Fieldnotes From Abroad

It was such a joy to reconnect with George, one of my earliest mentors since my time at Volvo Cars in Sweden. This conversation ended up being part career retrospective (spoiler: he shares about his time in the early days of the Qualcomm patent department and briefs the uninitiated on SEPs), part masterclass in how to build a life across countries and industries. George has spent his career at the intersection of law, technology, and international business. As a New Yorker deeply connected with his Greek roots, he learned to navigate many different corporate cultures and geographies while maintaining his true essence. I’ve learned so much about business, the law, and how to thrive through challenging environments from George, and I am so extremely grateful to share a glimpse into the mind of this brilliant and generous attorney and businessman through our conversation.We talked about life at Volvo, the evolution of a patent career, AI, SEP licensing, and what it takes to stay valuable no matter how much the ground moves under you.KEY THEMES AND TAKEAWAYSHow Volvo Car’s shift from mechanical company to a mobility company created a wave of change in the IP space.Industry lessons and how they tend to repeat themselvesWhy IP legal needs to be considered a revenue generator instead of a cost center, and how hard that message actually is to landWhere AI is headed in patent law, and why the strategist behind the tool still matters more than the tool itselfA plain language breakdown of standard essential patents versus non-essential patents, and why you need bothCareer advice for IP professionals at any stageOUR FAVORITE QUOTES“The attorney is changing from drafting the application to being the IP strategist”On finding mentors and building a network at early stages: “Most people want to talk about themselves. They want to share their knowledge, both their personal and their professional”“You have to modulate your words and your actions, but don't get carried away and lose yourself in the process”“We want people to show up with the perspectives that they've earned”—To hear more about IP leadership and life abroad, check out our earlier episode with Ray: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ep-2-raymond-millien-life-and-leadership-from/id1755050068?i=1000660842829Connect with George on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgepappas/—🎵 Theme music by Damon Smile – check them out wherever you get your music.If this conversation resonated with you, I’d love to hear your thoughts or reflections. And if you enjoyed the episode, leaving a quick review helps more folks find the show and join in on these interdisciplinary conversations.Thanks for tuning in to Field Notes from Abroad. More soon!—How to Connect with Laura:Website: www.lauralaraliz.com Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@fieldnotesfromabroad Say hi on Insta: https://www.instagram.com/fieldnotesfromabroad/ Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fieldnotes-from-abroad/ Email me: [email protected] a review on the Apple Podcast app or the Spotify app: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This conversation with Hanane Fathi Roswall has been in the plans for a while, and I'm so glad we finally made it happen. Talking with Hanane always gives me a chance to open to new perspectives from another powerhouse of a woman, seeking to live with excellence and compassion in a highly competitive environment. I hope, in turn, it gives you a chance to hold tight to your happiness and go toward your risk. ABOUT HANANEHanane is a French-Moroccan scientist turned patent attorney turned entrepreneur and founder. She grew up in Paris, did her PhD in Denmark, moved to Japan to work as a researcher in cryptography, and co-founded aera, a European-based IP boutique firm that grew from four people to sixty before joining the global Rouse Group.KEY THEMES + TAKEAWAYSGrowing up between cultures teaches you to adapt, but it also gives you a very particular kind of rootedness.The French mantra (she translates for us) that she carries everywhere: impose your luck, hold tight to your happiness, go toward your risk - and others will get used to it.Learning a language is not just about words: it is an opportunity to understand the culture from the inside.Finding ways to ensure that lived values aren't just a poster on a wall; they're the compass you use to make real-time decisions…and examples of how this plays out in building a company.Exploring tensions and generative conflict in company founding; diverse and strongly-help points of view can actively make a company stronger.Hanane’s unique and evolving perspective on the integration of work and “the rest of” life.Closing: “Hug the Air” Ariel J.FAVORITE QUOTES"Impose your luck, hold tight to your happiness, go towards your risk, and others will get used to it.""We are just stronger together. And for that, I need to go towards the