Stories of Innovation
INNOVATE™ South Africa
PARK ADVERTISING
BORNE OUT OF A NEED TO OFFER WORLD-CLASS INNOVATIVE AND PIONEERING MEDIA OPTIONS WITHIN THE SOUTH AFRICAN MEDIA INDUSTRY, PARK ADVERTISING AND ITS SUBSIDIARIES HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN CONTINUALLY DRIVING THIS ETHOS FOR YEARS
INNOVATE® Washington DMV Edition
VERSUS - The Rise of a Lifestyle Powerhouse
The Rise of a Lifestyle Powerhouse
VERSUS is a multi-dimensional lifestyle brand rewriting the rules of hospitality, marketing, and venture capital in Washington, D.C. Under the visionary leadership of CEO Vinoda Basnayake, VERSUS has become synonymous with innovation and disruption. This dynamic brand is not just about creating spaces but crafting experiences that resonate deeply with...
INNOVATE® Gaming & Esports
JOHNSON C. SMITH UNIVERSITY (JCSU)
ESPORTS AND GAMING TRIFECTA, THE FIRST AT AN HBCU
In February 2019, a mere conversation that I had with a JCSU athletics administrator about the paucity of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) that possessed structured on-campus esports programming became the impetus behind my development of a proposal later that day for an esports and gaming academic program. The...
Global Innovation Spotlight
The economy of the fandom experience:
Merch, innovation, and sustainability
Everybody’s part of a fandom nowadays, with many people being part of several communities for different musicians, bands, movies, series, and sports teams at the same time. Since many are quite passionate about the fandoms they’re part of, it’s natural that they’d want to wear their interests on their sleeve....
INNOVATE™ Vancouver Vol.2
BOAST AI
Boast’s AI-powered platform maximizes R&D tax credits while accelerating access to funding
Boast’s AI-powered platform maximizes R&D tax credits while accelerating access to funding The good news for companies of all sizes: Each year, the Canadian and U.S. federal governments provide businesses with more than $20 billion in research and development (R&D) credits. The bad news: application processes are cumbersome, time-consuming, and...
INNOVATE™ South Africa
THE FLAMING HEART OF NANDO’S
WE ARE PROUD TO COUNT OURSELVES ONE OF SOUTH AFRICA’S MOST LOVED EXPORTS
The story of Nando’s is well-known to South Africans who grew up alongside us in our relatively new democracy. In 1987 two friends shared a meal at a humble Portuguese eatery in Rosettenville, Johannesburg. Here they were inspired by the taste of the African Bird’s Eye Chilli, a spice that...
INNOVATION Quebec
DISTRIQ
ZONE D’INNOVATION QUANTIQUE
DistriQ, Quantum Innovation Zone, is an organization that provides expertise and infrastructure to foster the emergence and acceleration of innovation in the quantum science and technology sector. DistriQ supports the development of one of the first innovation zones of the Quebec government, the Sherbrooke Quantum Innovation Zone. Since its designation...
INNOVATE™ Adelaide
SAGE
CREATING A SMARTER FUTURE, BETTER WORLD
SAGE is a specialist industrial digitalisation services provider, combining the best thinking with world-leading technology to deliver the best outcome. SAGE’s specialist businesses – SAGE Automation, Nukon, Skills Lab and Embedded Expertise – work with organisations to deliver strategy and horizon phasing, automation of industrial operations, data-driven business transformation, training...
INNOVATE® Detroit
Menace Media
A Movement of Creativity, Community, and Change
Menace Media was born in the heart of Detroit, a city built on resilience, creativity, and cultural revolution. More than just a media company, Menace Media is a movement—a platform designed to uplift, empower, and unite creatives, entrepreneurs, and visionaries. What started as a passion project among friends has grown...
INNOVATE® Jacksonville
NLP Logix
Embrace Or Die: The Case For AI
“Artificial intelligence (AI) has made its mark and has begun transforming every industry, government, and the lives of everyone on the planet,” states Ted Willich, NLP Logix Chief Executive. Ted is one of three founders of the company. He, along with Matt Berseth and Robert Marsh, started the company in...
INNOVATE® Gaming & Esports
UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY
TO ENGAGE WITH OUR COMMUNITY OF STUDENTS, FACULTY, STAFF AND PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS WITH GAMING AND ESPORTS TOPICS WHILE PROMOTING EDUCATION AND CAREER DEVELOPMENT IN THIS SPACE
As is common with many of the great things that universities do, it all started with the students. The UK Esports Club was organized around 2017 by students who were interested in growing the community and helping different clubs focused on individual games to pool their resources and better leverage...
