Light Years IP

Ron Layton

Founder & Chief Executive

Ron Layton has combined successful careers in economic development and IP business to design the Light Years IP vision of engaging IP business techniques to reduce poverty and secure income for poor people through export trade in developing countries. Since forming LYIP as an NGO in 1999, Ron Layton has been creating mechanisms for poor producers in developing countries to improve the amount and security of export income from commodities and finished products. This process utilizes all forms of IP to assert the right to income from intangible values created and owned by poor countries. LYIP also assists with the products of innovation, including inventions, tribal names and all forms of designs, some traditional and mostly modern.

Ron’s has experience implementing projects in IP Value Capture opportunity in more than 20 African countries. The impact upon poverty has affected millions of African farmers and producers.

Ron has acted as IP consultant to producer groups, exporters and tribal groups, to businesses in fair trade and sustainable development, to the World Bank and the USPTO, and to Governments as different as Ethiopia, Niue and Bermuda. In 2004, the World Bank published a book titled "Poor People’s Knowledge" that included coverage of his work on IP and Poverty Alleviating Trade. In February 2004, Ron was elected as a Global Fellow by the Ashoka Foundation, recognition as a leading social entrepreneur working on a global level.

Ron is educated in economics and mathematics and worked as lead economist on numerous development projects in more than 20 developing countries for UNDP, ADAB, SPC, the Commonwealth and many governments. He has specialized in Intellectual Property for 25 years and in Intellectual Property for Development for 15 of those years. He began in 1977-80, originating and implementing jurisdictional Intellectual Property solutions in developing countries with very limited and weak economies. He led a project covering analysis and development of jurisdictional Intellectual Property sector in several countries where IP produced over 60% of government income and over 80% of export income. To acquire direct understanding of the role of branding and other Intellectual Property in Trade, he added ten years of commercial experience in earning export income, successfully distributing film product and derivative consumer products to over 100 world markets.

• http://www.ashoka.org/fellow/2987

close

Dr. Margaret Brindle

Director of Education

Meg’s vision is to make the concepts of Intellectual Property as a means of dramatically improving income for African and Caribbean stakeholders as absolutely clear and straightforward as possible. Her dream is that millions of low-income individuals would come to realize the potential already in their fields in the form of crops; in their homes in the form of arts and handicrafts; and in their names, images and culture by better integration of business tools and legal strategies with IP. Her desire is that millions would come to integrate Intellectual Property as a means of improving income and change Africa toward a living income for the next generation.

To this dream, Meg has written the Light Years IP educational materials and is Project Manager for the Maasai Intellectual Property Initiative, coordinating training in Kenya and Tanzania with a growing team of Maasai as well as stateside, and UK innovators.

Meg has been an educator for almost 20 years, as a professor in both the MBA and Public Policy program at Carnegie Mellon University, and as tenured professor at George Mason University. She holds a PhD, and Masters degrees from Carnegie Mellon; and has published 4 books. For Light Years, Meg has written IP Value capture course curriculum; training workshop materials; written grant proposals; and served as trainer in Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, Ethiopia, Uganda, and Zanzibar.

close

Anthony Way

Director

Anthony Way has over 25 years' experience working across both private and public sectors in the UK and in developing countries. Starting his career in marketing for UK financial and professional services firms, he then worked for the UN in Central Asia supporting foreign investment in to Uzbekistan. After several years' further consultancy work for clients including USAID and EU TACIS, he joined DFID and spent a number of years in Kampala working with private sector and government counterparts in Uganda to support economic growth in that country. He was then based in Addis Ababa helping to run the UK government's growing overseas assistance programme to Ethiopia and subsequently managed the UK government's shareholdings in CDC, the UK's £2.8 billion development finance institution, and Actis, a major emerging markets private equity fund manager. He also led on policy advice around the UK's shareholdings in the International Finance Corporation and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.

Through this wide-ranging experience Mr Way has gained substantial international expertise in support to SMEs at both firm (through microfinance) and macro (via business deregulation and commercial justice) levels. He also has extensive experience in corporate governance; provision of policy advice; managing and implementing development projects; and relationship management skills across a diverse set of stakeholders including governments; private sector; multinational development organisations; parliaments and the media.

