Stories of Innovation
INNOVATION Quebec
CCEG
CCTT IN GERONTOLOGY
The CCEG, Canada’s one and only college centre on aging: a leader, a partner and an ambassador. The Centre collégial d’expertise en gérontologie (CCEG) examines the multiple aspects of population aging and is committed to advancing the understanding of seniors’ challenges, demystifying them and bringing them to the public. Our...
INNOVATION Quebec
UQAT
RESEARCH INSTITUTE OF MINES AND ENVIRONMENT (RIME)
RIME, Solutions for Sustainable Mining DevelopmentLocated in the heart of a world-class mining sector, the Research Institute of Mines and Environment (RIME-UQAT) has been created in 2012, a strategic decision demonstrating the institution’s commitment to sustainable development in the mining sector. With a strong and constant growth since its inception,...
INNOVATE™ Vancouver Vol.2
VISUAL CAPITALIST
MAKING THE WORLD’S INFORMATION MORE ACCESSIBLE WITH THE POWER OF DATA STORYTELLING
Every two years, there is more new data being created than throughout all of previous human history. As a result of this growing information overload, it’s becoming harder and harder to understand the root causes leading to the future trends shaping our world. Visual Capitalist is an independent media company...
INNOVATE® Philadelphia: 250 Years of Innovation
THE WISTAR INSTITUTE
TODAY’S DISCOVERIES, TOMORROW’S CURES
More than 130 years after its founding, The Wistar Institute, the nation’s first independent biomedical research institute, is in the midst of its most consequential chapter yet. In December 2025, the National Cancer Institute awarded Wistar’s Ellen and Ronald Caplan Cancer Center an “Exceptional” rating, recognizing the Institute’s role as...
INNOVATION Quebec
ExperiSens
CCTT IN THE MULTISENSORY CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE AND HOSPITALITY
ExperiSens is a college centre for the transfer of technologies and innovative social practices (CCTT) at the Institut de tourisme et d’hôtellerie du Québec (ITHQ) that performs applied research and provides technical assistance, training, and information to tourismand hospitality organizations and professionals while enriching the ITHQ’s educational mission. Optimizing hospitality...
INNOVATE® Detroit
InvestNext
Fostering Growth and Potential
InvestNext is on a mission to transform how investment firms raise and manage real estate investment capital. Founded in 2016 by Michael Gisi, Kevin Heras, and Matthew Attou, this Detroit startup was conceived to revolutionize how the industry operates. What they’ve created democratizes real estate investing and empowers investors to...
INNOVATION Quebec
Concordia-University
THE SECURITY RESEARCH CENTRE (SRC)
The Security Research Centre (SRC) is a comprehensive multidisciplinary training, R&D and innovation unit that provides practical and efficient technological solutions to cybersecurity related problems of the government and industry. The SRC has over 75 cybersecurity researchers, including 55 doctoral and Master thesis students, 20 faculty members, among which six...
INNOVATE® South Carolina
Catch Talent
We focus on understanding the career needs of individuals in the workforce.
Real Relationships Matter Catch Talent is a high-touch recruiting agency that delivers end-to-end talent acquisition solutions to growing technology, financial services, healthcare, digital & creative, professional services, and government contracting companies. Headquartered in Charleston, SC, Catch specializes in the full talent attraction life cycle by sourcing and recruiting qualified candidates...
INNOVATE® Georgia
FASTTEK GLOBAL
LEADERSHIP SETS THE TONE
In 2003, Carey Pachla joined Fast Switch, Ltd.; essentially, a start-up at the time. Over 16 years, she built the division she started into a best-in-class and purpose-driven organization with hundreds of team members servicing multiple organizations, which range in size from Fortune Top 10 to mid-size and start-up organizations....
INNOVATE® Milwaukee
GENO.ME
A REAL-WORLD APPROACH TO BETTER CLINICAL RESEARCH OUTCOMES
Geno.Me is a biotechnology company that was born from the idea of empowering people to take greater ownership of their health data, because it is a valuable and necessary asset to advance medical research. With a focus on creating better ways to treat populations that have diseases with a genetic...
