Dr. Ashley Bryant Took on a $70-Billion Tech Giant, Represented Herself, and Won
Nationwide — Dr. Ashley Bryant had a simple idea: build a software platform to help therapists grow their practices. What she did not plan for was having to fight one of the biggest tech companies in America to keep the name she built it under. She fought anyway — without a single attorney — and she won.
On February 18, 2026, the United States Patent and Trademark Office’s Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB) issued a final order dismissing DoorDash, Inc.’s trademark opposition with prejudice in the case DoorDash, Inc. v. LeadDash Marketing LLC, Opposition No. 91299424. The dismissal with prejudice is permanent. DoorDash cannot refile the same challenge against Dr. Bryant’s brand ever again. Her trademark, LEADDASH, will now proceed toward full federal registration.
Dr. Bryant, a Black woman entrepreneur based in Edmond, Oklahoma, is a licensed professional counselor, PhD-holder, and mental health subject matter expert. Her company, LeadDash Marketing LLC, provides EHR and marketing software built exclusively for therapists and mental health professionals — helping practitioners manage client leads, grow their practices, and spend more time doing what they were trained to do: heal people.
DoorDash, the $70-billion food delivery platform, filed its Notice of Opposition in June 2025, claiming that LeadDash’s name would confuse consumers with its family of “DASH” branded products, including DOORDASH, DASHPASS, and DASHER. The company was represented by Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP, a prominent national law firm. Dr. Bryant had no attorney. She represented herself — a legal posture known as proceeding pro se — and took on the entire proceeding alone.
What she lacked in legal muscle, she made up for in preparation, precision, and facts. Dr. Bryant filed a comprehensive answer, laid out a clear argument that the two brands operate in completely different industries, and documented that DoorDash’s own lawyers had previously communicated that a narrowed service description for her trademark would resolve their concerns. She had already made exactly that amendment — and the USPTO had already accepted it — before the opposition proceedings had even truly begun.
From there, DoorDash’s case began to unravel on its own. The company missed a mandatory Board-ordered discovery conference deadline without seeking any extension or communicating with the Board. It offered to withdraw the case and then failed to follow through. It ultimately filed two contradictory motions on the same day. Each time, Dr. Bryant responded — methodically, persistently, and on her own — calling out the procedural failures and asking the Board to dismiss the case with prejudice.
“I built LeadDash to serve mental health professionals, a community that is already underserved and overworked,” said Dr. Bryant. “My brand has nothing to do with food delivery. I knew that. The facts showed that. And I wasn’t going to let the size of their legal team change what was true.”
The victory carries significance well beyond one trademark filing. Black women are among the most underrepresented groups in federal trademark ownership in the United States, and many face insurmountable barriers when powerful corporations challenge their intellectual property. Dr. Bryant’s case is a testament to what is possible when a Black woman entrepreneur knows her rights, trusts the record, and refuses to be intimidated out of what she built.
Dr. Bryant is also the founder of Legacy Family Services, Inc., a mental health group practice, and serves as a mental health subject matter expert, where she leads research on workplace well-being. She is a sought-after keynote speaker and has served corporate teams, healthcare organizations, academic institutions, and nonprofits across the country.
LeadDash Marketing LLC is currently welcoming founding members. Therapists and mental health professionals can learn more and join the platform at leaddash.io.
About LeadDash Marketing LLC
LeadDash Marketing LLC is an Edmond, Oklahoma-based technology company founded by Dr. Ashley Bryant. The company provides EHR, client management, and marketing software solutions built exclusively for licensed therapists and mental health professionals — giving practitioners the same quality business tools available to any professional service provider. Learn more at LeadDash.io
About Dr. Ashley Bryant
Dr. Ashley Bryant, PhD, LPC, CRC, BC-TMH, is a licensed professional counselor, keynote speaker, and founder of LeadDash Marketing LLC. Dr. Bryant is a nationally recognized voice on workplace mental health, burnout prevention, and inclusive leadership. Dr. Bryant has also been featured as a mental health expert on TLC’s My 600-lb Life, PBS, NPR, CBS, and FOX.
For press inquiries, contact info@leaddash.io