Stories of Innovation

INNOVATE™ Bristol & Bath

Caleño

Caleño-The Story SO FAR!

The Story SO FAR!

About UsCaleño is a range of distilled non-alcoholic spirits inspired by the sun-drenched spirit of Colombia that take you seamlessly from day to night. Light & Zesty is a tropical blend of Inca berry, citrus and spice botanicals and Dark & Spicy, a warming infusion of dark tropical pineapple notes...

INNOVATE® Miami

Penpal Schools

Helping teachers connect their students to learn with penpals around the world and from different backgrounds

PenPal Schools PenPal Schools is the world’s largest project-based learning community, with over a quarter million students in 150 countries. Students collaborate through online projects ranging from human rights and the environment to fake news and robotics, all while practicing literacy, technology, and social-emotional skills. PenPal Schools was recognized by...

INNOVATE® Georgia

WHEEL DATA STRATEGIES

STEERING ANALYTICS TOWARDS SOCIAL AND BUSINESS IMPACT

Executives and knowledge workers in corporate America view the world through the lens of their company’s products, services, and their profitability. Successful corporations adopt focused product development strategies that align with their corporate objectives and deliver projects using planned resources and expertise. Dr. Priya Sarathy, founder of Wheel Data Strategies...

INNOVATE® Northern Virginia

Enployable

Redefining How Talent is Discovered

The future of hiring won’t be decided by résumés, but by who can see potential others miss. For decades, employers have relied on job titles, keywords, and pedigree as proxies for capability. Those filters were built for scale, not for insight. In doing so, they’ve excluded qualified people every day....

INNOVATE™ Stockholm

STARTUP PEOPLE

WIDENING THE GATE FOR THE NEXT GENERATION OF FOUNDERS

When Stockholm’s startup scene began to thrive in the early 2010s, it was known for producing unicorns – but also for its fragmentation. Founders often worked in isolation, disconnected from the support, partners, and investors that could help them endure the long, difficult middle miles between idea and success. SUP...

INNOVATE™ Toronto

THORNHILL MEDICAL

THORNHILL MEDICAL -PUTS TOMORROW’S LIFE-SAVING CAPABILITY IN YOUR HANDS — TODAY

PUTS TOMORROW’S LIFE-SAVING CAPABILITY IN YOUR HANDS — TODAY

Thornhill Medical is a leading developer of innovative mobile medical technologies. Thornhill Medical’s ground-breaking solutions are produced to be used around the world by emergency health care providers, military medical teams and disaster relief responders.   Renowned Canadian research scientist and physician, Dr. Joseph Fisher, has spent his career achieving...

INNOVATE® Blockchain

NFT STUDIOS-CHIFIBOTS

NFT STUDIOS-CHIFIBOTS-CREATING A UNIVERSE FOR ENDLESS FUN

CREATING A UNIVERSE FOR ENDLESS FUN

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...

INNOVATE® Nashville

Finwell

Innovating Access: How Finwell Makes Professional Advice Inclusive

How Finwell Innovates Finwell has reimagined financial advice by removing the traditional barriers that prevent most people from accessing professional, unbiased wealth management and comprehensive financial planning. Unlike firms driven by product sales, Finwell focuses on serving individuals and families often overlooked by traditional wealth managers. By prioritizing education, planning,...

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® Chicago Vol.1

TECHNORI

TECHNORI-Since Launching Nearly a Decade Ago

Since Launching Nearly a Decade Ago, Our Mission Has Been Simple; Help Founders More Easily Raise Startup Funds By Building a Community Around Tech And Investing

Before Chicago became a tech hub featuring world-renowned incubators like 1871 and more than a dozen unicorns, there was Technori – a small group of early adopters and startup founders on a mission to turn Chicago into the largest and most diverse tech community in the world. And, what began...

INNOVATE™ Adelaide

ANDY THOMAS SPACE FOUNDATION

RECOGNISED AS AUSTRALIA’S NATIONAL SPACE NOT-FOR-PROFIT, SUPPORTING THE EDUCATION AND OUTREACH GOALS

With strong support from the Australian Space Agency, South Australian Government and a number of start-up and corporate space industry partners, the Foundation has provided invaluable education and engagement opportunities for students and individuals across Australia. Named after Founding Patron and retired NASA astronaut, Dr Andrew Thomas, a veteran of...

