Stories of Innovation

INNOVATE™ Vancouver Vol.2

COHO COLLECTIVE KITCHENS

THE SECRET INGREDIENT FOR FOOD ENTREPRENEURS COHO IS REDEFINING THE SPACE-AS-A-SERVICE INDUSTRY AND THE FUTURE OF CULINARY ENTREPRENEURSHIP

The shared kitchen industry, also known as commissaries, is a rapidly growing sector that is changing how people think about food and culinary entrepreneurship. When starting or scaling a business, food and beverage based entrepreneurs face significant challenges and risks and require significant investment in space, equipment, and overhead costs....

INNOVATE® Washington DMV Edition

(DSLBD) - DC DEPARTMENT OF SMALL AND LOCAL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

History of the DC Department of Small and Local Business Development (DSLBD) The DC Department of Small and Local Business Development (DSLBD) has played a pivotal role in fostering the growth and success of small businesses in Washington, DC. Established with a mission to support and empower local entrepreneurs, DSLBD...

INNOVATE® Kansas City

SnapIT Solutions

USING TECHNOLOGY TO GROW PEOPLE

USING TECHNOLOGY TO GROW PEOPLE SnapIT Solutions, based in Overland Park, Kansas, is an innovative technology solutions and services company specializing in web and mobile applications, data analytics, cybersecurity, cloud computing, DevOps, IT Managed services and cutting-edge fields such as artificial intelligence (AI), augmented/virtual reality (AR/VR), and 3Dphotogrammetry. Established in...

INNOVATE® Puerto Rico

ASM GLOBAL

DELIVERS LIVE EXPERIENCES

PUERTO RICO’S PREMIERE SPORTS AND ENTERTAINMENT VENUESASM Global is the world’s leading venue management and services company. The company has an elite venue network that spans five continents, with a portfolio of more than 350 of the world’s most prestigious arenas, stadiums, convention and exhibition centers, and performing arts venues....

INNOVATE™ Bristol & Bath

FUTURE LEAP

FUTURE LEAP-We Give Organisations The Space

We Give Organisations The Space, Knowledge, Contacts And Tools To Accelerate Their Sustainability Journey And Progress Towards Carbon Neutrality

WE DO THIS BY SHOWCASING INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS, FACILITATING FUTURE THINKING DISCUSSIONS AND COLLABORATING WITH ONE ANOTHER. Future Leap brings together a community of change-makers that Discover, Innovate and Collaborate on all things sustainability focussed. They have a carbon-neutral business hub in Bristol, the first of its kind in the country...

INNOVATE® Seattle

Aperon Corporation

Is revolutionizing the way cannabis is traded by democratizing the global supply chain and building a brand new space for everyone to thrive.

Is revolutionizing the way cannabis is traded by democratizing the global supply chain and building a brand new space for everyone to thrive. Aperon Corporation founded in 2016 by Seattle native Jhavid Mohseni, Aperon Corp has innovated the entire industry by developing key technology tools for stakeholders that allow for...

INNOVATE™ Stockholm

EPIGENICA

DEMOCRATIZING LARGE-SCALE EPIGENOMICS FOR THE AGE OF PERSONALIZED HEALTHCARE

Not long ago, decoding DNA was the holy grail of biology. Today, a growing number of scientists and clinicians believe that the key to the next generation of healthcare lies in understanding how our genes are controlled – epigenetics. Epigenica, a Swedish biotech company founded by Dr. Mohamad Takwa and...

INNOVATE™ Antwerp Vol.2

VOKA - CHAMBER OF COMMERCE MECHELEN-KEMPEN

VOKA-CHAMBER OF COMMERCE MECHELEN-KEMPEN- YOUR TRUSTED PARTNER. LET’S GROW YOUR BUSINESS

YOUR TRUSTED PARTNER. LET’S GROW YOUR BUSINESS

With more than 13,000 chambers worldwide, the Chamber of Commerce is the largest entrepreneurial network in the world. In Flanders, too, the Voka Chambers are the largest network. Voka represents 18,000businesses, 70% of added value, 65% of private employment and 80% of exports. With a globally ramified network of 130...

INNOVATE® Chicago Vol.1

POWER REVIEWS

POWER REVIEWS- ENABLING BRANDS AND RETAILERS TO DRIVE MORE REVENUE WITH RATINGS AND REVIEWS

ENABLING BRANDS AND RETAILERS TO DRIVE MORE REVENUE WITH RATINGS AND REVIEWS

PowerReviews works with more than 1,000 global brands and retailers to help them collect, display and analyze user-generated content – Ratings and Reviews, Questions and Answers, and images and videos – on their websites. As more consumers flocked online as a result of Covid, this content actually became significantly more...

