Stories of Innovation

INNOVATE™ Vancouver Vol.2

OPERTO

A WORLD-LEADING PROPERTY AUTOMATION PLATFORM FOR THE SHORT-TERM, MULTIFAMILY AND HOTEL INDUSTRIES

By bringing together innovative software and best-in-class hardware solutions, Operto enables property owners/managers to efficiently run, scale and monetize their business, while eliminating common friction points associated with the guest journey. Operto has built a huge global footprint in the accommodation industry, with customers ranging from single Airbnb operators, up...

INNOVATE™ Oeiras

Carolina Almeida Cruz

Carolina Almeida Cruz Co-Founder Of Sapana.org And Entrepreneur @C-More – Beyond The Obvious I believe that I’m going to change the world. I love the sea, my biological family and beyond, my team of leaders of change and above all I belong to the world and the world is mine....

INNOVATE® Philadelphia

GIRL CONCRETE

BUILDING THE NEXT 250 YEARS

Philadelphia is the birthplace of American independence – a city where ideas of democracy, access, and public responsibility were first debated, documented, and declared. Two and a half centuries later, those ideals are sustained not only by words, but by infrastructure. Streets, sidewalks, schools, hospitals, transit hubs, and public spaces...

INNOVATE® Nashville

NASHVILLE AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

ADVANCING REGIONAL PROSPERITY THROUGH INNOVATION AND PARTNERSHIP

ABOUT PARTNERSHIP 2030 The Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce’s Partnership 2030 is the Nashville region’s public-private economic development initiative dedicated to Middle Tennessee’s long-term economic prosperity. The Partnership was formed in 1990 to maintain and grow the Nashville region’s economy by creating jobs through relocating and expanding businesses, attracting and...

INNOVATE® Nashville

Gresham Smith

Pioneering Innovation in Design

Gresham Smith, a leading architecture, engineering, design and consulting firm that has called Nashville home for more than 50 years, is an industry leader in innovation. At Gresham Smith, innovation is not just about adopting emerging technologies—it’s about transforming the design and planning process to create healthier, more connected communities....

INNOVATE™ Curitiba

CONNECTPLUG

RETAIL AUTOMATION CAN BE MORE AFFORDABLE AND EFFECTIVE FOR EVERYONE

2014 doesn’t seem like a long time ago, but the technology was very different back then. AI was just science fiction, the internet was much slower — and retail software was expensive and unnecessarily complex. This scenario led to ConnectPlug’s creation by computer engineer Rafael Hasson. Hasson, who has worked...

INNOVATE® Nashville

BOON LEGAL

BOON LEGAL-MAKE MORE MISTAKES AND FAIL EARLY AND OFTEN IN SERVICE OF DISCOVERY

MAKE MORE MISTAKES AND FAIL EARLY AND OFTEN IN SERVICE OF DISCOVERY

It’s all too easy to get swept up in the fervor of “innovation.” In the polished, produced world of prime-time, venture capitalists drop seven figures into start-ups while founders celebrate exits. Like most things that reach a level of celebrity status in our world of “reality” entertainment, the true story...

INNOVATE™ South Africa

KING PRICE INSURANCE

KING OF INSURANCE- MAKING A DIFFERENCE

MAKING A DIFFERENCE, ONE DECREASING PREMIUM AT A TIME

King Price Insurance launched with a world-first innovation – premiums that automatically decrease monthly as cars depreciate in value – and hasn’t stopped since. When they opened their doors in 2012, South Africa’s conservative insurance industry didn’t think they’d last three months. But, a decade later, the R100 million start-up...

INNOVATE™ Curitiba

NTT DATA

A TRUSTED GLOBAL INNOVATOR

Between the Top 10 Global IT Services Providers NTT DATA helps your clients to transform their businesses and society for the digital future. As a part of NTT Group, one of the world’s largest telecommunications companies, NTT DATA leverages its global reach and local expertise to serve clients in over...

INNOVATE™ Estonia

7SENSE

TELEHAPTIC TECHNOLOGY: REDEFINING SIGHT THROUGH A REMOTE SENSE OF TOUCH

7Sense is a deep-tech and life science start-up developing telehaptic technology for the blind. It allows users to feel their surrounding environment through a sense of touch on the forehead. In simple words, the user feels surrounding objects—their shape, size, motion, speed, and distance. Traditionally, haptics has meant small vibrating...

