Stories of Innovation
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® Jacksonville
When visitors arrive in destinations like Nashville, Las Vegas, or Boston, they know exactly what to expect. Whether it’s the music, the nightlife, or the culture, these epicenters of travel and tourism always deliver. Wander has effectively become visitors’ go-to resource for where to eat, drink, shop, and play. –...
INNOVATE™ Atlantic Canada
David Sobey Retailing Centre
Shaping the Future of Retail
“In the past decade, retailers have been forced to innovate, and in some cases transform themselves in response to several external factors. Changing consumer behaviour and employee expectations, the advent of AI, and the need to meet sustainability targets are just some of the factors driving big changes in the...
INNOVATE® Washington DMV Edition
THE DC WHEELS
SKATEBOARD TEAM AND CHARITY ORGANIZATION USES THE POWER OF SKATEBOARDING TO CHANGE LIVES
Their mission is to overcome longstanding stereotypes that surround skateboarding by helping others, reinforcing positivity, and supporting a healthy lifestyle. Also known as the Skate Crusaders, they have handpicked talent from across the metropolitan region and dedicate themselves to meaningfully help those in need. The team is comprised of girls/women...
INNOVATE® Austin Volume 2
SPLASH
A RIPPLE IN INNOVATION, A WAVE OF COMMUNITY.
A sustainably minded hub for entrepreneurship, start-up life, innovation, and community – leading the start-up world – that is Splash. Splash Coworking (Splash) the model of a shared work space and business resource center where entrepreneurs, independent professionals and creatives connect, collaborate and make business happen. Located in downtown San...
INNOVATE® Washington DMV Edition
CAPITAL WORKFORCE INNOVATION CONSORTIUM
Empowering D.C.’s Future Through Workforce Innovation
The InnovationFounded in 2024, the Capital Workforce Innovation Consortium is a Next Generation Sector Partnership formed by the District of Columbia Department of Employment Services (DOES) and convened by BuildWithin. This initiative serves as an engine for aligning local talent with market demands through robust public-private partnerships, particularly in the...
INNOVATE® Nashville
Compassus
Where Compassion Meets Innovation in Home-Based Health Care
As more patients and families choose care at home, Compassus is redefining what compassionate, high-quality home-based care looks like. Since its founding in 2006, Compassus has grown from a hospice provider into one of the nation’s largest and most trusted home-based health care organizations. Today, Compassus operates in more than...
INNOVATE™ South Africa
MAHLAKO A PHAHLA
AN ORGANISATION THAT IS AFRICAN WOMEN-OWNED, MANAGED AND INSPIRED, THAT PROMOTES AFRICAN AND WOMEN EMPOWERMENT, ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND EXCELLENCE
Mahlako a Phahla, founded by sisters Makole Mupita and Meta Mhlarhi, is named after our mother Mahlako to pay homage to her pioneering and entrepreneurial spirit in building a successful family business at a time when it was difficult for many black people to do so. Mahlako is an...
INNOVATE™ Flanders
NOVELYEAST
SUPERIOR YEAST AS A TARGET AND A TOOL
NovelYeast is an R&D company with world-leading expertise in the design and development of superior industrial yeast strains. Our superior yeast strains for bioethanol and isobutanol production support the transition to a more sustainable bio-based economy in the sectors of automobile and aviation transport. Superior yeast strains for production of...
INNOVATE® New Jersey Vol.2
ILSE
Accelerate. Ignite. Innovate
The Institute for Life Science Entrepreneurship (ILSE) is a non-profit 501(c) (3) organization and staffed by a team of executives and entrepreneurs to accelerate life science discoveries to improve human health, including new medicines, devices, and transformative technologies. ILSE is a hub for hands-on entrepreneur support and company formation and...
INNOVATE™ Curitiba
ABL GROUP
INNOVATION IS PART OF OUR DNA
For over two decades, Grupo ABL, a company from Curitiba, the capital of Paraná, has stood out for its expertise in creating innovative and personalized technological solutions for several sectors. Focusing on technologies, the Group seeks to predict future demands to develop tools that solve the needs of organizations and...
INNOVATE™ Vancouver Vol.2
LUCENT BIOSCIENCES
GROUNDBREAKING INNOVATION IN SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE
In the upcoming decades, global food systems will profoundly change as we adapt to more sustainable food production and distribution approaches. Farmers are currently being challenged to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Backed by years of research...
