Stories of Innovation
INNOVATE® South Carolina
Claflin University
Enduring Legacy of Innovation
Claflin University’s enduring legacy of innovation reflects the institution’s long-standing commitment to academic excellence, creativity, and transformative leadership. Founded in 1869, Claflin is the oldest Historically Black College/University (HBCU) in South Carolina. It was the first higher education institution in South Carolina to admit students regardless of their ethnic origin,...
INNOVATE® Northern Virginia
Excella
Turning "Innovation" Into Systems That Actually Perform
In a region that lives and breathes technology, it’s easy to mistake innovation for novelty – something shiny, experimental, and detached from the realities of mission work. Excella has built its brand by resisting that temptation. Founded in 2002, the Northern Virginia firm has spent more than two decades proving...
INNOVATE® Jacksonville
ArtRepublic - Empowering The Artists Shaping Contemporary Culture
Artists First We believe that by empowering artists the world can be a better place. We help artists thrive by giving them access to today’s leading-edge technology and abundant resources to create. We are a passionate collective of artists and industry experts with many years of first-hand experience producing ambitious...
INNOVATE™ Antwerp Vol.2
LEF IS MORE
INNOVATION HAS A FACE
Lef’ is the Dutch word for ‘guts’ or ‘courage’, which is the perfect description of what I do: with LEF I push organizations and their leaders to explore, examine and create business opportunities for the day after tomorrow. Not only by optimizing their strategic thinking and solving underlying problems that...
INNOVATE™ South Africa
MYSOCIALIFE
IS AN EDTECH TRAINING PROGRAM THAT TRAINS PRE-TEENS AND TEENS ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD ABOUT ONLINE SAFETY, DIGITAL CITIZENSHIP AND MEDIA LITERACY, IN ORDER TO FIRST MAKE THEM CONSCIOUS AND AWARE OF SAFETY ONLINE, WHICH WILL ULTIMATELY ALLOW THEM TO EXPLORE INTELLIGENTLY AND LATER EXCEL IN A COMPETITIVE FOURTH INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION
In order to ensure this is successful, the South African-based educators also teach learners’ parents and their teachers too, as well as mental health professionals, helping to bridge the technological divide and provide the much-needed insights and tools to navigate a complex social landscape. “The more we do that,...
INNOVATE® Philadelphia
African American Museum
Celebrating 50 Years of Art, History, and Culture at the African American Museum in Philadelphia
Founded in 1976, in celebration of America’s Bicentennial, the Afro-American Historical and Cultural Museum, now the African American Museum in Philadelphia (AAMP), became the first museum funded and built by a municipality to preserve, collect, and interpret the history of its African American citizens. The museum opened its doors to...
INNOVATION Quebec
TechniTextile Québec
Since 2017, TechniTextile Québec has been working in conjunction with companies and other key members of the textile industry. Serving as a vehicle for collaboration, this textile cluster promotes innovation, enhanced opportunities, commercialization and companies’ competitiveness
Supported by the Québec Ministry of Economy and Innovation’s ACCORD approach, the TechniTextile team assists industry leaders with implementing innovative, collaborative projects driven by their own needs. Innovation-Focused Cluster ProjectsThe projects backed or managed by TechniTextile provide a springboard for companies to reduce the risks involved in collaboration,...
INNOVATE™ Bristol & Bath
FOURTH FLOOR
We Bring Brands And Influencers Together, To Make Content That Engages Audiences And Builds Emotional Connections
Back in 2017 the nascent practice of influencer marketing had problems. Stuck on the idea of a quick buck, agencies seemed to lack a real understanding of online content creators or their audiences, or the power available to branded content campaigns when done well. Put simply, not enough care...
INNOVATE™ Oeiras
Grundfos
We Develop Water Solutions For The World
Grundfos Is One Of The World’s Leading Water Technology Companies. We Are Committed To Pioneering Solutions To The World’s Water And Climate Challenges And Improving The Quality Of Life For People. Pumps are our business. We are a pump company connecting with millions and millions of people every day, and we set the standard in terms of...
INNOVATION Quebec
IVADO
THE ENGINE OF A ROBUST, REASONING, AND RESPONSIBLE AI
IVADO is a Montreal-based AI research and knowledge transfer consortium. It mobilizes unique academic expertise to bridge the gap between current AI and human intelligence, leading the way to the development of AI capable of operating in changing and complex environments. To achieve this vision, IVADO acts on three levels:...
