Stories of Innovation

WHO WE ARE The Varsity Esports Foundation is a global non-profit organization established to offer financial assistance to schools and to provide a pipeline for students to reach their potential through esports. We strive to increase literacy around the esports industry’s positive impact on healthy lifestyles, mental health, community, and...

Based in Miami, Pipeline Workspaces is a shared workspace concept that caters to a diverse community of entrepreneurs, start-ups, corporate teams and international business executives. With seven locations, our members range from local innovators to large companies such as Uber, Google and Postmates. Our growth has been deeply intertwined with...

Better tomorrows, together. That’s the future that Slalom, a next generation professional services company, is striving to build with its customers. For Slalom, better tomorrows are found at the intersection of business, technology, and humanity. This might mean developing a data hub that accelerates research for childhood brain cancer, launching...

As the city where Geoffrey Hinton pioneered deep learning, Toronto has deep roots in artificial intelligence research. The Vector Institute amplifies and leverages this strength in fundamental research for Ontario’s economic benefit by smoothing the path from lab discovery to commercial use.   With marquee facilities for collaboration, Vector hosts...

Sweden and Stockholm must leverage innovation and AI to remain relevant and competitive, and to achieve the values that we believe in. But it’s hard to achieve the scale, speed, and direction that we aim for in a sustainable way. Think Big Leaders helps organizations formulate a strategic direction and...

EIS (Early Intervention Systems) was founded by two graduates of George Washington University, Nathalya Ramirez as CEO, Krishan Shah as CFO, and current GWU Medical Student Rohan Patil as CTO. The team was motivated to create a digital well-being software platform that could tangibly improve the tracking of Activities of...

In 2013, Voltera set out to solve a long-standing challenge in the engineering community — creating an easy-to-use desktop PCB printer. By 2015, that vision had come to life with the launch of V-One, a compact PCB printer capable of drilling through-holes, printing conductive materials, dispensing solder paste, and reflowing...

Northern Virginia is a region defined by motion: technological, economic, and organizational change shape its daily rhythm. For the companies that power it, transformation is no longer a future goal but a present demand. Finance leaders must modernize operations, manage enterprise complexity, and adopt emerging technologies quickly. They must achieve...

SOSV’S HAX is the world’s most active early stage investor in hard tech – the difficult to build physical tech at the forefront of science and engineering in disciplines like robotics, material science, and chemistry. Many investors have shied away from hard tech, and the last 30 years of the...

Ericsson has been a critical part of Canada’s innovation and R&D story for 69 years. We are committed to driving the country’s digital agenda through turning-point technologies such as 5G. This means enabling Canada’s industries and service providers to lead on the world stage, supporting major service providers on their...

Hirsch’s has become a name synonymous with service and brand excellence over the years. They have grown into one of the most well-respected and trusted appliance and electronics retailers in the industry in South Africa, and it’s interesting to see how they got there. Allan and Margaret set up their first...

7Factor Software was founded on human-centric principles held fiercely true at every step in their work to design, develop, deploy, and maintain well-engineered software solutions for tech-forward enterprises and ambitious start-ups with great ideas and a commitment to quality. They tackle their clients’ most unique problems, empowering them to seize...

Shout-It-Now (Shout) is an innovative social enterprise, empowering youth to own their sexuality. We concentrate on hard to reach communities; we go to the places where they are, provide services they want, in such a way that they choose to keep coming back. We are a local South African organisation...

CHARITABLE IMPACT-WORKING FOR DONORS, REGARDLESS OF WHAT CAUSES THEY SUPPORT: HOW CHARITABLE IMPACT IS TRANSFORMING THE EXPERIENCE OF GIVING TO CHARITY The charitable sector in Canada is facing significant challenges due to a decrease in the number of people donating to charity and the amount they give as a percentage...

Most new moms don’t struggle because help isn’t available; they struggle because it’s hard to ask for it. It might look like she has it all together, but beneath the surface, she’s navigating exhaustion, overstimulation, and an unspoken pressure to manage it all on her own. While support systems often...

Founded in Vancouver in 2011 by Beth Boyle, Katie Dunsworth-Reiach, and Sara Padidar, Talk Shop’s vision is to help it’s clients get known, and be understood. Under the leadership of the founding partners and Managing Partner Katie Stevens, Talk Shop has grown substantially to include more than fifty team members....

System Technology Works, based in Peachtree Corners, Georgia, is a pioneering research and product development company focused on transforming the educational landscape through the development of humanoid robots like the Zeus2Q. Founded by Luis Guzman, STW aims to revolutionize the way we interact with and program artificial intelligence (AI) and...

In the heart of Georgia, a technical revolution is quietly reshaping the landscape of recruitment and talent acquisition. By redefining the way businesses and candidates connect in a rapidly evolving job market through innovation, Humans Doing is at the forefront of this transformation. Founded in 2019, Humans Doing leverages its...

Our country’s most pressing challenges – from climate change and national security to healthcare and education – demand a renewed partnership across the private and public sectors to connect our greatest national asset: our talent. The NobleReach Foundation inspires, develops, and supports mission-driven entrepreneurship to tackle our society’s biggest challenges...

Pennovation Works stands as one of the University of Pennsylvania’s most dynamic contributions to Philadelphia’s innovation landscape, a 23-acre urban technology park designed to bring ideas out of the lab and into the world. Situated at the intersection of research, entrepreneurship, and industry, Pennovation Works embodies a simple but powerful...

Breakthrough healthcare companies rarely succeed on the strength of an innovative idea alone. Behind many founders stands a network of mentors, investors, and experienced entrepreneurs willing to open doors long before the wider market recognizes their potential. Creating those connections became the reason The Agora Initiative was founded. Led by...

Find Fun Faster with intoGo! The app showcases everything fun to do in our region by tapping simple categories such as Brunch, Cool Date Ideas, Family Fun, and Local Events. intoGo is our cities easiest and most detailed mobile resource for where to go and what’s going on. ,  ...

Boutique Vancouver architectural firm committed to collaborative design and mixed-use projects using engineered wood solutions. The boutique architectural firm of SLA (Stephane Laroye Architect Inc.) is a Vancouver-based architectural firm focused on collaborative design with a passion for Passive House and engineered wood solutions in British Columbia. Established in 2016,...

Retail Capital was born in 2011 as an idea on a white napkin. Those drawings became the framework of what ended up being the first Merchant Cash Advance (MCA) product for businesses in South Africa. Driven by a deep passion to support the SME sector, Retail Capital has since innovated...