Stories of Innovation

The College of Charleston is a nationally recognized public university located in the heart of historic Charleston, South Carolina. Founded in 1770 and rooted in the liberal arts and sciences, the College of Charleston is among the nation’s top universities for quality education, student life and affordability. The College of...

If you’re serious about building a startup in Nashville, meet your secret weapon: the Nashville Entrepreneur Center (EC). Founded in 2010, EC is a nonprofit built by business leaders to be—literally—Nashville’s “home to entrepreneurship.” What sets it apart? It’s not just talk: EC has helped over 14,000 entrepreneurs, including more...

In Detroit, two motion design studios were making waves in the animation world: Gunner, known for its bold illustration and character animation, and Hobbes, a leader in product-driven animation. The companies earned reputations for creativity and emotional intelligence, collaborating with high-profile clients for years. However, everything changed when Duolingo—the world’s...

United Nations Migration Agency Established in 1951, with 175 Member States, IOM is dedicated to promoting humane and orderly migration for the benefit of all. It does so by providing support to migrants across the world, developing effective responses to the shifting dynamics of migration and providing advice on migration...

BUILDING THE FUTURE OF WORKWITH CONNECTED INTELLIGENCE. Founded in 2021 by David Shim, Robert Williams, and Elliott Waldron, Read AI brings together your meetings, emails, and messages and transforms them into collaborative partners, so that they talk to each other, share information, offer updates, find answers, and organize tasks through...

Genomenon is a leading genomic intelligence company dedicated to improving the quality of patients’ lives by uncovering the genomic drivers of genetic disease and cancer. Blending the power of AI with genomic expertise, Genomenon simplifi es complex genetic data into actionable insights for patient diagnosis and precision medicine development. With...

For nearly 25 years, Centre ACER has been stimulating excellence and supporting the quality and profitability of the maple syrup industry. By combining knowledge and vision, this network of true innovation promotes the influence and international development of the maple industry in Quebec and ensures its sustainability.   Comprised of...

The building sector, which accounts for 40% of all U.S. energy use and associated greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, wastes $150 billion annually due to inefficient design, operation, and maintenance of buildings. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, buildings are responsible for 76% of the nation’s electricity consumption. Moreover, the...

What if playgrounds could grow with the forest instead of replacing it? At 3park, the team designs and builds adventure parks that blend safety, creativity, and sustainability. Born in Estonia, 3park believes play should bring people together and strengthen communities. Their parks are more than climbing frames: they are safe...

From a 10-minute cleanup to 1000 plastic-free rivers River Cleanup is a Belgium-based organization with one clear goal: making rivers plastic-free. The non-profit started with manual cleanup actions and evolved into a pioneer in the field of river protection, with mentions in Forbes, De Tijd, The Economist and many more....

SolarSteam’s purpose is to decarbonize the highest emitting and hardest to abate heavy industry segments. The problem that SolarSteam addresses is the elephant in the energy room – industrial heat. Globally, thermal energy requirements constitute close to 50% of total GHG emissions. In Alberta approximately 2⁄3 of GHG emissions come...

HONEY ISLAND CAPITAL -IN THE VIBRANT CITY OF CURITIBA, HONEY ISLAND CAPITAL EMERGES AS A PIVOTAL FORCE IN SHAPING THE REGION’S STARTUP ECOSYSTEM. Established in 2015 by the co-founders of EBANX, a cross-border payments startup that achieved unicorn status with presence in more than 20 countries in less than a...

University of Washington Fosters Innovation on the World Stage In pursuit of the lofty goal of accelerating its innovation-to-impact cycle, the University of Washington invited Creative Destruction in, launching a Seattle site with Advanced Manufacturing and Computational Health streams aimed at disrupting production and revolutionizing diagnostic and therapeutic outcomes. In...

How Matidor.com StartedVincent and Sean are Vancouver-based serial entrepreneurs who come from very different backgrounds but share one vision. Vincent’s previous experience at Google Earth and as a product manager at Dassault Systèmes revealed a gap in how people in the field managed projects. When Sean moved back to town...

Sustalytics is a service platform for fashion brands and retailers that predicts customer demand by leveraging artificial intelligence. We empower fashion companies to understand their customers’ needs to produce effectively and to be profitable and sustainable. Retail fashion companies overproduce because they are not able to accurately forecast for tomorrow...

Jiva is an independent training and consulting organization focused on the energy and infrastructure industries. Jiva has a unique differentiator in the knowledge-transfer services it offers: Jiva has developed a process that marries technical expertise and educational theory with a deep knowledge of effective communication and robust project management through...

Established in 2016, Nubian Seed (PTY) Ltd is a green beauty manufacturer of natural and organic personal care products, made using raw plant based ingredients which are indigenous to the African continent. The Nubian Seed product range is a reflection of Africa’s bio diversity, as well as global growing interest...

Miovision, founded in 2005 by three University of Waterloo students, has steadily evolved into a global leader in intelligent traffic management, operating in 64 countries, managing over 120,000 intersections across 17,000 municipalities. Rooted in the belief that cities deserve to control their data and systems, Miovision offers municipalities modern, scalable...

Rutgers University in Camden provides groundbreaking, impactful research while offering students truly experiential education in a close-knit, supportive environment. Rutgers University is one of the oldest, most respected institutions of higher learning in the country; Camden is a city known for its determination and resilience. Rutgers–Camden is resolute, relentlessly driving...

Headquartered in DC, the social network of moms spans all 50 states with the help of Lindsay’s specialization in social media, strategic communications, fundraising, and the natural inclination for moms to help other moms in need. Unfortunately, children are expensive and not everyone is in the same position to provide...

Heidi is an entrepreneur and computer scientist who anticipates the needs of businesses and society as they’re transformed by digital technology. She earned her Master’s in Computer Science at the University of Twente in the Netherlands. She is constantly seeking the edge of change and where she finds it, she...

McVantage Packaging stands as a testament to resilience and forward-thinking in the wood pallet, crate, industrial lumber, and supply chain industry. Founded nearly 75 years ago in Tuscumbia, Alabama, the company has evolved from a family-run lumber operation into a regional powerhouse serving the Central-Southeastern United States. With plants in...

ELEVATOR PITCH Caribu helps children age 0-7 to read and draw with their parents and grandparents through a video-call when they’re not in the same location. Caribu is a game-changer for the hundreds of millions of global families that are separated by distance and need to make memories together with...

Dialect, Inc. works with the biggest tech and gaming companies in the world – helping them find and engage their audience at the right time, in the right place, with the most effective message. We balance the art and science of engagement, the emotional and creative with the analytical and...