INNOVATE™ Toronto
ERICSSON
Imagine A World Where Limitless Connectivity Means Limitless Possibility, It’s Possible
Ericsson has been a critical part of Canada’s innovation and R&D story for 69 years. We are committed to driving the country’s digital agenda through turning-point technologies such as 5G. This means enabling Canada’s industries and service providers to lead on the world stage, supporting major service providers on their...
INNOVATE™ Antwerp Vol.2
SAM
SENSORY - FRIENDLY CLOTHING THAT LOWERS STRESS
Every day we experience an overload of sensory stimuli: we see, hear, feel, smell, and taste a lot. Whenever our brain has a hard time filtering and processing all those stimuli, this can lead to overstimulation. Children who are highly sensitive, have ASD, ADHD, mental limitations, or brain injuries are...
INNOVATION Quebec
TERRITOIRES INNOVANTS EN ÉCONOMIE SOCIALE ET SOLIDAIRE (TIESS)
CHANGING THE WORLD, ONE SOCIAL INNOVATION AT A TIME!
Propelling Ideas That Have an ImpactTIESS is Quebec’s leading authority on knowledge transfer in the social economy. Its mission? To provide organizations with the tools they need to meet the different challenges facing our society while transforming their practices. Through a continuous process of innovation—whether it be food self-sufficiency, the...
INNOVATE® Nashville
SHANE MAC
INVESTING IN THE SWITCHBOARD CITY
I have lived to work and, believe me, that’s no way to live… or work. This doesn’t mean don’t work hard. I’ve just discovered that when you love where you live you have a longer-term view of how you work. I spend my days supporting people who are in the...
INNOVATE™ Stockholm
VÄRMEVERKET
A CULTURAL POWERHOUSE REIMAGINING CREATIVE INFRASTRUCTURE
In the southern outskirts of Stockholm, in a repurposed industrial facility once devoted to generating heat, something entirely different is now being produced—culture, community, and creative opportunity. Värmeverket, founded as a response to the increasingly precarious conditions for artists and cultural workers, has quickly established itself as one of Sweden’s...
INNOVATE™ Estonia
E-RESIDENCY
THE FUTURE OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP
With 100% of its public services digitalized and a streamlined, business-friendly environment, Estonia has established itself as a strategic destination for those looking to expand their business, launch operations, or work in the European Union. Internationally recognised as the world’s most digital nation, Estonia promotes initiatives such as e-Residency to...
Global Innovation Spotlight
Top Software Comparison Platforms for Discovering Innovative SaaS Solutions in 2026
Take one look at the software industry today, and you’ll see it’s no longer a quiet library and more like a bustling, fast-paced digital carnival. According to Fortune Business Insights, the global Software as a Service (SaaS) market is hitting a staggering $375 billion in 2026. Every single day, software...
Global Innovation Spotlight
US Gaming Evolves Into a Multi-Platform Industry
For decades, U.S. gaming growth was driven mainly by physical casinos. Today, mobile sports betting and iGaming are among the fastest-growing revenue streams, reshaping how operators engage customers and generate value. In this context, it is important to note “gaming” refers to the U.S. commercial gambling industry, not video games....
INNOVATE® Northern Virginia
CrossCountry Consulting
Where Expertise, Technology, and Human Insight Converge
Northern Virginia is a region defined by motion: technological, economic, and organizational change shape its daily rhythm. For the companies that power it, transformation is no longer a future goal but a present demand. Finance leaders must modernize operations, manage enterprise complexity, and adopt emerging technologies quickly. They must achieve...
INNOVATE® New Jersey Vol.2
UNIONWEAR
USA MADE BASEBALL CAPS AND TOTE BAGS: DESIGNED BY ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, MANUFACTURED BY ROBOTS.
