ChIPs

What ChIPs does

ChIPs (legally ChIPs Network, Inc.) is a U.S. nonprofit professional organization founded in 2005 by seven women who were chiefs of intellectual property at Silicon Valley technology companies. Its mission is to advance and connect women in technology, law, and policy. The organization operates as a membership-based community serving more than 7,000 members across 30 chapters on five continents, with programming that spans entry-level through C-suite career stages. Its core technology stack is a Hivebrite-powered online community platform extended by a mobile app, with virtual events delivered via Zoom and content distributed through a YouTube channel and email newsletter reaching roughly 10,000 subscribers.

The product portfolio is centered on signature in-person programming — the annual ChIPs Global Summit (~800 attendees) and the ChIPs NextGen Summit (~200 associates) — supplemented by the General Counsel Boot Camp (a 12-month in-house attorney development program), Mock Pitch and Oral Arguments programs, the ChIPs Accelerators branded webinar series, a scholarship program for female law students, the ChIPs Career Center and Talent Connector, and recognition programs including the Hall of Fame and the Honor Roll produced jointly with Diversity Lab. The organization has produced notable outcomes including 9 GC Boot Camp graduates who have ascended to general counsel or chief legal officer roles.

ChIPs is funded primarily through corporate and law firm sponsorships (Cisco, Amazon, Google, Apple, Coinbase, Morrison & Foerster are named sponsors), event registration fees, and donations. Membership is free for all professionals who share its mission. The organization is governed by a Board of Directors chaired by Dorian Daley (former General Counsel of Oracle), with an executive team of approximately seven directors plus an Executive Director and a small operational staff of 1–10. ChIPs holds formal partnerships with the USPTO, Diversity Lab, INTA, AIPLA, NAWL, and IILP, and has expanded into 30 chapters across North America, Europe, South America, Africa, and Asia Pacific.

Name

ChIPs

Legal name

ChIPs Network, Inc.

Website

https://chipsnetwork.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

ChIPs is a nonprofit professional organization that advances and connects 7,000+ women in technology, law, and IP policy across 30 global chapters through summits, mentorship, scholarships, and career development programs funded primarily by corporate and law firm sponsorships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Corporate and Law Firm Sponsorships: ChIPs receives financial and in-kind support from law firms, technology companies, and service providers who sponsor events, programs, and the organization. Sponsors gain visibility and access to the ChIPs network of 7,000+ professionals in tech, law and IP policy.
2. Membership Dues: Membership is free thanks to sponsor generosity. No direct membership fees are charged to members.
3. Event Registration Fees: Revenue generated from event registrations for summits, conferences, and professional development programs including the Global Summit and NextGen Summit.
4. Donations: The organization accepts donations to support its mission of advancing women in technology, law and policy. A scholarship program was established through a generous contribution from Morrison & Foerster.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

ChIPs is a nonprofit professional organization that advances and connects women in technology, law, and policy through a membership-based global community. It delivers programming via signature in-person conferences (Global Summit, NextGen Summit), career development programs (General Counsel Boot Camp, Mock Programs), sponsored virtual webinars (ChIPs Accelerators), scholarship opportunities, and 30 regional chapters on five continents. Membership is offered free of charge, with operations funded through corporate and law firm sponsorships, event registrations, and donations.

Product overview

ChIPs is a nonprofit professional organization that advances and connects women in technology, law and policy. The organization operates primarily as a membership-based professional network supported by its community platform (built on Hivebrite). Its portfolio includes signature conferences (Global Summit, NextGen Summit), career development programs (General Counsel Boot Camp, Mock Programs), branded virtual events (ChIPs Accelerators), scholarship opportunities, virtual learning content (webinars), career resources (Career Center, Talent Connector), and recognition programs (Hall of Fame, Honor Roll). Content is distributed via the ChIPs YouTube channel, and members access the community through a web platform and mobile app.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ChIPs Global Summit Annual flagship in-person conference hosting approximately 800 professionals from law firms, technology companies, and government to learn about policy and emerging tech, network, and advance professional growth. Features keynotes from Supreme Court justices, cabinet secretaries, and industry leaders.
• ChIPs NextGen Summit Annual in-person summit for emerging professionals in the first 15 years of their tech and IP law careers, offering networking, professional development, mentorship, and keynotes such as FTC Commissioners.
• General Counsel Boot Camp A 12-month professional development program for in-house attorneys aspiring to become general counsel, featuring executive coaching, mentoring, hands-on learning, and networking. Nine graduates have gone on to GC or CLO roles.
• ChIPs Mock Program Mock Pitch and Oral Arguments programs providing associates and junior partners with real-life experience pitching to clients and presenting IP cases.
• ChIPs Accelerators Webinars Branded virtual event webinars featuring sponsor organizations' expertise and leadership on tech, law and policy topics, aired on ChIPs Zoom and distributed via YouTube and social media. Each session is 50 minutes and reaches 10,000+ members.
• ChIPs Scholarship Program Scholarship program for female law school students pursuing careers in IP law, established through a generous contribution from Morrison & Foerster to honor Rachel Krevans.
• Virtual Learning Ongoing webinar series and online educational content covering topics such as AI, diversity, and professional development for ChIPs members.
• ChIPs Career Center and Talent Connector Job board, career resources, and Talent Connector recruiting service for ChIPs members and organizations recruiting women in tech, law, and IP roles.
• ChIPs Network Community Platform Hivebrite-powered online membership platform enabling members to connect globally, access 30 regional chapters, join committees, register for events, and share resources within the ChIPs professional network.
• ChIPs Mobile App Mobile application for ChIPs members to access the community platform, events, and resources on mobile devices.