INNOVATE® Georgia
SOUTHERN COMPANY
BUILDING THE FUTURE OF ENERGY
Plant Vogtle, co-owned and operated by Southern Company subsidiary Georgia Power, is the largest producer of carbon-free energy in the United States. Southern Company provides clean, safe, reliable and affordable energy to customers and communities, through its electric utilities in three states, natural gas distribution companies in four states, a...
INNOVATION Quebec
CEDFOB
CCTT IN BOREAL FORESTRY
The CEDFOB is a CCTT affiliated with the Cégep de Baie-Comeau. Our mission is to carry out research and development projects in collaboration with local communities to develop the resources of the boreal forest in a sustainable manner. Our goal is to foster the use of research findings in businesses...
INNOVATE™ Alberta
INVERTED VENTURES
WE FINANCE PARADIGM SHIFTS
FINANCING PARADIGM SHIFTSA paradigm shift is a revolutionary and disruptive change in the human experience. Inverted Ventures is a single family office of investors with a passion for technology that radically improves the human experience. We invest in founders with visions for the future that will lead to fundamental changes...
INNOVATE™ South Africa
MEDIOLOGY
SMART WITH HEART
Intuitively Innovative Mediology is South Africa’s largest independent integrated media and digital marketing agency. Founded in a media-agency-sea-of-sameness, Mediology distinguished itself by harnessing the science of media planning, fusing it with insights and wrapping it around the big ideas that differentiate brands. Thereby enhancing brand stories and narratives by placing...
INNOVATE™ Antwerp Vol.2
DE SATELLIET OF DE MAANWANDELAARS IN BOECHOUT
WHERE DIVIDING UNITES
De Maanwandelaars are well known for offering housing solutions and meaningful daytime activities for adults with medium or severe mental disabilities. With five locations in the southern outskirts of Antwerp, they consciously opt for warm small scale and flexibility. This forms a favorable framework for offering people maximum participation in...
INNOVATE™ Antwerp Vol.2
TRIPLE HELIX GROUP
TURNING WASTE INTO RAW MATERIALS
Material reincarnation or trying to preserve existing molecules at their end of life, is the core business of Triple Helix Molecules as a Service, THX in short. The Antwerp based start-up takes specific waste streams and transforms those back into valuable building blocks for the chemical industry or produces new...
INNOVATE™ Oeiras
BMW
Full Speed Towards The Mobility Of The Future
With more than 100 years of history and a journey based on the courage to innovate and compete among the best, the BMW Group continues to learn from the challenges of the past to respond to the opportunities of the future. We believe that the answer to great challenges is...
INNOVATE® Detroit
Electric Outdoors
Building Sustainable Off-Grid Camping Systems for a New Era of Outdoor Adventure
Based in Detroit, Michigan, and founded in 2023, clean tech startup Electric Outdoors is on a path to transform off-grid camping and sustainability in the outdoors. Its mission is driven by what the company has identified as a huge gap in the current outdoor recreation market: Connected glamping in remote...
INNOVATE® Nashville
FIRST SOUTH FINANCIAL
BANKING WITH FRIENDS
The Story of First South Financial’s Strength, Innovation, and Community Impact. For nearly seven decades, First South Financial has stood as a trusted partner in helping individuals, families, and business owners achieve their financial goals. What began as a modest effort to provide accessible banking services has grown into one...
INNOVATE® Georgia
DC BLOX
PIONEERING THE SOUTHEAST DIGITAL FRONTIER
In the rapidly evolving landscape of the Southeastern United States, DC BLOX has positioned itself as a linchpin in the accelerating digital transformation that is sweeping across industries. The urgency of this transformation is underscored by several key factors, each playing a crucial role in shaping the digital future of...
INNOVATE® Austin Volume 2
MEKUMI
Delivering Comprehensive Immersive Education and Training Solutions for K-12 and Professional Markets
Mekumi’s Education Solutions are big data driven enabling creation of immersive content; advanced instruction delivery technologies such as AR/VR driving learning & retention; AI driven assessments; and combining all these to deliver personalized learning. Mekumi solutions dramatically improve student learning, teaching skills & content effectiveness. MekumiEd combines LMS, LRS, LXP and LCMS...
