Stories of Innovation

INNOVATE® Gaming & Esports

DREAMCRAFT

We Are Hands-On Venture Engineers Who Support Dreamers And Crafters Building Legendary Companies

At Dreamcraft, we invest in European tech-driven companies from pre-seed to Series A. We are generalists with a proven track record in iGaming, gaming, esports, D2C, B2B SaaS, and decarbonization. We believe success is created by a team of dreamers and crafters – and we are venture engineers who help...

INNOVATE® Jacksonville

Rethreaded

Rethreaded-Provides A Second Chance At Life Through Employment For Survivors Of Human Trafficking

Provides A Second Chance At Life Through Employment For Survivors Of Human Trafficking

ELEVATOR PITCH Rethreaded provides a second chance at life through employment for survivors of human trafficking. Women have employment opportunities in different facets of the company, including production, inventory, sales, marketing and finance/admin. Through its own enterprise and its distribution company that partners with like-minded businesses, Rethreaded’s mission is to...

INNOVATE™ Stockholm

ESFANDIARI

DESIGNING A NEW FUTURE FOR FASHION

Born just outside Stockholm in 2000, Samantha Esfandiari has quickly emerged as a powerful new voice in the Swedish fashion industry. One that merges skilled craftsmanship with a deep commitment to sustainability and circular design. As a designer, entrepreneur, and educator, she is shaping a bold vision of what fashion...

INNOVATE™ Toronto

NRSTOR INCORPORATED

NRSTOR INCORPORATED – INNOVATIVE ENERGY STORAGE SOLUTIONS INSPIRING THE GRID TO DELIVER A CLEAN ENERGY FUTURE

INNOVATIVE ENERGY STORAGE SOLUTIONS INSPIRING THE GRID TO DELIVER A CLEAN ENERGY FUTURE

NRStor Incorporated is an industry-leading Canadian energy storage developer, owner and operator with experience deploying energy storage across the energy supply chain. Our vision is to deploy energy storage projects at scale in order to accelerate the transition to a low-carbon energy system. NRStor has successfully deployed numerous first-of-a-kind energy...

INNOVATE® Jacksonville

Phase Eight Theater Company

Phase Eight Theater Company - Pushing The Boundaries Of Performance

Pushing The Boundaries Of Performance

WHO WE ARE Phase Eight Theater Company is the latest arts organization to be formed in Jacksonville, Florida. It is recognized as a boundary-pushing and socially progressive theater group. They’ve presented fourteen productions in its first two and a half years of existence having performed for hundreds of audience members....

INNOVATE® Nashville

DALTON GETS PEOPLE

DALTON GETS PEOPLE- AND THAT'S HOW THEY GET RESULTS

AND THAT'S HOW THEY GET RESULTS

Since 1989, truly understanding people has been a unique trait of Dalton – a leading advertising, public relations and digital marketing agency with offices across the Southeast, in Nashville, Atlanta and Jacksonville. On every project, Dalton digs deep to uncover the insights and human truths that get to the emotional...

INNOVATE® Georgia

CATALYST BY WELLSTAR

LET’S DISRUPT THE STATUS QUO TO CREATE A HEALTHIER FUTURE FOR ALL OF US.

To push Wellstar’s legacy of innovation even further, Catalyst by Wellstar was created in 2021 as the first-of-its-kind innovation company and venture firm. A team of innovators, investors, and builders was assembled to harness the decades of experience and knowledge of Wellstar and shape the future of healthcare. Grounded in...

INNOVATION Quebec

HACKING HEALTH

MONTRÉAL ET VILLE DE QUÉBEC

FACILITATEURS D’ÉCOSYSTÈMES LOCAUX D’INNOVATION EN SANTÉ LIÉS À 40 CHAPITRES HH AU CANADA ET DANS LE MONDE Hacking Health est un mouvement bénévole, à but non lucratif, né à Montréal en 2012. Aujourd’hui, l’organisation compte 40 chapitres sur les cinq continents et anime une communauté internationale de facilitateurs d’écosystèmes locaux...

INNOVATE® Georgia

EQUIFAX

INNOVATION AT EQUIFAX

As a global data, analytics, and technology company, Equifax recognizes the importance of exploration and innovation. Equifax plays an important role in the lives of consumers, and its focus on innovation and driving greater financial inclusion is a part of a commitment to creating a positive impact on people’s personal...