INNOVATION Quebec

INNOV & EXPORT PME

PRÉSENTATION D’INNOV & EXPORT PME

Pour développer les entreprises manufacturières et pour accroître la force de l’économie de la région du Bas-Saint-Laurent dans un marché mondial exigeant et en constante évolution, innover est indispensable. Innov & Export PME est un organisme de développement de portée régionale ayant des activités dans plusieurs entreprises sur le territoire...

INNOVATE™ Toronto

KPMG-The Art of Turning Bold Ideas Into Game-Changing Realities

Innovation is about harnessing change, testing boundaries, and deciding to lead instead of follow. True, the process is rarely simple (let alone straightforward), but those who take the risk get a chance to write their futures. There’s no “right” path to innovation. As our experiences at KPMG’s Ignition Center reveal...

INNOVATE® South Florida

ISACA South Florida Chapter

EMPOWERING SOUTH FLORIDA’S INNOVATORS THROUGH IT RISK MANAGEMENT & CYBERSECURITY

EMPOWERING SOUTH FLORIDA’S INNOVATORSTHROUGH IT RISK MANAGEMENT & CYBERSECURITY ISACA South Florida Overview ISACA South Florida is a prominent chapter of the global Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA), dedicated to advancing professionals in IT governance, risk management, cybersecurity, and related fields. Chartered on December 2, 1978, as the...

INNOVATE® Nashville

Vanderbilt University

Innovation at Vanderbilt

An R1 research institution, Vanderbilt University is known for pathbreaking research, advancing discoveries and fueling breakthroughs across multiple disciplines. With more than $1 billion in annual research expenditures, Vanderbilt fosters cross-disciplinary collaboration with global impact. But Vanderbilt isn’t just a research university, it’s a powerful economic engine that turns ideas...

INNOVATE® Blockchain

KRYPTOWATT

KRYPTOWATT-Mining of digital currencies has remained one of the hottest topics in the blockchain space over the years

Mining of digital currencies has remained one of the hottest topics in the blockchain space over the years, as crypto enthusiasts worldwide seek ways of improving their portfolios

However, crypto mining has also had its fair share of controversies, especially with environmentalists questioning the impact of the activity on the planet. However, Shawn Blackwell and his Krypto Watt team aim to make a difference with the launch of KryptoHeat.   KryptoHeat is designed to capture the heat generated...

INNOVATE™ Adelaide

Stone & Chalk Group

Is the largest innovation community in Australia.

Since its inception in 2015, Stone & Chalk’s mission has been to transform Australia into a sustainable, technology-driven economy. As a not-for-profit, purpose-driven, and sustainable organisation, Stone & Chalk works to support startups, scaleups, corporations, and governments through every stage of their innovation journey. The Stone & Chalk capital G...

INNOVATE® Gaming & Esports

BEAMABLE

BEAMABLE-WE FREE THE GLOBAL COMMUNITY OF GAME MAKERS TO FOCUS ON WHAT THEY LOVE MOST: CREATIVITY

WE FREE THE GLOBAL COMMUNITY OF GAME MAKERS TO FOCUS ON WHAT THEY LOVE MOST: CREATIVITY

Trapper, Ali and I had lived through building and operating live games like Star Trek Timelines, investing millions to build up the infrastructure to enable it. We didn’t think anyone should have to do all of that again. Our team has a unique background that includes not only making games—but...

INNOVATE® Washington DMV Edition

upace™

Revolutionizing How Members Engage with Recreation Centers

Revolutionizing How Members Engage with Recreation Centers In 2014, Rachel Koretsky founded Upace, which has since skyrocketed to become the top mobile app engagement and reservation platform, supporting over one million members of community recreation centers across the US and Canada. Her journey started at American University, driven by a...

INNOVATE™ Antwerp Vol.2

AVIA GIS

SOFT WARE TECHNOLOGIES FOR A HEALTHIER WORLD

“OUR RESEARCH DOESN’T STOP AFTER WRITING THE CONCLUSION.” – GUY HENDRICKX, FOUNDING MANAGING DIRECTOR, AVIA-GIS Ever heard of the proverb “better safe than sorry”? Well, Avia-GIS sure has. Even better: they built their entire business around it. Founder and CEO Guy Hendrickx started Avia-GIS in 2001 as a company with...