Unionwear manufactures – from scratch—100% made in USA baseball hats, backpacks, messenger bags, portfolios, and binders, with 160 union sewers in Newark, NJ. Mitch Cahn founded Unionwear in 1992 with six sewers and a contract to make baseball hats for Ralph Lauren, and has evolved by buying legacy manufacturers of...
INNOVATION Quebec
MAIN
IS THE MOVEMENT OF QUEBEC INNOVATION ACCELERATORS
Since 2016, we have firmly embraced the notion that by promoting collaboration and the mutual exchange of practices and resources (movement) among all those involved in accelerating startup growth (accelerators), we can amplify the impact of startups (innovation) from all regions of Quebec. Our goal is to ensure that every...
INNOVATE® Washington DMV Edition
NVTC - NORTHERN VIRGINIA TECHNOLOGY COUNCIL
Driving Innovation, Collaboration, and Growth in the National Capital Region
“NVTC is committed to accelerating innovation to solve real-world challenges, growing our economy, and creating meaningful employment opportunities for a diverse and inclusive workforce.” The Northern Virginia Technology Council (NVTC) catalyzes innovation, collaboration, and growth in the National Capital Region. For over three decades, NVTC has played a pivotal role...
INNOVATE® Chicago Vol.1
86 REPAIRS
TAKE REPAIRS OFF YOUR PLATE
86 Repairs is the repair and maintenance management platform built for the restaurant industry. Our tech-enabled solution includes on-demand repair management and preventative maintenance. With 86 Repairs, restaurants have access to data-driven insights and 24/7 support to control their facilities, reduce their R&M costs, and spend less of their team’s...
INNOVATE™ Bristol & Bath
TEDxBristol - Delivering Inspirational Talks To Sell-Out Audiences
ELEVATOR PITCH TEDxBristol is one of the largest TEDx events in Europe, delivering talks to sell-out audiences, working with creative partners across the UK and reaching a global audience online. We’re a largely voluntary and not-for-profit organisation dedicated to creating thought-provoking, world-class TEDx talks and delivering inspirational, inclusive and friendly...
INNOVATION Quebec
CCEG
CCTT IN GERONTOLOGY
The CCEG, Canada’s one and only college centre on aging: a leader, a partner and an ambassador. The Centre collégial d’expertise en gérontologie (CCEG) examines the multiple aspects of population aging and is committed to advancing the understanding of seniors’ challenges, demystifying them and bringing them to the public. Our...
INNOVATION Quebec
UQAT
RESEARCH INSTITUTE OF MINES AND ENVIRONMENT (RIME)
RIME, Solutions for Sustainable Mining DevelopmentLocated in the heart of a world-class mining sector, the Research Institute of Mines and Environment (RIME-UQAT) has been created in 2012, a strategic decision demonstrating the institution’s commitment to sustainable development in the mining sector. With a strong and constant growth since its inception,...
INNOVATE™ Vancouver Vol.2
VISUAL CAPITALIST
MAKING THE WORLD’S INFORMATION MORE ACCESSIBLE WITH THE POWER OF DATA STORYTELLING
Every two years, there is more new data being created than throughout all of previous human history. As a result of this growing information overload, it’s becoming harder and harder to understand the root causes leading to the future trends shaping our world. Visual Capitalist is an independent media company...
INNOVATE® Philadelphia: 250 Years of Innovation
THE WISTAR INSTITUTE
TODAY’S DISCOVERIES, TOMORROW’S CURES
More than 130 years after its founding, The Wistar Institute, the nation’s first independent biomedical research institute, is in the midst of its most consequential chapter yet. In December 2025, the National Cancer Institute awarded Wistar’s Ellen and Ronald Caplan Cancer Center an “Exceptional” rating, recognizing the Institute’s role as...
INNOVATION Quebec
ExperiSens
CCTT IN THE MULTISENSORY CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE AND HOSPITALITY
ExperiSens is a college centre for the transfer of technologies and innovative social practices (CCTT) at the Institut de tourisme et d’hôtellerie du Québec (ITHQ) that performs applied research and provides technical assistance, training, and information to tourismand hospitality organizations and professionals while enriching the ITHQ’s educational mission. Optimizing hospitality...
