Stories of Innovation
INNOVATE® Washington DMV Edition
K STREET CAPITAL (KSC)
FUELING INNOVATION IN HIGH-GROWTH MARKETS
K Street Capital (KSC) is at the heart of Washington, D.C.’s innovation scene, fueling the rise of high-growth startups in industries like fintech, climatetech, and cybersecurity. Since 2012, KSC has been more than just a venture capital firm – it’s a launchpad for groundbreaking companies. With over $65 million in...
Global Innovation Spotlight
The Future of Crypto Payments in E-Commerce
Discover how blockchain innovations, stablecoins, and new regulations are driving crypto adoption by merchants and consumers in e-commerce.
Cryptocurrencies are poised to reshape online retail payments by offering near-instant global transfers and lower fees compared to traditional methods. These advantages appeal to both merchants and consumers: a survey found about 46% of crypto users cite transaction speed and efficiency, and 41% value crypto’s borderless reach. Savvy retailers are...
INNOVATE® Nashville
MOMENTUM UNIVERSITY
FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT NEED, WE GOT YOU COVERED
Momentum University offers in-person and virtual sessions to over 1200 corporate leaders in over 60 companies around the globe. Whether it’s experiencing high-energy keynote speeches, training, or group coaching, the business is one of the fastest growing minority owned leadership and development companies in the state of Tennessee. The mission...
INNOVATE® Milwaukee
METRO MLS
A COMMITMENT TO INNOVATION
“Innovation is a cumulation of creativity and ingenuity with a splash of chaos that produces something of great substance.” Metro MLS has been reshaping the landscape of real estate in Wisconsin since its establishment in 1962. This powerhouse serves over 10,000 real estate professionals across the state, constantly pushing the...
INNOVATION Quebec
REAI
TRANSFORMING MANUFACTURERS ONE PROJECT AT A TIME
For the past 18 years, REAI has been a non-profit organization bringing together members specialized in automation, robotics and services from all areas of automation expertise and manufacturing niches. As part of MEIE’s digital transformation offensive, we are pursuing our mission to stimulate collaboration between innovative companies as part of...
INNOVATE™ Alberta
KNEAD
UNLEASHING THE POWER OF FOOD RESCUE: KNEAD TECHNOLOGIES LEADS THE CHARGE TOWARDS ZERO WASTE
In a world where nearly 40% of produced food goes to waste, Knead Technologies has emerged as a trailblazer, revolutionizing the fight against food waste (Parfitt et al., 2021, p. 6). With their innovative logistics solutions, this software development company is redefining how food rescue organizations operate worldwide. By seamlessly...
INNOVATE® Washington DMV Edition
OpenGrid Technologies
Democratizing Urban EV Charging
Charging an EV (electric vehicle) outside your city home can be problematic for most urban EV drivers. Simply put, public charging operators aren’t incentivized to build urban fast-charging networks due to the uncertainty in demand, lack of access to prime locations, and power availability issues. What’s more, private charging isn’t...
INNOVATE® Nashville
Snapshot
We bring clarity to complexity, and creativity to business goals.
In a small office tucked away in East Nashville’s Five Points neighborhood, Snapshot’s modest beginnings started as a video production company. At the time, Nashville had plenty of production houses producing great video, and a handful of large agencies infusing strategy into high-budget campaigns. But our founders saw a gap...
INNOVATE® Nashville
RJ Young
How RJ Young and Velocity1 Are Redefining Technology Solutions Across the Southeast
For more than 70 years, RJ Young has stood at the forefront of helping businesses adapt to change. What began in 1955 as a local provider of office equipment in Nashville has grown into one of the Southeast’s most respected and comprehensive business technology partners. Over the decades, RJ Young...
INNOVATE™ Atlantic Canada
VIDCRUITER
FROM A TEAM OF TWO TO 100+ – VIDCRUITER DRIVES THE FUTURE OF DIGITAL RECRUITMENT
When Sean Fahey, CEO of VidCruiter, was faced with a challenge of hiring 200 people in a time crunch, he learned how frustrating and inefficient it was to find and hire candidates the traditional way. He asked, “What if there’s a way to improve and scale the interviewing process for...
