Stories of Innovation

INNOVATE® Gaming & Esports

NEWZOO

NEWZOO-TWO CHILDHOOD FRIENDS WITH ONE BIG IDEA — THAT’S THE GIST OF NEWZOO’S BEGINNINGS

TWO CHILDHOOD FRIENDS WITH ONE BIG IDEA — THAT’S THE GIST OF NEWZOO’S BEGINNINGS

But Newzoo wasn’t its founder’s (Peter Warman and Thijs Hagoort) first venture into the world of business. Far from it. After becoming friends playing basketball in high school, the industrious duo sold custom-designed t-shirts. Those early days taught them a valuable lesson: custom production based on manuals does not scale...

INNOVATE® Maryland

Upace

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 mission to make going to a recreation...

INNOVATE™ Vancouver Vol.2

The Quebec Film and Television Council

At the heart and at the service of the audiovisual industry for over 15 years!

The Quebec Film and Television Council (QFTC) has been contributing to the development and competitiveness of Quebec as a world-class audiovisual production center for over fifteen years. It supports innovation in three major economic sectors in Quebec: live action, visual effects, and animation. In 2021, this creative and dynamic sector...

INNOVATE™ Curitiba

CINI

EMOTIONS, FEELINGS, COLORS, AND FLAVORS!

Approaching its 120th anniversary in 2024, Cini is led by the fourth generation of the same family. How have they achieved so much success? Cini is a company that has been operating in the beverage market since 1904, spanning over a century in the beverage industry. Initially, when the Italian...

INNOVATE® Kansas City

PLAYHAUS

DATA MANAGEMENT BUILT FOR ALL

playhaus is an emerging technology company working at the intersection of web3 systems and artificial intelligence. It has always had a Midwest-based identity, with the company having started in Ann Arbor, MI, but relocated to Kansas City, MO, in June of 2022 to be immersed in KC’s vibrant creative and...

INNOVATE™ Estonia

ROOFIT.SOLAR

INNOVATING FOR A COOLER PLANET

A Global Mission for Sustainability Roofit.Solar, an Estonia-based company, is transforming the global energy landscape with its mission: “For a cooler planet.” Founded on the principles of sustainability and innovation, Roofit.Solar seamlessly combines cutting-edge solar technology with high-quality metal roofing to offer a visually appealing and energy-efficient solution. Global Reach...

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...

Global Innovation Spotlight

How Popular Are Pickup Trucks in American Car Sharing?

From Workhorses to Weekend Getaways: The Rise of Pickups in Car Sharing

From Workhorses to Weekend Getaways: The Rise of Pickups in Car Sharing Pickup trucks aren’t just vehicles in America—they’re a lifestyle. For decades, they’ve been hauling gear, towing trailers, and getting folks out into the wild or across town with a mattress strapped in the back. But lately, pickups have...

INNOVATE® Philadelphia: 250 Years of Innovation

HRP GROUP

REIMAGINING A LEGACY SITE

The Bellwether District and Philadelphia’s New Hub for Innovation On 1,300 acres in South and Southwest Philadelphia, a former oil refinery is being transformed into one of the most ambitious redevelopment projects in the United States, with more than 14 million square feet of innovation and industrial space planned. For...

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® Puerto Rico

THE LANDMARK

Bespoke Office Solutions at a Modernized Historical Heritage Site

Beautifully designed workspaces delivering the ambiance, comfort, technology, and the full-service support that Today’s working professionals demand. Easily accessible and centrally located address in the heart of San Juan’s Miramar historic neighborhood. This 150 years old office site was modernized to offer the perfect place to work where reliability and...

INNOVATE™ South Africa

TRANSNET PORT TERMINALS (TPT)

TRANSNET PORT TERMINALS (TPT)-INNOVATION IN SOUTH AFRICA’S PORTS

INNOVATION IN SOUTH AFRICA’S PORTS

INNOVATION IN THE PORT SECTOR Innovate to Compete Transnet Port Terminals (TPT), a division of Transnet SOC Ltd is responsible for the operations of 16 port terminals across seven of South Africa’s ports. More than 9,000 employees work diligently every day to ensure that containers, cars, bulk, and break-bulk cargo...

INNOVATE™ South Africa

RETAIL CAPITAL

RETAIL CAPITAL-TURNING A DIGITAL FOOTPRINT INTO A FUNDING LIFELINE

TURNING A DIGITAL FOOTPRINT INTO A FUNDING LIFELINE

Retail Capital was born in 2011 as an idea on a white napkin. Those drawings became the framework of what ended up being the first Merchant Cash Advance (MCA) product for businesses in South Africa. Driven by a deep passion to support the SME sector, Retail Capital has since innovated...