INNOVATE™ South Africa
HAVE YOU HEARD
WE ARE A MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS AGENCY, HOWEVER, OUR DNA, HOW WE STARTED AND OUR REASON FOR BEING HAS ALWAYS MADE US DIFFERENT
We were never just advertising people wanting to do big TV ads, we were entrepreneurs wanting to build brands and businesses. We were also very inexperienced and naïve and while that made things much more challenging in the early years, it has made us more effective the more time has...
INNOVATE™ Alberta
H3ALTH TECHNOLOGIES INC
REVOLUTIONIZING HEALTHCARE THROUGH EMPOWERMENT, ACCESSIBILITY, AND AUTONOMY
The founder’s father was raised in a one-room home in the country side of a small town in Ethiopia that is unknown to most people. Tin roof, mudded walls. The founder’s mother from another town where education wasn’t supposed to be the path for women. His parents didn’t have access...
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® Jacksonville
Forbes Gilham Group
A dedicated group of seasoned financial advisory professionals
A dedicated group of seasoned financial advisory professionals who coordinate the various skills and background of each team member to meet the needs of their client base. The Forbes Gilham Group of Wells Fargo Advisors takes a different approach to the needs of business owners and families. They have ability...
INNOVATE® Chicago Vol.1
Aon
INNOVATION’S ROLE IN A HIGHLY VOLATILE WORLD
One of the long-term impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic experience is that companies have fundamentally changed the way they look at risk. Risks are more interconnected, so the impact is more profound. For example, increased weather events and supply chain disruptions are happening more frequently and having a greater impact...
INNOVATE® New Jersey Vol.2
SAWAI FRAGRANCES USA
PERFECTING THE ART OF FRAGRANCE SINCE 1965
Born in India in 1965, Sawai Fragrances is a traditional Indian manufacturing business that is changing the way the world sees (or smells) perfume, in its new avatar in New Jersey. Sawai Fragrances was founded by Mr. Sawailal Jain in Kanauj, India – an area that is home to a...
INNOVATE® Jacksonville
Holmes Custom
Creating Personalised Products
Now celebrating its 65th year in business, Jacksonville-based Holmes Custom designs, manufactures, and retails personalized products across 8 web brands. How does a business that was started in the 1950s stand the test of time? There’s only one way: Innovation. What began as a rubber stamp manufacturer in a garage...
INNOVATE™ Curitiba
IDERIS
6-YEARS OF HISTORY OF BRAZIL’S LARGEST MARKETPLACE INTEGRATOR
Ideris was born in Curitiba, the capital of the state of Paraná, located in the southern region of Brazil, in the year 2017. The company is the result of the Tecnoparque program, which drives innovative local projects. Curitiba is a reference for innovation in Brazil, and in 2023, it was...
INNOVATE® Georgia
MOREHOUSE COLLEGE
SHAPING GENERATIONS OF BLACK MALE LEADERS, SCHOLARS, AND CHANGE MAKERS FOR OVER 150 YEARS
Founded in 1867, Morehouse College stands as the nation’s only institution created to educate men of color. As Georgia’s top-ranked liberal arts college for men, Morehouse is a trailblazer in higher education, fostering a legacy of academic excellence, leadership, and service to the community. The College has become a vital...
INNOVATE® Nashville
VENDENGINE
DRIVING INNOVATION IN THE CORRECTIONS INDUSTRY
In 2011, VendEngine started as a simple concept — digitizing financial transactions for law enforcement, jails and prisons while providing easy, safe, and secure methods to transmit money between family members and inmates. Once the company got going however, this simple concept, something that had been done in nearly every...
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™ South Africa
KNIFE CAPITAL
IS A SOUTH AFRICAN VENTURE CAPITAL INVESTMENT FIRM FOCUSING ON INNOVATION-DRIVEN VENTURES WITH PROVEN TRACTION
Established in 2010 as the incarnation of the South African venture capital division of ‘Here Be Dragons’ – a privately owned emerging market investment group founded by internet entrepreneur and cosmonaut Mark Shuttleworth. By leveraging knowledge, networks & funding, Knife Capital accelerates the international expansion of entrepreneurial businesses that achieved...
Global Innovation Spotlight
How Modern PPC Agencies Structure Data-Driven Performance Campaigns
How Modern PPC Agencies Structure Data-Driven Performance Campaigns The digital advertising landscape has undergone a significant transformation over the past decade. What began as a relatively straightforward bidding system built around keywords and impressions has evolved into a complex, data-driven ecosystem where efficiency, attribution, and long-term sustainability define success. Modern...