INNOVATE™ Antwerp Vol.2

DOMEIN WALTERUS, VINEYARD, WINERY, DISTILLERY

DOMEIN WALTERUS

FILLED WITH PURITY, MADE WITH PASSION.”

Your drinks, our life’s work with an eco-conscious mindsetOur vision in making drinks for you. Whether it’s our own label or your private label. We work for every brand as if it were our own. Working with respect of nature’s products, makes us enthusiastic and driven to make your label...

INNOVATION Quebec

THE CENTER FOR FOREST RESEARCH (CFR)

THE CENTER FOR FOREST RESEARCH (CFR) – IS A STRATEGIC CLUSTER THAT HAS BEEN FUNDEDBY THE FONDS DE RECHERCHE DU QUÉBEC-NATURE ET TECHNOLOGIES (FRQNT) SINCE 2006. It is the only research group in Quebec whose central mission is advanced training in forest research. The scientific mission of the CFR is...

INNOVATE® Milwaukee

RAPID RADICALS

UNLEASHING INNOVATION: RAPID RADICALS’ TORRENTIAL TRIUMPH

In July 2010, nine inches of rain fell in a very short amount of time, filling the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District’s (MMSD) service area pipes with some 64 billion gallons of water. A storm of this severity is only likely to occur once every 500 years, but the frequency is...

INNOVATE™ Vancouver Vol.2

SolvedAF Consulting Inc

SolvedAF inverts the traditional consulting model by partnering with organizations to grow their businesses through fractional leadership and right sourcing.

SolvedAF Consulting is a boutique management advisory firm that uses a unique approach to facilitate digital transformation and organizational growth, enabling innovation for its clients. With their foundational fractional leadership service model the goal at SolvedAF is to create an infrastructure of support services for startups and small to medium...

INNOVATE® Gaming & Esports

VARSITY ESPORTS FOUNDATION

VARSITY ESPORTS FOUNDATION-YOU CAN DONATE NOW TO SUPPORT OUR MISSION

YOU CAN DONATE NOW TO SUPPORT OUR MISSION

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...

INNOVATE® South Carolina

Gnosis Freight

The Operating System for International Logistics

In the heart of Charleston, South Carolina, a quiet revolution in global trade is underway. Gnosis Freight, a software company founded just a few miles from the port, is building the digital infrastructure that powers the world’s most complex supply chains. Global freight runs on shipping containers – but despite...

INNOVATE® South Carolina

SKILLSGAPP

FROM GAMEPLAY TO PAYDAY

Reimagining South Carolina’s Workforce Pipeline Workforce needs have been at a crisis point for years, but traditional efforts for career awareness and access weren’t reaching the next generation in time. That gap in matching talent with in-demand jobs sparked South Carolina-based skillsgapp,a first-of-its kind workforce engagement platform. Its flagship products,...

INNOVATE® New Jersey Vol.2

Konica Minolta

KONICA MINOLTA

Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A., Inc. (Konica Minolta) has been operating out of its U.S. headquarters in Ramsey, NJ since the 1970s. Across the country, more than 5,000 employees work together to reshape and revolutionize the workplace to achieve true connectivity through the Intelligent Connected Workplace. The company guides and...

INNOVATION Quebec

THE ESPACE D’ACCÉLÉRATION ET DE CROISSANCE DU BAS-SAINT-LAURENT (EAC BSL) FACILITATES INNOVATION

THE ESPACE D’ACCÉLÉRATION ET DE CROISSANCE DU BAS-SAINT-LAURENT (EAC BSL) FACILITATES INNOVATION PROJECTS AND GROWS VALUE CREATION IN BAS-SAINT-LAURENT. Our interventions include networking, collaboration and referral of experts who offer entrepreneurs technical and business support services. Exemplary regional cooperationThe EAC BSL is led by the Collectif régional de développement (CRD)....

INNOVATE™ Botswana Vol.1

NAKO TIMEPIECES

NAKO TIMEPIECES- A LUXURY WATCH DESIGNER BRAND WITH HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE

A LUXURY WATCH DESIGNER BRAND WITH HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE

Born and designed in Gaborone, Botswana Nako Timepieces are merging innovation and luxury watchmaking that is proudly rooted in Botswana. BRAND PERSONALITYAn embodiment of Afrocentrism, Tswana origins, selfdiscovery, character and endurance. Having stepped over the line of classic iconic style and into the realm of simplicity — Nako Timepieces identifies...