other person and also towards the “otherness”.""”Appetite comes while eating”. By trying to be fully present, I have a better day than when I started."CHAPTER MARKERS2:21 A French-Moroccan in Copenhagen7:45 The mantra that has been a guiding light17:25 From PhD to Japan to love in Denmark20:42 How she accidentally got the job33:03 What founding aera actually felt like40:58 The decision to join Rouse Group56:10 On work and life interwoven1:04:44 Hug the AirYOUR TURNWhere in your life are you holding back instead of letting yourself be carried higher? Where could you dare to chase your ambitions, in spite of the risks?Read Ariel J.’s “Hug the Air”: https://www.are.na/block/41437494Read more about and connect with Hanane: https://aera-ip.com/team/hro/🎵 Theme music by Damon Smile – check them out wherever you get your music.If this conversation resonated with you, I’d love to hear your thoughts or reflections. And if you enjoyed the episode, leaving a quick review helps more folks find the show and join in on these interdisciplinary conversations.Thanks for tuning in to Field Notes from Abroad. More soon!—How to Connect with Laura:Website: www.lauralaraliz.com Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@fieldnotesfromabroad Say hi on Insta: https://www.instagram.com/fieldnotesfromabroad/ Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fieldnotes-from-abroad/ Email me: [email protected] a review on the Apple Podcast app or the Spotify app: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

In this episode, I’m joined by my longtime friend and frequent collaborator, Timmy Ghiurau—a creative technologist, futurist, systems thinker, and musician—calling in from rainy Gothenburg, Sweden.Timmy’s story is anything but conventional. From building eye-tracking tech that helped launch the modern VR revolution, to leading cross-industry innovation initiatives at Volvo Cars, to founding Point Labs—a creative hub for intersecting disciplines—Timmy brings a rare mix of deep technical knowledge, radical creativity, and soulful storytelling.We talk about everything from the inspiration of Bauhaus to building open-source car simulators, and from emotional AI to how biblical stories and his grandmother shaped his approach to human-centered design.In this episode, we cover:How Timmy blends engineering, music, systems thinking, and storytellingThe role of trust in innovation—and how it’s a “currency” in designLessons from working in open source and intellectual propertyScaling ideas through partnerships and public space collaborationThe difference between working in the system vs. on the systemWhy innovation requires understanding the box before you think outside of itTimmy’s creative process, rooted in seasonal cycles and Bauhaus philosophyA few of my favorite quotes from this episode:“Trust is a currency between humans and machines.” “If you want to go wide, you need to anchor deep.” “You can't innovate a system you don’t understand.”Mentioned in this episode:Unity TechnologiesOculus, Meta & eye-tracking patentsVolvo Cars Innovation ArenaThe Bauhaus MovementThe MIT Media Lab (and Neri Oxman’s four-quadrant model)Storytelling, abstraction, and future-forward designConnect with Timmy: 🌐 LinkedIn – Timmy Ghiurau 📸 Instagram: @timmyghiurau 🧠 Point Labs: Point Labs🎵 Theme music by Damon Smile – check them out wherever you get your music.If this conversation resonated with you, I’d love to hear your thoughts or reflections. And if you enjoyed the episode, leaving a quick review helps more folks find the show and join in on these interdisciplinary conversations.Thanks for tuning in to Field Notes from Abroad. More soon!—How to Connect with Laura:Website: www.lauralaraliz.com Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@fieldnotesfromabroad Say hi on Insta: https://www.instagram.com/fieldnotesfromabroad/ Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fieldnotes-from-abroad/ Email me: [email protected] a review on the Apple Podcast app or the Spotify app: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Today we delve into the incredible story of Nigel Swycher, a prominent figure in the legal and entrepreneurial worlds, as he shares his transition from an IP solicitor to the innovative founder of Cipher, a pioneering startup in the IP analytics scene and a first to bring AI-driven analytics to the patent world. Discover how a chance conversation in a Canadian jacuzzi sparked Nigel's entrepreneurial leap, leading to the creation of groundbreaking solutions in the intellectual property domain.