Stories of Innovation
INNOVATE® Gaming & Esports
NERD STREET GAMERS
THERE’S A NERD IN EVERYONE
Nerd Street Gamers is a national esports infrastructure that puts accessibility, integrity and opportunity at the forefront of everything they do. As gaming communities slowly began to gain traction on a small scale, the CEO of Nerd Street Gamers and Localhost, John Fazio, knew that individuals nationwide would soon realize...
INNOVATION Quebec
LANAUDIÈRE ÉCONOMIQUE
AT THE SERVICE OF THE REGION!
Lanaudière Économique (LÉ) was founded in 1991 to address the economic development needs and challenges of in the six regional county municipalities (MRCs) of the territory. LÉ propels innovative businesses and projects in Lanaudière, in collaboration with other economic development organizations in the region. Leveraging partnerships with over thirty regional,...
INNOVATE® Northern Virginia
KPMG
TURNING COMPLEXITY INTO OPPORTUNITY
Across Northern Virginia, progress rarely follows a straight line. Breakthrough technologies emerge alongside evolving regulations, new markets develop beside established industries, and organizations are expected to move quickly while continuing to deliver results. In this environment, complexity is not an obstacle: it’s the starting point. KPMG helps organizations across the...
INNOVATE® Nashville
Gresham Smith
Pioneering Innovation in Design
Gresham Smith, a leading architecture, engineering, design and consulting firm that has called Nashville home for more than 50 years, is an industry leader in innovation. At Gresham Smith, innovation is not just about adopting emerging technologies—it’s about transforming the design and planning process to create healthier, more connected communities....
INNOVATE® Washington DMV Edition
NICKELBRONX
The Core of Purpose-Based Branding
Jeff Bezos famously said, “Your brand is what people say about you when you are not in the room.” You can’t just buy a great brand. It is a way to turn every client into your biggest fan. It’s about creating a community everyone wants to be a part of...
INNOVATION Quebec
INVESTISSEMENT QUÉBEC
A STORY OF THE FUTURE
1998. Investissement Québec is created. This organisation gave businesses and investors access to all the programs offered by the Government of Québec. Although it was never stated at the time, the aim of developing Québec’s economy and positioning it as a breeding ground for innovation, productivity and prosperity was truly...
INNOVATE® New Jersey Vol.2
MARSH
OUR PURPOSE IS POSSIBILITY. AT MARSH, THE IDEA OF POSSIBILITY ISN’T JUST SOMETHING WE TALK ABOUT
OUR PURPOSE IS POSSIBILITY. AT MARSH, THE IDEA OF POSSIBILITY ISN’T JUST SOMETHING WE TALK ABOUT — IT’S SOMETHING WE’VE LIVED FOR OVER 150 YEARS. We help our clients and colleagues grow — and our communities thrive — by protecting and promoting Possibility. We seek better ways to manage risk...
INNOVATE® Jacksonville
Renaissance Jax
North Florida Affiliate Partner For The World’s Biggest Youth Robotics Competition Platform, FIRST Robotics
Renaissance Jax: Building a Future of Innovation in North Florida Renaissance Jax is the North Florida Affiliate Partner for the world’s biggest youth robotics competition platform, FIRST Robotics. Between 2013 and 2018, we’ve grown from 120 to over 4,000 students who design, build, and program robots for competition each year....
INNOVATE® Blockchain
LIQUID AVATAR TECHNOLOGIES INC
WELCOME TO A UNIVERSE WHERE ANYONE CAN BE A HERO™
Want to climb a virtual mountain? Become a master of virtual cooking, or own your own virtual yacht? The Metaverse and other mixed reality opportunities will change the way we play, learn, work, build, entertain and socialize. Aftermath Islands Metaverse is an emerging mixed reality platform that allows individuals and...
INNOVATE® South Florida
PREMIERVIRTUAL
LAUNCHED IN LATE 2019 WHERE OUR MOTTO AT THE TIME WAS ‘FUTURE FOCUSED’
From the very beginning we knew that our virtual hiring event platform was ahead of its time, and that employers would have to be ‘Future Focused’ in order to embrace it. Founder and President of Premier Virtual, Steve Edwards saw the shift to digital firsthand as he hosted in-person job...
INNOVATION Quebec
IRCM
Plus d’un demi-siècle de science inspirée par la vie, et l’aventure ne fait que commencer
L’IRCM, c’est une histoire d’amour de plus d’un demi-siècle entre le Québec, le Canada d’une part, et la recherche de haut niveau et des soins cliniques les plus avancés d’autre part. Fondé en 1967 par le grand chercheur et humaniste, Dr Jacques Genest, l’IRCM devenait alors le premier centre au...