INNOVATE™ Estonia
SOL NAVITAS
SOLAR VENTILATION FOR HEALTHIER, DRIER, SMARTER HOMES
Sol Navitas is an Estonian cleantech company on a mission to make buildings healthier, smarter, and more sustainable — by harnessing solar energy to drive ventilation, moisture control, and indoor climate solutions. At the heart of its approach is a simple belief: a building should support well-being, not compromise it....
INNOVATE® Washington DMV Edition
THE HARWOOD INSTITUTE
MAKING COMMUNITY A COMMON ENTERPRISE
The Harwood Institute for Public Innovation equips people, organizations, communities, and networks with tools to bridge divides, build capacity, and tackle shared challenges. By Turning Outward, people enable communities to become a collective force for change. Catalyzing HopeThe Harwood Institute exists in a long tradition of catalytic organizations throughout American...
INNOVATE® Jacksonville
BlendedDesigns: Empower. Educate. Elevate.
When shopping for back-to-school supplies, more consumers are turning to online shopping instead of going to the mall. One entrepreneur is looking to encourage young students to become first-generation college graduates with an online shop, BlendedDesigns.com. Encouraging students with backpacks that say, “I can do anything,” founder and CEO Casey...
INNOVATE™ Botswana Vol.1
PROJECT 124
BUILDING THE ECONOMY, ONE BUSINESS AT A TIME
Project124 is an innovation enabler designed to revolutionize youth entrepreneurship and facilitate effective creation of sustainable jobs for young people around the country, brought to you by Launchit International in partnership with Hollard Life Botswana. Established in 2016, Project124 stands to be the leading private and citizen owned youth...
INNOVATION Quebec
CETAB+
L’AGRONOMIE POUR FAIRE AVANCER L’AGRICULTURE BIO AU QUÉBEC
À Victoriaville, et rayonnant dans plusieurs régions du Québec, une équipe d’agronomes, de biologistes et de techniciens s’affaire à l’amélioration de méthodes de production agricole propres et modernes. Le Centre d’expertise et de transfert en agriculture biologique et de proximité (CETAB+), affilié au Cégep de Victoriaville, œuvre depuis 2010 de...
INNOVATE® Milwaukee
NORTHWESTERN MUTUAL
INNOVATING IN FINANCIAL SERVICES FOR MORE THAN 165 YEARS
INNOVATING IN FINANCIAL SERVICES FOR MORE THAN 165 YEARS Founded in 1857, Northwestern Mutual, a FORTUNE 500® financial services company, embodies a unique culture dedicated to helping people achieve financial security. As a mutual company, Northwestern Mutual answers to its policy owners — not Wall Street. Through a comprehensive planning...
INNOVATE® Jacksonville
Amelia Toffee-True Love With Every Bite
Small batch, Handcrafted, Artisan toffee
Our unique recipes combine tradition and creativity with superior ingredients and finely curated flavorings. We promise true love with every bite. We are a small-batch, handcrafted, artisan toffee maker, creating uniquely flavored, all-natural toffee. Our incredibly indulgent dark chocolate almond toffee is made with ingredients such as orange, key lime,...
INNOVATE® Washington DMV Edition
FLEXPODS
Our mission is to empower a collective of fitness and wellness professionals to build their brand
Laurent is a regular on the media circuit, seen on Oprah’s Live Your Best Life Tour, the Dr.Oz Show, TEDx talks, and many local news programs. Laurent had an idea. His idea was to create a space to support the fitness community. Providing affordable expertly designed and fully equipped fitness...
INNOVATE® Austin Volume 2
HIGHER STATE TECHNOLOGY
HUMANS HELPING HUMANS MANAGE TECH
CYBER RESILIENCE What we care about: We are all connected. Technology is the current that runs through our businesses and global villages. Higher State Technology (HST) serves SMBs in a “Techno-city” where we can focus on what matters – taking care of employees and clients. Cyber Resilience is at the...