INNOVATE® Nashville

LODESTONE ADVISORY GROUP

Is reimagining venture capital and economic development from the ground up

When we founded Lodestone Advisory Group in 2013, business leaders were tired of a management consulting industry that was a stiff, black box offering one-size-fits-all “solutions,” with little accountability on end results. Lodestone, named after the naturally occurring magnetic powder that gave early merchants and tradesmen the ability to navigate...

INNOVATE™ Adelaide

BESTON GLOBAL FOOD

Disruptive change in extended Food and Beverage supply chains

This creates critical challenges for business to protect brand reputations and achieve sustainability. Digitisation and traceability are increasingly becoming indispensable to enable businesses to diversify and grow while minimising cost and threats of adulteration, counterfeiting and diversion. At Beston Technologies (BT), a wholly owned (ASX listed) Beston Global Foods (BFC)...

INNOVATION Quebec

2 Degrés

IS A CLEANTECH SPECIALIZED INCUBATOR IN THE PROVINCE OF QUEBEC

2 Degres supports early-stage startups that propose an innovative solution showing a strong potential for growth and impact in the energy, waste and water sectors. Based in Quebec City, 2 Degres was cofounded in 2019 by young business people driven by a strong desire to have a concrete impact and...

INNOVATE® Washington DMV Edition

upace™

Revolutionizing How Members Engage with Recreation Centers

Revolutionizing How Members Engage with Recreation Centers In 2014, Rachel Koretsky founded Upace, which has since skyrocketed to become the top mobile app engagement and reservation platform, supporting over one million members of community recreation centers across the US and Canada. Her journey started at American University, driven by a...

INNOVATION Quebec

CRVI

LE CENTRE DE ROBOTIQUE ET DE VISION INDUSTRIELLES (CRVI) : UN ACTEUR INCONTOURNABLE AU QUÉBEC DANS L’IMPLANTATION DES TECHNOLOGIES DE ROBOTIQUE, DE VISION NUMÉRIQUE ET D’INTELLIGENCE ARTIFICIELLE

En 1983, les six premiers Centres spécialisés ont vu le jour, à la suite de la présentation du projet au Sommet économique de Québec. Leur mise sur pied avait pour objectif de contribuer à la relance de l’économie québécoise en faisant des cégeps des moteurs du développement régional et de...

INNOVATE® South Carolina

JTEKT North America

Looking for Trouble, Delivering Solutions

At JTEKT North America, innovation isn’t just a buzzword; it’s an invitation. An invitation to businesses facing their toughest challenges. When it comes to solving the problems that seem unsolvable, JTEKT isn’t shy about one thing: we’re actively “looking for trouble.” Not the kind of trouble that comes with poor...

INNOVATE® New Jersey Vol.2

BIGGINS LACEY SHAPIRO & CO

BRIDGING THE GAP BETWEEN COMPANIES AND THEIR SITE SELECTION NEEDS THROUGH LOCATION ECONOMICS®

OUR STORYBiggins Lacy Shapiro & Company (BLS & Co.) is one of the largest independent firms in the specialty fields of site selection and economic development incentives advisory services. Our principals have been delivering our mix of services for more than twenty-five years and arehighly respected leaders in their field....

INNOVATE™ Antwerp Vol.2

SIGI HERMANS

SIGI HERMANS-PERSONAL BRANDING PHOTOGRAPHY FOR ENTREPRENEURS

PERSONAL BRANDING PHOTOGRAPHY FOR ENTREPRENEURS

Ever since I was a young girl, I have loved photography immensely. In the darkroom I felt like a fish in water. Meanwhile, much has changed. Analogue is (almost) gone and of course I switched to digital a long time ago. Digital or analog, photography remains my greatest passion. I...

INNOVATE™ Adelaide

A Trusted Partner in Enterprise Innovation and Transformation since 2010

Chamonix IT Solutions has been South Australia’s trusted partner in digital transformation for the past 13 years, working with businesses across a range of industries to ensure they stay ahead of the game. Delivering high value, tangible outcomes for customersFounded in 2010 with a strong commitment to enabling businesses to...

INNOVATE® Washington DMV Edition

CAPITAL WORKFORCE INNOVATION CONSORTIUM

Empowering D.C.’s Future Through Workforce Innovation

The InnovationFounded in 2024, the Capital Workforce Innovation Consortium is a Next Generation Sector Partnership formed by the District of Columbia Department of Employment Services (DOES) and convened by BuildWithin. This initiative serves as an engine for aligning local talent with market demands through robust public-private partnerships, particularly in the...

