Stories of Innovation
INNOVATE® Blockchain
HEARTRITHM
Performance With a Purpose
Today, investors want something different from their money. They want performance, but now with a purpose. More than just low-risk financial returns, but also accountability and sustainability. Our goal is for our investors, team, and the greater community to feel connected to themselves, one another, and technology by making the...
INNOVATE® Seattle
CIBC Innovation Banking
LOCAL TECH BANKING VETERANS BRING CANADIAN INFLUENCE TO THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST
LOCAL TECH BANKING VETERANS BRING CANADIAN INFLUENCE TO THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST Since its founding in early 2018, CIBC Innovation Banking has been rapidly building its presence in key innovation clusters across the U.S. and Europe.In 2022, its Seattle team began serving the vibrant innovation economy of the Pacific Northwest. John...
INNOVATION Quebec
CHUM
THE CHUM IS AN INNOVATIVE HOSPITAL SERVING THE PEOPLE OF QUEBEC.
Nearly 18,000 people work, practice, study and work here. The CHUM offers the best specialized and super specialized care to all Quebecers and improves their health, based on scientific knowledge that is constantly updated by a research and teaching community. The CHUM Research Centre is the largest research center in...
INNOVATE™ Antwerp Vol.2
KOMMA BOARD
BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY AS ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE
In 2013, Komma Board started out as a consulting company in ICT & Finance. Our business model is atypical, as we act as a subcontractor to main ICT or Finance contractors for multinational or international Fortune 500 companies. Acting as an independent partner, this specific market position allows Komma Board...
INNOVATE™ Adelaide
BADER AERO
PAVING THE WAY TO FLY GREEN
Bader Aero is revolutionising the way pilots learn and continue to fly by producing advanced zero emissions aircraft. As a proud South Australian based company, Bader Aero is building safe, sustainable and environmentally friendly light aircraft. They are a leader in the fastpaced aviation industry with their light aircraft platforms,...
INNOVATE™ Vancouver Vol.2
PowerPlay Young Entrepreneurs
EMPOWERING YOUTH WITH AN ENTREPRENEURIAL MINDSET
BC entrepreneurs Bill Roche and Charles Chang have a vision to make Canada more competitive by nurturing an entrepreneurial spirit in young people. In 2017, they co-founded Young Entrepreneurs of Canada Association, a registered Canadian charity that operates under the name PowerPlay Young Entrepreneurs. “Our mandate is to help school-aged...
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™ Toronto
TORONTO BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTRE
Is One Of Toronto’s Premier Start-Up Incubators And Accelerators With A Rich History Dating Back Three Decades
Since its inception, TBDC has worked with thousands of entrepreneurs by helping them build and grow their ideas. TBDC helps international entrepreneurs aggressively scale up and choose Canada to grow their businesses. To date, TBDC has helped over 9,000 domestic and international entrepreneurial businesses establish themselves in Toronto and Ontario...
INNOVATE® Puerto Rico
TerraFirma
Is a SaaS company developing digital solutions to mitigate environmental risk using big data, physics simulations, and AI
We provide a one-stop digital solution for companies that need to visualize and simulate the risks of climate change and environmental hazards. Map of Coamo River, depicting height maps, river depths and North-West-South-East orientation. According to NOAA, climate disasters alone cost $145 billion during 2021 in the US. In proportion...
INNOVATE® Washington DMV Edition
UNSTUCK LABS
Unleashing Potential
“Sometimes, no matter how hard you try, you need the right people to help you overcome challenges.”Unstuck Labs carves a unique path under the leadership of Wa’il Ashshowwaf, embodying innovation, collaboration, and relentless ambition. It’s a story not just of a company’s success but of transformation and belief in the...
INNOVATE® Detroit
Design Core Detroit
Plays a Critical Role in Amplifying the Impact of Detroit’s Innovation Community
With over a century of innovation in automobiles, a groundbreaking music scene, amazing architecture and one-of-a-kind fashion labels, DETROIT has long been a place where technical possibility meets great design. Few creative communities truly match the diversity and depth of Detroit’s design roots: a fact well reflected by its designation...
INNOVATE™ Toronto
ZAGITAS
THE ZAGITAS STORY ACTUALLY BEGAN MANY YEARS AGO BECAUSE OF THE FOUNDER’S PASSION TO SIMPLIFY AND IMPROVE PEOPLE’S WORK THROUGH TECHNOLOGY
Carlos Secada as a child with his parents and sister lived alone in the middle of the Amazon jungle. He grew up deprived of any initiative coming from modernity and technology. It was only after returning to the city and studying, that he managed to start working for Accenture, and...