INNOVATION Quebec
Calcul Québec
Collaborate to innovate
United for more powerQuébec is a pioneer in the field of advanced computing in the country. From 1992, several inter-institutional collaborations emerged. These collaborations made possible the acquisition of supercomputers, and the development of local expertise in order to support the research community. Thirty years ago, this support enabled Québec...
INNOVATE® Nashville
UnityAI
The Future of Smarter, More Efficient Healthcare Operations
Hospitals are some of the most profound institutions in America — places where nearly everyone begins and ends their lives. The complexity of these institutions, operationally and administratively, is immense. While no individual or team can optimize this complexity, UnityAI believes AI can. UnityAI didn’t start with a grand vision...
INNOVATE® Jacksonville
Inventory Source
An Industry Leading And Longest-Running Dropship Automation Tech
Headquartered in Jacksonville Beach, Florida, Inventory Source is an industry leading and longest-running dropship automation tech company paving the way for cutting-edge e-commerce automation and fulfillment services. Inventory Source was brought to life in 2002 by seasoned e-commerce experts that believed small and medium-sized online business owners could...
INNOVATE® Georgia
REPAY
ATLANTA’S REPAY REVAMPS PAYMENT TECHNOLOGY TO PROVIDE ADVANTAGES FOR CONSUMERS & BUSINESSES
History & PurposeREPAY was founded in 2006 by John Morris and Shaler Alias with the goal of providing fast, frictionless, and fail-safe integrated payment processing solutions for consumers and businesses. Morris serves as REPAY’s CEO to this day, and Alias co-leads as president from the company’s headquarters in Atlanta. REPAY’s...
INNOVATE® Puerto Rico
CO.CO.HAUS
ALL-IN ON LOCAL ENTREPRENEURS AND REVERSING PUERTO RICO’S “BRAIN DRAIN”
Co.co.haus is a business hub helping entrepreneurs, solopreneurs, micro and small businesses thrive in Puerto Rico. As a coworking space, professional support hub, and entrepreneurial community, they are working together with locals to reverse the “brain drain” from the island, where some of the best and brightest minds leave to...
INNOVATE® Washington DMV Edition
K STREET CAPITAL (KSC)
FUELING INNOVATION IN HIGH-GROWTH MARKETS
K Street Capital (KSC) is at the heart of Washington, D.C.’s innovation scene, fueling the rise of high-growth startups in industries like fintech, climatetech, and cybersecurity. Since 2012, KSC has been more than just a venture capital firm – it’s a launchpad for groundbreaking companies. With over $65 million in...
Global Innovation Spotlight
The Future of Crypto Payments in E-Commerce
Discover how blockchain innovations, stablecoins, and new regulations are driving crypto adoption by merchants and consumers in e-commerce.
Cryptocurrencies are poised to reshape online retail payments by offering near-instant global transfers and lower fees compared to traditional methods. These advantages appeal to both merchants and consumers: a survey found about 46% of crypto users cite transaction speed and efficiency, and 41% value crypto’s borderless reach. Savvy retailers are...
INNOVATE® Nashville
MOMENTUM UNIVERSITY
FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT NEED, WE GOT YOU COVERED
Momentum University offers in-person and virtual sessions to over 1200 corporate leaders in over 60 companies around the globe. Whether it’s experiencing high-energy keynote speeches, training, or group coaching, the business is one of the fastest growing minority owned leadership and development companies in the state of Tennessee. The mission...
INNOVATE® Milwaukee
METRO MLS
A COMMITMENT TO INNOVATION
“Innovation is a cumulation of creativity and ingenuity with a splash of chaos that produces something of great substance.” Metro MLS has been reshaping the landscape of real estate in Wisconsin since its establishment in 1962. This powerhouse serves over 10,000 real estate professionals across the state, constantly pushing the...
INNOVATION Quebec
REAI
TRANSFORMING MANUFACTURERS ONE PROJECT AT A TIME
For the past 18 years, REAI has been a non-profit organization bringing together members specialized in automation, robotics and services from all areas of automation expertise and manufacturing niches. As part of MEIE’s digital transformation offensive, we are pursuing our mission to stimulate collaboration between innovative companies as part of...