INNOVATE® Maryland

longeviti

Bringing Real-Time Brain Imaging Within Reach

Inside the moments when neurological decisions cannot wait, information becomes one of medicine’s most valuable tools. Helping clinicians gain that information faster has driven Longeviti from its earliest days, leading to technologies designed to make real-time brain imaging more accessible than ever before. “What drives us every day is the...

INNOVATE™ Stockholm

TECHARENA

WHERE INNOVATION BEGINS WITH HUMAN CONNECTION

Techarena is a Nordic-born platform for innovation and entrepreneurship that brings together thousands of founders, investors, business leaders, and policymakers every year. Through high-impact events, accelerator programs, and media channels, Techarena creates opportunities for cross-border collaboration and sustainable growth. From Local Competition to Global Platform What began in 2014 as...

INNOVATE® Puerto Rico

GLADIUS STUDIOS

TRANSFORMING IDEAS INTO A WORLD OF ENTERTAINMENT AND INNOVATION

Gladius Studios is an Emmy Award Winner animation studio located in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The innovation and emerging technologies company is committed to develop superior quality projects such as content for advertising, educational purposes and entertainment. To support and retain local talent in the industry of animation and technology,...

INNOVATE™ Atlantic Canada

ARTHUR L. IRVING ENTREPRENEURSHIP CENTRE

IS A CREATIVE AND COLLABORATIVE SPACE OPEN TO ALL STUDENTS IN ATLANTIC CANADA

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...

INNOVATE™ Curitiba

ICI (INSTITUTO DAS CIDADES INTELIGENTES)

TECHNOLOGY THAT CONNECTS CITIES AND PEOPLE

A SMART CITY IS ONLY MADE WITH GREAT CARE, PLANNING, MANAGEMENT CAPACITY, AND TECHNOLOGY. For over 25 years, the Institute of Smart Cities (ICI), a social organization located in Curitiba, has been involved in developing Information Technology and Communication solutions for public management. With recognized experience throughout Brazil in the...

INNOVATE™ Vancouver Vol.2

OPERTO

A WORLD-LEADING PROPERTY AUTOMATION PLATFORM FOR THE SHORT-TERM, MULTIFAMILY AND HOTEL INDUSTRIES

By bringing together innovative software and best-in-class hardware solutions, Operto enables property owners/managers to efficiently run, scale and monetize their business, while eliminating common friction points associated with the guest journey. Operto has built a huge global footprint in the accommodation industry, with customers ranging from single Airbnb operators, up...

INNOVATE™ Oeiras

Carolina Almeida Cruz

Carolina Almeida Cruz Co-Founder Of Sapana.org And Entrepreneur @C-More – Beyond The Obvious I believe that I’m going to change the world. I love the sea, my biological family and beyond, my team of leaders of change and above all I belong to the world and the world is mine....

INNOVATE® Philadelphia

GIRL CONCRETE

BUILDING THE NEXT 250 YEARS

Philadelphia is the birthplace of American independence – a city where ideas of democracy, access, and public responsibility were first debated, documented, and declared. Two and a half centuries later, those ideals are sustained not only by words, but by infrastructure. Streets, sidewalks, schools, hospitals, transit hubs, and public spaces...

INNOVATE® Nashville

NASHVILLE AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

ADVANCING REGIONAL PROSPERITY THROUGH INNOVATION AND PARTNERSHIP

ABOUT PARTNERSHIP 2030 The Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce’s Partnership 2030 is the Nashville region’s public-private economic development initiative dedicated to Middle Tennessee’s long-term economic prosperity. The Partnership was formed in 1990 to maintain and grow the Nashville region’s economy by creating jobs through relocating and expanding businesses, attracting and...

INNOVATE® Nashville

Gresham Smith

Pioneering Innovation in Design

Gresham Smith, a leading architecture, engineering, design and consulting firm that has called Nashville home for more than 50 years, is an industry leader in innovation. At Gresham Smith, innovation is not just about adopting emerging technologies—it’s about transforming the design and planning process to create healthier, more connected communities....