INNOVATE® Detroit
LIVAQ
Building the Future of Electric Off-Road, Empowering Adventure
Headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, Livaq is redefining the off-road vehicle industry with an innovative all-electric approach. As the first company solely dedicated to electric off-road vehicles (ORVs), Livaq is driving a critical shift away from traditional gas-powered machines and toward a cleaner, more efficient future. The company’s mission is to...
INNOVATE® Nashville
QUORE
Is a hospitality technology company dedicated to revolutionizing how hotels operate worldwide
During your last hotel stay, if your room was clean, the in-room appliances were fully functioning and your request for extra towels was addressed quickly then that hotel was probably using Quore. Our cloud-based operations app supports hotel staff in their day-to-day for better guest experiences, which means smarter teams...
INNOVATE® Washington DMV Edition
GOPURSUE
Empowering the Next Generation
GoPursue is a revolutionary organization transforming the landscape of career exploration for K-12 students. This vibrant social impact company has carved a unique niche in the educational technology space, addressing critical gaps in workforce development and career preparedness. Founded by Kathryn Adabonyan, a former math teacher and career and technical...
INNOVATE® Gaming & Esports
JUST ESPORTS
BUILDING A BETTER WORLD FOR EACH AND EVERY GAMER
Just Esports is an organization that is dedicated to working on justice initiatives in the esports and gaming space. Much of their work focuses on educational programs aimed at empowering others to promote justice in their respective groups and providing individuals with the best tools to build out esports communities...
INNOVATE™ Antwerp Vol.2
SIGI HERMANS
PERSONAL BRANDING PHOTOGRAPHY FOR ENTREPRENEURS
Ever since I was a young girl, I have loved photography immensely. In the darkroom I felt like a fish in water. Meanwhile, much has changed. Analogue is (almost) gone and of course I switched to digital a long time ago. Digital or analog, photography remains my greatest passion. I...
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™ Antwerp Vol.2
THOMAS MORE ICE CUBE
INNOVATION, CREATIVITY AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP MUST HAVES FOR TOMORROW
“If we teach today’s students as we taught yesterday’s, we rob them of tomorrow.” John Dewey’s famous advice for educators, although over a hundred years old, seems more relevant than ever, as we find ourselves faced with a wide range of extremely difficult – even wicked – challenges like climate...
INNOVATE™ Vancouver Vol.2
Iridia Medical
Whom do first responders call for medical emergencies? Iridia Medical is a physician-founded company that exists to Enable Peace of Mind for people called upon to respond to medical emergencies
Within a span of five months in 1997, a local pulp and papermill experienced the collapse and death of two employees on-site. It was determined that both employees suffered from Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA). The prospect of future deaths at the site was palpable, and preventative solutions were non-existent. This...
INNOVATE® New Jersey Vol.2
GREATER NEWARK ENTERPRISES CORPORATION
A CDFI that Provides Technical ASSISTANCE and Lending capital so NJ Small Businesses Survive and Thrive
Greater Newark Enterprises Corporation (GNEC) is a Newark-based non-profit certified community development financial institution (CDFI) with a proven record of delivering capital and microenterprise services to disadvantaged microentrepreneurs in the northern New Jersey areas of Essex, Hudson, Passaic, Bergen, Middlesex, Union and Monmouth counties of New Jersey. GNEC’s primary purpose...
INNOVATE® South Carolina
Drobot
Human-Centered Automation, Born in South Carolina
In a manufacturing world grappling with worker shortages, rising costs, and the relentless complexity of “high-mix, low-volume” production, one Greenville-based startup is quietly reimagining what it means for humans and robots to work together. Drobot Inc. is pioneering a new generation of Collaborative Mobile Robots (CMRs) – machines designed not...
INNOVATION Quebec
CENTRE DE RECHERCHE,D’INNOVATION ET DE TRANSFERT EN ARTS DU CIRQUE (CR!TAC)
LE FUTUR DE L’HUMAIN
Nous sommes un collectif de chercheur.euse.s et de spécialistes de classe mondiale qui menons des projets de recherche appliquée ayant trait au potentiel et au mouvement humain dans le contexte des arts vivants. Misant sur la transdisciplinarité, nous œuvrons à résoudre des défis complexes, qu’ils soient technologiques, techniques, ou sociétaux....
INNOVATE™ Estonia
AIRE
THE TRUST THAT LED ESTONIAN COMPANIES ONTO AI AND ROBOTICS PATHS
In October 2021, AIRE began operations as one of Estonia’s leading AI and robotics innovation centres. The centre was established with the aim of supporting local industrial companies in adopting artificial intelligence and robotics solutions. Today, AIRE plays a central role in accelerating digital transformation, serving as a trustworthy bridge...
