Stories of Innovation

Julie Lilliston Communications Shapes the Future of PR. When Julie Lilliston founded Julie Lilliston Communications in 2014, she envisioned more than just another public relations firm. Drawing from more than two decades of corporate communications expertise at global agencies Weber Shandwick and MSL Group, she set out to revolutionize how...

Artsana Portugal is a subsidiary of the Italian Artsana Group which in our country represents leading brands such as Chicco, Control, PIC Solution, and additional emerging brands like Recaro, Boppy and Neobaby. Chicco is the company’s most iconic brand, and its history helps us understand the brand’s DNA and the...

ELEVATOR PITCH Wander Media Company is the creative powerhouse behind a collection of destination marketing television channels airing in hotels and resorts throughout Northeast Florida and Southeast Georgia. From restaurants to shopping to local attractions, Wander helps tell the story of the places and faces that make Jacksonville such a...

Margot had spent most of her career in international development, with stints at the Treasury, White House, and FTC. She had never expected to write a book on raising an entrepreneur. It began when she started meeting scores of successful young entrepreneurs through her older son, Elliott, who, in 2008,...

They both grew up in the suburbs of Chicago and met in high school. When Barrett Lombardo and Andy Crestodina graduated, they headed off to the University of Iowa together.   They shared a dorm room and one of those boxy Macintosh computers. It was the early 1990s. Most people...

Since 2015, based in Washington, DC, Friends of Puerto Rico, a nonprofit social impact organization, has focused its objectives on mobilizing a network of partners to accelerate economic opportunities for the people of Puerto Rico. This organization collaborates with economic development through different business initiatives, as well as education and...

With a mantra of ‘Esports for Everyone,’ Aquatik Esports is truly unique and has propelled an abrupt tidal wave of followers, fans, and participants spread across multiple channels and touchpoints across the world. By providing approachable spaces, opportunities, and platforms for amateur competitive gamers, creators, and streamers to launch their...

Nearly a century ago, an ice plant, sponge fishing boat, and 35 hard-working mules formed the foundation of what is today a global energy leader. Fast forward to today, and that humble beginning has paved the way for a groundbreaking innovation hub: 35 Mules. This energetic initiative, backed by NextEra...

Technology’s power to drive collaboration is transformative. Summerfest Tech was created in 2018 to showcase the impactful influence of technology in Milwaukee and the Midwest, and provide a platform to network, educate, and celebrate the evolution of technology. Today, Summerfest Tech continues to leverage the world-class music festival Summerfest, while...

American University’s Kogod School of Business breeds the spirit of changemakers at the Veloric Center for Entrepreneurship. It’s more than just an academic unit; it’s a thriving ecosystem where entrepreneurial dreams are developed, challenged, and nurtured. Entrepreneurship is a worldview. Entrepreneurs are risk-taking, resilient, innovative problem-solvers and dreamers with the...

EvolutionVN is the home of a proprietary piece of exercise equipment, the Evolution Training System. As their flagship product, the Evolution is a compact, versatile, and functional piece of equipment that makes exercise and rehabilitation more practical, effective, and sustainable. It was designed to fit any space and to have...

Founded in 2015 by one of Canada’s most prolific finance, media, and technology financiers, G Scott Paterson, along with marketing ace, Michael Bradley, FutureVault has been at the forefront of innovation by providing modern and sophisticated document management solutions via white-labeled Digital Vaults to financial institutions, wealth management firms, and...

In business, location is everything. The South Carolina Department of Commerce’s vision is to embrace the future while ensuring the state’s sustainable growth and creating economic opportunity for all South Carolinians — from launch to legacy. South Carolina’s prime East Coast location and strong transportation infrastructure give companies efficient, reliable...

In an industry obsessed with firewalls, encryption algorithms, and artificial intelligence, POPP3R Cybersecurity has built its reputation on a simple but contrarian belief: the greatest opportunity to strengthen any organization’s security lies not in adding more technology, but in empowering the people who use it. Founded and led by Hernan...

THE RESEARCH INSTITUTE OF THE MCGILL UNIVERSITY HEALTH CENTRE (RI-MUHC) IS A UNIQUE INNOVATION ECOSYSTEM AFFILIATED WITH THE FACULTY OF MEDICINE AND HEALTH SCIENCES AT MCGILL UNIVERSITY. A global leader in precision healthcare across the lifespan, the RI-MUHC is home to more than 600 researchers, 1472 research trainees and 1,300...

ÄIO (äio tech OÜ) – founded in January 2022 by Nemailla Bonturi (PhD, Brazil) and Petri-Jaan Lahtvee (PhD, Estonia), is not just a startup, spinoff or company — it’s a vision to revolutionize how the world produces fats and oils. How It All Began Nemailla and Petri-Jaan’s journey towards ÄIO...

In an era where water costs are rising faster than any other utility and infrastructure is under unprecedented strain, Metron has positioned itself at the center of a critical shift: transforming water from a hidden cost into a measurable, manageable, and strategic asset. From its base in Colorado, its leadership...

Connexion Laurentides est un organisme à but non lucratif fondé en novembre 2018. En tant qu’Espace d’accélération et de croissance de la grande région des Laurentides, il est piloté depuis ses tout premiers débuts par une équipe dévouée et ses principaux objectifs sont de mobiliser les acteurs de l’écosystème entrepreneurial...

INFORMA FINANCIAL – THE IMPORTANCE OF A WELL-ROUNDED TOTAL BENEFITS EXPERIENCE IS MORE IMPORTANT NOW THAN IT HAS EVER BEEN. Informa’s founder, Cliff Pipke, began this business out of a desire to help service the insurance needs of families, as well as those of the small business owner. As Informa’s...

Where do brands and marketers look to understand middle-class consumers go to find actionable, realistic, useful data? That was the question the team at WhyFive Insights asked almost a decade ago when they launched a unique annual survey and data set called BrandMapp. “We were working in media at the...

We partner with entrepreneurs across Africa who are experts in their fields, supporting them in an enabling, energising collaborative environment. We have partnered with agencies that operate independently and have their own P&L, however, our philosophy is built on principles of seamless collaboration. As such our solutions are agnostic and...

Boutique Vancouver architectural firm committed to collaborative design and mixed-use projects using engineered wood solutions. The boutique architectural firm of SLA (Stephane Laroye Architect Inc.) is a Vancouver-based architectural firm focused on collaborative design with a passion for Passive House and engineered wood solutions in British Columbia. Established in 2016,...

In Quebec, the industrial metal fabrication (IMF) sector is the most important manufacturing sector. Metal Manufacturing Alliance/Alliance Métal Québec (MMA/AMQ), has nearly 100 companies specializing in complex structures and metal components. Its mission is to create synergies between companies in order to solve common problems. THE METAL MANUFACTURING ALLIANCE NETWORKThe...

NanoBioFab blends nanotechnology with artificial intelligence to create innovative solutions for early infection detection and personalized healthcare. Founded by Dr. Xiaonao Liu, this medtech company is revolutionizing the medical industry with its AI-driven smart sensors and high-throughput 3D nano-printing technology. NanoBioFab is on a journey fueled by personal motivation, cutting-edge...