Stories of Innovation
INNOVATE® Chicago Vol.1
PECHAKUCHA
This Japanese-Inspired Creator Platform Inspires Meaningful Connections – In Real Life And VIrtually – Using Time As Its Superpower
PechaKucha was born in 2003 because people talk too much. That’s what happens when passionate people gather together to share ideas and creations. PechaKucha, which means “chit-chat” in Japanese, was founded in Tokyo by architects Mark Dytham and Astrid Klein of Klein Dytham architecture. It originated as a “20×20’’ live...
INNOVATE® South Florida
Palm Beach State College
THE FUTURE IS HERE
THE FUTURE IS HERE Palm Beach State College prepares the workforce of Palm Beach County for the jobs of the future with more than 130 programs of study, including certificate, associate and bachelor’s degree programs in high demand fields such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and medical imaging. Founded in 1933...
INNOVATE® Nashville
MOTUS DRIVE
PRACTICAL MOBILITY SOLUTIONS
Motus Drive was founded by Ferhan Jemal after seeing firsthand the challenges his uncle faced due to limited mobility and the high costs associated with powered wheelchairs. Motivated by this experience, Ferhan spent eight years studying the wheelchair market, talking with industry experts, prototyping, and gathering direct feedback from wheelchair...
INNOVATE® Gaming & Esports
FEMME GAMING
#TheFutureIsFemme
Our mission is simple: to shake the foundations of the gaming industry, one empowered woman at a time by providing a safe space for female gamers to play and showcase their talents. While we’re not the first to recognize the stigma of women in video games, we’re one of the...
INNOVATE™ Curitiba
MANNESOFT
A COMPANY SPECIALIZED IN INTEGRATED SOFTWARE SOLUTIONS.
Mannesoft (software solutions) originated in Brazil, in the city of Curitiba in 1993, founded by Luis Armando Dias, a student who discovered his passion for technology. With an entrepreneurial vision, he recognized the potential of information technology, leading to the creation of various software solutions. The company evolved alongside technological...
INNOVATE® Puerto Rico
eliteBco
Helping Organizations Automate their Business Processes
Founded in 2009, eliteBco provides technologically advanced consulting for state-of-the-art Business Process Automation (BPA) and Financial Management Systems. Many products claim to be flexible and quick to customize, but can these products truly make your process come to life faster? Most cannot… Traditional systems take months or even years to...
INNOVATE™ Antwerp Vol.2
RICE ME UP
DISCOVER THE TRUE VALUE OF RICE
RiceMeUp is a food startup with a focus on changing the image of rice. RiceMeUp offers a wide range of rice varieties with the highest quality through an E-commerce channel and carefully selected retailers. The company is founded by Antwerpians Babak Khazaeli and Annemie Struyf. Rice was cultivated in the...
INNOVATE® Chicago Vol.1
CHICAGO INNOVATION
EDUCATING, CONNECTING AND CELEBRATING INNOVATORS IN THE CHICAGO REGION
Established in 2002 as the Chicago Innovation Awards, Chicago Innovation has grown from a single awards ceremony to a year-round series of events and programs to empower Chicago’s innovation ecosystem. Its vision is to solidify the Chicago region as a global hub of innovation and ensure that innovation is for...
INNOVATE™ Antwerp Vol.2
DELTA CARE
THE SOLUTION FOR MORE EFFICIENT HEALTHCARE IS NOT TECHNOLOGY ITSELF, BUT HOW IT IS INTEGRATED AND EMBRACED BY USERS
European countries have been facing enormous pressure on their healthcare systems. The recent acute problems were resulting from exponential increases in the number of active COVID-19 cases, but there are several underlying challenges that the healthcare sector has been facing for some time now. These include the aging population and...
INNOVATE® Washington DMV Edition
VERSUS - The Rise of a Lifestyle Powerhouse
The Rise of a Lifestyle Powerhouse
VERSUS is a multi-dimensional lifestyle brand rewriting the rules of hospitality, marketing, and venture capital in Washington, D.C. Under the visionary leadership of CEO Vinoda Basnayake, VERSUS has become synonymous with innovation and disruption. This dynamic brand is not just about creating spaces but crafting experiences that resonate deeply with...