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® Jacksonville
When visitors arrive in destinations like Nashville, Las Vegas, or Boston, they know exactly what to expect. Whether it’s the music, the nightlife, or the culture, these epicenters of travel and tourism always deliver. Wander has effectively become visitors’ go-to resource for where to eat, drink, shop, and play. –...
INNOVATE™ Atlantic Canada
David Sobey Retailing Centre
Shaping the Future of Retail
“In the past decade, retailers have been forced to innovate, and in some cases transform themselves in response to several external factors. Changing consumer behaviour and employee expectations, the advent of AI, and the need to meet sustainability targets are just some of the factors driving big changes in the...
INNOVATE® Washington DMV Edition
THE DC WHEELS
SKATEBOARD TEAM AND CHARITY ORGANIZATION USES THE POWER OF SKATEBOARDING TO CHANGE LIVES
Their mission is to overcome longstanding stereotypes that surround skateboarding by helping others, reinforcing positivity, and supporting a healthy lifestyle. Also known as the Skate Crusaders, they have handpicked talent from across the metropolitan region and dedicate themselves to meaningfully help those in need. The team is comprised of girls/women...
INNOVATE® Austin Volume 2
SPLASH
A RIPPLE IN INNOVATION, A WAVE OF COMMUNITY.
A sustainably minded hub for entrepreneurship, start-up life, innovation, and community – leading the start-up world – that is Splash. Splash Coworking (Splash) the model of a shared work space and business resource center where entrepreneurs, independent professionals and creatives connect, collaborate and make business happen. Located in downtown San...
INNOVATE® Washington DMV Edition
CAPITAL WORKFORCE INNOVATION CONSORTIUM
Empowering D.C.’s Future Through Workforce Innovation
The InnovationFounded in 2024, the Capital Workforce Innovation Consortium is a Next Generation Sector Partnership formed by the District of Columbia Department of Employment Services (DOES) and convened by BuildWithin. This initiative serves as an engine for aligning local talent with market demands through robust public-private partnerships, particularly in the...
INNOVATE® Nashville
Compassus
Where Compassion Meets Innovation in Home-Based Health Care
As more patients and families choose care at home, Compassus is redefining what compassionate, high-quality home-based care looks like. Since its founding in 2006, Compassus has grown from a hospice provider into one of the nation’s largest and most trusted home-based health care organizations. Today, Compassus operates in more than...
INNOVATE™ South Africa
MAHLAKO A PHAHLA
AN ORGANISATION THAT IS AFRICAN WOMEN-OWNED, MANAGED AND INSPIRED, THAT PROMOTES AFRICAN AND WOMEN EMPOWERMENT, ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND EXCELLENCE
Mahlako a Phahla, founded by sisters Makole Mupita and Meta Mhlarhi, is named after our mother Mahlako to pay homage to her pioneering and entrepreneurial spirit in building a successful family business at a time when it was difficult for many black people to do so. Mahlako is an...
INNOVATE™ Flanders
NOVELYEAST
SUPERIOR YEAST AS A TARGET AND A TOOL
NovelYeast is an R&D company with world-leading expertise in the design and development of superior industrial yeast strains. Our superior yeast strains for bioethanol and isobutanol production support the transition to a more sustainable bio-based economy in the sectors of automobile and aviation transport. Superior yeast strains for production of...
INNOVATE® New Jersey Vol.2
ILSE
Accelerate. Ignite. Innovate
The Institute for Life Science Entrepreneurship (ILSE) is a non-profit 501(c) (3) organization and staffed by a team of executives and entrepreneurs to accelerate life science discoveries to improve human health, including new medicines, devices, and transformative technologies. ILSE is a hub for hands-on entrepreneur support and company formation and...
INNOVATE™ Curitiba
ABL GROUP
INNOVATION IS PART OF OUR DNA
For over two decades, Grupo ABL, a company from Curitiba, the capital of Paraná, has stood out for its expertise in creating innovative and personalized technological solutions for several sectors. Focusing on technologies, the Group seeks to predict future demands to develop tools that solve the needs of organizations and...
INNOVATE™ Vancouver Vol.2
LUCENT BIOSCIENCES
GROUNDBREAKING INNOVATION IN SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE
In the upcoming decades, global food systems will profoundly change as we adapt to more sustainable food production and distribution approaches. Farmers are currently being challenged to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Backed by years of research...