Quantifiable outcome

• 83 events in 2024 giving more than 4,000 members opportunity to connect, learn and grow
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Diversity LabcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerChIPs partners with Diversity Lab on the Inclusion Blueprint, an annual survey open to Am Law 200 firms. This initiative provides diversity benchmarks of historically underrepresented groups in law firm leadership and across practice groups including IP.
• International Trademark Association (INTA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal association of brand owners and professionals dedicated to supporting trademarks and complementary IP to foster consumer trust, economic growth and innovation. ChIPs and INTA collaborate on advocacy and programming for women in IP.
• Institute for Inclusion in the Legal Profession (IILP)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLeading DEI think tank that provides empirical tools to facilitate a more diverse, equitable and inclusive legal profession. ChIPs partners with IILP to advance women in IP through research and educational programs.
• National Association of Women Lawyers (NAWL)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerChIPs partners with NAWL for their General Counsel Institute (GCI), a conference curated for women working in-house, creating unique networking opportunities with over 70% in-house counsel audience.
• American Intellectual Property Law Association (AIPLA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational bar association of practitioners in patent, trademark, copyright, trade secret and unfair competition law. ChIPs partners with AIPLA on membership and events to bring programming to members across the country.
• United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerChIPs and USPTO signed a memorandum of understanding to work together to advance women inventors and innovators. They are providing Innovation Resources and aggregating research and reports on innovation and inclusion.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Women in Technology International (WITI): WITI is a global nonprofit that empowers women in technology through networking, mentorship, and leadership programs. Closely comparable mission and membership-model to ChIPs, though broader in tech and not focused on legal/IP.
• National Association of Women Lawyers (NAWL): NAWL is a U.S. professional association advancing women in the legal profession through networking, leadership programs, and the General Counsel Institute. Directly comparable to ChIPs as a women-in-law membership organization; ChIPs is even a NAWL partner.
• AnitaB.org: AnitaB.org is a nonprofit that connects, inspires, and guides women in computing and technology. Comparable to ChIPs as a women-in-tech membership and professional development organization, though broader in scope beyond legal/IP.

Broad incumbents

• Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC): ACC is the global bar association for in-house counsel, with substantial programming for women leaders and diversity. Overlaps with ChIPs on the General Counsel Boot Camp pipeline and corporate sponsor base, but serves all in-house counsel rather than only women.
• International Trademark Association (INTA): INTA is a global association of brand owners and trademark professionals. Comparable to ChIPs because it is an IP-focused professional community with overlapping members and a formal partnership with ChIPs.
• American Intellectual Property Law Association (AIPLA): AIPLA is the national bar association for IP practitioners. Directly comparable domain (IP law) and a current ChIPs programming partner, though not gender-focused.
• Catalyst: Catalyst is a global nonprofit that promotes inclusive workplaces for women, with research, advisory, and corporate partner programs. Comparable as a women-advancement nonprofit with corporate sponsors, though focused on workplace research rather than legal professional development.

Emerging players

• Ms. JD: Ms. JD is a nonprofit dedicated to the success of women in law school and the legal profession. Comparable early-career women's legal network; ChIPs NextGen overlaps in mission but ChIPs is larger and more established.
• Women Corporate Directors (WCD): WCD is a global membership organization for women corporate board directors. Comparable mission of advancing women leaders and comparable sponsor-driven model, though focused on board service rather than legal careers.

Regional players

• National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO): NAWBO is a U.S.-focused membership organization representing women business owners. Comparable community-led nonprofit model serving women professionals, though focused on business ownership rather than tech and IP law.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@chips225
• Facebookfacebook.com/ChIPsNetwork.org
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/chips-group
• Instagraminstagram.com/chipscommunity
• Xx.com/chipsnetwork

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about ChIPs