INNOVATE® Washington DMV Edition
UNFOLD HOSPITALITY
Innovating D.C.’s Culinary Scene
Unfold Hospitality is the brainchild of Richard Brandenburg and Rubén García, two culinary powerhouses with a shared passion for transforming the food and hospitality industry. Both have extensive experience working under the legendary chef José Andrés, where they earned the nickname “Delta Force” for their ability to conceptualize and execute...
Global Innovation Spotlight
The Free Browser Tool Stack
How one founder runs a startup without paid subscriptions
Running a startup without paid subscriptions forces every choice to be practical. The best setup is a small group of browser-based services that handle writing, planning, files, design, communication, and basic finance. I keep the workflow lean because every recurring fee reduces runway, and the ability to edit PDF documents...
INNOVATE® Austin Volume 2
Promise Legal
Is Passionate About Bringing Technical Solutions Into The Very Heart Of Legal Work
In many ways, Promise Legal shares its clients’ startup mentality: hungry to add value, obsessed with refining and improving their offerings at every turn. That ethos, along with Promise’s vision for a truly forward thinking law firm, prompts the company to proactively seek out and implement new technologies. That means...
INNOVATE™ Oeiras
LOGICALIS
We Are Architects Of Change
At Logicalis Portugal we help our clients transform their business through IT, and their success is our success. We operate as an IT Solution Provider since the year 2000 mainly in the Portuguese market, and we’re now part of a leading global technology group, Logicalis. Logicalis is an international solutions...
INNOVATE™ Estonia
SILEN
HOW SILENCE BECAME SILEN’S GLOBAL LANGUAGE
Silen’s journey began with a simple conviction: silence is not a luxury, but a necessity for focus, creativity, and well-being. What started as an idea in Estonia has grown into the world’s leading provider of office pods and privacy solutions, trusted by companies in more than 60 countries — including...
INNOVATE® Washington DMV Edition
ULTIMATE ENDGAMERS LEAGUE
Unleashing the Future of Esports
“Our mission is to elevate esports to a global phenomenon, ensuring longevity and inclusivity in competitive gaming.” The world of esports is rapidly evolving. Staying ahead of the game, one company stands out not just for its innovative approach but for its vision to redefine the gaming industry: Ultimate Endgamers...
Global Innovation Spotlight
The New Generation of Climate Entrepreneurs Building a Greener Economy
While climate change seems like an enormous challenge, many young entrepreneurs are not sitting around, waiting for others to resolve the problem. Instead, they are starting their ventures focused on renewable energy, improved food systems, transportation, reduction of waste and more sustainable cities. The founders of these ventures are far...
INNOVATE® Puerto Rico
WUNDERMAN THOMPSON
BUILDING GROWTH FOR AMBITIOUS BRANDS
Something has changed in the last two years in Puerto Rico, and we are not talking about the pandemic. J. Walter Thompson, a pioneer agency in strategy and creativity, merged with Wunderman, a leading agency in data and technology. In 2019, Wunderman Thompson Puerto Rico was born, an agency that...
INNOVATE® Milwaukee
INTERNSHIP ON DEMAND
HOW INTERNSHIP ON DEMAND IS REDEFINING THE PATH TO CAREER SUCCESS
Every year, millions of college students graduate without ever having experienced the workplace firsthand. Employers demand experience, but when only 30% of college students complete an internship on an annual basis, what do those left on the outside looking in do? That’s where Internship on Demand comes in. Launched in...
INNOVATE® Gaming & Esports
SMITH GAMBRELL RUSSELL
A FULL-SERVICE LAW FIRM REPRESENTING THE BUSINESS NEEDS OF OUR CLIENTS IN THE ENTERTAINMENT ECOSYSTEM
Smith, Gambrell & Russell, LLP’s (SGR) entertainment practice includes legal practitioners specializing in intellectual property protection, technology, corporate transactional, tax, and real estate matters. The Firm’s founders began practicing law more than 125 years ago to commit to excellence and attract a wide array of talent dedicated to serving our...