INNOVATE™ South Africa
MICROSOFT SOUTH AFRICA
Unlocking The Value Of Mixed Reality In Manufacturing
Mixed reality continues to grow exponentially because of its ability to help businesses and their employees complete crucial tasks faster, safer, and more efficiently. It also creates new ways to connect to customers and partners by blending the physical and digital worlds so that they coexist and interact in real-time....
INNOVATE™ Antwerp Vol.2
TECHNOPOLIS
EVERYTHING STARTS WITH WOW
Meet the new Technopolis. Bold, never afraid to reinvent itself and ready to blow everyone’s mind away. Everything starts with WOW is not just a tagline, it’s a promise to face the challenges of the future together. Not by waiting for the next Einstein, Marie Curie or Stephen Hawking to...
INNOVATE® Chicago Vol.1
86 REPAIRS
TAKE REPAIRS OFF YOUR PLATE
86 Repairs is the repair and maintenance management platform built for the restaurant industry. Our tech-enabled solution includes on-demand repair management and preventative maintenance. With 86 Repairs, restaurants have access to data-driven insights and 24/7 support to control their facilities, reduce their R&M costs, and spend less of their team’s...
INNOVATE™ Adelaide
NOVAFAST HOLDINGS
BEYOND PIPE DREAMS
Chev. Charles Figallo OAM OSJ is the Chief Executive Officer of the Australian-owned private equity business, Novafast Holdings, and its three subsidiaries: DSA, Novafast, and Basetec Services. Based in Kilkenny, South Australia, Novafast Holdings, through its group of companies, offer project management, engineering, design, construction and maintenance services for the...
Global Innovation Spotlight
Where to Invest in 2026: Real Strategies for Cash, Stocks, and Gold
Real 2026 investing means using cash, short-duration, high-quality equities, power-demand winners, and selective global income, rather than chasing noise.
The 2026 market is not offering cheap mistakes. On March 18, 2026, the Federal Reserve kept the federal funds target range at 3.5% to 3.75%, while the ECB held its deposit facility at 2.00% on March 19, and the IMF’s January update still projected global growth at 3.3% for 2026....
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...
INNOVATE® Seattle
Youth Growth Network
Empowering the Next Generation
Founding Story: Bridging the Gap Between Education and Real-World Experience Youth Growth Network (YGN) was founded with a powerful mission: to bridge the gap between academic learning and the real-world skills students need to thrive in their future careers. Recognizing that traditional education often falls short in providing hands-on experiences,...
Global Innovation Spotlight
The New MVP Tech Stack: What Forward-Thinking Founders Are Betting On in 2026
The New MVP Tech Stack: What Forward-Thinking Founders Are Betting On in 2026 Somewhere right now, a founder is about to spend $120,000 building an MVP that could have been shipped for $25,000. Not because the cheaper version would be worse. Because the founder picked the wrong tech stack for...
Global Innovation Spotlight
CHAPTER
For nearly every retiring American, Medicare is both universal and universally complex
For nearly every retiring American, Medicare is both universal and universally complex. Yet, Medicare enrollment remains broken, and the program is near-impossible to navigate. Anyone who has signed up for Medicare or helped a loved one knows this reality firsthand. The problem is so bad that nearly 40% of the...
INNOVATE™ Curitiba
VALMET
MARKET LEADER, VALMET OFFERS UNIQUE AND INTEGRATED SOLUTIONS FOR PAPER, PULP AND ENERGY INDUSTRIES
With more than 220-years of industrial history and 63-years of presence in Brazil, the Finnish multinational provides integrated technologies, reaffirming its commitment to constant improvement and renewal. Valmet is a global leader in the development and supply of process technologies, automation and services for the pulp, paper and energy industries....
INNOVATION Quebec
TECHNUM QUEBEC
BROMONT, AN AVANT-GARDE CITY WHERE LIFE IS GOOD
It was under the sign of innovation that Bromont was born in 1964. The quality of life, the preservation of the environment and the sustainable economic development makes the success of this model city. Nearly 60-years later, innovation is still at the heart of its development with Technum Québec –...
INNOVATE® Kansas City
STREAMLINE BOOKS
TURNKEY PUBLISHING TO WRITE, EDIT, AND BRING YOUR BOOK TO LIFE.
“Write a bestseller,” they say. “We’ll help you write a bestselling book.” In today’s publishing landscape, aspiring authors don’t just want to write a book—they dream of writing a bestseller. But why? Why is the standard of authorship left to an imaginary list that seems just within reach, yet in...
