Stories of Innovation
INNOVATE® Milwaukee
Ideawake
REVOLUTIONIZING CORPORATE INNOVATION FROM MILWAUKEE
REVOLUTIONIZING CORPORATE INNOVATION FROM MILWAUKEE In a world where ideas hold immense value, Ideawake is on a mission to empower companies to mine their most valuable resource: their employees’ creativity and insights. Founded in 2013 by Coby Skonord and Trae Tessmann, Ideawake began with a vision to make innovation accessible...
INNOVATION Quebec
AXELYS
AN ESSENTIAL MISSION FOR THE FUTURE OF QUÉBEC Axelys integrates innovations from Quebec’s public research into the mainstream of society. Our mission is at the heart of the new 2022 2027 Québec strategy to support research and investment in innovation, launched in May 2022 by the Quebec government. At Axelys,...
INNOVATE™ Estonia
SILEN
HOW SILENCE BECAME SILEN’S GLOBAL LANGUAGE
Silen’s journey began with a simple conviction: silence is not a luxury, but a necessity for focus, creativity, and well-being. What started as an idea in Estonia has grown into the world’s leading provider of office pods and privacy solutions, trusted by companies in more than 60 countries — including...
INNOVATION Quebec
INSTITUT DU NOUVEAU MONDE (INM)
DEPUIS 20 ANS, L’INM, UN ORGANISME INDÉPENDANT ET NON PARTISAN, MET LA PARTICIPATION DES CITOYENNESET DES CITOYENS AU CŒUR DES PROJETS QU’ELLE DÉVELOPPE ET DE CEUX DES ORGANISATIONS QU’ELLEACCOMPAGNE. L’INM est animé par la conviction que la participation citoyenne renforce la démocratie et aide les organisations à prendre de meilleures...
INNOVATE® Washington DMV Edition
FLIKSHOP
BRIDGING GAPS, REUNITING FAMILIES AND ENDING RECIDIVISM
“We want to create a footprint in this community that kicks in doors to give access to folks like me.” When Marcus Bullock was just 15, he faced a life-altering challenge. Arrested and sentenced to eight years in adult maximum security prison for carjacking, he found himself in a...
INNOVATE™ Toronto
DESTINATION TORONTO
THE PLACE TO BE
Toronto is the driving force behind Canada’s tech, finance, manufacturing, creative and service sectors. It’s also a cultural powerhouse. The most diverse city on the planet, Toronto is a place to convene, create, play, do business and launch the next great idea that could change the world. Top of...
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™ Vancouver Vol.2
RENAISSANCE
UNITING SUPERFANS GLOBALLY
Renaissance is a social audio app for superfans. We’ve combined the best features from gaming with music to create a new fan experience. Leaderboards, achievements, daily adventures, and exclusive giveaways create an environment where music fans come together and share their love of music. For music labels and artists, Renaissance...
INNOVATE® Nashville
HeroWear
Evolving work, improving life: HeroWear exosuits help prevent backpain to improve worker quality of life.
Serious back injuries in the workplace are often preventable. The logistics, manufacturing, and construction industries have long struggled to prevent worker injuries, which impact the quality of life for workers and collectively cost companies billions of dollars each year. In fact, workers in warehousing and transportation who are keeping our...
INNOVATE™ Curitiba
LEANKEEP
REVOLUTIONIZING FACILITY MANAGEMENT: THE LEANKEEP SUCCESS STORY
In the dynamic world of facility management and maintenance, one name stands out for its innovative approach and remarkable success: Leankeep. This SaaS company has transformed the way businesses handle their maintenance and facilities management, offering a suite of solutions that cater to a diverse range of sectors including condominium...
INNOVATE™ Bristol & Bath
Bristol’s City of Film
A UNESCO Creative City
Bristol: a globally celebrated City of Film Since 2017, Bristol has been a UNESCO City of Film, one of 18 cities to hold this permanent global status recognising world-leading achievement in the field of film and the moving image. It is also a member of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network,...
INNOVATE™ Oeiras
ABB - ASEA BROWN BOVERI PORTUGAL
Innovation. We've Been Doing It For Over 100 Years
If there is one thing that characterizes ABB, it is our technological leadership. It has been an intrinsic part of our DNA since we started our journey more than a century ago, and it has been at the heart of everything we have done since then. When everything startedABB results...
Global Innovation Spotlight
How Popular Are Pickup Trucks in American Car Sharing?
From Workhorses to Weekend Getaways: The Rise of Pickups in Car Sharing
From Workhorses to Weekend Getaways: The Rise of Pickups in Car Sharing Pickup trucks aren’t just vehicles in America—they’re a lifestyle. For decades, they’ve been hauling gear, towing trailers, and getting folks out into the wild or across town with a mattress strapped in the back. But lately, pickups have...