INNOVATE® Maryland
SoKat
Turning AI Research Into Mission-Ready Infrastructure
When Dr. Jim Kyung-Soo Liew founded SoKat in 2014, the problem he set out to solve wasn’t a shortage of AI innovation. It was separation. Research was accelerating inside the world’s leading universities. Yet much of that intelligence stalled before it reached the institutions that needed it most. Federal agencies...
INNOVATION Quebec
PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA INDUSTRIAL CHAIR
ÉCOLE DE TECHNOLOGIE SUPÉRIEURE ON PROPULSION SYSTEM INTEGRATION AND OPTIMIZATION (2011-2028)
Canada’s first NSERC-P&WC Executive Industrial Chair in Aerospace Research on Propulsion System Integration and Optimization (2011-2016). These projects filled a significant lack of data and criteria in the literature on the preliminary design phase of aircraft engines. The goal was to develop an automated and integrated turbine design system that...
INNOVATE® Washington DMV Edition
WHARTON DC INNOVATION
A Legacy of Innovation
“The Summit is where solutions to our nation’s most pressing problems are birthed.” The Wharton Club of D.C., grounded in the rich legacy of the Wharton School’s distinguished alumni, has grown into a pivotal ecosystem of innovation and enterprise. Established in 1968, the Club has curated a potent alchemy of...
Global Innovation Spotlight
3 Proven Ways to Get Office Privacy Instantly
3 Proven Ways to Get Office Privacy Instantly Three proven ways to get office privacy instantly include deploying modular acoustic pods, installing flexible acoustic partitions, and adopting smart scheduling protocols. In open-plan offices, 63% of employees report lacking quiet space for focused work, negatively affecting their productivity, satisfaction, and well-being,...
INNOVATE® Chicago Vol.1
PECHAKUCHA
This Japanese-Inspired Creator Platform Inspires Meaningful Connections – In Real Life And VIrtually – Using Time As Its Superpower
PechaKucha was born in 2003 because people talk too much. That’s what happens when passionate people gather together to share ideas and creations. PechaKucha, which means “chit-chat” in Japanese, was founded in Tokyo by architects Mark Dytham and Astrid Klein of Klein Dytham architecture. It originated as a “20×20’’ live...
INNOVATE® South Florida
Palm Beach State College
THE FUTURE IS HERE
THE FUTURE IS HERE Palm Beach State College prepares the workforce of Palm Beach County for the jobs of the future with more than 130 programs of study, including certificate, associate and bachelor’s degree programs in high demand fields such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and medical imaging. Founded in 1933...
INNOVATE® Nashville
MOTUS DRIVE
PRACTICAL MOBILITY SOLUTIONS
Motus Drive was founded by Ferhan Jemal after seeing firsthand the challenges his uncle faced due to limited mobility and the high costs associated with powered wheelchairs. Motivated by this experience, Ferhan spent eight years studying the wheelchair market, talking with industry experts, prototyping, and gathering direct feedback from wheelchair...
INNOVATE® Gaming & Esports
FEMME GAMING
#TheFutureIsFemme
Our mission is simple: to shake the foundations of the gaming industry, one empowered woman at a time by providing a safe space for female gamers to play and showcase their talents. While we’re not the first to recognize the stigma of women in video games, we’re one of the...
INNOVATE™ Curitiba
MANNESOFT
A COMPANY SPECIALIZED IN INTEGRATED SOFTWARE SOLUTIONS.
Mannesoft (software solutions) originated in Brazil, in the city of Curitiba in 1993, founded by Luis Armando Dias, a student who discovered his passion for technology. With an entrepreneurial vision, he recognized the potential of information technology, leading to the creation of various software solutions. The company evolved alongside technological...
