Stories of Innovation
Global Innovation Spotlight
The Rise of Audiobooks and AI: Transforming the Way We Read
Once, reading was a quiet act. A private conversation between you and the page. Now? That’s changing. Audiobooks have crashed through the library doors, and artificial intelligence is riding shotgun. In 2023, the global audiobook market was valued at over $8 billion. By 2032, some projections place it above $35...
INNOVATE® Washington DMV Edition
SHRMLABS
Spearheading Workplace Innovation Globally
Spearheading Workplace Innovation Globally As the pioneering innovation lab and venture capital arm of SHRM, headquartered in Alexandria, Va., SHRMLabs drives the development of revolutionary and ethical technologies tailored to solve pressing real-world workplace challenges. By connecting a global community of over 325,000 HR professionals with leading startups and innovators...
INNOVATE™ Vancouver Vol.2
Better Basics
Cleans up homes of toxins and saves billions of plastic bottles
Better Basics is on a mission to eliminate homes of toxins and plastic. Their household cleaning personal care and cleaning industry. and personal care refill system is designed to make using all natural, high performing products that save plastic bottles easy and convenient. Better Basics makes “eco-friendly” beautiful and functional...
INNOVATE® Philadelphia
GIRL CONCRETE
BUILDING THE NEXT 250 YEARS
Philadelphia is the birthplace of American independence – a city where ideas of democracy, access, and public responsibility were first debated, documented, and declared. Two and a half centuries later, those ideals are sustained not only by words, but by infrastructure. Streets, sidewalks, schools, hospitals, transit hubs, and public spaces...
INNOVATE® Milwaukee
HSA Bank
HSA BANK IS BUILDING A NEW ERA OF TECHNOLOGY-FOCUSED EXPERIENCES IN FINANCE
HSA BANK IS BUILDING A NEW ERA OF TECHNOLOGY-FOCUSED EXPERIENCES IN FINANCE Technology-driven experience and innovation have the potential to transform employee benefits from a traditional offering into a strategic differentiator for organizations. The benefits sector, traditionally not seen as a tech ‘powerhouse’, is undergoing rapid change as organizations leverage...
INNOVATE® Jacksonville
Jane Shirek Photography
Capturing the intimate souls of her subjects, rather than merely a look
Jane Shirek stands out in the photography industry not only for her widely praised talent but also for her years of experience working with all types of people and clients in many cities and countries. As a photographer, she brings out the very best of everyone she photographs. Jane has...
INNOVATE™ Botswana Vol.1
LITTER KINGS
AND A GREEN ECONOMY
With a staff complement of close to 10 employees on a full-time basis, Litter Kings is a pronounced example of a local business that started from the bottom and relentlessly worked hard to ensure growth and sustainability of the company over the years. The company started running in 2013 when...
INNOVATE® Jacksonville
Breezy HR
Helps You Find Your Next A-Player, Sooner
Hiring doesn’t have to be messy. Say Sayonara! to the stacks of resumes cluttering up your workspace, and let Breezy help you find your next A-player—sooner. With Breezy, you’ll automate time-consuming hiring tasks like advertising your jobs, emailing and texting candidates, scheduling interviews, and gathering feedback from your team. Breezy...
INNOVATION Quebec
MERINOV
À LA TÊTE DE L’ÉCONOMIE BLEUE DANS L’EST DU CANADA
Merinov est un chef de file de l’économie bleue dans l’est du Canada. En fait, il est le plus important centre intégré de recherche appliquée au pays en pêches, aquaculture, transformation et valorisation des produits aquatiques. Depuis sa création en 2010, le centre de recherche vise à incarner le département...
Global Innovation Spotlight
Top 5 challenges in managing employee absences and how to overcome them
Keeping organisational productivity high can be difficult, particularly when managing employee absences. Manual methods of time recording (e.g., spreadsheets) are famously unreliable, and this is without considering the wealth of issues that come with employee absences! From unclear policies to imbalanced workloads, overcoming these challenges requires a structured approach to...
INNOVATE™ Estonia
DATEL
EMPOWERING SMART COMMUNITIES
PIONEERING SPACE TECHNOLOGY FOR SMARTER INFRASTRUCTURE AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT Datel AS, an Estonian IT powerhouse with over three decades of expertise, stands out as a leader in geo-informatics, infrastructure solutions, and pioneering space-based technology. Since its establishment in 1990, Datel has consistently driven innovation and development in IT and communication...
INNOVATE® Washington DMV Edition
MAGGIE O’NEILL
WHAT IF COLOR IS THE ANSWER?
Maggie O’Neill is a Washington, D.C.-based artist, designer, entrepreneur, and activist with 20+ years of experience supporting the city’s creative community through her multifaceted work. Her integral role as one of the District’s cultural leaders at the intersection of arts and hospitality is a culmination of her creative design firm...