INNOVATE® South Carolina
Claflin University
Enduring Legacy of Innovation
Claflin University’s enduring legacy of innovation reflects the institution’s long-standing commitment to academic excellence, creativity, and transformative leadership. Founded in 1869, Claflin is the oldest Historically Black College/University (HBCU) in South Carolina. It was the first higher education institution in South Carolina to admit students regardless of their ethnic origin,...
INNOVATE® Northern Virginia
Excella
Turning "Innovation" Into Systems That Actually Perform
In a region that lives and breathes technology, it’s easy to mistake innovation for novelty – something shiny, experimental, and detached from the realities of mission work. Excella has built its brand by resisting that temptation. Founded in 2002, the Northern Virginia firm has spent more than two decades proving...
INNOVATE® Jacksonville
ArtRepublic - Empowering The Artists Shaping Contemporary Culture
Artists First We believe that by empowering artists the world can be a better place. We help artists thrive by giving them access to today’s leading-edge technology and abundant resources to create. We are a passionate collective of artists and industry experts with many years of first-hand experience producing ambitious...
INNOVATE™ Antwerp Vol.2
LEF IS MORE
INNOVATION HAS A FACE
Lef’ is the Dutch word for ‘guts’ or ‘courage’, which is the perfect description of what I do: with LEF I push organizations and their leaders to explore, examine and create business opportunities for the day after tomorrow. Not only by optimizing their strategic thinking and solving underlying problems that...
INNOVATE™ South Africa
MYSOCIALIFE
IS AN EDTECH TRAINING PROGRAM THAT TRAINS PRE-TEENS AND TEENS ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD ABOUT ONLINE SAFETY, DIGITAL CITIZENSHIP AND MEDIA LITERACY, IN ORDER TO FIRST MAKE THEM CONSCIOUS AND AWARE OF SAFETY ONLINE, WHICH WILL ULTIMATELY ALLOW THEM TO EXPLORE INTELLIGENTLY AND LATER EXCEL IN A COMPETITIVE FOURTH INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION
In order to ensure this is successful, the South African-based educators also teach learners’ parents and their teachers too, as well as mental health professionals, helping to bridge the technological divide and provide the much-needed insights and tools to navigate a complex social landscape. “The more we do that,...
INNOVATE® Philadelphia
African American Museum
Celebrating 50 Years of Art, History, and Culture at the African American Museum in Philadelphia
Founded in 1976, in celebration of America’s Bicentennial, the Afro-American Historical and Cultural Museum, now the African American Museum in Philadelphia (AAMP), became the first museum funded and built by a municipality to preserve, collect, and interpret the history of its African American citizens. The museum opened its doors to...
INNOVATION Quebec
TechniTextile Québec
Since 2017, TechniTextile Québec has been working in conjunction with companies and other key members of the textile industry. Serving as a vehicle for collaboration, this textile cluster promotes innovation, enhanced opportunities, commercialization and companies’ competitiveness
Supported by the Québec Ministry of Economy and Innovation’s ACCORD approach, the TechniTextile team assists industry leaders with implementing innovative, collaborative projects driven by their own needs. Innovation-Focused Cluster ProjectsThe projects backed or managed by TechniTextile provide a springboard for companies to reduce the risks involved in collaboration,...
INNOVATE™ Bristol & Bath
FOURTH FLOOR
We Bring Brands And Influencers Together, To Make Content That Engages Audiences And Builds Emotional Connections
Back in 2017 the nascent practice of influencer marketing had problems. Stuck on the idea of a quick buck, agencies seemed to lack a real understanding of online content creators or their audiences, or the power available to branded content campaigns when done well. Put simply, not enough care...
INNOVATE™ Oeiras
Grundfos
We Develop Water Solutions For The World
Grundfos Is One Of The World’s Leading Water Technology Companies. We Are Committed To Pioneering Solutions To The World’s Water And Climate Challenges And Improving The Quality Of Life For People. Pumps are our business. We are a pump company connecting with millions and millions of people every day, and we set the standard in terms of...
INNOVATION Quebec
IVADO
THE ENGINE OF A ROBUST, REASONING, AND RESPONSIBLE AI
IVADO is a Montreal-based AI research and knowledge transfer consortium. It mobilizes unique academic expertise to bridge the gap between current AI and human intelligence, leading the way to the development of AI capable of operating in changing and complex environments. To achieve this vision, IVADO acts on three levels:...
