Stories of Innovation
INNOVATE® Nashville
JAILCORE
LISTENING FIRST, INNOVATING FAST
Guided by real-world feedback, JailCore blends clear logic with human understanding to create technology that truly serves those who serve. When JailCore was founded, it wasn’t built on the old “if you build it, they will come” mindset. The goal wasn’t to create software and hope facilities would adapt to...
INNOVATE® Gaming & Esports
EsportScholar
Is located at the intersection of esports and education, and is home to the future of learning and competition
Our after-school league coalesces in-game coaching with STEAM instruction into a dynamic, engaging program for organizations, schools and school districts. We’re in the business of building vibrant esports communities with the goal of being the highlight of our students’ days. We believe in recognizing abilities that have (for far too...
INNOVATE® South Carolina
MASC
Celebrating 100 Years of Excellence: The Maritime Association of South Carolina’s Journey into the Future.
The Maritime Association of South Carolina (MASC) is proud to celebrate a century of service to the maritime community in 2026. For almost 100 years, MASC has been at the heart of South Carolina’s dynamic maritime industry, forging strong connections, advancing critical issues & paving the way for a prosperous...
INNOVATE™ Curitiba
TAURUS HELMETS
IS LEADING BRAZILIAN MOTORCYCLE HELMETS INNOVATION
Taurus Helmets is a Brazilian company pioneer in the manufacture of helmets in Brazil. It has been in the market for over 40 years and hasestablished itself as the largest in the segment, with a market share of around 50%. It has national sales coverage with more than 12,000 points...
INNOVATE® Georgia
SAGE
SAGE INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY TO BREAK DOWN BARRIERS AND BUILD OPPORTUNITIES
Helping SMBs Thrive Sage aims to transform the way people think and work by leveraging AI and machine learning to help organizations manage money and people. Every day, from its Atlanta headquarters and around the world, 11,000 colleagues and partners work with millions of businesses in countless industries pursuing one...
INNOVATE® Jacksonville
Menuat
Power To Your Menu
THIS IS A GOOD SIGN Menuat started 5 years ago with one goal: to help restaurants manage their menus easier online and in-store. Our flagship product Menuat Go is a low-cost, easy-to-install digital menu board which is completely changeable and beautifully custom-designed. Our restaurant owners enjoy the ability to update...
INNOVATE™ Kitchener Waterloo
THE ACCELERATOR CENTRE
TWENTY YEARS OF BACKING WATERLOO’S BEST FOUNDERS
Canada is full of big ideas. From coast to coast, founders are building technologies with the potential to reshape industries, strengthen communities, and solve problems that extend far beyond our borders. But while innovation is everywhere, successful companies are not. The difference between a brilliant idea and a globally competitive...
INNOVATE™ Estonia
ITS Estonia
The Driving Force Behind Smart Mobility Solutions
Smart mobility is an interesting field because it concerns everyone. It therefore offers excellent opportunities to work with local authorities, universities and small businesses to develop innovative solutions. ITS Estonia is a transport innovation cooperation network that brings together different stakeholders from the public, private and third sectors. The network...
INNOVATE™ Toronto
FOUNDER INSTITUTE
Since Its Inception In 2009, The Founder Institute Has Always Maintained One Guiding Principle; “There Are A Lot Of Big Problems In The World, And We Are Here To Help Founders Build Companies That Will Solve Them.”
OriginsFrom its Silicon Valley origins, Co-founders Adeo Ressi and Jonathan Greechan have built an unparalleled global network of over 5,000 Portfolio Companies, across 200 cities with the largest mentor network in the world of 21,000 Mentors, innovators, investors and ecosystem builders. With chapters on every continent except Antarctica and $30B...
INNOVATION Quebec
CRVI (CENTRE DE ROBOTIQUE ET DE VISION INDUSTRIELLES)
IS A KEY PLAYER IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF ROBOTICS, COMPUTER VISION, AND AI TECHNOLOGY IN QUEBEC
The first six such centres were established in 1983 following a presentation at the Quebec Economic Summit. The goal was to help kickstart the Quebec economy by turning Cégeps across the province into drivers of regional growth and technological development. Three more centres were inaugurated the following year, including CSR...