INNOVATE™ Oeiras

Carolina Almeida Cruz

Carolina Almeida Cruz Co-Founder Of Sapana.org And Entrepreneur @C-More – Beyond The Obvious I believe that I’m going to change the world. I love the sea, my biological family and beyond, my team of leaders of change and above all I belong to the world and the world is mine....

INNOVATE® Jacksonville

Haskell

Haskell - Delivering integrated AEC solutions that ensure certainty of outcome

Delivering integrated AEC solutions that ensure certainty of outcome

Haskell, headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida since its inception in 1965, is a leading global architecture, engineering, construction, and consulting firm with $1+ billion in annual revenue, 1,500 employees, and 20+ office locations around the globe. The company was founded by a single visionary named Preston Haskell who saw inefficiencies in...

INNOVATE™ Kitchener Waterloo

CATALYST COMMONS

BUILT FOR ENTREPRENEURS, BY ENTREPRENEURS

In the heart of KW’s tech hub, a century-old industrial site has been reimagined as one of Canada’s largest privately held coworking spaces. What used to be Dominion Tire factory is now the home base for more than 170 companies who work out of Catalyst Commons. Inside its 120,000-plus square...

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...

INNOVATE™ Botswana Vol.1

WHITE LABEL FRAGRANCES

WHITE LABEL FRAGRANCES-DISCOVER & OWN YOUR TRUE SCENT

DISCOVER & OWN YOUR TRUE SCENT

White Label Fragrances is a 100% Botswana citizen-owned company. We are an African luxury Niche-Fragrance brand that curates and blends bespoke fragrances, with specially selected raw materials to suit various tastes. We strive to consistently create fragrances and fragranced products that are elegant, luxurious and timeless. All White Label fragrances...

INNOVATE™ Alberta

Brenda Strafford Foundation (BSF)

AN INNOVATIVE FORCE-THE PRESERVATION OF DIGNITY AND THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS

Canada’s population is growing older. In 2019, the population of seniors 65-years of age and older was almost one-fifth of the overall population, and by 2040 the population of seniors is predicted to reach one-fourth of the overall population, with over one-third of seniors having two or more chronic diseases.1...

INNOVATE™ South Africa

BRANSON CENTRE OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP SOUTH AFRICA

BRANSON CENTRE OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP SOUTH AFRICA- SCREW IT

SCREW IT, LET’S DO IT!

The world is obsessed with changing businesses for good. Ask the Branson Centre of Entrepreneurship South Africa (Branson Centre) for its take on that, and it’ll tell you that is actually a misnomer. Fundamentally, business is good. The focus of the Branson Centre is entrepreneurialism and social responsibility. The Branson...

INNOVATE™ Vancouver Vol.2

LUMIRA VENTURES

LUMIRA VENTURES-CANADA’S PREMIER LIFE SCIENCES VENTURE CAPITAL FIRM

CANADA’S PREMIER LIFE SCIENCES VENTURE CAPITAL FIRM

Lumira Ventures is one of the most active and dynamic healthcare venture capital firms in North America. Our mission is to generate the greatest impact in the healthcare ecosystem through investments in transformative biopharmaceutical and medical device companies across North America. By investing in exceptional entrepreneurs and building transformative life...

INNOVATE® Milwaukee

THE WATER COUNCIL

INNOVATING THE FUTURE: THE WATER COUNCIL’S VISIONARY JOURNEY

In the heart of Milwaukee, where the vast expanse of Lake Michigan meets the city’s vibrant streets, a transformation in water technology and stewardship is underway. This isn’t just a story of a city that grew from the rich waters of the Great Lakes; it’s a narrative of revolution, where...

INNOVATE™ Adelaide

ANDY THOMAS SPACE FOUNDATION

RECOGNISED AS AUSTRALIA’S NATIONAL SPACE NOT-FOR-PROFIT, SUPPORTING THE EDUCATION AND OUTREACH GOALS

With strong support from the Australian Space Agency, South Australian Government and a number of start-up and corporate space industry partners, the Foundation has provided invaluable education and engagement opportunities for students and individuals across Australia. Named after Founding Patron and retired NASA astronaut, Dr Andrew Thomas, a veteran of...

INNOVATE® Milwaukee

DATA HOLDINGS

KEEPING BUSINESSES’ DATA SECURE AND AVAILABLE

Data Holdings is a premier Tier III+ commercial data center, centrally located in Milwaukee with a LEED gold design. Offering a full suite of solutions and services designed to meet any needs, Data Holdings is a highly secure facility with 24/7 staffing and monitoring. Commissioned in 2013 by Potawatomi Ventures,...