INNOVATE® Detroit
InvestNext
Fostering Growth and Potential
InvestNext is on a mission to transform how investment firms raise and manage real estate investment capital. Founded in 2016 by Michael Gisi, Kevin Heras, and Matthew Attou, this Detroit startup was conceived to revolutionize how the industry operates. What they’ve created democratizes real estate investing and empowers investors to...
INNOVATION Quebec
Concordia-University
THE SECURITY RESEARCH CENTRE (SRC)
The Security Research Centre (SRC) is a comprehensive multidisciplinary training, R&D and innovation unit that provides practical and efficient technological solutions to cybersecurity related problems of the government and industry. The SRC has over 75 cybersecurity researchers, including 55 doctoral and Master thesis students, 20 faculty members, among which six...
INNOVATE® South Carolina
Catch Talent
We focus on understanding the career needs of individuals in the workforce.
Real Relationships Matter Catch Talent is a high-touch recruiting agency that delivers end-to-end talent acquisition solutions to growing technology, financial services, healthcare, digital & creative, professional services, and government contracting companies. Headquartered in Charleston, SC, Catch specializes in the full talent attraction life cycle by sourcing and recruiting qualified candidates...
INNOVATE® Georgia
FASTTEK GLOBAL
LEADERSHIP SETS THE TONE
In 2003, Carey Pachla joined Fast Switch, Ltd.; essentially, a start-up at the time. Over 16 years, she built the division she started into a best-in-class and purpose-driven organization with hundreds of team members servicing multiple organizations, which range in size from Fortune Top 10 to mid-size and start-up organizations....
INNOVATE® Milwaukee
GENO.ME
A REAL-WORLD APPROACH TO BETTER CLINICAL RESEARCH OUTCOMES
Geno.Me is a biotechnology company that was born from the idea of empowering people to take greater ownership of their health data, because it is a valuable and necessary asset to advance medical research. With a focus on creating better ways to treat populations that have diseases with a genetic...
INNOVATE™ Toronto
ERICSSON
Imagine A World Where Limitless Connectivity Means Limitless Possibility, It’s Possible
Ericsson has been a critical part of Canada’s innovation and R&D story for 69 years. We are committed to driving the country’s digital agenda through turning-point technologies such as 5G. This means enabling Canada’s industries and service providers to lead on the world stage, supporting major service providers on their...
INNOVATE™ Antwerp Vol.2
SAM
SENSORY - FRIENDLY CLOTHING THAT LOWERS STRESS
Every day we experience an overload of sensory stimuli: we see, hear, feel, smell, and taste a lot. Whenever our brain has a hard time filtering and processing all those stimuli, this can lead to overstimulation. Children who are highly sensitive, have ASD, ADHD, mental limitations, or brain injuries are...
INNOVATION Quebec
TERRITOIRES INNOVANTS EN ÉCONOMIE SOCIALE ET SOLIDAIRE (TIESS)
CHANGING THE WORLD, ONE SOCIAL INNOVATION AT A TIME!
Propelling Ideas That Have an ImpactTIESS is Quebec’s leading authority on knowledge transfer in the social economy. Its mission? To provide organizations with the tools they need to meet the different challenges facing our society while transforming their practices. Through a continuous process of innovation—whether it be food self-sufficiency, the...
INNOVATE® Nashville
SHANE MAC
INVESTING IN THE SWITCHBOARD CITY
I have lived to work and, believe me, that’s no way to live… or work. This doesn’t mean don’t work hard. I’ve just discovered that when you love where you live you have a longer-term view of how you work. I spend my days supporting people who are in the...
INNOVATE™ Stockholm
VÄRMEVERKET
A CULTURAL POWERHOUSE REIMAGINING CREATIVE INFRASTRUCTURE
In the southern outskirts of Stockholm, in a repurposed industrial facility once devoted to generating heat, something entirely different is now being produced—culture, community, and creative opportunity. Värmeverket, founded as a response to the increasingly precarious conditions for artists and cultural workers, has quickly established itself as one of Sweden’s...