INNOVATE™ South Africa
HAVE YOU HEARD
WE ARE A MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS AGENCY, HOWEVER, OUR DNA, HOW WE STARTED AND OUR REASON FOR BEING HAS ALWAYS MADE US DIFFERENT
We were never just advertising people wanting to do big TV ads, we were entrepreneurs wanting to build brands and businesses. We were also very inexperienced and naïve and while that made things much more challenging in the early years, it has made us more effective the more time has...
INNOVATE™ Alberta
H3ALTH TECHNOLOGIES INC
REVOLUTIONIZING HEALTHCARE THROUGH EMPOWERMENT, ACCESSIBILITY, AND AUTONOMY
The founder’s father was raised in a one-room home in the country side of a small town in Ethiopia that is unknown to most people. Tin roof, mudded walls. The founder’s mother from another town where education wasn’t supposed to be the path for women. His parents didn’t have access...
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® Jacksonville
Forbes Gilham Group
A dedicated group of seasoned financial advisory professionals
A dedicated group of seasoned financial advisory professionals who coordinate the various skills and background of each team member to meet the needs of their client base. The Forbes Gilham Group of Wells Fargo Advisors takes a different approach to the needs of business owners and families. They have ability...
INNOVATE® Chicago Vol.1
Aon
INNOVATION’S ROLE IN A HIGHLY VOLATILE WORLD
One of the long-term impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic experience is that companies have fundamentally changed the way they look at risk. Risks are more interconnected, so the impact is more profound. For example, increased weather events and supply chain disruptions are happening more frequently and having a greater impact...
INNOVATE® New Jersey Vol.2
SAWAI FRAGRANCES USA
PERFECTING THE ART OF FRAGRANCE SINCE 1965
Born in India in 1965, Sawai Fragrances is a traditional Indian manufacturing business that is changing the way the world sees (or smells) perfume, in its new avatar in New Jersey. Sawai Fragrances was founded by Mr. Sawailal Jain in Kanauj, India – an area that is home to a...
INNOVATE® Jacksonville
Holmes Custom
Creating Personalised Products
Now celebrating its 65th year in business, Jacksonville-based Holmes Custom designs, manufactures, and retails personalized products across 8 web brands. How does a business that was started in the 1950s stand the test of time? There’s only one way: Innovation. What began as a rubber stamp manufacturer in a garage...
INNOVATE™ Curitiba
IDERIS
6-YEARS OF HISTORY OF BRAZIL’S LARGEST MARKETPLACE INTEGRATOR
Ideris was born in Curitiba, the capital of the state of Paraná, located in the southern region of Brazil, in the year 2017. The company is the result of the Tecnoparque program, which drives innovative local projects. Curitiba is a reference for innovation in Brazil, and in 2023, it was...
INNOVATE® Georgia
MOREHOUSE COLLEGE
SHAPING GENERATIONS OF BLACK MALE LEADERS, SCHOLARS, AND CHANGE MAKERS FOR OVER 150 YEARS
Founded in 1867, Morehouse College stands as the nation’s only institution created to educate men of color. As Georgia’s top-ranked liberal arts college for men, Morehouse is a trailblazer in higher education, fostering a legacy of academic excellence, leadership, and service to the community. The College has become a vital...
INNOVATE® Nashville
VENDENGINE
DRIVING INNOVATION IN THE CORRECTIONS INDUSTRY
In 2011, VendEngine started as a simple concept — digitizing financial transactions for law enforcement, jails and prisons while providing easy, safe, and secure methods to transmit money between family members and inmates. Once the company got going however, this simple concept, something that had been done in nearly every...
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™ South Africa
KNIFE CAPITAL
IS A SOUTH AFRICAN VENTURE CAPITAL INVESTMENT FIRM FOCUSING ON INNOVATION-DRIVEN VENTURES WITH PROVEN TRACTION
Established in 2010 as the incarnation of the South African venture capital division of ‘Here Be Dragons’ – a privately owned emerging market investment group founded by internet entrepreneur and cosmonaut Mark Shuttleworth. By leveraging knowledge, networks & funding, Knife Capital accelerates the international expansion of entrepreneurial businesses that achieved...
Global Innovation Spotlight
How Modern PPC Agencies Structure Data-Driven Performance Campaigns
How Modern PPC Agencies Structure Data-Driven Performance Campaigns The digital advertising landscape has undergone a significant transformation over the past decade. What began as a relatively straightforward bidding system built around keywords and impressions has evolved into a complex, data-driven ecosystem where efficiency, attribution, and long-term sustainability define success. Modern...