INNOVATE® Georgia

SCIENTIFIC GAMES

THE WORLD’S LARGEST LOTTERY GAMES COMPANY ATLANTA-BASED INNOVATOR POWERS THE GLOBAL GOVERNMENT-REGULATED LOTTERY INDUSTRY

More than 50 years of relentless innovation. Legendary performance. Unwavering security. And trusted partnerships. All built on a foundation of science. Since 1973, Scientific Games has integrated science into everything the company does. Its founders – a mathematician and an engineer – developed the world’s first secure lottery instant “scratch”...

INNOVATE® Chicago Vol.1

FARMERS FRIDGE

FARMERS FRIDGE- IS ON A MISSION TO MAKE IT SIMPLE FOR EVERYONE TO EAT WELL

IS ON A MISSION TO MAKE IT SIMPLE FOR EVERYONE TO EAT WELL

A former traveling salesman driving more than 3,000 miles each week, Farmer’s Fridge Founder and CEO Luke Saunders was frustrated with the lack of healthy, 24/7 options available on the road. Determined to solve this challenge, he built a high-tech smart Fridge that dispenses fresh meals within seconds. Despite facing...

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® Puerto Rico

FRIENDS OF PUERTO RICO

FRIENDS OF PUERTO RICO-FOPR

FOPR, SEEDING THE FUTURE?

Since 2015, based in Washington, DC, Friends of Puerto Rico, a nonprofit social impact organization, has focused its objectives on mobilizing a network of partners to accelerate economic opportunities for the people of Puerto Rico. This organization collaborates with economic development through different business initiatives, as well as education and...

INNOVATE™ Curitiba

TEMBICI

INNOVATIVE BIKE SHARING SYSTEM REVOLUTIONIZES THE CITY’S MOBILITY

Tembici is the leading company in micromobility technology in Latin America, responsible for over 250 million bike journeys. Recognized as one of Brazil’s most promising and innovative startups, the company has, in recent years, contributed to a potential saving of 46,000 tons of CO2. In 2022, the company conducted the...

INNOVATE™ South Africa

CINEVATION

CINEVATION -ENTERTAINMENT IS OUR BUSINESS! IT BEGAN WITH A DINNER. AND A DREAM

ENTERTAINMENT IS OUR BUSINESS! IT BEGAN WITH A DINNER. AND A DREAM

Throw in some “What if…” blue sky thinking, a good dollop of youth and passion and Cinevation was born. It was 1997 and cinemas were 35mm which meant advertising took months to produce and was so expensive that it was reserved only for the big guys. Over a glass of...

INNOVATE® Puerto Rico

RON ARTESANO

RON ARTESANO

Artesano is the product of inspiration, perspiration, hard work and perseverance

This is what we call Ron Artesano. This craft rum brand is hand-made in small batches in the mountains of Jayuya, Puerto Rico. The founders are a solid team of professionals that handle the different aspects of the business: Commercial Operations & Business Development, Distillation, Production & Aging and Rum...

INNOVATE™ Toronto

SPECIFIC BIOLOGICS

SPECIFIC BIOLOGICS-DEVELOPING A NEXT-GENERATION GENE EDITING TECHNOLOGY TO TREAT SERIOUS GENETIC DISEASES

DEVELOPING A NEXT-GENERATION GENE EDITING TECHNOLOGY TO TREAT SERIOUS GENETIC DISEASES

Gene editing holds the potential to cure a wide range of genetic diseases by altering DNA in the genome inside cells – but today’s gene editors have limitations. To better realize the significant opportunity of this therapeutic approach, and allow for its application to new therapeutic areas, Specific Biologics (“Specific”)...