INNOVATE™ Curitiba

CONNECTPLUG

RETAIL AUTOMATION CAN BE MORE AFFORDABLE AND EFFECTIVE FOR EVERYONE

2014 doesn’t seem like a long time ago, but the technology was very different back then. AI was just science fiction, the internet was much slower — and retail software was expensive and unnecessarily complex. This scenario led to ConnectPlug’s creation by computer engineer Rafael Hasson. Hasson, who has worked...

INNOVATE® Nashville

BOON LEGAL

BOON LEGAL-MAKE MORE MISTAKES AND FAIL EARLY AND OFTEN IN SERVICE OF DISCOVERY

MAKE MORE MISTAKES AND FAIL EARLY AND OFTEN IN SERVICE OF DISCOVERY

It’s all too easy to get swept up in the fervor of “innovation.” In the polished, produced world of prime-time, venture capitalists drop seven figures into start-ups while founders celebrate exits. Like most things that reach a level of celebrity status in our world of “reality” entertainment, the true story...

INNOVATE™ South Africa

KING PRICE INSURANCE

KING OF INSURANCE- MAKING A DIFFERENCE

MAKING A DIFFERENCE, ONE DECREASING PREMIUM AT A TIME

King Price Insurance launched with a world-first innovation – premiums that automatically decrease monthly as cars depreciate in value – and hasn’t stopped since. When they opened their doors in 2012, South Africa’s conservative insurance industry didn’t think they’d last three months. But, a decade later, the R100 million start-up...

INNOVATE™ Curitiba

NTT DATA

A TRUSTED GLOBAL INNOVATOR

Between the Top 10 Global IT Services Providers NTT DATA helps your clients to transform their businesses and society for the digital future. As a part of NTT Group, one of the world’s largest telecommunications companies, NTT DATA leverages its global reach and local expertise to serve clients in over...

INNOVATE™ Estonia

7SENSE

TELEHAPTIC TECHNOLOGY: REDEFINING SIGHT THROUGH A REMOTE SENSE OF TOUCH

7Sense is a deep-tech and life science start-up developing telehaptic technology for the blind. It allows users to feel their surrounding environment through a sense of touch on the forehead. In simple words, the user feels surrounding objects—their shape, size, motion, speed, and distance. Traditionally, haptics has meant small vibrating...

INNOVATION Quebec

INNOV & EXPORT PME

PRÉSENTATION D’INNOV & EXPORT PME

Pour développer les entreprises manufacturières et pour accroître la force de l’économie de la région du Bas-Saint-Laurent dans un marché mondial exigeant et en constante évolution, innover est indispensable. Innov & Export PME est un organisme de développement de portée régionale ayant des activités dans plusieurs entreprises sur le territoire...

INNOVATE™ Toronto

KPMG-The Art of Turning Bold Ideas Into Game-Changing Realities

Innovation is about harnessing change, testing boundaries, and deciding to lead instead of follow. True, the process is rarely simple (let alone straightforward), but those who take the risk get a chance to write their futures. There’s no “right” path to innovation. As our experiences at KPMG’s Ignition Center reveal...

INNOVATE® South Florida

ISACA South Florida Chapter

EMPOWERING SOUTH FLORIDA’S INNOVATORS THROUGH IT RISK MANAGEMENT & CYBERSECURITY

EMPOWERING SOUTH FLORIDA’S INNOVATORSTHROUGH IT RISK MANAGEMENT & CYBERSECURITY ISACA South Florida Overview ISACA South Florida is a prominent chapter of the global Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA), dedicated to advancing professionals in IT governance, risk management, cybersecurity, and related fields. Chartered on December 2, 1978, as the...

INNOVATE® Nashville

Vanderbilt University

Innovation at Vanderbilt

An R1 research institution, Vanderbilt University is known for pathbreaking research, advancing discoveries and fueling breakthroughs across multiple disciplines. With more than $1 billion in annual research expenditures, Vanderbilt fosters cross-disciplinary collaboration with global impact. But Vanderbilt isn’t just a research university, it’s a powerful economic engine that turns ideas...