INNOVATE® South Florida
WAG - Workplace Accessibility Group
BREAKING BARRIERS: HOW THE WORKPLACE ACCESSIBILITY GROUP EMPOWERS BUSINESSES TO CREATE INCLUSIVE ENVIRONMENTS
BREAKING BARRIERS: HOW THE WORKPLACE ACCESSIBILITY GROUP EMPOWERS BUSINESSES TO CREATE INCLUSIVE ENVIRONMENTS In the United States, the employment disparity between deaf and hearing individuals highlights a significant accessibility gap. According to the National Deaf Center on Postsecondary Outcomes (NDC), only 48%ofdeaf individuals aged 25-64 are employed, compared to 72%...
INNOVATE™ Curitiba
DIGER/ GUACEMMI
MORE THAN 50 PATENTS
Strongly supported by human, technological and financial resources, the Seccional group is part of an innovation network with 16 companies operating in the most diverse areas, notably: telecommunications, lighting, energy, research and development, real estate, finance and the exclusive distribution and representation for Brazil of the Japanese tire brand Yokohama,...
INNOVATE™ Alberta
BOW VALLEY COLLEGE
TRANSFORMING THE STUDENT EXPERIENCE THROUGH DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY
Bow Valley College has been an access college since 1965, earning a reputation for fast-paced programs that quickly respond to the practical needs of adult students and our economy. On May 16, 2023, the College launched a new Digital Strategy, which outlines how technology will enhance the student experience, improve...
Global Innovation Spotlight
The Rise of AI Conferences in 2024:
A Look at the Most Important Events and Topics
Artificial intelligence, or as it is commonly referred to, AI conferences date back to the 1960s and have tremendously expanded from niche gatherings that mainly catered to academia to industry-focused and entrepreneurial assemblies. This is where researchers, policymakers, and professionals from global tech companies collaborate on various aspects of the...
INNOVATE® Georgia
ACKERMAN & CO
A BOLD APPROACH TO DEVELOPMENT
Just two miles southwest of Downtown Atlanta is a sprawling collection of buildings formerly known as “Warehouse Row.” In the 1950s and 1960s, the warehouse buildings were developed to serve as a distribution hub for area grocery stores. Today, the buildings have been transformed into something much different. In the...
INNOVATE® Washington DMV Edition
FREELY PAYMENTS
HARNESSING INNOVATION TO TRANSFORM FINANCIAL TRANSACTIONS
“We are not just facilitating transactions; we are redefining them to create tangible benefits for our clients.” In the bustling city of Washington, D.C., a pioneering force is reshaping the financial contours of the food and beverage industry. freely Payments, a visionary B2B payments gateway, has not just entered the...
INNOVATE™ Atlantic Canada
ARTHUR L. IRVING ENTREPRENEURSHIP CENTRE
IS A CREATIVE AND COLLABORATIVE SPACE OPEN TO ALL STUDENTS IN ATLANTIC CANADA
Students come to the Arthur L. Irving Entrepreneurship Centre from all disciplines and for many reasons. Some come with an idea they want to test. Others come to learn the habits and skills of an entrepreneurial mindset – skills like agility, resiliency, design thinking, and leadership. Some come looking for...
INNOVATE® Jacksonville
Kamana
Travel Healthcare Accelerated
Kamana brings workflow efficiency and security to an antiquated industry, connecting healthcare employers with qualified professionals to fill contract staffing needs. The contract healthcare staffing industry is fundamentally flawed. Travel healthcare professionals, who change locations (and employers) every three months, consistently complain about the lack of continuity across the industry....
INNOVATE® Milwaukee
Aeroplicity
Simplifying Aerospace and Defense: The Aeroplicity Story
Aeroplicity has emerged as a transformative force in the aerospace and defense industry, with a mission to simplify and modernize supply chain and aftermarket operations. Leveraging cutting-edge aerospace-grade technologies, the company is reshaping how organizations manage data, compliance, and operational efficiency. At its core, Aeroplicity addresses the industry’s most pressing...
INNOVATE® Detroit
InvestNext
Fostering Growth and Potential
InvestNext is on a mission to transform how investment firms raise and manage real estate investment capital. Founded in 2016 by Michael Gisi, Kevin Heras, and Matthew Attou, this Detroit startup was conceived to revolutionize how the industry operates. What they’ve created democratizes real estate investing and empowers investors to...
INNOVATE® Chicago Vol.1
CHICAGO CONNECTORY
THE CENTRAL HUB OF IOT AND INNOVATION IN CHICAGO, LEADING THE INITIATIVE AROUND THE WORLD
The Chicago Connectory is a co-creation space and IoT incubator located in Chicago’s historic Merchandise Mart. Our co-working space builds business, collaboration, and network opportunities to our community. The Chicago Connectory opened its doors in May 2017. The idea for the Chicago Connectory sparked with Bosch, a multinational engineering and...