Mr Way holds an Economics degree from London University, and MBA from City (Cass) Business School in London, and Diplomas in both Marketing and Market Research.

close

Chris McCormick

Senior Analyst

An MBA graduate and Skoll Associate of the Saïd Business School at the University of Oxford, Chris McCormick recently transitioned from a career in IT consulting to social impact work. He began working with Light Years IP in an academic capacity, and is now focused on pipeline development and operations and project management. In addition to his MBA, Chris holds an MSc in Computer Engineering, and prior to IT consulting he worked in the news media for several years. He has consulted to the environmental design firm Elvis and Kresse, and was a member of the Oxford team which placed second in the world at the 2011 Social Venture Capital Investment competition.

close

The Right Honourable Lord Paul Boateng

Paul Boateng is a member of the British Parliament's House of Lords, and he is held in worldwide respect and has long engagement in African development and political advancement. He has both practiced at the Inns of Court and been an activist lawyer in the field of civil rights, human rights, and the anti-apartheid movement. He made history by becoming the first UK government minister of African descent in 1997, and subsequently, he became the UK's first Cabinet Minister of African descent in 2002, where he served as Chief Secretary to the Treasury where he served with then-Chancellor Gordon Brown. He contributed to the UK government's important African Commission Report, and Tony Blair appointed him to the position of the UK's High Commissioner/Ambassador to South Africa in 2005. Boateng launched the UK-funded Light Years IP publication "Distinctive Values in African Exports" in June 2008 at the World Economic Forum on Africa. He was given a life-time appointment to the UK House of Lords, Parliament's upper chamber, in 2010. He brings his vast experience and balanced insight to many Light Years IP issues and is currently acting co-Chair of the the African IP Trust.

close

John Thon Majok

Associate Project Manager

John Thon Majok is a native of South Sudan with extensive experience working with international nonprofit and public organizations including U.S. Department of State. His experience includes coordinating special alumni projects at the State Department, managing a multi-country scholarship program at the Council of American Overseas Research Centers, co-managing a USAID-funded Diaspora Skills Transfer Program for South Sudan at the Academy for Educational Development, and managing a library grant project at Kakuma Refugee Camp in Kenya. John Thon has also served as a congressional intern in the U.S. Congress House of Representatives where he did public policy and legislative research on issues related to human rights and foreign affairs.

John Thon has done program evaluation of AGOA; synthesized international development approaches used by the World Bank and UNDP; and researched the role of pooled funds in development using the case of Multi Donor Trust Funds in South Sudan. These experiences have sharpened John Thon's passion for development, especially on the quest to empower rural and indigenous people to solve poverty issues. John Thon has a master of public administration (MPA) in international public management from George Mason University, and a bachelor of science (honors) in public management and policy from the University of Arizona. He also has associate degree in business administration.

Born in South Sudan and having lived in Kenya and Ethiopia, John Thon is well versed in the contextual and cultural knowledge of East Africa and beyond. He is fluent in Dinka (South Sudan) with a limited knowledge of Swahili and Arabic.

close

John Kilama

International IP Specialist

Dr. Kilama has expertise in several effective partnerships between multinational corporations and institutions in developing nations. Born in Uganda, Dr. Kilama received a Ph.D. in Medicinal Chemistry from the University of Arizona. Dr. Kilama worked at the DuPont Corp. and is the holder of several patents. He was on the Board of Directors of Public Interest Intellectual Property Advisors, Inc. in Washington, DC. Concurrently, he is a Director and Founder of KICG, an organization with a mission to facilitate good management of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) at institutional and national levels in emerging markets while serving on the Board of Pytica, Inc. He is an Advisor of Global Health at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and Scientific Advisor to the Institute of One World Health and the International Organization for Chemistry in Development (IOCD), Belgium.

close

Martha Laiser

Maasai Mamas Trainer

Martha Laiser has been working with Maasai women on handcraft business development for the last 9 years. As a young Maasai girl, she was herself training in traditional Maasai handcrafts, and says that this boosted her confidence and knowledge of the art.

Martha recognizes Maasai women as being the "key actors in the well being of their families. The workload is on them and they are the expected bread winners despite the fact that they own nothing and have no chance of decision making at any level in their community." Because of this, Martha has dedicated herself to advancing the women's rights and standard of living for Maasai women, since completing her own education 9 years ago. She holds a diploma in development planning from the Institute of Rural Development Planning, and works currently with the Maasai Mamas through the Maasai initiative.