INNOVATE® Blockchain

KRYPTOWATT

KRYPTOWATT-Mining of digital currencies has remained one of the hottest topics in the blockchain space over the years

Mining of digital currencies has remained one of the hottest topics in the blockchain space over the years, as crypto enthusiasts worldwide seek ways of improving their portfolios

However, crypto mining has also had its fair share of controversies, especially with environmentalists questioning the impact of the activity on the planet. However, Shawn Blackwell and his Krypto Watt team aim to make a difference with the launch of KryptoHeat.   KryptoHeat is designed to capture the heat generated...

INNOVATE™ Adelaide

Stone & Chalk Group

Is the largest innovation community in Australia.

Since its inception in 2015, Stone & Chalk’s mission has been to transform Australia into a sustainable, technology-driven economy. As a not-for-profit, purpose-driven, and sustainable organisation, Stone & Chalk works to support startups, scaleups, corporations, and governments through every stage of their innovation journey. The Stone & Chalk capital G...

INNOVATE® Gaming & Esports

BEAMABLE

BEAMABLE-WE FREE THE GLOBAL COMMUNITY OF GAME MAKERS TO FOCUS ON WHAT THEY LOVE MOST: CREATIVITY

WE FREE THE GLOBAL COMMUNITY OF GAME MAKERS TO FOCUS ON WHAT THEY LOVE MOST: CREATIVITY

Trapper, Ali and I had lived through building and operating live games like Star Trek Timelines, investing millions to build up the infrastructure to enable it. We didn’t think anyone should have to do all of that again. Our team has a unique background that includes not only making games—but...

INNOVATE® Washington DMV Edition

upace™

Revolutionizing How Members Engage with Recreation Centers

Revolutionizing How Members Engage with Recreation Centers In 2014, Rachel Koretsky founded Upace, which has since skyrocketed to become the top mobile app engagement and reservation platform, supporting over one million members of community recreation centers across the US and Canada. Her journey started at American University, driven by a...

INNOVATE™ Antwerp Vol.2

AVIA GIS

SOFT WARE TECHNOLOGIES FOR A HEALTHIER WORLD

“OUR RESEARCH DOESN’T STOP AFTER WRITING THE CONCLUSION.” – GUY HENDRICKX, FOUNDING MANAGING DIRECTOR, AVIA-GIS Ever heard of the proverb “better safe than sorry”? Well, Avia-GIS sure has. Even better: they built their entire business around it. Founder and CEO Guy Hendrickx started Avia-GIS in 2001 as a company with...

INNOVATE® Maryland

longeviti

Bringing Real-Time Brain Imaging Within Reach

Inside the moments when neurological decisions cannot wait, information becomes one of medicine’s most valuable tools. Helping clinicians gain that information faster has driven Longeviti from its earliest days, leading to technologies designed to make real-time brain imaging more accessible than ever before. “What drives us every day is the...

INNOVATE™ Stockholm

TECHARENA

WHERE INNOVATION BEGINS WITH HUMAN CONNECTION

Techarena is a Nordic-born platform for innovation and entrepreneurship that brings together thousands of founders, investors, business leaders, and policymakers every year. Through high-impact events, accelerator programs, and media channels, Techarena creates opportunities for cross-border collaboration and sustainable growth. From Local Competition to Global Platform What began in 2014 as...

INNOVATE® Puerto Rico

GLADIUS STUDIOS

TRANSFORMING IDEAS INTO A WORLD OF ENTERTAINMENT AND INNOVATION

Gladius Studios is an Emmy Award Winner animation studio located in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The innovation and emerging technologies company is committed to develop superior quality projects such as content for advertising, educational purposes and entertainment. To support and retain local talent in the industry of animation and technology,...

INNOVATE™ Atlantic Canada

ARTHUR L. IRVING ENTREPRENEURSHIP CENTRE

IS A CREATIVE AND COLLABORATIVE SPACE OPEN TO ALL STUDENTS IN ATLANTIC CANADA

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...

INNOVATE™ Curitiba

ICI (INSTITUTO DAS CIDADES INTELIGENTES)

TECHNOLOGY THAT CONNECTS CITIES AND PEOPLE

A SMART CITY IS ONLY MADE WITH GREAT CARE, PLANNING, MANAGEMENT CAPACITY, AND TECHNOLOGY. For over 25 years, the Institute of Smart Cities (ICI), a social organization located in Curitiba, has been involved in developing Information Technology and Communication solutions for public management. With recognized experience throughout Brazil in the...

Ecosystems