INNOVATE® Blockchain
HEARTRITHM
Performance With a Purpose
Today, investors want something different from their money. They want performance, but now with a purpose. More than just low-risk financial returns, but also accountability and sustainability. Our goal is for our investors, team, and the greater community to feel connected to themselves, one another, and technology by making the...
INNOVATE® Seattle
CIBC Innovation Banking
LOCAL TECH BANKING VETERANS BRING CANADIAN INFLUENCE TO THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST
LOCAL TECH BANKING VETERANS BRING CANADIAN INFLUENCE TO THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST Since its founding in early 2018, CIBC Innovation Banking has been rapidly building its presence in key innovation clusters across the U.S. and Europe.In 2022, its Seattle team began serving the vibrant innovation economy of the Pacific Northwest. John...
INNOVATION Quebec
CHUM
THE CHUM IS AN INNOVATIVE HOSPITAL SERVING THE PEOPLE OF QUEBEC.
Nearly 18,000 people work, practice, study and work here. The CHUM offers the best specialized and super specialized care to all Quebecers and improves their health, based on scientific knowledge that is constantly updated by a research and teaching community. The CHUM Research Centre is the largest research center in...
INNOVATE™ Antwerp Vol.2
KOMMA BOARD
BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY AS ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE
In 2013, Komma Board started out as a consulting company in ICT & Finance. Our business model is atypical, as we act as a subcontractor to main ICT or Finance contractors for multinational or international Fortune 500 companies. Acting as an independent partner, this specific market position allows Komma Board...
INNOVATE™ Adelaide
BADER AERO
PAVING THE WAY TO FLY GREEN
Bader Aero is revolutionising the way pilots learn and continue to fly by producing advanced zero emissions aircraft. As a proud South Australian based company, Bader Aero is building safe, sustainable and environmentally friendly light aircraft. They are a leader in the fastpaced aviation industry with their light aircraft platforms,...
INNOVATE™ Vancouver Vol.2
PowerPlay Young Entrepreneurs
EMPOWERING YOUTH WITH AN ENTREPRENEURIAL MINDSET
BC entrepreneurs Bill Roche and Charles Chang have a vision to make Canada more competitive by nurturing an entrepreneurial spirit in young people. In 2017, they co-founded Young Entrepreneurs of Canada Association, a registered Canadian charity that operates under the name PowerPlay Young Entrepreneurs. “Our mandate is to help school-aged...
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™ Toronto
TORONTO BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTRE
Is One Of Toronto’s Premier Start-Up Incubators And Accelerators With A Rich History Dating Back Three Decades
Since its inception, TBDC has worked with thousands of entrepreneurs by helping them build and grow their ideas. TBDC helps international entrepreneurs aggressively scale up and choose Canada to grow their businesses. To date, TBDC has helped over 9,000 domestic and international entrepreneurial businesses establish themselves in Toronto and Ontario...
INNOVATE® Puerto Rico
TerraFirma
Is a SaaS company developing digital solutions to mitigate environmental risk using big data, physics simulations, and AI
We provide a one-stop digital solution for companies that need to visualize and simulate the risks of climate change and environmental hazards. Map of Coamo River, depicting height maps, river depths and North-West-South-East orientation. According to NOAA, climate disasters alone cost $145 billion during 2021 in the US. In proportion...
INNOVATE® Washington DMV Edition
UNSTUCK LABS
Unleashing Potential
“Sometimes, no matter how hard you try, you need the right people to help you overcome challenges.”Unstuck Labs carves a unique path under the leadership of Wa’il Ashshowwaf, embodying innovation, collaboration, and relentless ambition. It’s a story not just of a company’s success but of transformation and belief in the...
INNOVATE® Detroit
Design Core Detroit
Plays a Critical Role in Amplifying the Impact of Detroit’s Innovation Community
With over a century of innovation in automobiles, a groundbreaking music scene, amazing architecture and one-of-a-kind fashion labels, DETROIT has long been a place where technical possibility meets great design. Few creative communities truly match the diversity and depth of Detroit’s design roots: a fact well reflected by its designation...
INNOVATE™ Toronto
ZAGITAS
THE ZAGITAS STORY ACTUALLY BEGAN MANY YEARS AGO BECAUSE OF THE FOUNDER’S PASSION TO SIMPLIFY AND IMPROVE PEOPLE’S WORK THROUGH TECHNOLOGY
Carlos Secada as a child with his parents and sister lived alone in the middle of the Amazon jungle. He grew up deprived of any initiative coming from modernity and technology. It was only after returning to the city and studying, that he managed to start working for Accenture, and...