🔍 Key Highlights:Nigel’s entrepreneurial journey of launching Cipher in 2013 and its growth to a leader in AI-driven patent analytics.The significance of collaboration and networking in building a successful company.Nigel's next reinvention at 62, focusing on IP education, consultancy, and supporting startups.Conversation over Nigel’s personal path to thriving as a professional while achieving excellence.Insights into the profound changes AI is bringing to the legal landscape (and the world at large).Whether you're an IP practitioner, legal professional, or aspiring entrepreneur, this episode is packed with valuable insights and inspiration. Tune in to discover how legal expertise, business acumen, and a big dose of empathy can converge to create groundbreaking solutions in the intellectual property domain.Connect with Nigel:Cipher/LexisNexis Evolving IP Podcast: https://www.lexisnexisip.com/resources/podcasts/lexisnexis-evolving-ip/LinkedIN - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nigelswycher/ —Other resources mentioned:Center for Intellectual Property: https://cip-net.com/—How to Connect with Laura:Website: www.lauralaraliz.com Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@fieldnotesfromabroad Say hi on Insta: https://www.instagram.com/fieldnotesfromabroad/ Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fieldnotes-from-abroad/ Email me: [email protected] a review on the Apple Podcast app or the Spotify app: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Ep 2 In this second episode of Fieldnote From Abroad, Laura sits down with Raymond Millien to talk all things IP leadership, change management, and living and working abroad. Some hot takes: "If you don't genuinely love people, you're not gonna be a great chief anything." "Being a good communicator is understanding your audience to figure out what motivates them to get them in the direction you wanna go in." "Sometimes you're just the wrong messenger and there's nothing about you personally, it's just that you're the wrong messenger for whatever reason." "You find the right messenger for the right audience." "The more you read, the better writer you become." "Short emails, not explaining yourself ad nauseum." Find Ray here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/millien/ -- At last! For those of you reading this, you may know I've been thinking and talking about putting out a podcast for what feels like a decade. For so many reasons, I always felt like I was still "in process" with so much of what I was observing, experiencing, learning, and practicing. Now, after nearly 6 years living and practicing outside of the US, working in IP for well over a decade, in roles from IP counsel to the global head of IP departments, in now 3 different countries, I'm excited to finally set aside the time to share some conversations with folks I have met, been inspired by, and with whom my relationships with have grown me exponentially, as an IP attorney as well as a human. I'm hoping to somehow find a sweet spot between speaking directly to friends and colleagues in the industry, and creating a platform which can serve those outside of or tangential to IP practice. Most of all, though, I'm just looking to share some of the beautiful, skillful, challenging insights from the waters of the global innovation leadership spaces I have had the honor to swim in these past years, in a large part due to my roles in IP leadership, living and working abroad. So while I can't promise anything too formal, I hope these fieldnotes give you a view into some of my world, as I think sharing authentically and openly is how we build stronger companies and a better world. Much love, Laura

In the debut episode of Fieldnote From Abroad, Laura introduces the pod as a conversation space for intellectual property (IP) topics, communicating across differences, empathy building and wellness for business practitioners living and working around the globe. -- At last! For those of you reading this, you may know I've been thinking and talking about putting out a podcast for what feels like a decade. For so many reasons, I always felt like I was still "in process" with so much of what I was observing, experiencing, learning, and practicing. Now, after nearly 6 years living and practicing outside of the US, working in IP for well over a decade, in roles from IP counsel to the global head of IP departments, in now 3 different countries, I'm excited to finally set aside the time to share some conversations with folks I have met, been inspired by, and with whom my relationships with have grown me exponentially, as an IP attorney as well as a human. I'm hoping to somehow find a sweet spot between speaking directly to friends and colleagues in the industry, and creating a platform which can serve those outside of or tangential to IP practice. Most of all, though, I'm just looking to share some of the beautiful, skilful, challenging insights from the waters of the global innovation leadership spaces I have had the honor to swim in these past years, in a large part due to my roles in IP leadership, living and working abroad. So while I can't promise anything too formal, I hope these fieldnotes give you a view into some of my world, as I think sharing authentically and openly is how we build stronger companies and a better world. Much love, Laura