INNOVATE™ Curitiba
DR. PEANUT
WHO SAID THAT HEALTHY FOOD HAS TO BE TASTELESS OR BORING?
Motivated by the unwavering and curious desire to respond to that question, in 2017, Lucas Castro, founder and CMO of DR PEANUT, decided to embark and find an ideal recipe that would bring an unbelievable flavor to people focused on health, sports and whoever require balanced energy. This is the...
INNOVATION Quebec
CYBERQUÉBEC
A HUB FOR SPECIALIZED EDUCATION AND TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION IN CYBERSECURITY
CyberQuébec is one of 59 college centres for technology transfer (CCTT) in the Synchronex CCTT Network. As part of the Cégep de l’Outaouais, we offer a wide range of cybersecurity services to help SMEs meet the technological challenges of digital security and support the development of a skilled technical workforce....
INNOVATE® Detroit
FRANCO
The Power of Relationships, Culture & Innovation Propels Franco to 60 Years of Success
When you think of Detroit and the public relations industry, it may not be obvious at first how much they have in common. But anyone working in the PR industry in the city will tell you both have weathered significant changes over the past several decades. Founded in 1964 in...
INNOVATE® Nashville
SwitchPoint Ventures
We build companies around pioneering technologies.
Our journey began a decade ago, here in Nashville – a city known for creativity and reinvention. That same spirit shaped how we approach innovation: with collaboration, grit, and a builder’s mindset. At SwitchPoint Ventures, we build companies around pioneering technologies – particularly in AI, data science, and digital innovation...
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,...
INNOVATE® Chicago Vol.1
CHICAGO HOPES FOR KIDS
IS CHANGING ACADEMIC TRAJECTORIES FOR STUDENTS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS
Chicago HOPES for Kids is the only organization in Chicago that provides educational after school and remote learning programs for students experiencing homelessness in grades Kindergarten through 9th, directly to the shelters and communities where they live. It is our mission to provide students with the resources and encouragement they...
INNOVATION Quebec
CRIAQ
AU CŒUR DE L’INNOVATION EN AÉROSPATIALE
Le CRIAQ joue un rôle clé pour assurer le développement de nouvelles technologies en aérospatiale qui permettent à l’ensemble de l’écosystème de prospérer. Le Québec est l’un des 3 principaux pôles en aérospatiale dans le monde et l’effervescence de ses industriels et ses centres de recherche en font un lieu...
INNOVATE® Milwaukee
DCI MARKETING
CELEBRATING ITS 80TH ANNIVERSARY IN 2024, DCI MARKETING FOSTERS A CULTURE OF INNOVATION FOCUSED ON SPECIFIC SOLUTIONS FOR FORTUNE 50 COMPANIES, MAJOR RETAILERS AND CONSUMERS.
As American forces crossed the English Channel to liberate France in June 1944, Milwaukee native Lloyd A. Sauer was thinking forward to a post-war era. Sauer purchased a small company called ColorPrint Products Printing and began producing window signage for shoe stores. But it was Cadillac and Harley-Davidson that propelled...
INNOVATE® Jacksonville
Rethreaded
Provides A Second Chance At Life Through Employment For Survivors Of Human Trafficking
ELEVATOR PITCH Rethreaded provides a second chance at life through employment for survivors of human trafficking. Women have employment opportunities in different facets of the company, including production, inventory, sales, marketing and finance/admin. Through its own enterprise and its distribution company that partners with like-minded businesses, Rethreaded’s mission is to...
INNOVATION Quebec
TOPMED
CCTT FOR HEALTH INNOVATION
TOPMED assists organizations involved in healthcare, adaptation, rehabilitation and mobility. We develop, customize, optimize and validate devices, equipment and technologies for vulnerable populations and athletes. TOPMED develops and conducts applied research projects focused on innovation and technological improvement, working in collaboration with laboratories—public or private—and businesses to provide social, mechanical...