INNOVATE™ Estonia

FIBENOL

DEFOSSILIZING THE FUTURE OF MATERIALS AND CHEMICALS

In Estonia, where wood has shaped livelihoods for centuries, one company is reimagining its potential for the next industrial era. Fibenol is transforming undervalued hardwood and plywood industry residues into high-purity biomaterials that offer sustainable alternatives to fossil-based inputs. Its mission is both simple and bold: To help industries defossilize...

INNOVATION Quebec

IVÉO

FOR SUSTAINABLE AND SMARTER CITIES

IVÉO is a not-for-profit organization whose mission is to accelerate the deployment of innovations in the municipal sector. Its interventions relate primarily to the experimentation and set up of pilot projects responding to the social, environmental and economic issues facing cities. By acting as an innovation broker between municipal authorities...

INNOVATION Quebec

PME MTL

AU SERVICE DE L’ENTREPRENEURIAT MONTRÉALAIS

PME MTL, le réseau de soutien aux entreprises de la Ville de Montréal, a pour mission d’anticiper et de soutenir le développement ocioéconomique de nos collectivités, de manière intégrée, concertée et durable. À travers son offre de financement et d’accompagnement, PME MTL intervient : Il offre du soutien aux entrepreneuses...

INNOVATE® Washington DMV Edition

MASON ENTERPRISE

Building the Entrepreneurs of Today and Tomorrow

Mason EnterpriseTM is a George Mason University-based economic development division that focuses the energy, skills, and intellectual capital of Virginians on new company creation and small business expansion. Through 24 intertwined, complementary programs that include business counseling, workshops, training, and connection to university assets (research, class projects, interns), Mason Enterprise...

Global Innovation Spotlight

The economy of the fandom experience:

Merch, innovation, and sustainability

Everybody’s part of a fandom nowadays, with many people being part of several communities for different musicians, bands, movies, series, and sports teams at the same time. Since many are quite passionate about the fandoms they’re part of, it’s natural that they’d want to wear their interests on their sleeve....

INNOVATE™ Vancouver Vol.2

COHO COLLECTIVE KITCHENS

THE SECRET INGREDIENT FOR FOOD ENTREPRENEURS COHO IS REDEFINING THE SPACE-AS-A-SERVICE INDUSTRY AND THE FUTURE OF CULINARY ENTREPRENEURSHIP

The shared kitchen industry, also known as commissaries, is a rapidly growing sector that is changing how people think about food and culinary entrepreneurship. When starting or scaling a business, food and beverage based entrepreneurs face significant challenges and risks and require significant investment in space, equipment, and overhead costs....

INNOVATE® Washington DMV Edition

(DSLBD) - DC DEPARTMENT OF SMALL AND LOCAL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

History of the DC Department of Small and Local Business Development (DSLBD) The DC Department of Small and Local Business Development (DSLBD) has played a pivotal role in fostering the growth and success of small businesses in Washington, DC. Established with a mission to support and empower local entrepreneurs, DSLBD...

INNOVATE® Kansas City

SnapIT Solutions

USING TECHNOLOGY TO GROW PEOPLE

USING TECHNOLOGY TO GROW PEOPLE SnapIT Solutions, based in Overland Park, Kansas, is an innovative technology solutions and services company specializing in web and mobile applications, data analytics, cybersecurity, cloud computing, DevOps, IT Managed services and cutting-edge fields such as artificial intelligence (AI), augmented/virtual reality (AR/VR), and 3Dphotogrammetry. Established in...

INNOVATE® Puerto Rico

ASM GLOBAL

DELIVERS LIVE EXPERIENCES

PUERTO RICO’S PREMIERE SPORTS AND ENTERTAINMENT VENUESASM Global is the world’s leading venue management and services company. The company has an elite venue network that spans five continents, with a portfolio of more than 350 of the world’s most prestigious arenas, stadiums, convention and exhibition centers, and performing arts venues....

INNOVATE™ Bristol & Bath

FUTURE LEAP

FUTURE LEAP-We Give Organisations The Space

We Give Organisations The Space, Knowledge, Contacts And Tools To Accelerate Their Sustainability Journey And Progress Towards Carbon Neutrality

WE DO THIS BY SHOWCASING INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS, FACILITATING FUTURE THINKING DISCUSSIONS AND COLLABORATING WITH ONE ANOTHER. Future Leap brings together a community of change-makers that Discover, Innovate and Collaborate on all things sustainability focussed. They have a carbon-neutral business hub in Bristol, the first of its kind in the country...