INNOVATE™ Alberta
UNBOUNDED THINKING
FROM BUZZWORD TO BLUEPRINT: Unbounded Thinking’s Structured Approach to Innovation
In the broad and often nebulous world of innovation, one company in Alberta aims to change how we think about innovation with its unique approach: Unbounded Thinking. With a mission to transform ‘innovation’ from a vague buzzword into a scientific discipline, the team at Unbounded Thinking brings a refreshing perspective...
INNOVATION Quebec
STARTUP MONTRÉAL
NOUS SOMMES STARTUP MONTRÉAL, UN OBNL DONT LA MISSION EST DE MULTIPLIER LES RETOMBÉES POSITIVES DE L’ÉCOSYSTÈME STARTUP MONTRÉALAIS ET LE FAIRE RAYONNER, ICI COMME AILLEURS
Notre vision : un écosystème startup montréalais attractif et reconnu internationalement pour sa performance, sa diversité et son impact. Nos activités se fondent sur cinq piliers qui guident le développement de nos projets et programmes. Nous travaillons à rendre l’écosystème toujours plus accessible, collaboratif, diversifié et à impact, en croissance,...
INNOVATE® Kansas City
TRIALLY
KANSAS CITY’S AI ANSWER TO CLINICAL TRIAL BREAKTHROUGHS
“There are trials out there that give people hope. Our job is to make sure no one misses out on that chance because of slow processes.” In the heart of the Midwest – where BBQ smoke mixes with startup ambition – a new breed of innovation is transforming medicine’s most...
INNOVATE® Washington DMV Edition
Mintwood Strategies
THE INNOVATORS OF UNOFFICIAL WASHINGTON
There is official Washington you see on TV, which features the National Mall, Congress, and the White House, and there is unofficial Washington, which is home to 700,000 citizens who are denied the ability to electorally participate in official Washington. Mintwood Strategies has carved out a niche in the media...
INNOVATE™ Flanders
TPR @ UNIVERSITY OF ANTWERP
Your partner for research and training on transport and regional economi
TPR was founded as a research group within the University of Antwerp mid 1990’s. It is committed to be an international centre of excellence for fundamental and applied academic training, research and service provision in transport economics, logistics and regional economics. Its mission is to enhance transport and logistics for...
INNOVATE® Nashville
Renewal House
Innovation Rooted in Compassion
Renewal House combines evidence-based treatment with deep compassion, creating innovative paths to recovery that strengthen both mothers and their children. As the only long-term family residential recovery program for women and their children in Middle Tennessee, Renewal House has always been driven by a vision that goes beyond addressing substance...
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® Gaming & Esports
THEGAMEHERS
IS THE FIRST AND LARGEST MEDIA PLATFORM, SOCIAL NETWORKING COMMUNITY, AND LIFESTYLE BRAND FOR WOMEN WHO GAME AND WHO WORK IN THE GAMING SPACE
The global gaming market is forecast to worth $257 billion by 2025 and of the 2.7 billion gamers worldwide, 46% of them are women. The majority of these women experience hate and toxicity while gaming, simply for being women. In fact, in an effort to avoid harassment, 75% of women...
INNOVATE™ Montréal
AIR CANADA
AT THE FOREFRONT OF THIS BURGEONING TECHNOLOGY
Air Canada has made it clear that the development and implementation of artificial intelligence (AI) will play a key part of the airline’s future, and it has already established several initiatives within various branches that will have long-term benefits. In the current climate brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, the...
INNOVATE® Northern Virginia
Procentrix
Focused Vision, Lasting Impact
When Procentrix was founded in 2006, Microsoft technology was already deeply embedded across the federal government. Email systems, collaboration platforms, productivity tools, and emerging cloud capabilities were becoming foundational to how agencies operated. What was lacking, however, was implementation partners deeply skilled in helping government organizations unlock the full potential...
INNOVATION Quebec
COREM
s a centre of expertise and innovation in mineral processing with the largest concentration of resources dedicated to research and innovation in this field in Canada
As a not-for-profit organization, Corem works to improve the competitiveness of the mining industry and reduce environmental impact through the industrialization of innovative solutions. Corem works closely with its Canadian and international mining company members and clients, and its research and government partners to achieve this goal. Founded in...
INNOVATE™ Stockholm
Hack for Earth Foundation
Unleashing Citizen-Driven Innovation with the Power of Hackathons
Hack for Earth began as an ambitious experiment to reinvent the hackathon tool, but it has since evolved into a global movement redefining innovation and democracy for the 21st century. At its core is the concept of citizen-driven innovation, which empowers citizens all over the world to co-create solutions for...