INNOVATE® Gaming & Esports
NERD STREET GAMERS
THERE’S A NERD IN EVERYONE
Nerd Street Gamers is a national esports infrastructure that puts accessibility, integrity and opportunity at the forefront of everything they do. As gaming communities slowly began to gain traction on a small scale, the CEO of Nerd Street Gamers and Localhost, John Fazio, knew that individuals nationwide would soon realize...
INNOVATION Quebec
LANAUDIÈRE ÉCONOMIQUE
AT THE SERVICE OF THE REGION!
Lanaudière Économique (LÉ) was founded in 1991 to address the economic development needs and challenges of in the six regional county municipalities (MRCs) of the territory. LÉ propels innovative businesses and projects in Lanaudière, in collaboration with other economic development organizations in the region. Leveraging partnerships with over thirty regional,...
INNOVATE® Northern Virginia
KPMG
TURNING COMPLEXITY INTO OPPORTUNITY
Across Northern Virginia, progress rarely follows a straight line. Breakthrough technologies emerge alongside evolving regulations, new markets develop beside established industries, and organizations are expected to move quickly while continuing to deliver results. In this environment, complexity is not an obstacle: it’s the starting point. KPMG helps organizations across the...
INNOVATE® Nashville
Gresham Smith
Pioneering Innovation in Design
Gresham Smith, a leading architecture, engineering, design and consulting firm that has called Nashville home for more than 50 years, is an industry leader in innovation. At Gresham Smith, innovation is not just about adopting emerging technologies—it’s about transforming the design and planning process to create healthier, more connected communities....
INNOVATE® Washington DMV Edition
NICKELBRONX
The Core of Purpose-Based Branding
Jeff Bezos famously said, “Your brand is what people say about you when you are not in the room.” You can’t just buy a great brand. It is a way to turn every client into your biggest fan. It’s about creating a community everyone wants to be a part of...
INNOVATION Quebec
INVESTISSEMENT QUÉBEC
A STORY OF THE FUTURE
1998. Investissement Québec is created. This organisation gave businesses and investors access to all the programs offered by the Government of Québec. Although it was never stated at the time, the aim of developing Québec’s economy and positioning it as a breeding ground for innovation, productivity and prosperity was truly...
INNOVATE® New Jersey Vol.2
MARSH
OUR PURPOSE IS POSSIBILITY. AT MARSH, THE IDEA OF POSSIBILITY ISN’T JUST SOMETHING WE TALK ABOUT
OUR PURPOSE IS POSSIBILITY. AT MARSH, THE IDEA OF POSSIBILITY ISN’T JUST SOMETHING WE TALK ABOUT — IT’S SOMETHING WE’VE LIVED FOR OVER 150 YEARS. We help our clients and colleagues grow — and our communities thrive — by protecting and promoting Possibility. We seek better ways to manage risk...
INNOVATE® Jacksonville
Renaissance Jax
North Florida Affiliate Partner For The World’s Biggest Youth Robotics Competition Platform, FIRST Robotics
Renaissance Jax: Building a Future of Innovation in North Florida Renaissance Jax is the North Florida Affiliate Partner for the world’s biggest youth robotics competition platform, FIRST Robotics. Between 2013 and 2018, we’ve grown from 120 to over 4,000 students who design, build, and program robots for competition each year....
INNOVATE® Blockchain
LIQUID AVATAR TECHNOLOGIES INC
WELCOME TO A UNIVERSE WHERE ANYONE CAN BE A HERO™
Want to climb a virtual mountain? Become a master of virtual cooking, or own your own virtual yacht? The Metaverse and other mixed reality opportunities will change the way we play, learn, work, build, entertain and socialize. Aftermath Islands Metaverse is an emerging mixed reality platform that allows individuals and...
INNOVATE® South Florida
PREMIERVIRTUAL
LAUNCHED IN LATE 2019 WHERE OUR MOTTO AT THE TIME WAS ‘FUTURE FOCUSED’
From the very beginning we knew that our virtual hiring event platform was ahead of its time, and that employers would have to be ‘Future Focused’ in order to embrace it. Founder and President of Premier Virtual, Steve Edwards saw the shift to digital firsthand as he hosted in-person job...
INNOVATION Quebec
IRCM
Plus d’un demi-siècle de science inspirée par la vie, et l’aventure ne fait que commencer
L’IRCM, c’est une histoire d’amour de plus d’un demi-siècle entre le Québec, le Canada d’une part, et la recherche de haut niveau et des soins cliniques les plus avancés d’autre part. Fondé en 1967 par le grand chercheur et humaniste, Dr Jacques Genest, l’IRCM devenait alors le premier centre au...