INNOVATE™ Alberta
KNEAD
UNLEASHING THE POWER OF FOOD RESCUE: KNEAD TECHNOLOGIES LEADS THE CHARGE TOWARDS ZERO WASTE
In a world where nearly 40% of produced food goes to waste, Knead Technologies has emerged as a trailblazer, revolutionizing the fight against food waste (Parfitt et al., 2021, p. 6). With their innovative logistics solutions, this software development company is redefining how food rescue organizations operate worldwide. By seamlessly...
INNOVATE® Washington DMV Edition
OpenGrid Technologies
Democratizing Urban EV Charging
Charging an EV (electric vehicle) outside your city home can be problematic for most urban EV drivers. Simply put, public charging operators aren’t incentivized to build urban fast-charging networks due to the uncertainty in demand, lack of access to prime locations, and power availability issues. What’s more, private charging isn’t...
INNOVATE® Nashville
Snapshot
We bring clarity to complexity, and creativity to business goals.
In a small office tucked away in East Nashville’s Five Points neighborhood, Snapshot’s modest beginnings started as a video production company. At the time, Nashville had plenty of production houses producing great video, and a handful of large agencies infusing strategy into high-budget campaigns. But our founders saw a gap...
INNOVATE® Nashville
RJ Young
How RJ Young and Velocity1 Are Redefining Technology Solutions Across the Southeast
For more than 70 years, RJ Young has stood at the forefront of helping businesses adapt to change. What began in 1955 as a local provider of office equipment in Nashville has grown into one of the Southeast’s most respected and comprehensive business technology partners. Over the decades, RJ Young...
INNOVATE™ Atlantic Canada
VIDCRUITER
FROM A TEAM OF TWO TO 100+ – VIDCRUITER DRIVES THE FUTURE OF DIGITAL RECRUITMENT
When Sean Fahey, CEO of VidCruiter, was faced with a challenge of hiring 200 people in a time crunch, he learned how frustrating and inefficient it was to find and hire candidates the traditional way. He asked, “What if there’s a way to improve and scale the interviewing process for...
INNOVATE™ Estonia
SOL NAVITAS
SOLAR VENTILATION FOR HEALTHIER, DRIER, SMARTER HOMES
Sol Navitas is an Estonian cleantech company on a mission to make buildings healthier, smarter, and more sustainable — by harnessing solar energy to drive ventilation, moisture control, and indoor climate solutions. At the heart of its approach is a simple belief: a building should support well-being, not compromise it....
INNOVATE® Washington DMV Edition
THE HARWOOD INSTITUTE
MAKING COMMUNITY A COMMON ENTERPRISE
The Harwood Institute for Public Innovation equips people, organizations, communities, and networks with tools to bridge divides, build capacity, and tackle shared challenges. By Turning Outward, people enable communities to become a collective force for change. Catalyzing HopeThe Harwood Institute exists in a long tradition of catalytic organizations throughout American...
INNOVATE® Jacksonville
BlendedDesigns: Empower. Educate. Elevate.
When shopping for back-to-school supplies, more consumers are turning to online shopping instead of going to the mall. One entrepreneur is looking to encourage young students to become first-generation college graduates with an online shop, BlendedDesigns.com. Encouraging students with backpacks that say, “I can do anything,” founder and CEO Casey...
INNOVATE™ Botswana Vol.1
PROJECT 124
BUILDING THE ECONOMY, ONE BUSINESS AT A TIME
Project124 is an innovation enabler designed to revolutionize youth entrepreneurship and facilitate effective creation of sustainable jobs for young people around the country, brought to you by Launchit International in partnership with Hollard Life Botswana. Established in 2016, Project124 stands to be the leading private and citizen owned youth...
INNOVATION Quebec
CETAB+
L’AGRONOMIE POUR FAIRE AVANCER L’AGRICULTURE BIO AU QUÉBEC
À Victoriaville, et rayonnant dans plusieurs régions du Québec, une équipe d’agronomes, de biologistes et de techniciens s’affaire à l’amélioration de méthodes de production agricole propres et modernes. Le Centre d’expertise et de transfert en agriculture biologique et de proximité (CETAB+), affilié au Cégep de Victoriaville, œuvre depuis 2010 de...