INNOVATION Quebec

MEDTEQ+

SUPPORTING AND ACCELERATING THE DEVELOPMENT AND COMMERCIALIZATION OF HEALTHCARE TECHNOLOGIES

How can we ensure that the healthcare technologies we develop are robust enough to break into different markets? How can we support, and coach Quebec entrepreneurs as well as help stimulate the innovation ecosystem? This is the mission of MEDTEQ+ , a panCanadian consortium for industrial research and innovation in...

INNOVATE® New Jersey Vol.2

THE INDUS ENTREPRENEUR

ABOUT THE INDUS ENTREPRENEUR (TiE) ORGANIZATIONTiE ranks among the world’s largest ecosystems for innovation, entrepreneurship, and economic development. With a global reach and a local focus, the heart of TiE’s efforts lies in its five foundational programs, – Mentoring, Networking, Education, Funding, and Incubation. With a focus on giving back...

INNOVATION Quebec

NGTC

YOUR GO-TO PARTNER FOR MORE RESPONSIBLE USE OF ENERGY

Founded in 1992, NGTC is a non-profit research and development center that specializes in energy technologies. Although the use of natural gas is at the origin of its raison d’être, NGTC has been actively working, since 2007, on integrating new energy sources, notably renewable natural gas, hydrogen, aerothermal and solar...

INNOVATE® South Florida

Premier Virtual

LAUNCHED IN LATE 2019 WHERE OUR MOTTO AT THE TIME WAS ‘FUTURE FOCUSED’

LAUNCHED IN LATE 2019 WHERE OUR MOTTO AT THE TIME WAS ‘FUTURE FOCUSED’ From the very beginning, we knew that our virtual hiring event platform was ahead of its time and that employers would have to be ‘Future Focused’ to embrace it. Founder and President of Premier Virtual, Steve Edwards,...

Global Innovation Spotlight

5 Ways a State Can Support Its Tech Startup Ecosystem

A thriving startup ecosystem rarely appears by accident or grows without meaningful support. Behind every successful innovation hub stands a combination of smart policies, talented people, and long-term planning.  According to Tech Monitor, startup failures in the US surged by almost 60% in 2024 due to high inflation and low...

INNOVATE™ Bristol & Bath

Caleño

Caleño-The Story SO FAR!

The Story SO FAR!

About UsCaleño is a range of distilled non-alcoholic spirits inspired by the sun-drenched spirit of Colombia that take you seamlessly from day to night. Light & Zesty is a tropical blend of Inca berry, citrus and spice botanicals and Dark & Spicy, a warming infusion of dark tropical pineapple notes...

INNOVATE® Miami

Penpal Schools

Helping teachers connect their students to learn with penpals around the world and from different backgrounds

PenPal Schools PenPal Schools is the world’s largest project-based learning community, with over a quarter million students in 150 countries. Students collaborate through online projects ranging from human rights and the environment to fake news and robotics, all while practicing literacy, technology, and social-emotional skills. PenPal Schools was recognized by...

INNOVATE® Georgia

WHEEL DATA STRATEGIES

STEERING ANALYTICS TOWARDS SOCIAL AND BUSINESS IMPACT

Executives and knowledge workers in corporate America view the world through the lens of their company’s products, services, and their profitability. Successful corporations adopt focused product development strategies that align with their corporate objectives and deliver projects using planned resources and expertise. Dr. Priya Sarathy, founder of Wheel Data Strategies...

INNOVATE® Northern Virginia

Enployable

Redefining How Talent is Discovered

The future of hiring won’t be decided by résumés, but by who can see potential others miss. For decades, employers have relied on job titles, keywords, and pedigree as proxies for capability. Those filters were built for scale, not for insight. In doing so, they’ve excluded qualified people every day....

INNOVATE™ Stockholm

STARTUP PEOPLE

WIDENING THE GATE FOR THE NEXT GENERATION OF FOUNDERS

When Stockholm’s startup scene began to thrive in the early 2010s, it was known for producing unicorns – but also for its fragmentation. Founders often worked in isolation, disconnected from the support, partners, and investors that could help them endure the long, difficult middle miles between idea and success. SUP...