INNOVATE® Seattle

Aperon Corporation

Is revolutionizing the way cannabis is traded by democratizing the global supply chain and building a brand new space for everyone to thrive.

Is revolutionizing the way cannabis is traded by democratizing the global supply chain and building a brand new space for everyone to thrive. Aperon Corporation founded in 2016 by Seattle native Jhavid Mohseni, Aperon Corp has innovated the entire industry by developing key technology tools for stakeholders that allow for...

INNOVATE™ Stockholm

EPIGENICA

DEMOCRATIZING LARGE-SCALE EPIGENOMICS FOR THE AGE OF PERSONALIZED HEALTHCARE

Not long ago, decoding DNA was the holy grail of biology. Today, a growing number of scientists and clinicians believe that the key to the next generation of healthcare lies in understanding how our genes are controlled – epigenetics. Epigenica, a Swedish biotech company founded by Dr. Mohamad Takwa and...

INNOVATE™ Antwerp Vol.2

VOKA - CHAMBER OF COMMERCE MECHELEN-KEMPEN

VOKA-CHAMBER OF COMMERCE MECHELEN-KEMPEN- YOUR TRUSTED PARTNER. LET’S GROW YOUR BUSINESS

YOUR TRUSTED PARTNER. LET’S GROW YOUR BUSINESS

With more than 13,000 chambers worldwide, the Chamber of Commerce is the largest entrepreneurial network in the world. In Flanders, too, the Voka Chambers are the largest network. Voka represents 18,000businesses, 70% of added value, 65% of private employment and 80% of exports. With a globally ramified network of 130...

INNOVATE® Chicago Vol.1

POWER REVIEWS

POWER REVIEWS- ENABLING BRANDS AND RETAILERS TO DRIVE MORE REVENUE WITH RATINGS AND REVIEWS

ENABLING BRANDS AND RETAILERS TO DRIVE MORE REVENUE WITH RATINGS AND REVIEWS

PowerReviews works with more than 1,000 global brands and retailers to help them collect, display and analyze user-generated content – Ratings and Reviews, Questions and Answers, and images and videos – on their websites. As more consumers flocked online as a result of Covid, this content actually became significantly more...

INNOVATE™ Antwerp Vol.2

DOMEIN WALTERUS, VINEYARD, WINERY, DISTILLERY

DOMEIN WALTERUS

FILLED WITH PURITY, MADE WITH PASSION.”

Your drinks, our life’s work with an eco-conscious mindsetOur vision in making drinks for you. Whether it’s our own label or your private label. We work for every brand as if it were our own. Working with respect of nature’s products, makes us enthusiastic and driven to make your label...

INNOVATION Quebec

THE CENTER FOR FOREST RESEARCH (CFR)

THE CENTER FOR FOREST RESEARCH (CFR) – IS A STRATEGIC CLUSTER THAT HAS BEEN FUNDEDBY THE FONDS DE RECHERCHE DU QUÉBEC-NATURE ET TECHNOLOGIES (FRQNT) SINCE 2006. It is the only research group in Quebec whose central mission is advanced training in forest research. The scientific mission of the CFR is...

INNOVATE® Milwaukee

RAPID RADICALS

UNLEASHING INNOVATION: RAPID RADICALS’ TORRENTIAL TRIUMPH

In July 2010, nine inches of rain fell in a very short amount of time, filling the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District’s (MMSD) service area pipes with some 64 billion gallons of water. A storm of this severity is only likely to occur once every 500 years, but the frequency is...

INNOVATE™ Vancouver Vol.2

SolvedAF Consulting Inc

SolvedAF inverts the traditional consulting model by partnering with organizations to grow their businesses through fractional leadership and right sourcing.

SolvedAF Consulting is a boutique management advisory firm that uses a unique approach to facilitate digital transformation and organizational growth, enabling innovation for its clients. With their foundational fractional leadership service model the goal at SolvedAF is to create an infrastructure of support services for startups and small to medium...

INNOVATE® Gaming & Esports

VARSITY ESPORTS FOUNDATION

VARSITY ESPORTS FOUNDATION-YOU CAN DONATE NOW TO SUPPORT OUR MISSION

YOU CAN DONATE NOW TO SUPPORT OUR MISSION

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...