INNOVATION Quebec

UQAT

INSTITUT DE RECHERCHE EN MINES ET EN ENVIRONNEMENT (IRME)

L’IRME, des solutions pour un développement minier durableLocalisé au cœur d’un centre minier de calibre international, l’Institut de recherche en mines et en environnement (IRME-UQAT) a été créé en 2012, une décision stratégique démontrant l’engagement de l’institution envers le développement durable du secteur minier. Avec une croissance continue et forte...

INNOVATION Quebec

OPTECH

CCTT EN OPTIQUE-PHOTONIQUE

Le centre collégial de transfert technologique (CCTT) Optech est un organisme à but non lucratif (OBNL) qui a été fondé en 2002 avec la mission de faire connaître les technologies reliées à l’optique – photonique et de contribuer à leur implantation afin de soutenir les efforts d’amélioration de productivité et...

INNOVATION Quebec

ITEGA

CCTT EN EMBALLAGE ET GÉNIE ALIMENTAIRE

Intégré au Collège de Maisonneuve, l’Institut de Technologie des Emballages et du Génie Alimentaire ITEGA est un centre collégial de transfert de technologie (CCTT) qui œuvre dans le secteur agro-alimentaire. Notre mission consiste à accompagner les entreprises dans l’innovation et l’adoption de nouveaux savoir-faire en technologie d’emballage et de procédés...

INNOVATION Quebec

CERASP

CCTT IN PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCES

CERASP is a centre for applied research in pharmaceutical sciences located in the Montreal Innovation Centre in Saint-Laurent. Our CCTT is a unique partner that provides innovative and sustainable turnkey solutions with tangible results, guiding you from concept to market via research and development, technical support, testing, consulting, piloting and...

INNOVATE® Nashville

MINDFUL

MINDFUL-Add kindness to your tech stack

Add kindness to your tech stack.

Revitalizing a 25-year-old software company is no small task, but can be a pathway towards innovation and compelling value creation for employees, customers, and investors. That’s the story of Mindful, a contact center software company that relocated to Nashville in 2018, which was acquired by Medallia in 2022 after an...

INNOVATE® Gaming & Esports

DREAMCRAFT

We Are Hands-On Venture Engineers Who Support Dreamers And Crafters Building Legendary Companies

At Dreamcraft, we invest in European tech-driven companies from pre-seed to Series A. We are generalists with a proven track record in iGaming, gaming, esports, D2C, B2B SaaS, and decarbonization. We believe success is created by a team of dreamers and crafters – and we are venture engineers who help...

INNOVATE® Jacksonville

Rethreaded

Rethreaded-Provides A Second Chance At Life Through Employment For Survivors Of Human Trafficking

Provides A Second Chance At Life Through Employment For Survivors Of Human Trafficking

ELEVATOR PITCH Rethreaded provides a second chance at life through employment for survivors of human trafficking. Women have employment opportunities in different facets of the company, including production, inventory, sales, marketing and finance/admin. Through its own enterprise and its distribution company that partners with like-minded businesses, Rethreaded’s mission is to...

INNOVATE™ Stockholm

ESFANDIARI

DESIGNING A NEW FUTURE FOR FASHION

Born just outside Stockholm in 2000, Samantha Esfandiari has quickly emerged as a powerful new voice in the Swedish fashion industry. One that merges skilled craftsmanship with a deep commitment to sustainability and circular design. As a designer, entrepreneur, and educator, she is shaping a bold vision of what fashion...

INNOVATE™ Toronto

NRSTOR INCORPORATED

NRSTOR INCORPORATED – INNOVATIVE ENERGY STORAGE SOLUTIONS INSPIRING THE GRID TO DELIVER A CLEAN ENERGY FUTURE

INNOVATIVE ENERGY STORAGE SOLUTIONS INSPIRING THE GRID TO DELIVER A CLEAN ENERGY FUTURE

NRStor Incorporated is an industry-leading Canadian energy storage developer, owner and operator with experience deploying energy storage across the energy supply chain. Our vision is to deploy energy storage projects at scale in order to accelerate the transition to a low-carbon energy system. NRStor has successfully deployed numerous first-of-a-kind energy...