INNOVATE™ Toronto

THORNHILL MEDICAL

THORNHILL MEDICAL -PUTS TOMORROW’S LIFE-SAVING CAPABILITY IN YOUR HANDS — TODAY

PUTS TOMORROW’S LIFE-SAVING CAPABILITY IN YOUR HANDS — TODAY

Thornhill Medical is a leading developer of innovative mobile medical technologies. Thornhill Medical’s ground-breaking solutions are produced to be used around the world by emergency health care providers, military medical teams and disaster relief responders.   Renowned Canadian research scientist and physician, Dr. Joseph Fisher, has spent his career achieving...

INNOVATE® Blockchain

NFT STUDIOS-CHIFIBOTS

NFT STUDIOS-CHIFIBOTS-CREATING A UNIVERSE FOR ENDLESS FUN

CREATING A UNIVERSE FOR ENDLESS FUN

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...

INNOVATE® Nashville

Finwell

Innovating Access: How Finwell Makes Professional Advice Inclusive

How Finwell Innovates Finwell has reimagined financial advice by removing the traditional barriers that prevent most people from accessing professional, unbiased wealth management and comprehensive financial planning. Unlike firms driven by product sales, Finwell focuses on serving individuals and families often overlooked by traditional wealth managers. By prioritizing education, planning,...

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® Chicago Vol.1

TECHNORI

TECHNORI-Since Launching Nearly a Decade Ago

Since Launching Nearly a Decade Ago, Our Mission Has Been Simple; Help Founders More Easily Raise Startup Funds By Building a Community Around Tech And Investing

Before Chicago became a tech hub featuring world-renowned incubators like 1871 and more than a dozen unicorns, there was Technori – a small group of early adopters and startup founders on a mission to turn Chicago into the largest and most diverse tech community in the world. And, what began...

INNOVATE™ Adelaide

ANDY THOMAS SPACE FOUNDATION

RECOGNISED AS AUSTRALIA’S NATIONAL SPACE NOT-FOR-PROFIT, SUPPORTING THE EDUCATION AND OUTREACH GOALS

With strong support from the Australian Space Agency, South Australian Government and a number of start-up and corporate space industry partners, the Foundation has provided invaluable education and engagement opportunities for students and individuals across Australia. Named after Founding Patron and retired NASA astronaut, Dr Andrew Thomas, a veteran of...

INNOVATE® Georgia

SCIENTIFIC GAMES

THE WORLD’S LARGEST LOTTERY GAMES COMPANY ATLANTA-BASED INNOVATOR POWERS THE GLOBAL GOVERNMENT-REGULATED LOTTERY INDUSTRY

More than 50 years of relentless innovation. Legendary performance. Unwavering security. And trusted partnerships. All built on a foundation of science. Since 1973, Scientific Games has integrated science into everything the company does. Its founders – a mathematician and an engineer – developed the world’s first secure lottery instant “scratch”...

INNOVATE® Chicago Vol.1

FARMERS FRIDGE

FARMERS FRIDGE- IS ON A MISSION TO MAKE IT SIMPLE FOR EVERYONE TO EAT WELL

IS ON A MISSION TO MAKE IT SIMPLE FOR EVERYONE TO EAT WELL

A former traveling salesman driving more than 3,000 miles each week, Farmer’s Fridge Founder and CEO Luke Saunders was frustrated with the lack of healthy, 24/7 options available on the road. Determined to solve this challenge, he built a high-tech smart Fridge that dispenses fresh meals within seconds. Despite facing...

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® Puerto Rico

FRIENDS OF PUERTO RICO

FRIENDS OF PUERTO RICO-FOPR

FOPR, SEEDING THE FUTURE?

Since 2015, based in Washington, DC, Friends of Puerto Rico, a nonprofit social impact organization, has focused its objectives on mobilizing a network of partners to accelerate economic opportunities for the people of Puerto Rico. This organization collaborates with economic development through different business initiatives, as well as education and...