INNOVATE® Milwaukee
NORTHWESTERN MUTUAL
INNOVATING IN FINANCIAL SERVICES FOR MORE THAN 165 YEARS
INNOVATING IN FINANCIAL SERVICES FOR MORE THAN 165 YEARS Founded in 1857, Northwestern Mutual, a FORTUNE 500® financial services company, embodies a unique culture dedicated to helping people achieve financial security. As a mutual company, Northwestern Mutual answers to its policy owners — not Wall Street. Through a comprehensive planning...
INNOVATE® Jacksonville
Amelia Toffee-True Love With Every Bite
Small batch, Handcrafted, Artisan toffee
Our unique recipes combine tradition and creativity with superior ingredients and finely curated flavorings. We promise true love with every bite. We are a small-batch, handcrafted, artisan toffee maker, creating uniquely flavored, all-natural toffee. Our incredibly indulgent dark chocolate almond toffee is made with ingredients such as orange, key lime,...
INNOVATE® Washington DMV Edition
FLEXPODS
Our mission is to empower a collective of fitness and wellness professionals to build their brand
Laurent is a regular on the media circuit, seen on Oprah’s Live Your Best Life Tour, the Dr.Oz Show, TEDx talks, and many local news programs. Laurent had an idea. His idea was to create a space to support the fitness community. Providing affordable expertly designed and fully equipped fitness...
INNOVATE® Austin Volume 2
HIGHER STATE TECHNOLOGY
HUMANS HELPING HUMANS MANAGE TECH
CYBER RESILIENCE What we care about: We are all connected. Technology is the current that runs through our businesses and global villages. Higher State Technology (HST) serves SMBs in a “Techno-city” where we can focus on what matters – taking care of employees and clients. Cyber Resilience is at the...
INNOVATION Quebec
Calcul Québec
Collaborate to innovate
United for more powerQuébec is a pioneer in the field of advanced computing in the country. From 1992, several inter-institutional collaborations emerged. These collaborations made possible the acquisition of supercomputers, and the development of local expertise in order to support the research community. Thirty years ago, this support enabled Québec...
INNOVATE® Nashville
UnityAI
The Future of Smarter, More Efficient Healthcare Operations
Hospitals are some of the most profound institutions in America — places where nearly everyone begins and ends their lives. The complexity of these institutions, operationally and administratively, is immense. While no individual or team can optimize this complexity, UnityAI believes AI can. UnityAI didn’t start with a grand vision...
INNOVATE® Jacksonville
Inventory Source
An Industry Leading And Longest-Running Dropship Automation Tech
Headquartered in Jacksonville Beach, Florida, Inventory Source is an industry leading and longest-running dropship automation tech company paving the way for cutting-edge e-commerce automation and fulfillment services. Inventory Source was brought to life in 2002 by seasoned e-commerce experts that believed small and medium-sized online business owners could...
INNOVATE® Georgia
REPAY
ATLANTA’S REPAY REVAMPS PAYMENT TECHNOLOGY TO PROVIDE ADVANTAGES FOR CONSUMERS & BUSINESSES
History & PurposeREPAY was founded in 2006 by John Morris and Shaler Alias with the goal of providing fast, frictionless, and fail-safe integrated payment processing solutions for consumers and businesses. Morris serves as REPAY’s CEO to this day, and Alias co-leads as president from the company’s headquarters in Atlanta. REPAY’s...
INNOVATE® Puerto Rico
CO.CO.HAUS
ALL-IN ON LOCAL ENTREPRENEURS AND REVERSING PUERTO RICO’S “BRAIN DRAIN”
Co.co.haus is a business hub helping entrepreneurs, solopreneurs, micro and small businesses thrive in Puerto Rico. As a coworking space, professional support hub, and entrepreneurial community, they are working together with locals to reverse the “brain drain” from the island, where some of the best and brightest minds leave to...