation in the United States.
“Coke is an exceptional leader who combines deep expertise in intellectual property with the judgment and experience to turn ideas into action,” said Andrei Iancu, C4IP board co-chair and former director of the USPTO. “I know firsthand the energy and conviction she brings to this work, and I’m thrilled to welcome her to C4IP.”
“I’ve known Coke since 2011, when she worked as an associate solicitor at the USPTO. Coke understands both the enormous value of America’s intellectual property system and what it takes to strengthen it,” said David Kappos, C4IP board co-chair and former director of the USPTO. “She is exactly the kind of leader C4IP needs for its next chapter, and I’m excited to work alongside her.”
“Coke’s arrival marks an important new chapter for C4IP,” said Frank Cullen, executive director of C4IP. “Her leadership will help us expand our reach, strengthen our bipartisan coalition, and make the case more forcefully than ever that strong intellectual property rights are essential to American innovation and economic growth.”
About the Council for Innovation Promotion: The Council for Innovation Promotion is a bipartisan coalition dedicated to promoting strong and effective intellectual property rights that drive innovation, boost economic competitiveness, and improve lives everywhere.
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SOURCE: Council for Innovation Promotion
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