INNOVATE® Puerto Rico
eliteBco
Helping Organizations Automate their Business Processes
Founded in 2009, eliteBco provides technologically advanced consulting for state-of-the-art Business Process Automation (BPA) and Financial Management Systems. Many products claim to be flexible and quick to customize, but can these products truly make your process come to life faster? Most cannot… Traditional systems take months or even years to...
INNOVATE™ Antwerp Vol.2
RICE ME UP
DISCOVER THE TRUE VALUE OF RICE
RiceMeUp is a food startup with a focus on changing the image of rice. RiceMeUp offers a wide range of rice varieties with the highest quality through an E-commerce channel and carefully selected retailers. The company is founded by Antwerpians Babak Khazaeli and Annemie Struyf. Rice was cultivated in the...
INNOVATE® Chicago Vol.1
CHICAGO INNOVATION
EDUCATING, CONNECTING AND CELEBRATING INNOVATORS IN THE CHICAGO REGION
Established in 2002 as the Chicago Innovation Awards, Chicago Innovation has grown from a single awards ceremony to a year-round series of events and programs to empower Chicago’s innovation ecosystem. Its vision is to solidify the Chicago region as a global hub of innovation and ensure that innovation is for...
INNOVATE™ Antwerp Vol.2
DELTA CARE
THE SOLUTION FOR MORE EFFICIENT HEALTHCARE IS NOT TECHNOLOGY ITSELF, BUT HOW IT IS INTEGRATED AND EMBRACED BY USERS
European countries have been facing enormous pressure on their healthcare systems. The recent acute problems were resulting from exponential increases in the number of active COVID-19 cases, but there are several underlying challenges that the healthcare sector has been facing for some time now. These include the aging population and...
INNOVATE® Washington DMV Edition
VERSUS - The Rise of a Lifestyle Powerhouse
The Rise of a Lifestyle Powerhouse
VERSUS is a multi-dimensional lifestyle brand rewriting the rules of hospitality, marketing, and venture capital in Washington, D.C. Under the visionary leadership of CEO Vinoda Basnayake, VERSUS has become synonymous with innovation and disruption. This dynamic brand is not just about creating spaces but crafting experiences that resonate deeply with...
INNOVATE® Washington DMV Edition
UNFOLD HOSPITALITY
Innovating D.C.’s Culinary Scene
Unfold Hospitality is the brainchild of Richard Brandenburg and Rubén García, two culinary powerhouses with a shared passion for transforming the food and hospitality industry. Both have extensive experience working under the legendary chef José Andrés, where they earned the nickname “Delta Force” for their ability to conceptualize and execute...
Global Innovation Spotlight
The Free Browser Tool Stack
How one founder runs a startup without paid subscriptions
Running a startup without paid subscriptions forces every choice to be practical. The best setup is a small group of browser-based services that handle writing, planning, files, design, communication, and basic finance. I keep the workflow lean because every recurring fee reduces runway, and the ability to edit PDF documents...
INNOVATE® Austin Volume 2
Promise Legal
Is Passionate About Bringing Technical Solutions Into The Very Heart Of Legal Work
In many ways, Promise Legal shares its clients’ startup mentality: hungry to add value, obsessed with refining and improving their offerings at every turn. That ethos, along with Promise’s vision for a truly forward thinking law firm, prompts the company to proactively seek out and implement new technologies. That means...
INNOVATE™ Oeiras
LOGICALIS
We Are Architects Of Change
At Logicalis Portugal we help our clients transform their business through IT, and their success is our success. We operate as an IT Solution Provider since the year 2000 mainly in the Portuguese market, and we’re now part of a leading global technology group, Logicalis. Logicalis is an international solutions...
INNOVATE™ Estonia
SILEN
HOW SILENCE BECAME SILEN’S GLOBAL LANGUAGE
Silen’s journey began with a simple conviction: silence is not a luxury, but a necessity for focus, creativity, and well-being. What started as an idea in Estonia has grown into the world’s leading provider of office pods and privacy solutions, trusted by companies in more than 60 countries — including...