Global Innovation Spotlight
The Rise of Audiobooks and AI: Transforming the Way We Read
Once, reading was a quiet act. A private conversation between you and the page. Now? That’s changing. Audiobooks have crashed through the library doors, and artificial intelligence is riding shotgun. In 2023, the global audiobook market was valued at over $8 billion. By 2032, some projections place it above $35...
INNOVATE® Washington DMV Edition
SHRMLABS
Spearheading Workplace Innovation Globally
Spearheading Workplace Innovation Globally As the pioneering innovation lab and venture capital arm of SHRM, headquartered in Alexandria, Va., SHRMLabs drives the development of revolutionary and ethical technologies tailored to solve pressing real-world workplace challenges. By connecting a global community of over 325,000 HR professionals with leading startups and innovators...
INNOVATE™ Vancouver Vol.2
Better Basics
Cleans up homes of toxins and saves billions of plastic bottles
Better Basics is on a mission to eliminate homes of toxins and plastic. Their household cleaning personal care and cleaning industry. and personal care refill system is designed to make using all natural, high performing products that save plastic bottles easy and convenient. Better Basics makes “eco-friendly” beautiful and functional...
INNOVATE® Philadelphia
GIRL CONCRETE
BUILDING THE NEXT 250 YEARS
Philadelphia is the birthplace of American independence – a city where ideas of democracy, access, and public responsibility were first debated, documented, and declared. Two and a half centuries later, those ideals are sustained not only by words, but by infrastructure. Streets, sidewalks, schools, hospitals, transit hubs, and public spaces...
INNOVATE® Milwaukee
HSA Bank
HSA BANK IS BUILDING A NEW ERA OF TECHNOLOGY-FOCUSED EXPERIENCES IN FINANCE
HSA BANK IS BUILDING A NEW ERA OF TECHNOLOGY-FOCUSED EXPERIENCES IN FINANCE Technology-driven experience and innovation have the potential to transform employee benefits from a traditional offering into a strategic differentiator for organizations. The benefits sector, traditionally not seen as a tech ‘powerhouse’, is undergoing rapid change as organizations leverage...
INNOVATE® Jacksonville
Jane Shirek Photography
Capturing the intimate souls of her subjects, rather than merely a look
Jane Shirek stands out in the photography industry not only for her widely praised talent but also for her years of experience working with all types of people and clients in many cities and countries. As a photographer, she brings out the very best of everyone she photographs. Jane has...
INNOVATE™ Botswana Vol.1
LITTER KINGS
AND A GREEN ECONOMY
With a staff complement of close to 10 employees on a full-time basis, Litter Kings is a pronounced example of a local business that started from the bottom and relentlessly worked hard to ensure growth and sustainability of the company over the years. The company started running in 2013 when...
INNOVATE® Jacksonville
Breezy HR
Helps You Find Your Next A-Player, Sooner
Hiring doesn’t have to be messy. Say Sayonara! to the stacks of resumes cluttering up your workspace, and let Breezy help you find your next A-player—sooner. With Breezy, you’ll automate time-consuming hiring tasks like advertising your jobs, emailing and texting candidates, scheduling interviews, and gathering feedback from your team. Breezy...
INNOVATION Quebec
MERINOV
À LA TÊTE DE L’ÉCONOMIE BLEUE DANS L’EST DU CANADA
Merinov est un chef de file de l’économie bleue dans l’est du Canada. En fait, il est le plus important centre intégré de recherche appliquée au pays en pêches, aquaculture, transformation et valorisation des produits aquatiques. Depuis sa création en 2010, le centre de recherche vise à incarner le département...
Global Innovation Spotlight
Top 5 challenges in managing employee absences and how to overcome them
Keeping organisational productivity high can be difficult, particularly when managing employee absences. Manual methods of time recording (e.g., spreadsheets) are famously unreliable, and this is without considering the wealth of issues that come with employee absences! From unclear policies to imbalanced workloads, overcoming these challenges requires a structured approach to...
INNOVATE™ Estonia
DATEL
EMPOWERING SMART COMMUNITIES
PIONEERING SPACE TECHNOLOGY FOR SMARTER INFRASTRUCTURE AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT Datel AS, an Estonian IT powerhouse with over three decades of expertise, stands out as a leader in geo-informatics, infrastructure solutions, and pioneering space-based technology. Since its establishment in 1990, Datel has consistently driven innovation and development in IT and communication...
INNOVATE® Washington DMV Edition
MAGGIE O’NEILL
WHAT IF COLOR IS THE ANSWER?
Maggie O’Neill is a Washington, D.C.-based artist, designer, entrepreneur, and activist with 20+ years of experience supporting the city’s creative community through her multifaceted work. Her integral role as one of the District’s cultural leaders at the intersection of arts and hospitality is a culmination of her creative design firm...