INNOVATE® Gaming & Esports
CODECOMBAT
How An EdTech Startup Is Reinventing Esports And Providing A Competitive Platform For Creative Coders
At the start of 2021 we launched the CodeCombat AI League. Built on the foundation of our annual CodeQuest competitive coding hackathon, this new and innovative esport was born. The CodeCombat AI League is the first of its kind, part AI battle simulator and part code engine for learning real...
INNOVATE® Georgia
3CI
HAS BEEN EMPOWERING BUSINESS TRANSFORMATION WITH PEOPLE, PROCESSES, AND TECHNOLOGY FOROVER 40 YEARS, SERVING ATLANTA AND BEYOND.
Atlanta is quickly emerging as one of the premier tech hubs in the nation. Known for its rich history and vibrant culture, the city is now gaining recognition for its innovative spirit and thriving tech ecosystem. Home to a diverse range of startups, established tech giants, and a robust infrastructure,...
INNOVATE™ South Africa
RAILRUNNER
NECESSITY IS ONE OF THE DRIVERS OF INNOVATION, INITIATED BY CHANGE IN CIRCUMSTANCES, FACTORS OF INFLUENCE, ECONOMIC REQUIREMENTS AND JUST A DESIRE TO WORK BETTER AND SMARTER
With the rapid growth of the logistics industry, it became necessary to develop systems limiting the handling of cargo to speed up the delivery process. During the 1990’s the late Harry Wicks, of Buffalo, NY, USA developed and patented early RailRunner concepts for a bimodal transportation system designed to take...
INNOVATE® Washington DMV Edition
COM-SEC
EMPOWERING BUSINESSES WITH COMPREHENSIVE CYBERSECURITY SOLUTIONS
Founded in 2020, Com-Sec has emerged as a leading provider of comprehensive cybersecurity solutions, empowering businesses to safeguard their digital assets and achieve regulatory compliance. With a team of highly skilled cybersecurity experts boasting decades of industry experience, Com-Sec has become a trusted partner for organizations across various sectors. A...
INNOVATE® Kansas City
KC Digital Drive
Designing the Digital Backbone of a City
Building Tomorrow’s Kansas City Established in 2012 by the cities of Kansas City, Missouri, and Kansas City, Kansas, KC Digital Drive serves as a regional technology and innovation intermediary. While technologies evolve and community needs change, its purpose has remained constant: helping cities and communities prepare for the future by...
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® Puerto Rico
eliteBco
Helping Organizations Automate their Business Processes
Founded in 2009, eliteBco provides technologically advanced consulting for state-of-the-art Business Process Automation (BPA) and Financial Management Systems. Many products claim to be flexible and quick to customize, but can these products truly make your process come to life faster? Most cannot… Traditional systems take months or even years to...
INNOVATE™ Vancouver Vol.2
FLOORSPACE
TRANSFORMING THE COMMERCIAL BROKERAGE - FLOORSPACE’S EVOLUTIONARY APPROACH
Floorspace originated from Matt Carlson’s experience in the industry, while working as Executive Vice President at a prominent commercial real estate brokerage. During his tenure, Matt observed the challenges faced by both seasoned brokers and young professionals aspiring to enter the commercial real estate industry. Certain hurdles like limited and...
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® Milwaukee
ECOURT REPORTERS
TECHNOLOGY TO LOCATE AND BOOK LEGAL SERVICE PROVIDERS
eCourt Reporters is a court reporter/women-owned company. eCourt Reporters was created out of a need for locating qualified, experienced court reporters and legal videographers. eCourt Reporters’ app is a custom-built, high-tech, innovative technology to schedule court reporters and other legal services. Karen Renee, CEO; Judy Gerulat, COO; and Justin Furst,...
INNOVATE® Nashville
The Innovation Studio
Building Industrial AI Companies That Solve Real-World Problems
The Innovation Studio is a venture studio based in the Nashville region that exists for a single purpose: to build technology startups that solve pervasive industry problems by developing and using the best artificial intelligence. From the origin of an idea through company exit, the Studio uses a disciplined, repeatable...
INNOVATE® Gaming & Esports
VARSITY ESPORTS FOUNDATION
YOU CAN DONATE NOW TO SUPPORT OUR MISSION
WHO WE ARE The Varsity Esports Foundation is a global non-profit organization established to offer financial assistance to schools and to provide a pipeline for students to reach their potential through esports. We strive to increase literacy around the esports industry’s positive impact on healthy lifestyles, mental health, community, and...