INNOVATE® Georgia
SOUTHERN COMPANY
BUILDING THE FUTURE OF ENERGY
Plant Vogtle, co-owned and operated by Southern Company subsidiary Georgia Power, is the largest producer of carbon-free energy in the United States. Southern Company provides clean, safe, reliable and affordable energy to customers and communities, through its electric utilities in three states, natural gas distribution companies in four states, a...
INNOVATION Quebec
CEDFOB
CCTT IN BOREAL FORESTRY
The CEDFOB is a CCTT affiliated with the Cégep de Baie-Comeau. Our mission is to carry out research and development projects in collaboration with local communities to develop the resources of the boreal forest in a sustainable manner. Our goal is to foster the use of research findings in businesses...
INNOVATE™ Alberta
INVERTED VENTURES
WE FINANCE PARADIGM SHIFTS
FINANCING PARADIGM SHIFTSA paradigm shift is a revolutionary and disruptive change in the human experience. Inverted Ventures is a single family office of investors with a passion for technology that radically improves the human experience. We invest in founders with visions for the future that will lead to fundamental changes...
INNOVATE™ South Africa
MEDIOLOGY
SMART WITH HEART
Intuitively Innovative Mediology is South Africa’s largest independent integrated media and digital marketing agency. Founded in a media-agency-sea-of-sameness, Mediology distinguished itself by harnessing the science of media planning, fusing it with insights and wrapping it around the big ideas that differentiate brands. Thereby enhancing brand stories and narratives by placing...
INNOVATE™ Antwerp Vol.2
DE SATELLIET OF DE MAANWANDELAARS IN BOECHOUT
WHERE DIVIDING UNITES
De Maanwandelaars are well known for offering housing solutions and meaningful daytime activities for adults with medium or severe mental disabilities. With five locations in the southern outskirts of Antwerp, they consciously opt for warm small scale and flexibility. This forms a favorable framework for offering people maximum participation in...
INNOVATE™ Antwerp Vol.2
TRIPLE HELIX GROUP
TURNING WASTE INTO RAW MATERIALS
Material reincarnation or trying to preserve existing molecules at their end of life, is the core business of Triple Helix Molecules as a Service, THX in short. The Antwerp based start-up takes specific waste streams and transforms those back into valuable building blocks for the chemical industry or produces new...
INNOVATE™ Oeiras
BMW
Full Speed Towards The Mobility Of The Future
With more than 100 years of history and a journey based on the courage to innovate and compete among the best, the BMW Group continues to learn from the challenges of the past to respond to the opportunities of the future. We believe that the answer to great challenges is...
INNOVATE® Detroit
Electric Outdoors
Building Sustainable Off-Grid Camping Systems for a New Era of Outdoor Adventure
Based in Detroit, Michigan, and founded in 2023, clean tech startup Electric Outdoors is on a path to transform off-grid camping and sustainability in the outdoors. Its mission is driven by what the company has identified as a huge gap in the current outdoor recreation market: Connected glamping in remote...
INNOVATE® Nashville
FIRST SOUTH FINANCIAL
BANKING WITH FRIENDS
The Story of First South Financial’s Strength, Innovation, and Community Impact. For nearly seven decades, First South Financial has stood as a trusted partner in helping individuals, families, and business owners achieve their financial goals. What began as a modest effort to provide accessible banking services has grown into one...
INNOVATE® Georgia
DC BLOX
PIONEERING THE SOUTHEAST DIGITAL FRONTIER
In the rapidly evolving landscape of the Southeastern United States, DC BLOX has positioned itself as a linchpin in the accelerating digital transformation that is sweeping across industries. The urgency of this transformation is underscored by several key factors, each playing a crucial role in shaping the digital future of...
INNOVATE® Austin Volume 2
MEKUMI
Delivering Comprehensive Immersive Education and Training Solutions for K-12 and Professional Markets
Mekumi’s Education Solutions are big data driven enabling creation of immersive content; advanced instruction delivery technologies such as AR/VR driving learning & retention; AI driven assessments; and combining all these to deliver personalized learning. Mekumi solutions dramatically improve student learning, teaching skills & content effectiveness. MekumiEd combines LMS, LRS, LXP and LCMS...