INNOVATE™ Alberta
UNBOUNDED THINKING
FROM BUZZWORD TO BLUEPRINT: Unbounded Thinking’s Structured Approach to Innovation
In the broad and often nebulous world of innovation, one company in Alberta aims to change how we think about innovation with its unique approach: Unbounded Thinking. With a mission to transform ‘innovation’ from a vague buzzword into a scientific discipline, the team at Unbounded Thinking brings a refreshing perspective...
INNOVATION Quebec
STARTUP MONTRÉAL
NOUS SOMMES STARTUP MONTRÉAL, UN OBNL DONT LA MISSION EST DE MULTIPLIER LES RETOMBÉES POSITIVES DE L’ÉCOSYSTÈME STARTUP MONTRÉALAIS ET LE FAIRE RAYONNER, ICI COMME AILLEURS
Notre vision : un écosystème startup montréalais attractif et reconnu internationalement pour sa performance, sa diversité et son impact. Nos activités se fondent sur cinq piliers qui guident le développement de nos projets et programmes. Nous travaillons à rendre l’écosystème toujours plus accessible, collaboratif, diversifié et à impact, en croissance,...
INNOVATE® Kansas City
TRIALLY
KANSAS CITY’S AI ANSWER TO CLINICAL TRIAL BREAKTHROUGHS
“There are trials out there that give people hope. Our job is to make sure no one misses out on that chance because of slow processes.” In the heart of the Midwest – where BBQ smoke mixes with startup ambition – a new breed of innovation is transforming medicine’s most...
INNOVATE® Washington DMV Edition
Mintwood Strategies
THE INNOVATORS OF UNOFFICIAL WASHINGTON
There is official Washington you see on TV, which features the National Mall, Congress, and the White House, and there is unofficial Washington, which is home to 700,000 citizens who are denied the ability to electorally participate in official Washington. Mintwood Strategies has carved out a niche in the media...
INNOVATE™ Flanders
TPR @ UNIVERSITY OF ANTWERP
Your partner for research and training on transport and regional economi
TPR was founded as a research group within the University of Antwerp mid 1990’s. It is committed to be an international centre of excellence for fundamental and applied academic training, research and service provision in transport economics, logistics and regional economics. Its mission is to enhance transport and logistics for...
INNOVATE® Nashville
Renewal House
Innovation Rooted in Compassion
Renewal House combines evidence-based treatment with deep compassion, creating innovative paths to recovery that strengthen both mothers and their children. As the only long-term family residential recovery program for women and their children in Middle Tennessee, Renewal House has always been driven by a vision that goes beyond addressing substance...
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® Gaming & Esports
THEGAMEHERS
IS THE FIRST AND LARGEST MEDIA PLATFORM, SOCIAL NETWORKING COMMUNITY, AND LIFESTYLE BRAND FOR WOMEN WHO GAME AND WHO WORK IN THE GAMING SPACE
The global gaming market is forecast to worth $257 billion by 2025 and of the 2.7 billion gamers worldwide, 46% of them are women. The majority of these women experience hate and toxicity while gaming, simply for being women. In fact, in an effort to avoid harassment, 75% of women...
INNOVATE™ Montréal
AIR CANADA
AT THE FOREFRONT OF THIS BURGEONING TECHNOLOGY
Air Canada has made it clear that the development and implementation of artificial intelligence (AI) will play a key part of the airline’s future, and it has already established several initiatives within various branches that will have long-term benefits. In the current climate brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, the...
INNOVATE® Northern Virginia
Procentrix
Focused Vision, Lasting Impact
When Procentrix was founded in 2006, Microsoft technology was already deeply embedded across the federal government. Email systems, collaboration platforms, productivity tools, and emerging cloud capabilities were becoming foundational to how agencies operated. What was lacking, however, was implementation partners deeply skilled in helping government organizations unlock the full potential...
INNOVATION Quebec
COREM
s a centre of expertise and innovation in mineral processing with the largest concentration of resources dedicated to research and innovation in this field in Canada
As a not-for-profit organization, Corem works to improve the competitiveness of the mining industry and reduce environmental impact through the industrialization of innovative solutions. Corem works closely with its Canadian and international mining company members and clients, and its research and government partners to achieve this goal. Founded in...
INNOVATE™ Stockholm
Hack for Earth Foundation
Unleashing Citizen-Driven Innovation with the Power of Hackathons
Hack for Earth began as an ambitious experiment to reinvent the hackathon tool, but it has since evolved into a global movement redefining innovation and democracy for the 21st century. At its core is the concept of citizen-driven innovation, which empowers citizens all over the world to co-create solutions for...