Stories of Innovation

PROGRESS AND INNOVATION CONTINUES TO SHAPE THE FUTURE OF SOUTH FLORIDA MANUFACTURING South Florida has long been a hub for innovation, but its manufacturing industry has undergone a transformative shift in recent years. Spearheaded by the South Florida Manufacturers Association (SFMA),this shift reflects the region’s growing commitment to modernization, sustainability,...

MERIC S. GERTLER PRESIDENT, UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO ” INCLUSIVE EXCELLENCE ” “U of T’s remarkable diversity provides both a springboard to social mobility and a superb environment for education, research and innovation.” – MERIC S. GERTLER, PRESIDENT, UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO The strength of Toronto’s higher education, research and innovation enterprise...

IVÉO est un organisme sans but lucratif dont la mission est d’accélérer le déploiement d’innovations dans le milieu municipal. Ses interventions se situent principalement dans l’expérimentation et le montage de projets pilotes en réponse aux enjeux sociaux, environnementaux et économiques auxquels font face les villes. En agissant comme courtier d’innovation...

The founding of SYNTHÈSESYNTHÈSE was founded in 2018 by ministère de l’Éducation et de l’Enseignement supérieur du Québec (the province’s ministry of education and higher learning) following discussions among digital-creation companies, colleges, universities, associations, and representatives from ministère de l’Économie et de l’Innovation and ministère de la Culture et des...

The Sales & Marketing Executives Association of Puerto Rico (SME) is a non-profit organization that brings together a community of more than 500 professionals from diverse industries, major corporations, and local businesses, as well as college students on the island. For the past 72 years, the association has been advancing...

Innovation ecosystems have always grown around shared physical places, from university labs and coworking spaces to startup districts, demo days, accelerators, and global conferences. These places still matter because people build trust faster when they can meet, listen, and exchange ideas in the same room.  Yet they are no longer...

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...

As of early 2024, slot games account for nearly 70% of digital casino revenue (H2 Gambling Capital). Rapid advances in mobile and cloud tech have forced companies to rethink launches, promotion, and profit models, while a constant flood of new titles keeps operators and studios scrambling to adapt. Today, success...

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...

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...

When Fienta first launched, it was built to solve a deeper problem: how can event organisers build stronger relationships with their audiences – not just sell tickets? A decade later, the Estonia-based company has grown from a grassroots solution into a global platform, helping event organisers in more than 50...

With over 27 years of global private equity and investment banking experience, Jose A. Torres returns to Puerto Rico to bring innovation to the alternative assets and private equity industry. INNOVATION IN ALTERNATIVE ASSETSMonllor Capital Partners LLC (“MCP”) was founded in 2018 by Jose A. Torres, as a minority-owned alternative...

For the past 15 years, Techstars has been running 3-month tech accelerators across the world. Names such as SendGrid, Digital Ocean, Latch, Classpass, Remitly and Kepler Aerospace are some of the 3000 alumni companies to have graduated from a Techstars program.   For 5 years Techstars has operated in Toronto....

NFT Studios’ primary goal is to build a chain of: games, media, and real life events – based on the colorful characters and universes produced through their debut Play To Earn game “ChiFiBots.” And to also make 100 million players earn 100K USD a year playing our games.   The...

The Canadian tech sector is booming, there’s no question about that. In 2021, despite the impacts of the pandemic and the general economic downturn, the information and communications technology (ICT) reflected a total 5.3% of the national GDP — that’s $104.5billion. This number, alongside a teeming collective of businesses that...

In February 2019, a mere conversation that I had with a JCSU athletics administrator about the paucity of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) that possessed structured on-campus esports programming became the impetus behind my development of a proposal later that day for an esports and gaming academic program. 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...

SERENDIPITY DOESN’T SCALE. THAT’S WHY WE BUILT SYNAPSE.Synapse Florida, the nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization connecting innovation communities across Florida, was founded on the premise that serendipity doesn’t scale. By building a state-wide movement, Synapse is enabling innovation partners throughout Florida to find each other and develop relationships in a way that...

When innovation is combined with creativity, it not only captures attention, it can create an experience that can lead to change. Castano Group specializes in designing and producing these experiences: multimedia, multisensory engagements that change the way people communicate with brands in digital and physical environments. Castano Group was launched...

It is without a doubt that the Coronavirus has hampered many businesses, but like they say, “every problem contains in it the seeds of a solution.” From all across the world, solutions have been created to mitigate the effects of the virus, and here in Botswana, the lockdown period presented...

Founded in 2022 by Johanna Stina Haar (MA) at the age of 24, Claricy is an Estonian DeepTech company that helps small and mid-sized enterprises navigate digital transformation. Johanna holds a bachelor’s degree in finance and a master’s degree in IT management, complemented by experience as both a financial specialist...

America’s Small Business Development Centers – New Jersey (NJSBDC), also known as New Jersey Small Business Development Centers, was established by Congress in 1978 as one of the first national SBDC pilot projects leading to the passage of Public Law 96-302. At present the NJSBDC network is comprised of the...

“As a Google Fiber team member since 2011, it fills me with immense pride to reflect on our journey – from the selection of Kansas City as our inaugural home to our expansion from coast-to-coast in the last decade. We’ve seen firsthand the transformative power of ultra-high-speed internet in fueling...

“CarpeDM can have a massive positive impact on the collective economic and health status of the Black community.” Swiping right and superficial connections often dominate the realm of online dating. Naza Shelley founded CarpeDM to revolutionize how professional Black women find love in Washington, D.C., and beyond. This exclusive, member-only...