INNOVATE® Jacksonville

Phase Eight Theater Company

Phase Eight Theater Company - Pushing The Boundaries Of Performance

Pushing The Boundaries Of Performance

WHO WE ARE Phase Eight Theater Company is the latest arts organization to be formed in Jacksonville, Florida. It is recognized as a boundary-pushing and socially progressive theater group. They’ve presented fourteen productions in its first two and a half years of existence having performed for hundreds of audience members....

INNOVATE® Nashville

DALTON GETS PEOPLE

DALTON GETS PEOPLE- AND THAT'S HOW THEY GET RESULTS

AND THAT'S HOW THEY GET RESULTS

Since 1989, truly understanding people has been a unique trait of Dalton – a leading advertising, public relations and digital marketing agency with offices across the Southeast, in Nashville, Atlanta and Jacksonville. On every project, Dalton digs deep to uncover the insights and human truths that get to the emotional...

INNOVATE® Georgia

CATALYST BY WELLSTAR

LET’S DISRUPT THE STATUS QUO TO CREATE A HEALTHIER FUTURE FOR ALL OF US.

To push Wellstar’s legacy of innovation even further, Catalyst by Wellstar was created in 2021 as the first-of-its-kind innovation company and venture firm. A team of innovators, investors, and builders was assembled to harness the decades of experience and knowledge of Wellstar and shape the future of healthcare. Grounded in...

INNOVATION Quebec

HACKING HEALTH

MONTRÉAL ET VILLE DE QUÉBEC

FACILITATEURS D’ÉCOSYSTÈMES LOCAUX D’INNOVATION EN SANTÉ LIÉS À 40 CHAPITRES HH AU CANADA ET DANS LE MONDE Hacking Health est un mouvement bénévole, à but non lucratif, né à Montréal en 2012. Aujourd’hui, l’organisation compte 40 chapitres sur les cinq continents et anime une communauté internationale de facilitateurs d’écosystèmes locaux...

INNOVATE® Georgia

EQUIFAX

INNOVATION AT EQUIFAX

As a global data, analytics, and technology company, Equifax recognizes the importance of exploration and innovation. Equifax plays an important role in the lives of consumers, and its focus on innovation and driving greater financial inclusion is a part of a commitment to creating a positive impact on people’s personal...

INNOVATE® Nashville

LODESTONE ADVISORY GROUP

Is reimagining venture capital and economic development from the ground up

When we founded Lodestone Advisory Group in 2013, business leaders were tired of a management consulting industry that was a stiff, black box offering one-size-fits-all “solutions,” with little accountability on end results. Lodestone, named after the naturally occurring magnetic powder that gave early merchants and tradesmen the ability to navigate...

INNOVATE™ Adelaide

BESTON GLOBAL FOOD

Disruptive change in extended Food and Beverage supply chains

This creates critical challenges for business to protect brand reputations and achieve sustainability. Digitisation and traceability are increasingly becoming indispensable to enable businesses to diversify and grow while minimising cost and threats of adulteration, counterfeiting and diversion. At Beston Technologies (BT), a wholly owned (ASX listed) Beston Global Foods (BFC)...

INNOVATION Quebec

2 Degrés

IS A CLEANTECH SPECIALIZED INCUBATOR IN THE PROVINCE OF QUEBEC

2 Degres supports early-stage startups that propose an innovative solution showing a strong potential for growth and impact in the energy, waste and water sectors. Based in Quebec City, 2 Degres was cofounded in 2019 by young business people driven by a strong desire to have a concrete impact and...

INNOVATE® Washington DMV Edition

upace™

Revolutionizing How Members Engage with Recreation Centers

Revolutionizing How Members Engage with Recreation Centers In 2014, Rachel Koretsky founded Upace, which has since skyrocketed to become the top mobile app engagement and reservation platform, supporting over one million members of community recreation centers across the US and Canada. Her journey started at American University, driven by a...

INNOVATION Quebec

CRVI

LE CENTRE DE ROBOTIQUE ET DE VISION INDUSTRIELLES (CRVI) : UN ACTEUR INCONTOURNABLE AU QUÉBEC DANS L’IMPLANTATION DES TECHNOLOGIES DE ROBOTIQUE, DE VISION NUMÉRIQUE ET D’INTELLIGENCE ARTIFICIELLE

En 1983, les six premiers Centres spécialisés ont vu le jour, à la suite de la présentation du projet au Sommet économique de Québec. Leur mise sur pied avait pour objectif de contribuer à la relance de l’économie québécoise en faisant des cégeps des moteurs du développement régional et de...