INNOVATE™ South Africa
MICROSOFT SOUTH AFRICA
Unlocking The Value Of Mixed Reality In Manufacturing
Mixed reality continues to grow exponentially because of its ability to help businesses and their employees complete crucial tasks faster, safer, and more efficiently. It also creates new ways to connect to customers and partners by blending the physical and digital worlds so that they coexist and interact in real-time....
INNOVATE™ Antwerp Vol.2
TECHNOPOLIS
EVERYTHING STARTS WITH WOW
Meet the new Technopolis. Bold, never afraid to reinvent itself and ready to blow everyone’s mind away. Everything starts with WOW is not just a tagline, it’s a promise to face the challenges of the future together. Not by waiting for the next Einstein, Marie Curie or Stephen Hawking to...
INNOVATE® Chicago Vol.1
86 REPAIRS
TAKE REPAIRS OFF YOUR PLATE
86 Repairs is the repair and maintenance management platform built for the restaurant industry. Our tech-enabled solution includes on-demand repair management and preventative maintenance. With 86 Repairs, restaurants have access to data-driven insights and 24/7 support to control their facilities, reduce their R&M costs, and spend less of their team’s...
INNOVATE™ Adelaide
NOVAFAST HOLDINGS
BEYOND PIPE DREAMS
Chev. Charles Figallo OAM OSJ is the Chief Executive Officer of the Australian-owned private equity business, Novafast Holdings, and its three subsidiaries: DSA, Novafast, and Basetec Services. Based in Kilkenny, South Australia, Novafast Holdings, through its group of companies, offer project management, engineering, design, construction and maintenance services for the...
Global Innovation Spotlight
Where to Invest in 2026: Real Strategies for Cash, Stocks, and Gold
Real 2026 investing means using cash, short-duration, high-quality equities, power-demand winners, and selective global income, rather than chasing noise.
The 2026 market is not offering cheap mistakes. On March 18, 2026, the Federal Reserve kept the federal funds target range at 3.5% to 3.75%, while the ECB held its deposit facility at 2.00% on March 19, and the IMF’s January update still projected global growth at 3.3% for 2026....
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...
INNOVATE® Seattle
Youth Growth Network
Empowering the Next Generation
Founding Story: Bridging the Gap Between Education and Real-World Experience Youth Growth Network (YGN) was founded with a powerful mission: to bridge the gap between academic learning and the real-world skills students need to thrive in their future careers. Recognizing that traditional education often falls short in providing hands-on experiences,...
Global Innovation Spotlight
The New MVP Tech Stack: What Forward-Thinking Founders Are Betting On in 2026
The New MVP Tech Stack: What Forward-Thinking Founders Are Betting On in 2026 Somewhere right now, a founder is about to spend $120,000 building an MVP that could have been shipped for $25,000. Not because the cheaper version would be worse. Because the founder picked the wrong tech stack for...
Global Innovation Spotlight
CHAPTER
For nearly every retiring American, Medicare is both universal and universally complex
For nearly every retiring American, Medicare is both universal and universally complex. Yet, Medicare enrollment remains broken, and the program is near-impossible to navigate. Anyone who has signed up for Medicare or helped a loved one knows this reality firsthand. The problem is so bad that nearly 40% of the...
INNOVATE™ Curitiba
VALMET
MARKET LEADER, VALMET OFFERS UNIQUE AND INTEGRATED SOLUTIONS FOR PAPER, PULP AND ENERGY INDUSTRIES
With more than 220-years of industrial history and 63-years of presence in Brazil, the Finnish multinational provides integrated technologies, reaffirming its commitment to constant improvement and renewal. Valmet is a global leader in the development and supply of process technologies, automation and services for the pulp, paper and energy industries....
INNOVATION Quebec
TECHNUM QUEBEC
BROMONT, AN AVANT-GARDE CITY WHERE LIFE IS GOOD
It was under the sign of innovation that Bromont was born in 1964. The quality of life, the preservation of the environment and the sustainable economic development makes the success of this model city. Nearly 60-years later, innovation is still at the heart of its development with Technum Québec –...
INNOVATE® Kansas City
STREAMLINE BOOKS
TURNKEY PUBLISHING TO WRITE, EDIT, AND BRING YOUR BOOK TO LIFE.
“Write a bestseller,” they say. “We’ll help you write a bestselling book.” In today’s publishing landscape, aspiring authors don’t just want to write a book—they dream of writing a bestseller. But why? Why is the standard of authorship left to an imaginary list that seems just within reach, yet in...