INNOVATE™ South Africa
PARK ADVERTISING
BORNE OUT OF A NEED TO OFFER WORLD-CLASS INNOVATIVE AND PIONEERING MEDIA OPTIONS WITHIN THE SOUTH AFRICAN MEDIA INDUSTRY, PARK ADVERTISING AND ITS SUBSIDIARIES HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN CONTINUALLY DRIVING THIS ETHOS FOR YEARS
INNOVATE® Washington DMV Edition
VERSUS - The Rise of a Lifestyle Powerhouse
The Rise of a Lifestyle Powerhouse
VERSUS is a multi-dimensional lifestyle brand rewriting the rules of hospitality, marketing, and venture capital in Washington, D.C. Under the visionary leadership of CEO Vinoda Basnayake, VERSUS has become synonymous with innovation and disruption. This dynamic brand is not just about creating spaces but crafting experiences that resonate deeply with...
INNOVATE® Gaming & Esports
JOHNSON C. SMITH UNIVERSITY (JCSU)
ESPORTS AND GAMING TRIFECTA, THE FIRST AT AN HBCU
In February 2019, a mere conversation that I had with a JCSU athletics administrator about the paucity of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) that possessed structured on-campus esports programming became the impetus behind my development of a proposal later that day for an esports and gaming academic program. The...
Global Innovation Spotlight
The economy of the fandom experience:
Merch, innovation, and sustainability
Everybody’s part of a fandom nowadays, with many people being part of several communities for different musicians, bands, movies, series, and sports teams at the same time. Since many are quite passionate about the fandoms they’re part of, it’s natural that they’d want to wear their interests on their sleeve....
INNOVATE™ Vancouver Vol.2
BOAST AI
Boast’s AI-powered platform maximizes R&D tax credits while accelerating access to funding
Boast’s AI-powered platform maximizes R&D tax credits while accelerating access to funding The good news for companies of all sizes: Each year, the Canadian and U.S. federal governments provide businesses with more than $20 billion in research and development (R&D) credits. The bad news: application processes are cumbersome, time-consuming, and...
INNOVATE™ South Africa
THE FLAMING HEART OF NANDO’S
WE ARE PROUD TO COUNT OURSELVES ONE OF SOUTH AFRICA’S MOST LOVED EXPORTS
The story of Nando’s is well-known to South Africans who grew up alongside us in our relatively new democracy. In 1987 two friends shared a meal at a humble Portuguese eatery in Rosettenville, Johannesburg. Here they were inspired by the taste of the African Bird’s Eye Chilli, a spice that...
INNOVATION Quebec
DISTRIQ
ZONE D’INNOVATION QUANTIQUE
DistriQ, Quantum Innovation Zone, is an organization that provides expertise and infrastructure to foster the emergence and acceleration of innovation in the quantum science and technology sector. DistriQ supports the development of one of the first innovation zones of the Quebec government, the Sherbrooke Quantum Innovation Zone. Since its designation...
INNOVATE™ Adelaide
SAGE
CREATING A SMARTER FUTURE, BETTER WORLD
SAGE is a specialist industrial digitalisation services provider, combining the best thinking with world-leading technology to deliver the best outcome. SAGE’s specialist businesses – SAGE Automation, Nukon, Skills Lab and Embedded Expertise – work with organisations to deliver strategy and horizon phasing, automation of industrial operations, data-driven business transformation, training...
INNOVATE® Detroit
Menace Media
A Movement of Creativity, Community, and Change
Menace Media was born in the heart of Detroit, a city built on resilience, creativity, and cultural revolution. More than just a media company, Menace Media is a movement—a platform designed to uplift, empower, and unite creatives, entrepreneurs, and visionaries. What started as a passion project among friends has grown...
INNOVATE® Jacksonville
NLP Logix
Embrace Or Die: The Case For AI
“Artificial intelligence (AI) has made its mark and has begun transforming every industry, government, and the lives of everyone on the planet,” states Ted Willich, NLP Logix Chief Executive. Ted is one of three founders of the company. He, along with Matt Berseth and Robert Marsh, started the company in...
INNOVATE® Gaming & Esports
UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY
TO ENGAGE WITH OUR COMMUNITY OF STUDENTS, FACULTY, STAFF AND PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS WITH GAMING AND ESPORTS TOPICS WHILE PROMOTING EDUCATION AND CAREER DEVELOPMENT IN THIS SPACE
As is common with many of the great things that universities do, it all started with the students. The UK Esports Club was organized around 2017 by students who were interested in growing the community and helping different clubs focused on individual games to pool their resources and better leverage...