INNOVATE® South Carolina

JTEKT North America

Looking for Trouble, Delivering Solutions

At JTEKT North America, innovation isn’t just a buzzword; it’s an invitation. An invitation to businesses facing their toughest challenges. When it comes to solving the problems that seem unsolvable, JTEKT isn’t shy about one thing: we’re actively “looking for trouble.” Not the kind of trouble that comes with poor...

INNOVATE® New Jersey Vol.2

BIGGINS LACEY SHAPIRO & CO

BRIDGING THE GAP BETWEEN COMPANIES AND THEIR SITE SELECTION NEEDS THROUGH LOCATION ECONOMICS®

OUR STORYBiggins Lacy Shapiro & Company (BLS & Co.) is one of the largest independent firms in the specialty fields of site selection and economic development incentives advisory services. Our principals have been delivering our mix of services for more than twenty-five years and arehighly respected leaders in their field....

INNOVATE™ Antwerp Vol.2

SIGI HERMANS

SIGI HERMANS-PERSONAL BRANDING PHOTOGRAPHY FOR ENTREPRENEURS

PERSONAL BRANDING PHOTOGRAPHY FOR ENTREPRENEURS

Ever since I was a young girl, I have loved photography immensely. In the darkroom I felt like a fish in water. Meanwhile, much has changed. Analogue is (almost) gone and of course I switched to digital a long time ago. Digital or analog, photography remains my greatest passion. I...

INNOVATE™ Adelaide

A Trusted Partner in Enterprise Innovation and Transformation since 2010

Chamonix IT Solutions has been South Australia’s trusted partner in digital transformation for the past 13 years, working with businesses across a range of industries to ensure they stay ahead of the game. Delivering high value, tangible outcomes for customersFounded in 2010 with a strong commitment to enabling businesses to...

INNOVATE® Washington DMV Edition

CAPITAL WORKFORCE INNOVATION CONSORTIUM

Empowering D.C.’s Future Through Workforce Innovation

The InnovationFounded in 2024, the Capital Workforce Innovation Consortium is a Next Generation Sector Partnership formed by the District of Columbia Department of Employment Services (DOES) and convened by BuildWithin. This initiative serves as an engine for aligning local talent with market demands through robust public-private partnerships, particularly in the...

INNOVATION Quebec

UQAT

INSTITUT DE RECHERCHE EN MINES ET EN ENVIRONNEMENT (IRME)

L’IRME, des solutions pour un développement minier durableLocalisé au cœur d’un centre minier de calibre international, l’Institut de recherche en mines et en environnement (IRME-UQAT) a été créé en 2012, une décision stratégique démontrant l’engagement de l’institution envers le développement durable du secteur minier. Avec une croissance continue et forte...

INNOVATION Quebec

OPTECH

CCTT EN OPTIQUE-PHOTONIQUE

Le centre collégial de transfert technologique (CCTT) Optech est un organisme à but non lucratif (OBNL) qui a été fondé en 2002 avec la mission de faire connaître les technologies reliées à l’optique – photonique et de contribuer à leur implantation afin de soutenir les efforts d’amélioration de productivité et...

INNOVATION Quebec

ITEGA

CCTT EN EMBALLAGE ET GÉNIE ALIMENTAIRE

Intégré au Collège de Maisonneuve, l’Institut de Technologie des Emballages et du Génie Alimentaire ITEGA est un centre collégial de transfert de technologie (CCTT) qui œuvre dans le secteur agro-alimentaire. Notre mission consiste à accompagner les entreprises dans l’innovation et l’adoption de nouveaux savoir-faire en technologie d’emballage et de procédés...

INNOVATION Quebec

CERASP

CCTT IN PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCES

CERASP is a centre for applied research in pharmaceutical sciences located in the Montreal Innovation Centre in Saint-Laurent. Our CCTT is a unique partner that provides innovative and sustainable turnkey solutions with tangible results, guiding you from concept to market via research and development, technical support, testing, consulting, piloting and...

INNOVATE® Nashville

MINDFUL

MINDFUL-Add kindness to your tech stack

Add kindness to your tech stack.

Revitalizing a 25-year-old software company is no small task, but can be a pathway towards innovation and compelling value creation for employees, customers, and investors. That’s the story of Mindful, a contact center software company that relocated to Nashville in 2018, which was acquired by Medallia in 2022 after an...

Ecosystems