Stories of Innovation

Committed to Growth and Innovation Since 1935At William Blair, growth and innovation are in our DNA. As an independent, private partnership, we are committed to providing the world’s leading venture firms with the expert guidance and creative solutions required to unlock value for investors and their portfolio companies. We are...

We look after the engine of your business because your people are what makes a difference. We help our clients to improve their performance and accelerate their growth by having a holistic view of their business and finding unique solutions customised for their environment. We have outstanding People Management capabilities...

OUR STORY Chef Tom Gray is one of North Florida’s most lauded and respected chefs, with two James Beard Award nominations as well as countless awards and accolades. He began his career in his hometown of Jacksonville at the age of 15 at a local country club, with culinary school...

La photonique se retrouve partout : chirurgie laser, manufacture de batteries, ordinateur quantique sont parmi tant d’autres applications qui bénéficient des technologies utilisant la lumière. La présence en sols québécois de centres de recherche et d’industries a mené à un terreau fertile d’innovation chez les jeunespousses technologiques et les entreprises...

At Muse®, we live at the heart of personal transformation through human-centered technology. We are a team of engineers, scientists, artists, marketers, and developers with a mission to help people live happier, healthier, and more connected lives through leading brainwave technologies and experiences. Muse has worked with top-tier goods, transportation,...

In the heart of Estonia, a nation internationally celebrated for its digital prowess and high concentration of billion-dollar startups, a new force is emerging to ensure the longevity of this entrepreneurial legacy. Gen Z Founders is an active community and mentorship network dedicated to connecting and empowering the country’s most...

The Porter House KC is renowned in Kansas City for its commitment to nurturing entrepreneurship among the underrepresented. Its story is not just about an entrepreneurship support organization; it’s about a catalyst for change in Kansas City’s urban core, pushing the envelope of what it means to ‘scale deep’ in...

Memorable moments come in many different shapes and sizes. Airstream Ventures partners with events, companies, and non-profits to create those moments and unique experiences that connect the community on a deeper level. In July of 2018, Alan Verlander and Joel Lamp decided to take a risk and leave their current...

APEX Alberta is Southeast Alberta’s Regional Innovation Network. Nestled in the southern corner of the province, Southeast Alberta is a rural region known for agriculture, energy, defence, and manufacturing. Southeast Alberta’s Regional Innovation Network spans from Special Areas in the north to the County of Newell and Municipal District of...

The Paraná Institute of Technology (TECPAR), a public company of the State Government founded in 1940, is a science and technology institute that, with its technical staff, supports innovation and technological, economic and social development in Paraná and Brazil. TECPAR is present with two units in the city of Curitiba....

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,...

LIDE Parana – A group of business leaders – constantly seeks to drive the Parana market. The entity creates an ecosystem focused on business development based on the pillars of networking and content. Attracting leadership with a positive and proactive agenda, the group fosters free enterprise and consequently the economic...

FOUR RESEARCH AREASDigital territoriesTo promote the development of digital, collaborative, and entrepreneurial skills among the ecosystem stakeholders. SMEs digital transitionSupport small and medium-sized enterprises in their digital transition by fostering the digital skills of leaders, team managers and employees through digital transformation support. Digital entrepreneurship & leadershipStimulate digital entrepreneurship in...

Two hospital networks merged in July 2024 in order to create ZAS, the largest healthcare organization in Belgium. ZAS stands for ‘Ziekenhuis aan de Stroom’ (‘Hospital by the river’), a reference to the Schelde, the river of commercial and strategic importance that defines the city. In similar fashion, ZAS plays...

In a world where storytelling has the power to inspire, educate, and connect people, two Georgetown MBA students, Dumi and Paul, have embarked on a mission to democratize the podcasting medium with their innovative startup, Shanda Studio. Born out of Dumi’s personal experience growing up in Zimbabwe, where media freedom...

From Taguspark, AQVA MORE develops a water saving system for homes and services. AQVA MORE, a startup based at the Taguspark Incubator, has developed a technological system, intuitive and easy to install in any home, which allows for considerable water savings. For example, in a household of four people, the...

Real Ventures is one of Canada’s most active early-stage venture capital firms, dedicated to serving entrepreneurs and nurturing the communities in which they thrive. In 2007, we questioned why brilliant Canadian founders should have to fly to San Francisco to raise seed capital. Since then, we have dedicated ourselves to...

At the heart of Myya lies a deeply personal mission inspired by the life and challenges faced by the Founder and CEO, Jasmine Jones. Witnessing her grandmother’s battle with breast cancer and the subsequent difficulties in finding supportive, well-fitting post-mastectomy bras and prostheses ignited a passion within Jasmine to create...

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...

With over a century of innovation in automobiles, a groundbreaking music scene, amazing architecture and one-of-a-kind fashion labels, DETROIT has long been a place where technical possibility meets great design. Few creative communities truly match the diversity and depth of Detroit’s design roots: a fact well reflected by its designation...

Rachel and Siya Kolisi founded the Kolisi Foundation with this belief in mind: it is through the power of listening that positive change can happen in South Africa. We need to listen to what people dealing with challenging circumstances really need. We need to listen to the people already working...

Depuis cinq décennies, Medtech Canada défend vigoureusement l’innovation en soins de santé au Québec. Les membres de notre association nationale représentant le secteur de la technologie médicale offrent des innovations qui, chaque jour, servent à diagnostiquer, à traiter et à rehausser la qualité de vie des patients au Canada et...

Situated between bustling downtown Atlanta and the tranquil the North Georgia mountains, the City of Alpharetta is emerging as a notable example of how a community can quietly yet effectively embrace innovation and growth. This story isn’t about rapid expansion or high-profile advancements; it’s a tale of how Alpharetta has...

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...