Amy Salmela is a seasoned patent attorney with years of experience in both private practice and in-house counsel for a multinational company based in Germany. She’s frequently been the only woman in her position—from her days working as an engineering intern at an iron mine in northern Minnesota to the past 20 years in patent law. At Minneapolis firm Patterson Thuente, she’s working to change that, putting herself at the forefront of DEI work and leading a Women+ group that includes all the women employees in the firm. Salmela, who chairs patent prosecution for Patterson Thuente, was instrumental in developing the first-ever pro bono patent program in the U.S., the LegalCORPS Inventor Assistance Program. This has served as a model for patent pro bono programs across the country since its launch in 2011. She also co-authored "Patent Law Pro Bono: A Best Practices Guide."