INNOVATE® Washington DMV Edition
ULTIMATE ENDGAMERS LEAGUE
Unleashing the Future of Esports
“Our mission is to elevate esports to a global phenomenon, ensuring longevity and inclusivity in competitive gaming.” The world of esports is rapidly evolving. Staying ahead of the game, one company stands out not just for its innovative approach but for its vision to redefine the gaming industry: Ultimate Endgamers...
Global Innovation Spotlight
The New Generation of Climate Entrepreneurs Building a Greener Economy
While climate change seems like an enormous challenge, many young entrepreneurs are not sitting around, waiting for others to resolve the problem. Instead, they are starting their ventures focused on renewable energy, improved food systems, transportation, reduction of waste and more sustainable cities. The founders of these ventures are far...
INNOVATE® Puerto Rico
WUNDERMAN THOMPSON
BUILDING GROWTH FOR AMBITIOUS BRANDS
Something has changed in the last two years in Puerto Rico, and we are not talking about the pandemic. J. Walter Thompson, a pioneer agency in strategy and creativity, merged with Wunderman, a leading agency in data and technology. In 2019, Wunderman Thompson Puerto Rico was born, an agency that...
INNOVATE® Milwaukee
INTERNSHIP ON DEMAND
HOW INTERNSHIP ON DEMAND IS REDEFINING THE PATH TO CAREER SUCCESS
Every year, millions of college students graduate without ever having experienced the workplace firsthand. Employers demand experience, but when only 30% of college students complete an internship on an annual basis, what do those left on the outside looking in do? That’s where Internship on Demand comes in. Launched in...
INNOVATE® Gaming & Esports
SMITH GAMBRELL RUSSELL
A FULL-SERVICE LAW FIRM REPRESENTING THE BUSINESS NEEDS OF OUR CLIENTS IN THE ENTERTAINMENT ECOSYSTEM
Smith, Gambrell & Russell, LLP’s (SGR) entertainment practice includes legal practitioners specializing in intellectual property protection, technology, corporate transactional, tax, and real estate matters. The Firm’s founders began practicing law more than 125 years ago to commit to excellence and attract a wide array of talent dedicated to serving our...
INNOVATE® Maryland
SoKat
Turning AI Research Into Mission-Ready Infrastructure
When Dr. Jim Kyung-Soo Liew founded SoKat in 2014, the problem he set out to solve wasn’t a shortage of AI innovation. It was separation. Research was accelerating inside the world’s leading universities. Yet much of that intelligence stalled before it reached the institutions that needed it most. Federal agencies...
INNOVATION Quebec
PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA INDUSTRIAL CHAIR
ÉCOLE DE TECHNOLOGIE SUPÉRIEURE ON PROPULSION SYSTEM INTEGRATION AND OPTIMIZATION (2011-2028)
Canada’s first NSERC-P&WC Executive Industrial Chair in Aerospace Research on Propulsion System Integration and Optimization (2011-2016). These projects filled a significant lack of data and criteria in the literature on the preliminary design phase of aircraft engines. The goal was to develop an automated and integrated turbine design system that...
INNOVATE® Washington DMV Edition
WHARTON DC INNOVATION
A Legacy of Innovation
“The Summit is where solutions to our nation’s most pressing problems are birthed.” The Wharton Club of D.C., grounded in the rich legacy of the Wharton School’s distinguished alumni, has grown into a pivotal ecosystem of innovation and enterprise. Established in 1968, the Club has curated a potent alchemy of...
Global Innovation Spotlight
3 Proven Ways to Get Office Privacy Instantly
3 Proven Ways to Get Office Privacy Instantly Three proven ways to get office privacy instantly include deploying modular acoustic pods, installing flexible acoustic partitions, and adopting smart scheduling protocols. In open-plan offices, 63% of employees report lacking quiet space for focused work, negatively affecting their productivity, satisfaction, and well-being,...