​CINCINNATI (May 29, 2012) – Ulmer & Berne LLP is pleased to announce that Vance V. VanDrake III, a patent attorney in the firm’s Intellectual Property Practice, has been elected President of the Greater Cincinnati Venture Association (GCVA). The GCVA is an organization dedicated to sustaining the region’s entrepreneurial culture by connecting entrepreneurs and investors through a variety of programming and networking events.
 
Mr. VanDrake has been involved with the GCVA since 2006. He has been a board member since 2011 and was the chair of the recent MobileXcincy conference. He volunteers more than 700 hours each year mentoring and assisting entrepreneurs with business development and intellectual property development and strategy.
 
“The GCVA welcomes Vance as our new fearless leader,” said Bill Cunningham, executive director and trustee on the board of the GCVA. “His get-it-done and rally the troops attitude will increase the quality and scope of our mission – to energize the entrepreneurial community. His leadership in our first MobileXcincy conference enabled 300 attendees to participate in a Silicon Valley atmosphere of mobile development. Look for great new ventures to emerge from the great team Vance is building for the 2012-2013 season!”
 
Mr. VanDrake focuses his practice on the intellectual property needs of small to mid-sized businesses. He is active in the Angel and Venture communities, has co-founded three companies, and serves clients in all aspects of patent prosecution and in the development of comprehensive intellectual property strategies. Mr. VanDrake is experienced in a broad range of technologies, including mechanical, medical device, electrical, telecommunications, materials, software, and business methods.
 
Mr. VanDrake was named one of the 2011 “Top 40 Under 40” by the Cincinnati Business Courier and was recently selected as a 2012 Legacy finalist for the Next Generation of Leadership award. He earned his B.S. from Butler University and his J.D. from the University of Cincinnati College of Law, where he was a member of Law Review and President of the Intellectual Property Law Society.