INNOVATE® South Carolina

Gnosis Freight

The Operating System for International Logistics

In the heart of Charleston, South Carolina, a quiet revolution in global trade is underway. Gnosis Freight, a software company founded just a few miles from the port, is building the digital infrastructure that powers the world’s most complex supply chains. Global freight runs on shipping containers – but despite...

INNOVATE® South Carolina

SKILLSGAPP

FROM GAMEPLAY TO PAYDAY

Reimagining South Carolina’s Workforce Pipeline Workforce needs have been at a crisis point for years, but traditional efforts for career awareness and access weren’t reaching the next generation in time. That gap in matching talent with in-demand jobs sparked South Carolina-based skillsgapp,a first-of-its kind workforce engagement platform. Its flagship products,...

INNOVATE® New Jersey Vol.2

Konica Minolta

KONICA MINOLTA

Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A., Inc. (Konica Minolta) has been operating out of its U.S. headquarters in Ramsey, NJ since the 1970s. Across the country, more than 5,000 employees work together to reshape and revolutionize the workplace to achieve true connectivity through the Intelligent Connected Workplace. The company guides and...

INNOVATION Quebec

THE ESPACE D’ACCÉLÉRATION ET DE CROISSANCE DU BAS-SAINT-LAURENT (EAC BSL) FACILITATES INNOVATION

THE ESPACE D’ACCÉLÉRATION ET DE CROISSANCE DU BAS-SAINT-LAURENT (EAC BSL) FACILITATES INNOVATION PROJECTS AND GROWS VALUE CREATION IN BAS-SAINT-LAURENT. Our interventions include networking, collaboration and referral of experts who offer entrepreneurs technical and business support services. Exemplary regional cooperationThe EAC BSL is led by the Collectif régional de développement (CRD)....

INNOVATE™ Botswana Vol.1

NAKO TIMEPIECES

NAKO TIMEPIECES- A LUXURY WATCH DESIGNER BRAND WITH HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE

A LUXURY WATCH DESIGNER BRAND WITH HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE

Born and designed in Gaborone, Botswana Nako Timepieces are merging innovation and luxury watchmaking that is proudly rooted in Botswana. BRAND PERSONALITYAn embodiment of Afrocentrism, Tswana origins, selfdiscovery, character and endurance. Having stepped over the line of classic iconic style and into the realm of simplicity — Nako Timepieces identifies...

INNOVATE™ Estonia

FIBENOL

DEFOSSILIZING THE FUTURE OF MATERIALS AND CHEMICALS

In Estonia, where wood has shaped livelihoods for centuries, one company is reimagining its potential for the next industrial era. Fibenol is transforming undervalued hardwood and plywood industry residues into high-purity biomaterials that offer sustainable alternatives to fossil-based inputs. Its mission is both simple and bold: To help industries defossilize...

INNOVATION Quebec

IVÉO

FOR SUSTAINABLE AND SMARTER CITIES

IVÉO is a not-for-profit organization whose mission is to accelerate the deployment of innovations in the municipal sector. Its interventions relate primarily to the experimentation and set up of pilot projects responding to the social, environmental and economic issues facing cities. By acting as an innovation broker between municipal authorities...

INNOVATION Quebec

PME MTL

AU SERVICE DE L’ENTREPRENEURIAT MONTRÉALAIS

PME MTL, le réseau de soutien aux entreprises de la Ville de Montréal, a pour mission d’anticiper et de soutenir le développement ocioéconomique de nos collectivités, de manière intégrée, concertée et durable. À travers son offre de financement et d’accompagnement, PME MTL intervient : Il offre du soutien aux entrepreneuses...

INNOVATE® Washington DMV Edition

MASON ENTERPRISE

Building the Entrepreneurs of Today and Tomorrow

Mason EnterpriseTM is a George Mason University-based economic development division that focuses the energy, skills, and intellectual capital of Virginians on new company creation and small business expansion. Through 24 intertwined, complementary programs that include business counseling, workshops, training, and connection to university assets (research, class projects, interns), Mason Enterprise...

Global Innovation Spotlight

The economy of the fandom experience:

Merch, innovation, and sustainability

Everybody’s part of a fandom nowadays, with many people being part of several communities for different musicians, bands, movies, series, and sports teams at the same time. Since many are quite passionate about the fandoms they’re part of, it’s natural that they’d want to wear their interests on their sleeve....

Ecosystems