INNOVATE™ Curitiba

TEMBICI

INNOVATIVE BIKE SHARING SYSTEM REVOLUTIONIZES THE CITY’S MOBILITY

Tembici is the leading company in micromobility technology in Latin America, responsible for over 250 million bike journeys. Recognized as one of Brazil’s most promising and innovative startups, the company has, in recent years, contributed to a potential saving of 46,000 tons of CO2. In 2022, the company conducted the...

INNOVATE™ South Africa

CINEVATION

CINEVATION -ENTERTAINMENT IS OUR BUSINESS! IT BEGAN WITH A DINNER. AND A DREAM

ENTERTAINMENT IS OUR BUSINESS! IT BEGAN WITH A DINNER. AND A DREAM

Throw in some “What if…” blue sky thinking, a good dollop of youth and passion and Cinevation was born. It was 1997 and cinemas were 35mm which meant advertising took months to produce and was so expensive that it was reserved only for the big guys. Over a glass of...

INNOVATE® Puerto Rico

RON ARTESANO

RON ARTESANO

Artesano is the product of inspiration, perspiration, hard work and perseverance

This is what we call Ron Artesano. This craft rum brand is hand-made in small batches in the mountains of Jayuya, Puerto Rico. The founders are a solid team of professionals that handle the different aspects of the business: Commercial Operations & Business Development, Distillation, Production & Aging and Rum...

INNOVATE™ Toronto

SPECIFIC BIOLOGICS

SPECIFIC BIOLOGICS-DEVELOPING A NEXT-GENERATION GENE EDITING TECHNOLOGY TO TREAT SERIOUS GENETIC DISEASES

DEVELOPING A NEXT-GENERATION GENE EDITING TECHNOLOGY TO TREAT SERIOUS GENETIC DISEASES

Gene editing holds the potential to cure a wide range of genetic diseases by altering DNA in the genome inside cells – but today’s gene editors have limitations. To better realize the significant opportunity of this therapeutic approach, and allow for its application to new therapeutic areas, Specific Biologics (“Specific”)...

INNOVATION Quebec

MEDTEQ+

SUPPORTING AND ACCELERATING THE DEVELOPMENT AND COMMERCIALIZATION OF HEALTHCARE TECHNOLOGIES

How can we ensure that the healthcare technologies we develop are robust enough to break into different markets? How can we support, and coach Quebec entrepreneurs as well as help stimulate the innovation ecosystem? This is the mission of MEDTEQ+ , a panCanadian consortium for industrial research and innovation in...

INNOVATE® New Jersey Vol.2

THE INDUS ENTREPRENEUR

ABOUT THE INDUS ENTREPRENEUR (TiE) ORGANIZATIONTiE ranks among the world’s largest ecosystems for innovation, entrepreneurship, and economic development. With a global reach and a local focus, the heart of TiE’s efforts lies in its five foundational programs, – Mentoring, Networking, Education, Funding, and Incubation. With a focus on giving back...

INNOVATION Quebec

NGTC

YOUR GO-TO PARTNER FOR MORE RESPONSIBLE USE OF ENERGY

Founded in 1992, NGTC is a non-profit research and development center that specializes in energy technologies. Although the use of natural gas is at the origin of its raison d’être, NGTC has been actively working, since 2007, on integrating new energy sources, notably renewable natural gas, hydrogen, aerothermal and solar...

INNOVATE® South Florida

Premier Virtual

LAUNCHED IN LATE 2019 WHERE OUR MOTTO AT THE TIME WAS ‘FUTURE FOCUSED’

LAUNCHED IN LATE 2019 WHERE OUR MOTTO AT THE TIME WAS ‘FUTURE FOCUSED’ From the very beginning, we knew that our virtual hiring event platform was ahead of its time and that employers would have to be ‘Future Focused’ to embrace it. Founder and President of Premier Virtual, Steve Edwards,...

Global Innovation Spotlight

5 Ways a State Can Support Its Tech Startup Ecosystem

A thriving startup ecosystem rarely appears by accident or grows without meaningful support. Behind every successful innovation hub stands a combination of smart policies, talented people, and long-term planning.  According to Tech Monitor, startup failures in the US surged by almost 60% in 2024 due to high inflation and low...

Ecosystems