Interview of Engineer Loria Yeadon

I wanted it all and I have it all 

By Graciela Matrajt

When I entered Loria’s office in the Intellectual Ventures building in Bellevue, WA, I was immediately attracted by a picture of her with President Obama standing on her desk. I knew that if she had met the President, it was not because they both were of the same race or age. Rather, the reasons behind it were probably some of the same reasons that inspired me to come and interview her.

Loria is a woman full of perseverance. During her high school years, she was very interested in math and science. But in the rural small town where she grew up, the school did not offer the necessary curriculum for a future in science. By the time she was a junior, she had completed the highest levels of math and science offered by her school.  At that point, her math teacher, who believed Loria would be a wonderful engineer, offered to teach her pre-calculus during her off period. But the school’s administration would not approve a class for one student. The guidance counselor recommended that Loria attend a two-year junior liberal arts school instead. 

Although in her town Loria was not a minority, it was rare for an African-American woman to study Engineering. That didn’t stop Loria from trying. In 1981, she was admitted into the Electrical Engineering program of the University of Virginia, despite an important lack of math and physics knowledge. Even though she was valedictorian of her high school class, Loria knew those gaps would make the experience harder for her. Yet, Loria was determined to become an engineer and spent all summer studying what she was missing. “You have to pursue what you want to achieve your goals and have the life you envision,” says Loria. While her college classmates were partying, Loria was studying hard and taking advantage of all the office hours, tutoring, and study sessions offered by her professors to catch up and fill up those gaps. “Those were years of many sacrifices. But there was joy in overcoming challenges to achieve my goals and dreams and, in the process, inspiring others” recognizes Loria. 

Loria wanted it all: a successful career, active community involvement, a great marriage, and to be a wonderful mom. 

When she became an engineer, she was immediately offered a job at Telcordia Technologies Inc. (formerly Bellcore), a telecommunications company where she had worked as a summer engineering intern the previous year. Loria remained there for over ten years, not without advancing in her career. After a few months in her job, Loria started a Masters in the Engineering program at Georgia Institute of Technology, fully supported by her employer through an academic scholarship, completing the program in just one year. Loria worked for several years at Telcordia to bring high band width and fiber optics applications to the home, which are in use still today. 

Then, as Loria climbed the ladder to positions with more responsibility, she wanted to learn more. She applied and was accepted in an Engineering PhD program that she ultimately turned down. “I wanted to broaden my technical reach, not just go deeper in a specific technology” Loria explained. She was lucky to be offered, once again by Telcordia, a full academic scholarship in its patent attorney trainee program for four years. This, again, required some sacrifices since she had a full-time job during the day and law courses at night and weekends. “I didn’t have children or any significant personal commitments, so this was a good time for me to go back to school while working full time” Loria recalled. She pursued what was meaningful to her to be successful, convinced that if she was happy in her career, it would be easier to achieve the balance necessary to “have it all” in life. 

Loria became a patent attorney and remained in Telcordia for five more years. By then she had gotten married and was starting a family. And then she received a call from Honeywell International Inc. They were offering her an outstanding position as the lead patent attorney for the aerospace defense and space business. It was a unique opportunity to be exposed to new industries and technologies, and it was certainly very appealing, but changing jobs meant changing many things in Loria’s life.

Although relocation was not needed, she had to re-establish herself and the balance that she treasured. She didn’t want to lose the flexibility and trust she had built for so many years with Telcordia. So, Loria initiated audacious conversations with her management at Honeywell about the flexibility and tools she needed to succeed in her new position while keeping the family and community life she had built.  Her management was supportive, and Loria discovered that, with courage and open dialogue, it was possible to access the things needed to “have it all”.  That included remote working arrangements, onsite child care, home office equipment, and most of all, trust in her ability to balance it all for the benefit of the company, her family, and her career.  

Loria remained at Honeywell for ten years and during that time relocated from New Jersey to Arizona to become the CEO of Honeywell Intellectual Properties Inc. Just as she had mastered balancing her career at Honeywell with motherhood, marriage, and community, Intellectual Ventures contacted her and offered a position. It was a great opportunity to help shape the emerging invention marketplace. Loria has a very supportive husband who agreed to teleworking, but, this move would be harder as her three daughters were school-aged. Nevertheless, in 2009, with her daughters’ support, Loria joined Intellectual Ventures as their Chief Intellectual Property Counsel for the Invention Investment Fund. 

Loria has been very involved in patent reform and, in 2011, actively participated in the US patent reform legislation known as the America Invents Act. President Obama invited her to the White House for the legislation signature ceremony. Hence, the picture on her desk.

Loria wanted it all. And, through smart steps, courageous perseverance, and optimism, she really has been able to have it all. “Boldly pursue what you want, keeping the ones you love and your priorities (however you define them) at your center, and go for it!  Live your life to achieve completeness and balance”, advises Loria.

Loria Yeadon is a role model for two minorities in the world. But overall she is a role model for all people, men and women, who seek the balance and harmony that allow each of us to achieve excellence in our family, professional, and community life.

Loria’s success confirms that it is possible to attain the equilibrium that we are all looking for. We, too, can have it all.