INNOVATE® Gaming & Esports
CODECOMBAT
How An EdTech Startup Is Reinventing Esports And Providing A Competitive Platform For Creative Coders
At the start of 2021 we launched the CodeCombat AI League. Built on the foundation of our annual CodeQuest competitive coding hackathon, this new and innovative esport was born. The CodeCombat AI League is the first of its kind, part AI battle simulator and part code engine for learning real...
INNOVATE® Georgia
3CI
HAS BEEN EMPOWERING BUSINESS TRANSFORMATION WITH PEOPLE, PROCESSES, AND TECHNOLOGY FOROVER 40 YEARS, SERVING ATLANTA AND BEYOND.
Atlanta is quickly emerging as one of the premier tech hubs in the nation. Known for its rich history and vibrant culture, the city is now gaining recognition for its innovative spirit and thriving tech ecosystem. Home to a diverse range of startups, established tech giants, and a robust infrastructure,...
INNOVATE™ South Africa
RAILRUNNER
NECESSITY IS ONE OF THE DRIVERS OF INNOVATION, INITIATED BY CHANGE IN CIRCUMSTANCES, FACTORS OF INFLUENCE, ECONOMIC REQUIREMENTS AND JUST A DESIRE TO WORK BETTER AND SMARTER
With the rapid growth of the logistics industry, it became necessary to develop systems limiting the handling of cargo to speed up the delivery process. During the 1990’s the late Harry Wicks, of Buffalo, NY, USA developed and patented early RailRunner concepts for a bimodal transportation system designed to take...
INNOVATE® Washington DMV Edition
COM-SEC
EMPOWERING BUSINESSES WITH COMPREHENSIVE CYBERSECURITY SOLUTIONS
Founded in 2020, Com-Sec has emerged as a leading provider of comprehensive cybersecurity solutions, empowering businesses to safeguard their digital assets and achieve regulatory compliance. With a team of highly skilled cybersecurity experts boasting decades of industry experience, Com-Sec has become a trusted partner for organizations across various sectors. A...
INNOVATE® Kansas City
KC Digital Drive
Designing the Digital Backbone of a City
Building Tomorrow’s Kansas City Established in 2012 by the cities of Kansas City, Missouri, and Kansas City, Kansas, KC Digital Drive serves as a regional technology and innovation intermediary. While technologies evolve and community needs change, its purpose has remained constant: helping cities and communities prepare for the future by...
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® Puerto Rico
eliteBco
Helping Organizations Automate their Business Processes
Founded in 2009, eliteBco provides technologically advanced consulting for state-of-the-art Business Process Automation (BPA) and Financial Management Systems. Many products claim to be flexible and quick to customize, but can these products truly make your process come to life faster? Most cannot… Traditional systems take months or even years to...
INNOVATE™ Vancouver Vol.2
FLOORSPACE
TRANSFORMING THE COMMERCIAL BROKERAGE - FLOORSPACE’S EVOLUTIONARY APPROACH
Floorspace originated from Matt Carlson’s experience in the industry, while working as Executive Vice President at a prominent commercial real estate brokerage. During his tenure, Matt observed the challenges faced by both seasoned brokers and young professionals aspiring to enter the commercial real estate industry. Certain hurdles like limited and...
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® Milwaukee
ECOURT REPORTERS
TECHNOLOGY TO LOCATE AND BOOK LEGAL SERVICE PROVIDERS
eCourt Reporters is a court reporter/women-owned company. eCourt Reporters was created out of a need for locating qualified, experienced court reporters and legal videographers. eCourt Reporters’ app is a custom-built, high-tech, innovative technology to schedule court reporters and other legal services. Karen Renee, CEO; Judy Gerulat, COO; and Justin Furst,...
INNOVATE® Nashville
The Innovation Studio
Building Industrial AI Companies That Solve Real-World Problems
The Innovation Studio is a venture studio based in the Nashville region that exists for a single purpose: to build technology startups that solve pervasive industry problems by developing and using the best artificial intelligence. From the origin of an idea through company exit, the Studio uses a disciplined, repeatable...
INNOVATE® Gaming & Esports
VARSITY ESPORTS FOUNDATION
YOU CAN DONATE NOW TO SUPPORT OUR MISSION
WHO WE ARE The Varsity Esports Foundation is a global non-profit organization established to offer financial assistance to schools and to provide a pipeline for students to reach their potential through esports. We strive to increase literacy around the esports industry’s positive impact on healthy lifestyles, mental health, community, and...