INNOVATE® Nashville
Renewal House
Innovation Rooted in Compassion
Renewal House combines evidence-based treatment with deep compassion, creating innovative paths to recovery that strengthen both mothers and their children. As the only long-term family residential recovery program for women and their children in Middle Tennessee, Renewal House has always been driven by a vision that goes beyond addressing substance...
INNOVATE® Blockchain
HUMAN TRAFFICKING INSTITUTE
TOGETHER, WE CAN DECIMATE HUMAN TRAFFICKING AROUND THE WORLD
Two decades after the first laws around human trafficking were created, the Human Trafficking Institute’s (HTI) founders noticed a gap in the global response to trafficking: these great laws were not being enforced. HTI stepped in to provide prosecutors and investigators around the world with the tools and guidance necessary...
INNOVATE™ South Africa
THE GIANT FLAG
IS A WORLD-FIRST GREEN INNOVATION PROJECT THAT CELEBRATES THE SPIRIT OF SOUTH AFRICA, HER LAND AND HER PEOPLE, WHILE BRINGING TOGETHER JOB CREATION, CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION, CLEAN ENERGY AND TOURISM
The Giant Flag is a world-first green innovation project that celebrates the spirit of South Africa, her land and her people, while bringing together job creation, climate change mitigation, clean energy and tourism. The Giant Flag will be made up of millions of coloured desert plants, agricultural tunnels, a tourism...
INNOVATION Quebec
ERAC DU SAGUENAY-LAC ST-JEAN
The rootsFor nearly 20 years, in Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean – a region of more than 275,000 inhabitants located 500 km northeast of Montréal – concerted initiatives have been deployed to stimulate innovation among SMEs. Idéa innovation PME (2004-2010), then Innovation 02 (2011-2019) generated activities in turn to support innovation. It was when...
INNOVATE® Nashville
JAILCORE
LISTENING FIRST, INNOVATING FAST
Guided by real-world feedback, JailCore blends clear logic with human understanding to create technology that truly serves those who serve. When JailCore was founded, it wasn’t built on the old “if you build it, they will come” mindset. The goal wasn’t to create software and hope facilities would adapt to...
INNOVATE® Gaming & Esports
EsportScholar
Is located at the intersection of esports and education, and is home to the future of learning and competition
Our after-school league coalesces in-game coaching with STEAM instruction into a dynamic, engaging program for organizations, schools and school districts. We’re in the business of building vibrant esports communities with the goal of being the highlight of our students’ days. We believe in recognizing abilities that have (for far too...
INNOVATE® South Carolina
MASC
Celebrating 100 Years of Excellence: The Maritime Association of South Carolina’s Journey into the Future.
The Maritime Association of South Carolina (MASC) is proud to celebrate a century of service to the maritime community in 2026. For almost 100 years, MASC has been at the heart of South Carolina’s dynamic maritime industry, forging strong connections, advancing critical issues & paving the way for a prosperous...
INNOVATE™ Curitiba
TAURUS HELMETS
IS LEADING BRAZILIAN MOTORCYCLE HELMETS INNOVATION
Taurus Helmets is a Brazilian company pioneer in the manufacture of helmets in Brazil. It has been in the market for over 40 years and hasestablished itself as the largest in the segment, with a market share of around 50%. It has national sales coverage with more than 12,000 points...
INNOVATE® Georgia
SAGE
SAGE INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY TO BREAK DOWN BARRIERS AND BUILD OPPORTUNITIES
Helping SMBs Thrive Sage aims to transform the way people think and work by leveraging AI and machine learning to help organizations manage money and people. Every day, from its Atlanta headquarters and around the world, 11,000 colleagues and partners work with millions of businesses in countless industries pursuing one...