INNOVATE® Detroit
LIVAQ
Building the Future of Electric Off-Road, Empowering Adventure
Headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, Livaq is redefining the off-road vehicle industry with an innovative all-electric approach. As the first company solely dedicated to electric off-road vehicles (ORVs), Livaq is driving a critical shift away from traditional gas-powered machines and toward a cleaner, more efficient future. The company’s mission is to...
INNOVATE® Nashville
QUORE
Is a hospitality technology company dedicated to revolutionizing how hotels operate worldwide
During your last hotel stay, if your room was clean, the in-room appliances were fully functioning and your request for extra towels was addressed quickly then that hotel was probably using Quore. Our cloud-based operations app supports hotel staff in their day-to-day for better guest experiences, which means smarter teams...
INNOVATE® Washington DMV Edition
GOPURSUE
Empowering the Next Generation
GoPursue is a revolutionary organization transforming the landscape of career exploration for K-12 students. This vibrant social impact company has carved a unique niche in the educational technology space, addressing critical gaps in workforce development and career preparedness. Founded by Kathryn Adabonyan, a former math teacher and career and technical...
INNOVATE® Gaming & Esports
JUST ESPORTS
BUILDING A BETTER WORLD FOR EACH AND EVERY GAMER
Just Esports is an organization that is dedicated to working on justice initiatives in the esports and gaming space. Much of their work focuses on educational programs aimed at empowering others to promote justice in their respective groups and providing individuals with the best tools to build out esports communities...
INNOVATE™ Antwerp Vol.2
SIGI HERMANS
PERSONAL BRANDING PHOTOGRAPHY FOR ENTREPRENEURS
Ever since I was a young girl, I have loved photography immensely. In the darkroom I felt like a fish in water. Meanwhile, much has changed. Analogue is (almost) gone and of course I switched to digital a long time ago. Digital or analog, photography remains my greatest passion. I...
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™ Antwerp Vol.2
THOMAS MORE ICE CUBE
INNOVATION, CREATIVITY AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP MUST HAVES FOR TOMORROW
“If we teach today’s students as we taught yesterday’s, we rob them of tomorrow.” John Dewey’s famous advice for educators, although over a hundred years old, seems more relevant than ever, as we find ourselves faced with a wide range of extremely difficult – even wicked – challenges like climate...
INNOVATE™ Vancouver Vol.2
Iridia Medical
Whom do first responders call for medical emergencies? Iridia Medical is a physician-founded company that exists to Enable Peace of Mind for people called upon to respond to medical emergencies
Within a span of five months in 1997, a local pulp and papermill experienced the collapse and death of two employees on-site. It was determined that both employees suffered from Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA). The prospect of future deaths at the site was palpable, and preventative solutions were non-existent. This...
INNOVATE® New Jersey Vol.2
GREATER NEWARK ENTERPRISES CORPORATION
A CDFI that Provides Technical ASSISTANCE and Lending capital so NJ Small Businesses Survive and Thrive
Greater Newark Enterprises Corporation (GNEC) is a Newark-based non-profit certified community development financial institution (CDFI) with a proven record of delivering capital and microenterprise services to disadvantaged microentrepreneurs in the northern New Jersey areas of Essex, Hudson, Passaic, Bergen, Middlesex, Union and Monmouth counties of New Jersey. GNEC’s primary purpose...
INNOVATE® South Carolina
Drobot
Human-Centered Automation, Born in South Carolina
In a manufacturing world grappling with worker shortages, rising costs, and the relentless complexity of “high-mix, low-volume” production, one Greenville-based startup is quietly reimagining what it means for humans and robots to work together. Drobot Inc. is pioneering a new generation of Collaborative Mobile Robots (CMRs) – machines designed not...
INNOVATION Quebec
CENTRE DE RECHERCHE,D’INNOVATION ET DE TRANSFERT EN ARTS DU CIRQUE (CR!TAC)
LE FUTUR DE L’HUMAIN
Nous sommes un collectif de chercheur.euse.s et de spécialistes de classe mondiale qui menons des projets de recherche appliquée ayant trait au potentiel et au mouvement humain dans le contexte des arts vivants. Misant sur la transdisciplinarité, nous œuvrons à résoudre des défis complexes, qu’ils soient technologiques, techniques, ou sociétaux....
INNOVATE™ Estonia
AIRE
THE TRUST THAT LED ESTONIAN COMPANIES ONTO AI AND ROBOTICS PATHS
In October 2021, AIRE began operations as one of Estonia’s leading AI and robotics innovation centres. The centre was established with the aim of supporting local industrial companies in adopting artificial intelligence and robotics solutions. Today, AIRE plays a central role in accelerating digital transformation, serving as a trustworthy bridge...