INNOVATE® Milwaukee
Ideawake
REVOLUTIONIZING CORPORATE INNOVATION FROM MILWAUKEE
REVOLUTIONIZING CORPORATE INNOVATION FROM MILWAUKEE In a world where ideas hold immense value, Ideawake is on a mission to empower companies to mine their most valuable resource: their employees’ creativity and insights. Founded in 2013 by Coby Skonord and Trae Tessmann, Ideawake began with a vision to make innovation accessible...
INNOVATION Quebec
AXELYS
AN ESSENTIAL MISSION FOR THE FUTURE OF QUÉBEC Axelys integrates innovations from Quebec’s public research into the mainstream of society. Our mission is at the heart of the new 2022 2027 Québec strategy to support research and investment in innovation, launched in May 2022 by the Quebec government. At Axelys,...
INNOVATE™ Estonia
SILEN
HOW SILENCE BECAME SILEN’S GLOBAL LANGUAGE
Silen’s journey began with a simple conviction: silence is not a luxury, but a necessity for focus, creativity, and well-being. What started as an idea in Estonia has grown into the world’s leading provider of office pods and privacy solutions, trusted by companies in more than 60 countries — including...
INNOVATION Quebec
INSTITUT DU NOUVEAU MONDE (INM)
DEPUIS 20 ANS, L’INM, UN ORGANISME INDÉPENDANT ET NON PARTISAN, MET LA PARTICIPATION DES CITOYENNESET DES CITOYENS AU CŒUR DES PROJETS QU’ELLE DÉVELOPPE ET DE CEUX DES ORGANISATIONS QU’ELLEACCOMPAGNE. L’INM est animé par la conviction que la participation citoyenne renforce la démocratie et aide les organisations à prendre de meilleures...
INNOVATE® Washington DMV Edition
FLIKSHOP
BRIDGING GAPS, REUNITING FAMILIES AND ENDING RECIDIVISM
“We want to create a footprint in this community that kicks in doors to give access to folks like me.” When Marcus Bullock was just 15, he faced a life-altering challenge. Arrested and sentenced to eight years in adult maximum security prison for carjacking, he found himself in a...
INNOVATE™ Toronto
DESTINATION TORONTO
THE PLACE TO BE
Toronto is the driving force behind Canada’s tech, finance, manufacturing, creative and service sectors. It’s also a cultural powerhouse. The most diverse city on the planet, Toronto is a place to convene, create, play, do business and launch the next great idea that could change the world. Top of...
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™ Vancouver Vol.2
RENAISSANCE
UNITING SUPERFANS GLOBALLY
Renaissance is a social audio app for superfans. We’ve combined the best features from gaming with music to create a new fan experience. Leaderboards, achievements, daily adventures, and exclusive giveaways create an environment where music fans come together and share their love of music. For music labels and artists, Renaissance...
INNOVATE® Nashville
HeroWear
Evolving work, improving life: HeroWear exosuits help prevent backpain to improve worker quality of life.
Serious back injuries in the workplace are often preventable. The logistics, manufacturing, and construction industries have long struggled to prevent worker injuries, which impact the quality of life for workers and collectively cost companies billions of dollars each year. In fact, workers in warehousing and transportation who are keeping our...
INNOVATE™ Curitiba
LEANKEEP
REVOLUTIONIZING FACILITY MANAGEMENT: THE LEANKEEP SUCCESS STORY
In the dynamic world of facility management and maintenance, one name stands out for its innovative approach and remarkable success: Leankeep. This SaaS company has transformed the way businesses handle their maintenance and facilities management, offering a suite of solutions that cater to a diverse range of sectors including condominium...
INNOVATE™ Bristol & Bath
Bristol’s City of Film
A UNESCO Creative City
Bristol: a globally celebrated City of Film Since 2017, Bristol has been a UNESCO City of Film, one of 18 cities to hold this permanent global status recognising world-leading achievement in the field of film and the moving image. It is also a member of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network,...
INNOVATE™ Oeiras
ABB - ASEA BROWN BOVERI PORTUGAL
Innovation. We've Been Doing It For Over 100 Years
If there is one thing that characterizes ABB, it is our technological leadership. It has been an intrinsic part of our DNA since we started our journey more than a century ago, and it has been at the heart of everything we have done since then. When everything startedABB results...
Global Innovation Spotlight
How Popular Are Pickup Trucks in American Car Sharing?
From Workhorses to Weekend Getaways: The Rise of Pickups in Car Sharing
From Workhorses to Weekend Getaways: The Rise of Pickups in Car Sharing Pickup trucks aren’t just vehicles in America—they’re a lifestyle. For decades, they’ve been hauling gear, towing trailers, and getting folks out into the wild or across town with a mattress strapped in the back. But lately, pickups have...