INNOVATE® Jacksonville
Menuat
Power To Your Menu
THIS IS A GOOD SIGN Menuat started 5 years ago with one goal: to help restaurants manage their menus easier online and in-store. Our flagship product Menuat Go is a low-cost, easy-to-install digital menu board which is completely changeable and beautifully custom-designed. Our restaurant owners enjoy the ability to update...
INNOVATE™ Kitchener Waterloo
THE ACCELERATOR CENTRE
TWENTY YEARS OF BACKING WATERLOO’S BEST FOUNDERS
Canada is full of big ideas. From coast to coast, founders are building technologies with the potential to reshape industries, strengthen communities, and solve problems that extend far beyond our borders. But while innovation is everywhere, successful companies are not. The difference between a brilliant idea and a globally competitive...
INNOVATE™ Estonia
ITS Estonia
The Driving Force Behind Smart Mobility Solutions
Smart mobility is an interesting field because it concerns everyone. It therefore offers excellent opportunities to work with local authorities, universities and small businesses to develop innovative solutions. ITS Estonia is a transport innovation cooperation network that brings together different stakeholders from the public, private and third sectors. The network...
INNOVATE™ Toronto
FOUNDER INSTITUTE
Since Its Inception In 2009, The Founder Institute Has Always Maintained One Guiding Principle; “There Are A Lot Of Big Problems In The World, And We Are Here To Help Founders Build Companies That Will Solve Them.”
OriginsFrom its Silicon Valley origins, Co-founders Adeo Ressi and Jonathan Greechan have built an unparalleled global network of over 5,000 Portfolio Companies, across 200 cities with the largest mentor network in the world of 21,000 Mentors, innovators, investors and ecosystem builders. With chapters on every continent except Antarctica and $30B...
INNOVATION Quebec
CRVI (CENTRE DE ROBOTIQUE ET DE VISION INDUSTRIELLES)
IS A KEY PLAYER IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF ROBOTICS, COMPUTER VISION, AND AI TECHNOLOGY IN QUEBEC
The first six such centres were established in 1983 following a presentation at the Quebec Economic Summit. The goal was to help kickstart the Quebec economy by turning Cégeps across the province into drivers of regional growth and technological development. Three more centres were inaugurated the following year, including CSR...
INNOVATE™ Curitiba
DR. PEANUT
WHO SAID THAT HEALTHY FOOD HAS TO BE TASTELESS OR BORING?
Motivated by the unwavering and curious desire to respond to that question, in 2017, Lucas Castro, founder and CMO of DR PEANUT, decided to embark and find an ideal recipe that would bring an unbelievable flavor to people focused on health, sports and whoever require balanced energy. This is the...
INNOVATION Quebec
CYBERQUÉBEC
A HUB FOR SPECIALIZED EDUCATION AND TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION IN CYBERSECURITY
CyberQuébec is one of 59 college centres for technology transfer (CCTT) in the Synchronex CCTT Network. As part of the Cégep de l’Outaouais, we offer a wide range of cybersecurity services to help SMEs meet the technological challenges of digital security and support the development of a skilled technical workforce....
INNOVATE® Detroit
FRANCO
The Power of Relationships, Culture & Innovation Propels Franco to 60 Years of Success
When you think of Detroit and the public relations industry, it may not be obvious at first how much they have in common. But anyone working in the PR industry in the city will tell you both have weathered significant changes over the past several decades. Founded in 1964 in...
INNOVATE® Nashville
SwitchPoint Ventures
We build companies around pioneering technologies.
Our journey began a decade ago, here in Nashville – a city known for creativity and reinvention. That same spirit shaped how we approach innovation: with collaboration, grit, and a builder’s mindset. At SwitchPoint Ventures, we build companies around pioneering technologies – particularly in AI, data science, and digital innovation...
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,...