close

Michael Frankel

Founder and Managing Partner, Frankel Lawyers

Michael Frankel has been practicing law for 30 years in Intellectual Property, Media, Entertainment, Indigenous Australian Law, and Public Policy Law. He is a partner in Frankel Lawyers and between 1985 and 1995 he was a member of the Federal Attorney-General's Copyright Law Review Committee. Mr. Frankel played a key role in the introduction of Moral Rights protection for Authors and Creators into Copyright Act. He is currently a member of the Media and Communications Committee, and is a trustee of Australian Society of Authors Benevolent Fund, since 2005. Michael was awarded Order of Australia AM, for his contribution to arts, cultural and Intellectual Property rights, media, law and Indigenous rights. In recognition of his contribution to authors and publishing, Michael was honored with Life Membership to the Australian Society of Authors.

close

Vip Kumar

Senior Consultant

Vip Kumar has over 20 years of commercial and development expertise covering multinationals, corporations, SMEs and development organizations. He commenced his career in the field of manufacturing management, and his private sector strengths coupled with extensive development experience has generated numerous skills that serve private-public partnerships. Strong management and project implementation expertise enables Mr. Kumar to work effectively across a wide range of sectors, with a particular passion for understanding consumers, sector linkages and value/supply chains.

Mr. Kumar is a dedicated promoter of developing entrepreneurial skills, promoting individuals to achieve their potential and focusing on market-driven solutions. He has contributed to organizations including UNDP, the EU, the World Bank, DFID, SNV, German Agro and Swiss Development Corp. He has worked in 15 countries including Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Sudan and India.

Mr. Kumar is a fellow of the Chartered Management Institute, a member of the Institution of Engineering and Technology and an associate of the World Fair Trade Organisation.

close

Getachew Mengistie

IP Consultant

Getachew was the first Director General of the Ethiopian Intellectual Property Office (EIPO). When Light Years IP designed the Ethiopian Fine Coffee Initiative in 2004, Getachew led the Ethiopian side, collaborating with Ron Layton and establishing a solid friendship. Getachew is currently working as an Intellectual Property consultant, training and assisting a number of African countries with their Intellectual Property policies and regulations.

close

Isaac Tialolo

Isaac is a respected Maasai elder and businessman, with years of experience working with Maasai communities and managing their public affairs in Kenya. He works with local herders to help outsource their livestock to better markets, restock after drought devastation, and gain access to veterinary care services for their livestock. He has worked previously with SNV International (snvworld.org), representing the pastoralist Maasai communities living around Lake Naivasha, Kenya, in a joint project to conserve and manage this East African, fresh-water lake ecosystem. Isaac now works as Chairman of the LYIP Maasai Initiative.

close

Pauline Tiffen

Director

Pauline has worked for academic institutions, mainstream and alternative business, the voluntary sector, co-operative and community and development organizations North and South, in advisory, executive and non-executive positions. She has demonstrated an exceptional ability to nurture cross-cultural economic exchange and to develop new forms of business over more than fifteen years of work in the alternative trading sector in traditional and non-traditional commodities.

Pauline was the founder of two pioneering fair trade companies: Cafedirect and The Day Chocolate Company, including the supply chain/farmer participation. From 1989-1997, she served as the Executive and Managing Director of Twin Trading, Ltd. Pauline was a Founding Board member of the International Federation of Alternative Trade (IFAT) and, since 2003, Board Member and adviser of the North American Fair Trade Federation, a network of 200 innovative Fair Trade businesses.

Since 2000 she has been an Operations Adviser to the World Bank, creating ways for primary producers and local financial institutions in Africa and Latin America to access financial products to hedge their exposure and risk. She has also been working at the WB and International Finance Corporation on corporate social responsibility and regional branding/marketing pilot projects in Central America.

Pauline holds a Master's degree from the University of Michigan; is a Fulbright Scholar and has been awarded a MacArthur Foundation NGO Fellowship for her work in conflict in trade in Africa. Pauline is multi-lingual, and conducts workshops throughout Africa, teaching IP Value Capture.

close

Bonnie Ole Keis

Bonnie is a third year student at the University of Nairobi. He studies for a Bachelor of Business Science in Actuarial Science and Bachelor Arts Economics and Public Administration.

He has practical experience in community development work, research, and project management. He volunteered in various internationally sponsored and affiliated projects in Maasai Districts in Kenya.

He has volunteered, taken part in internships, and worked with several companies, non-profit organizations, and NGOs in Kenya which includes work at the Pastoralist Development Network of Kenya (PDNK - www.pdnkenya.org), Mid-Rift Tourism Forum, Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS), Truth Justice and Reconciliation Commission Kenya (TJRC), and the Letangule and Company Advocates and Legal Consultants.

close