From IP to AI.
Protecting what you build, and building what's next.
I'm Chris Mendez, and for 30+ years I've helped entrepreneurs, creators, and brands understand the value of protecting what they build. My mission is simple: make complicated topics feel approachable, and give people the confidence to take action.
Chriselide “Chris” Mendez
Intellectual Property Paralegal and educator
A journey that started in a trademark department in 1994, and grew into a life's mission of teaching others how to protect what they build.
Chriselide “Chris” Mendez is an Intellectual Property Paralegal and educator with more than thirty years of experience in intellectual property.
Her career began in 1994 as a file clerk in the trademark department at Pennie and Edmonds, one of New York's leading intellectual property firms. From there, she worked her way through trademark prosecution, international renewals, assignments, and portfolio management, building the kind of practical experience that comes from decades of working behind the scenes with brands and intellectual property.
Today, Chris brings that foundation into the world of artificial intelligence. She is an AI Certified Consultant and Co Founder and AI Transformation Director of M² Innovation Group, where she teaches entrepreneurs how to use artificial intelligence responsibly while protecting the ideas, brands, and knowledge they are building.
Based in Miami and bilingual in English and Spanish, Chris is also a number one Amazon bestselling author, speaker, and educator. Whether she is helping an entrepreneur better understand how to protect a brand name or logo, or speaking to an organization about intellectual property and AI, her approach is warm, practical, and grounded in real world experience.
Three worlds. One mission.
Across every stage of my work, the mission is the same: protect what matters, honor the journey, and build a lasting legacy.
Trademarks, copyrights, patents, and portfolio strategy, translated for founders, creators, authors, and consultants.
Helping professionals embrace AI and build businesses that are prepared for the future, without losing what makes them human.
Meaningful ceremonies for one of life's most important commitments, in English or Spanish, with warmth and heart.
The official USPTO tools
These are free and they are the real ones. Bookmark them.
AI Sin FronterasTM
Latina women leading with artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence is already changing how we work, build, and grow our businesses. AI Sin Fronteras exists so our community is not left out of that change.
Through workshops, keynotes, and training programs in Spanish, English, and Spanglish, we help Latina entrepreneurs and professionals turn artificial intelligence into something practical. Saving time. Working smarter. Creating content. Organizing operations. Monetizing what they already know. Using AI responsibly and protecting what matters.
Organizations bring AI Sin Fronteras to their communities. Chambers of commerce, women's organizations, nonprofits, universities, and corporate Latino employee groups.
Warmth, real-world experience, and a plan you can actually use.
As a speaker, Chris brings warmth, real-world experience, and practical education to every stage. Her goal is simple: make complicated topics feel approachable and give people the confidence to take action.
Available for keynotes, workshops, and summit sessions on intellectual property, AI for entrepreneurs, and building a brand that lasts.
Straight answers about trademarks
Plain-English (and Spanish) answers to the questions founders ask Chris most.
The USPTO base application fee is $350 per class of goods or services. If your mark covers more than one category, you pay $350 for each, and additional surcharges may apply depending on how you complete the application. Everything else, searches, drafting, monitoring, you can do yourself for free with the right walkthrough. Chris Mendez, IP paralegal with 30+ years of experience.
If you live in the United States, the USPTO does not require an attorney to file a trademark application. You can file it yourself. An attorney becomes necessary if the USPTO issues a substantive office action, if someone opposes your mark, or if you are based outside the U.S.
The V.A.U.L.T. Method™ is Chris Mendez's five-step framework for protecting a brand: Validate the name, Audit your IP inventory, Uncover conflicts through USPTO search, Lock In proof of use, and Track your registration and renewal deadlines. It turns a confusing legal process into a checklist any founder can follow.
Yes. Every guide, worksheet, and walkthrough on this site is fully bilingual, use the EN | ES toggle at the top of any page. Chris also answers questions and reviews filings in Spanish. Cómo registrar una marca en Estados Unidos, explicado en tu idioma.
Start at the free USPTO Trademark Search System (tmsearch.uspto.gov) and search for your exact name, similar spellings, and phonetic matches within the goods or services you sell. Also check state business registries and a plain Google search. The IP Navigator Shield™ USPTO Walkthrough shows you the exact clicks.
Bring in a licensed attorney when the USPTO issues a substantive office action, when someone opposes or cancels your mark, when your mark is refused as descriptive or likely to cause confusion, or when you need to enforce your rights against an infringer. For the initial filing of a clear, distinctive mark, most founders can file it themselves.
Four free AI prompts, delivered.
Share your name and email. Get the four prompts Chris uses to audit brands and run preliminary trademark searches.