INNOVATE® South Florida
WAG - Workplace Accessibility Group
BREAKING BARRIERS: HOW THE WORKPLACE ACCESSIBILITY GROUP EMPOWERS BUSINESSES TO CREATE INCLUSIVE ENVIRONMENTS
BREAKING BARRIERS: HOW THE WORKPLACE ACCESSIBILITY GROUP EMPOWERS BUSINESSES TO CREATE INCLUSIVE ENVIRONMENTS In the United States, the employment disparity between deaf and hearing individuals highlights a significant accessibility gap. According to the National Deaf Center on Postsecondary Outcomes (NDC), only 48%ofdeaf individuals aged 25-64 are employed, compared to 72%...
INNOVATE™ Curitiba
DIGER/ GUACEMMI
MORE THAN 50 PATENTS
Strongly supported by human, technological and financial resources, the Seccional group is part of an innovation network with 16 companies operating in the most diverse areas, notably: telecommunications, lighting, energy, research and development, real estate, finance and the exclusive distribution and representation for Brazil of the Japanese tire brand Yokohama,...
INNOVATE™ Alberta
BOW VALLEY COLLEGE
TRANSFORMING THE STUDENT EXPERIENCE THROUGH DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY
Bow Valley College has been an access college since 1965, earning a reputation for fast-paced programs that quickly respond to the practical needs of adult students and our economy. On May 16, 2023, the College launched a new Digital Strategy, which outlines how technology will enhance the student experience, improve...
Global Innovation Spotlight
The Rise of AI Conferences in 2024:
A Look at the Most Important Events and Topics
Artificial intelligence, or as it is commonly referred to, AI conferences date back to the 1960s and have tremendously expanded from niche gatherings that mainly catered to academia to industry-focused and entrepreneurial assemblies. This is where researchers, policymakers, and professionals from global tech companies collaborate on various aspects of the...
INNOVATE® Georgia
ACKERMAN & CO
A BOLD APPROACH TO DEVELOPMENT
Just two miles southwest of Downtown Atlanta is a sprawling collection of buildings formerly known as “Warehouse Row.” In the 1950s and 1960s, the warehouse buildings were developed to serve as a distribution hub for area grocery stores. Today, the buildings have been transformed into something much different. In the...
INNOVATE® Washington DMV Edition
FREELY PAYMENTS
HARNESSING INNOVATION TO TRANSFORM FINANCIAL TRANSACTIONS
“We are not just facilitating transactions; we are redefining them to create tangible benefits for our clients.” In the bustling city of Washington, D.C., a pioneering force is reshaping the financial contours of the food and beverage industry. freely Payments, a visionary B2B payments gateway, has not just entered the...
INNOVATE™ Atlantic Canada
ARTHUR L. IRVING ENTREPRENEURSHIP CENTRE
IS A CREATIVE AND COLLABORATIVE SPACE OPEN TO ALL STUDENTS IN ATLANTIC CANADA
Students come to the Arthur L. Irving Entrepreneurship Centre from all disciplines and for many reasons. Some come with an idea they want to test. Others come to learn the habits and skills of an entrepreneurial mindset – skills like agility, resiliency, design thinking, and leadership. Some come looking for...
INNOVATE® Jacksonville
Kamana
Travel Healthcare Accelerated
Kamana brings workflow efficiency and security to an antiquated industry, connecting healthcare employers with qualified professionals to fill contract staffing needs. The contract healthcare staffing industry is fundamentally flawed. Travel healthcare professionals, who change locations (and employers) every three months, consistently complain about the lack of continuity across the industry....
INNOVATE® Milwaukee
Aeroplicity
Simplifying Aerospace and Defense: The Aeroplicity Story
Aeroplicity has emerged as a transformative force in the aerospace and defense industry, with a mission to simplify and modernize supply chain and aftermarket operations. Leveraging cutting-edge aerospace-grade technologies, the company is reshaping how organizations manage data, compliance, and operational efficiency. At its core, Aeroplicity addresses the industry’s most pressing...
INNOVATE® Detroit
InvestNext
Fostering Growth and Potential
InvestNext is on a mission to transform how investment firms raise and manage real estate investment capital. Founded in 2016 by Michael Gisi, Kevin Heras, and Matthew Attou, this Detroit startup was conceived to revolutionize how the industry operates. What they’ve created democratizes real estate investing and empowers investors to...
INNOVATE® Chicago Vol.1
CHICAGO CONNECTORY
THE CENTRAL HUB OF IOT AND INNOVATION IN CHICAGO, LEADING THE INITIATIVE AROUND THE WORLD
The Chicago Connectory is a co-creation space and IoT incubator located in Chicago’s historic Merchandise Mart. Our co-working space builds business, collaboration, and network opportunities to our community. The Chicago Connectory opened its doors in May 2017. The idea for the Chicago Connectory sparked with Bosch, a multinational engineering and...