INNOVATE® Gaming & Esports

NEWZOO

NEWZOO-TWO CHILDHOOD FRIENDS WITH ONE BIG IDEA — THAT’S THE GIST OF NEWZOO’S BEGINNINGS

TWO CHILDHOOD FRIENDS WITH ONE BIG IDEA — THAT’S THE GIST OF NEWZOO’S BEGINNINGS

But Newzoo wasn’t its founder’s (Peter Warman and Thijs Hagoort) first venture into the world of business. Far from it. After becoming friends playing basketball in high school, the industrious duo sold custom-designed t-shirts. Those early days taught them a valuable lesson: custom production based on manuals does not scale...

INNOVATE® Maryland

Upace

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 mission to make going to a recreation...

INNOVATE™ Vancouver Vol.2

The Quebec Film and Television Council

At the heart and at the service of the audiovisual industry for over 15 years!

The Quebec Film and Television Council (QFTC) has been contributing to the development and competitiveness of Quebec as a world-class audiovisual production center for over fifteen years. It supports innovation in three major economic sectors in Quebec: live action, visual effects, and animation. In 2021, this creative and dynamic sector...

INNOVATE™ Curitiba

CINI

EMOTIONS, FEELINGS, COLORS, AND FLAVORS!

Approaching its 120th anniversary in 2024, Cini is led by the fourth generation of the same family. How have they achieved so much success? Cini is a company that has been operating in the beverage market since 1904, spanning over a century in the beverage industry. Initially, when the Italian...

INNOVATE® Kansas City

PLAYHAUS

DATA MANAGEMENT BUILT FOR ALL

playhaus is an emerging technology company working at the intersection of web3 systems and artificial intelligence. It has always had a Midwest-based identity, with the company having started in Ann Arbor, MI, but relocated to Kansas City, MO, in June of 2022 to be immersed in KC’s vibrant creative and...

INNOVATE™ Estonia

ROOFIT.SOLAR

INNOVATING FOR A COOLER PLANET

A Global Mission for Sustainability Roofit.Solar, an Estonia-based company, is transforming the global energy landscape with its mission: “For a cooler planet.” Founded on the principles of sustainability and innovation, Roofit.Solar seamlessly combines cutting-edge solar technology with high-quality metal roofing to offer a visually appealing and energy-efficient solution. Global Reach...

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...

Global Innovation Spotlight

How Popular Are Pickup Trucks in American Car Sharing?

From Workhorses to Weekend Getaways: The Rise of Pickups in Car Sharing

From Workhorses to Weekend Getaways: The Rise of Pickups in Car Sharing Pickup trucks aren’t just vehicles in America—they’re a lifestyle. For decades, they’ve been hauling gear, towing trailers, and getting folks out into the wild or across town with a mattress strapped in the back. But lately, pickups have...

INNOVATE® Philadelphia: 250 Years of Innovation

HRP GROUP

REIMAGINING A LEGACY SITE

The Bellwether District and Philadelphia’s New Hub for Innovation On 1,300 acres in South and Southwest Philadelphia, a former oil refinery is being transformed into one of the most ambitious redevelopment projects in the United States, with more than 14 million square feet of innovation and industrial space planned. For...

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® Puerto Rico

THE LANDMARK

Bespoke Office Solutions at a Modernized Historical Heritage Site

Beautifully designed workspaces delivering the ambiance, comfort, technology, and the full-service support that Today’s working professionals demand. Easily accessible and centrally located address in the heart of San Juan’s Miramar historic neighborhood. This 150 years old office site was modernized to offer the perfect place to work where reliability and...

INNOVATE™ South Africa

TRANSNET PORT TERMINALS (TPT)

TRANSNET PORT TERMINALS (TPT)-INNOVATION IN SOUTH AFRICA’S PORTS

INNOVATION IN SOUTH AFRICA’S PORTS

INNOVATION IN THE PORT SECTOR Innovate to Compete Transnet Port Terminals (TPT), a division of Transnet SOC Ltd is responsible for the operations of 16 port terminals across seven of South Africa’s ports. More than 9,000 employees work diligently every day to ensure that containers, cars, bulk, and break-bulk cargo...

INNOVATE™ South Africa

RETAIL CAPITAL

RETAIL CAPITAL-TURNING A DIGITAL FOOTPRINT INTO A FUNDING LIFELINE

TURNING A DIGITAL FOOTPRINT INTO A FUNDING LIFELINE

Retail Capital was born in 2011 as an idea on a white napkin. Those drawings became the framework of what ended up being the first Merchant Cash Advance (MCA) product for businesses in South Africa. Driven by a deep passion to support the SME sector, Retail Capital has since innovated...