INNOVATE® Chicago Vol.1
CHICAGO HOPES FOR KIDS
IS CHANGING ACADEMIC TRAJECTORIES FOR STUDENTS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS
Chicago HOPES for Kids is the only organization in Chicago that provides educational after school and remote learning programs for students experiencing homelessness in grades Kindergarten through 9th, directly to the shelters and communities where they live. It is our mission to provide students with the resources and encouragement they...
INNOVATION Quebec
CRIAQ
AU CŒUR DE L’INNOVATION EN AÉROSPATIALE
Le CRIAQ joue un rôle clé pour assurer le développement de nouvelles technologies en aérospatiale qui permettent à l’ensemble de l’écosystème de prospérer. Le Québec est l’un des 3 principaux pôles en aérospatiale dans le monde et l’effervescence de ses industriels et ses centres de recherche en font un lieu...
INNOVATE® Milwaukee
DCI MARKETING
CELEBRATING ITS 80TH ANNIVERSARY IN 2024, DCI MARKETING FOSTERS A CULTURE OF INNOVATION FOCUSED ON SPECIFIC SOLUTIONS FOR FORTUNE 50 COMPANIES, MAJOR RETAILERS AND CONSUMERS.
As American forces crossed the English Channel to liberate France in June 1944, Milwaukee native Lloyd A. Sauer was thinking forward to a post-war era. Sauer purchased a small company called ColorPrint Products Printing and began producing window signage for shoe stores. But it was Cadillac and Harley-Davidson that propelled...
INNOVATE® Jacksonville
Rethreaded
Provides A Second Chance At Life Through Employment For Survivors Of Human Trafficking
ELEVATOR PITCH Rethreaded provides a second chance at life through employment for survivors of human trafficking. Women have employment opportunities in different facets of the company, including production, inventory, sales, marketing and finance/admin. Through its own enterprise and its distribution company that partners with like-minded businesses, Rethreaded’s mission is to...
INNOVATION Quebec
TOPMED
CCTT FOR HEALTH INNOVATION
TOPMED assists organizations involved in healthcare, adaptation, rehabilitation and mobility. We develop, customize, optimize and validate devices, equipment and technologies for vulnerable populations and athletes. TOPMED develops and conducts applied research projects focused on innovation and technological improvement, working in collaboration with laboratories—public or private—and businesses to provide social, mechanical...
INNOVATE® Nashville
Renewal House
Innovation Rooted in Compassion
Renewal House combines evidence-based treatment with deep compassion, creating innovative paths to recovery that strengthen both mothers and their children. As the only long-term family residential recovery program for women and their children in Middle Tennessee, Renewal House has always been driven by a vision that goes beyond addressing substance...
INNOVATE® Blockchain
HUMAN TRAFFICKING INSTITUTE
TOGETHER, WE CAN DECIMATE HUMAN TRAFFICKING AROUND THE WORLD
Two decades after the first laws around human trafficking were created, the Human Trafficking Institute’s (HTI) founders noticed a gap in the global response to trafficking: these great laws were not being enforced. HTI stepped in to provide prosecutors and investigators around the world with the tools and guidance necessary...
INNOVATE™ South Africa
THE GIANT FLAG
IS A WORLD-FIRST GREEN INNOVATION PROJECT THAT CELEBRATES THE SPIRIT OF SOUTH AFRICA, HER LAND AND HER PEOPLE, WHILE BRINGING TOGETHER JOB CREATION, CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION, CLEAN ENERGY AND TOURISM
The Giant Flag is a world-first green innovation project that celebrates the spirit of South Africa, her land and her people, while bringing together job creation, climate change mitigation, clean energy and tourism. The Giant Flag will be made up of millions of coloured desert plants, agricultural tunnels, a tourism...
INNOVATION Quebec
ERAC DU SAGUENAY-LAC ST-JEAN
The rootsFor nearly 20 years, in Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean – a region of more than 275,000 inhabitants located 500 km northeast of Montréal – concerted initiatives have been deployed to stimulate innovation among SMEs. Idéa innovation PME (2004-2010), then Innovation 02 (2011-2019) generated activities in turn to support innovation. It was when...