INNOVATE™ Estonia
E-RESIDENCY
THE FUTURE OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP
With 100% of its public services digitalized and a streamlined, business-friendly environment, Estonia has established itself as a strategic destination for those looking to expand their business, launch operations, or work in the European Union. Internationally recognised as the world’s most digital nation, Estonia promotes initiatives such as e-Residency to...
Global Innovation Spotlight
Top Software Comparison Platforms for Discovering Innovative SaaS Solutions in 2026
Take one look at the software industry today, and you’ll see it’s no longer a quiet library and more like a bustling, fast-paced digital carnival. According to Fortune Business Insights, the global Software as a Service (SaaS) market is hitting a staggering $375 billion in 2026. Every single day, software...
Global Innovation Spotlight
US Gaming Evolves Into a Multi-Platform Industry
For decades, U.S. gaming growth was driven mainly by physical casinos. Today, mobile sports betting and iGaming are among the fastest-growing revenue streams, reshaping how operators engage customers and generate value. In this context, it is important to note “gaming” refers to the U.S. commercial gambling industry, not video games....
INNOVATE® Northern Virginia
CrossCountry Consulting
Where Expertise, Technology, and Human Insight Converge
Northern Virginia is a region defined by motion: technological, economic, and organizational change shape its daily rhythm. For the companies that power it, transformation is no longer a future goal but a present demand. Finance leaders must modernize operations, manage enterprise complexity, and adopt emerging technologies quickly. They must achieve...
INNOVATE® New Jersey Vol.2
UNIONWEAR
USA MADE BASEBALL CAPS AND TOTE BAGS: DESIGNED BY ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, MANUFACTURED BY ROBOTS.
Unionwear manufactures – from scratch—100% made in USA baseball hats, backpacks, messenger bags, portfolios, and binders, with 160 union sewers in Newark, NJ. Mitch Cahn founded Unionwear in 1992 with six sewers and a contract to make baseball hats for Ralph Lauren, and has evolved by buying legacy manufacturers of...
INNOVATION Quebec
MAIN
IS THE MOVEMENT OF QUEBEC INNOVATION ACCELERATORS
Since 2016, we have firmly embraced the notion that by promoting collaboration and the mutual exchange of practices and resources (movement) among all those involved in accelerating startup growth (accelerators), we can amplify the impact of startups (innovation) from all regions of Quebec. Our goal is to ensure that every...
INNOVATE® Washington DMV Edition
NVTC - NORTHERN VIRGINIA TECHNOLOGY COUNCIL
Driving Innovation, Collaboration, and Growth in the National Capital Region
“NVTC is committed to accelerating innovation to solve real-world challenges, growing our economy, and creating meaningful employment opportunities for a diverse and inclusive workforce.” The Northern Virginia Technology Council (NVTC) catalyzes innovation, collaboration, and growth in the National Capital Region. For over three decades, NVTC has played a pivotal role...
INNOVATE® Chicago Vol.1
86 REPAIRS
TAKE REPAIRS OFF YOUR PLATE
86 Repairs is the repair and maintenance management platform built for the restaurant industry. Our tech-enabled solution includes on-demand repair management and preventative maintenance. With 86 Repairs, restaurants have access to data-driven insights and 24/7 support to control their facilities, reduce their R&M costs, and spend less of their team’s...
INNOVATE™ Bristol & Bath
TEDxBristol - Delivering Inspirational Talks To Sell-Out Audiences
ELEVATOR PITCH TEDxBristol is one of the largest TEDx events in Europe, delivering talks to sell-out audiences, working with creative partners across the UK and reaching a global audience online. We’re a largely voluntary and not-for-profit organisation dedicated to creating thought-provoking, world-class TEDx talks and delivering inspirational, inclusive and friendly...