INNOVATE™ Oeiras

Carolina Almeida Cruz

Carolina Almeida Cruz Co-Founder Of Sapana.org And Entrepreneur @C-More – Beyond The Obvious I believe that I’m going to change the world. I love the sea, my biological family and beyond, my team of leaders of change and above all I belong to the world and the world is mine....

INNOVATE® Jacksonville

Haskell

Haskell - Delivering integrated AEC solutions that ensure certainty of outcome

Delivering integrated AEC solutions that ensure certainty of outcome

Haskell, headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida since its inception in 1965, is a leading global architecture, engineering, construction, and consulting firm with $1+ billion in annual revenue, 1,500 employees, and 20+ office locations around the globe. The company was founded by a single visionary named Preston Haskell who saw inefficiencies in...

INNOVATE™ Kitchener Waterloo

CATALYST COMMONS

BUILT FOR ENTREPRENEURS, BY ENTREPRENEURS

In the heart of KW’s tech hub, a century-old industrial site has been reimagined as one of Canada’s largest privately held coworking spaces. What used to be Dominion Tire factory is now the home base for more than 170 companies who work out of Catalyst Commons. Inside its 120,000-plus square...

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...

INNOVATE™ Botswana Vol.1

WHITE LABEL FRAGRANCES

WHITE LABEL FRAGRANCES-DISCOVER & OWN YOUR TRUE SCENT

DISCOVER & OWN YOUR TRUE SCENT

White Label Fragrances is a 100% Botswana citizen-owned company. We are an African luxury Niche-Fragrance brand that curates and blends bespoke fragrances, with specially selected raw materials to suit various tastes. We strive to consistently create fragrances and fragranced products that are elegant, luxurious and timeless. All White Label fragrances...

INNOVATE™ Alberta

Brenda Strafford Foundation (BSF)

AN INNOVATIVE FORCE-THE PRESERVATION OF DIGNITY AND THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS

Canada’s population is growing older. In 2019, the population of seniors 65-years of age and older was almost one-fifth of the overall population, and by 2040 the population of seniors is predicted to reach one-fourth of the overall population, with over one-third of seniors having two or more chronic diseases.1...

INNOVATE™ South Africa

BRANSON CENTRE OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP SOUTH AFRICA

BRANSON CENTRE OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP SOUTH AFRICA- SCREW IT

SCREW IT, LET’S DO IT!

The world is obsessed with changing businesses for good. Ask the Branson Centre of Entrepreneurship South Africa (Branson Centre) for its take on that, and it’ll tell you that is actually a misnomer. Fundamentally, business is good. The focus of the Branson Centre is entrepreneurialism and social responsibility. The Branson...

INNOVATE™ Vancouver Vol.2

LUMIRA VENTURES

LUMIRA VENTURES-CANADA’S PREMIER LIFE SCIENCES VENTURE CAPITAL FIRM

CANADA’S PREMIER LIFE SCIENCES VENTURE CAPITAL FIRM

Lumira Ventures is one of the most active and dynamic healthcare venture capital firms in North America. Our mission is to generate the greatest impact in the healthcare ecosystem through investments in transformative biopharmaceutical and medical device companies across North America. By investing in exceptional entrepreneurs and building transformative life...

INNOVATE® Milwaukee

THE WATER COUNCIL

INNOVATING THE FUTURE: THE WATER COUNCIL’S VISIONARY JOURNEY

In the heart of Milwaukee, where the vast expanse of Lake Michigan meets the city’s vibrant streets, a transformation in water technology and stewardship is underway. This isn’t just a story of a city that grew from the rich waters of the Great Lakes; it’s a narrative of revolution, where...

INNOVATE™ Adelaide

ANDY THOMAS SPACE FOUNDATION

RECOGNISED AS AUSTRALIA’S NATIONAL SPACE NOT-FOR-PROFIT, SUPPORTING THE EDUCATION AND OUTREACH GOALS

With strong support from the Australian Space Agency, South Australian Government and a number of start-up and corporate space industry partners, the Foundation has provided invaluable education and engagement opportunities for students and individuals across Australia. Named after Founding Patron and retired NASA astronaut, Dr Andrew Thomas, a veteran of...

INNOVATE® Milwaukee

DATA HOLDINGS

KEEPING BUSINESSES’ DATA SECURE AND AVAILABLE

Data Holdings is a premier Tier III+ commercial data center, centrally located in Milwaukee with a LEED gold design. Offering a full suite of solutions and services designed to meet any needs, Data Holdings is a highly secure facility with 24/7 staffing and monitoring. Commissioned in 2013 by Potawatomi Ventures,...

Ecosystems