Stories of Innovation
INNOVATE™ Toronto
GAIRDNER FOUNDATION
WAS ESTABLISHED BY TORONTO STOCKBROKER, JAMES GAIRDNER IN 1957
The Foundation awards the annual Canada Gairdner Awards to leading scientists from around the world whose discoveries have had a major impact on scientific progress and human health. The awards are Canada’s only globally recognized international scientific prize. Since 1959, more than 400 scientists from 40 countries have received a...
AI Québec
RETAIL INNOVATION LAB
AT THE BENSADOUN SCHOOL OF RETAIL MANAGEMENT, MCGILL UNIVERSITY
The Bensadoun School of Retail Management (BSRM) at McGill University recently launched a retail innovation lab. This initiative is a collaboration between McGill University and Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. (ACT). The lab is a convenience store as well as a living lab that operates on the McGill University campus and houses...
INNOVATE™ Toronto
DESTINATION TORONTO
THE PLACE TO BE
Toronto is the driving force behind Canada’s tech, finance, manufacturing, creative and service sectors. It’s also a cultural powerhouse. The most diverse city on the planet, Toronto is a place to convene, create, play, do business and launch the next great idea that could change the world. Top of...
Global Innovation Spotlight
HILCO CONSUMER - RETAIL
INNOVATING FOR THE RETAIL LIFECYCLE – FROM BEGINNING TO END AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN
Can a business founded as a retail liquidation firm innovate to save retail? Hilco Consumer-Retail (HCR) is undoubtedly trying – and succeeding in BIG WAYS! Retail – and the consumer product businesses that feed them inventory – is among the most troubled sectors in the United States and worldwide. This...
INNOVATE™ South Africa
CHEFS WAREHOUSE
WHIPPING UP A WINNING RECIPE
As businesses go, restaurants aren’t for the faint of heart. The hospitality industry is one of cutthroat competition. This industry demands discipline, dedication, constant innovation, passion, opportunity, and perseverance from restaurateurs, managers, kitchen staff, and front-of-house staff. Creating fine-dining cuisine is as much an art form as it is the science...
INNOVATE™ Alberta
APEX Alberta is Southeast Alberta’s Regional Innovation Network. Nestled in the southern corner of the province, Southeast Alberta is a rural region known for agriculture, energy, defence, and manufacturing. Southeast Alberta’s Regional Innovation Network spans from Special Areas in the north to the County of Newell and Municipal District of...
INNOVATE® Puerto Rico
RSM
INNOVATION AS AN EXPRESSION OF CARING, CURIOSITY, COURAGE, COLLABORATION, AND CRITICAL THINKING
From mindset to execution, innovations and agility have allowed RSM Puerto Rico to adapt quickly to changes in market demands and to overcome challenges, both outwardly, to its clients, and inwardly, to its people. Many instances throughout the firm’s 45-year history prove that innovation has always been at the heart...
INNOVATE® Puerto Rico
URBITAL
PROVIDES A “FIRST OF ITS KIND” APP TO SERVE THE REAL ESTATE MARKET IN PUERTO RICO
We deliver a digital tool that enables a better experience for homeowners, potential buyers, and real estate brokers. Homeowners can know a price estimate based on comparable and listing market data. Potential buyers can look at a neighborhood and stay up to date on prices and listing .Real estate agents...
INNOVATE® Gaming & Esports
NERD STREET GAMERS
THERE’S A NERD IN EVERYONE
Nerd Street Gamers is a national esports infrastructure that puts accessibility, integrity and opportunity at the forefront of everything they do. As gaming communities slowly began to gain traction on a small scale, the CEO of Nerd Street Gamers and Localhost, John Fazio, knew that individuals nationwide would soon realize...
INNOVATE® Nashville
INTERAWORKS
IS YOUR ORGANIZATION READY FOR THE FUTURE@WORK?
InteraWorks is an answer to how companies and their employees can elevate the human experience at work, leading to higher performance and new models of leadership, learning, and culture. The world has changed, and it is time that companies realize that people absolutely must come first. Their capacity and...
INNOVATION Quebec
CIRADD
CCTT FOR SOCIAL INNOVATION IN SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
Founded in 2006, CIRADD has been a CCTT in innovative social practices since 2010, specializing in sustainable territorial development. The centre is located in Gaspésie and is a member of the Synchronex CCTT Network. Our mission is to help organizations, businesses and communities sustainably develop their environment through applied research...
INNOVATE™ Vancouver Vol.2
JIBE
LEADING ECOMMERCE INTO THE FUTURE
JIBE Ecommerce.JIBE is a digital ecommerce agency, originally founded in 2009 to help better-life brands transform into thriving ecommerce businesses by helping them navigate and build their growing technology ecosystem. In the decade or so since, JIBE has grown from building brochure business websites to a multidisciplinary team of developers,...
INNOVATE™ Estonia
IMPACT BUILDERS
TOWARDS A RESILIENT AND HUMAN-CENTERED EUROPE
Europe stands at a turning point. Global supply chains are increasingly shaped by geopolitical shifts, critical technologies are still developed elsewhere, and many European industries struggle with succession and growth. To safeguard prosperity, the continent needs to build its own strength. A Europe-first economy means homegrown technologies, resilient supply chains,...
INNOVATE™ South Africa
THIRD-i MARKETING INTELLIGENCE
NO MORE MYSTERY SHOPPERS – THIRD-i SMART POINT OF SALE DISPLAYS – A RETAIL INNOVATION FROM SOUTH AFRICA
The third eye represents intuition and insight—an inner vision and enlightenment beyond what the physical eye can see. Modern shoppers are increasingly time-starved and brand-agnostic. It is therefore imperative for brands to understand as much as they can about the people who are buying their products and how they feel...
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™ Botswana Vol.1
FIRST-AID COUNSELLING
A DIGITAL PLATFORM THAT ALLOWS USERS TO ACCESS MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES INSTANTLY AND ANONYMOUSLY
I always say to my team, “Digitisation has become a necessity in a world consumed by mobile devices”. Our digital mental health platforms aim to promote mental wellness by being up close and personal in your mobile device. – Kesego Mosime, CEO and Co-Founder, First-Aid Counselling. In a country with...
INNOVATE® Detroit
Newlab
Building the Future of Sustainable Mobility at Michigan Central
Newlab is a global network of purpose-built innovation hubs that accelerates climate and deep tech time-to-market. Newlab provides startups with physical infrastructure, direct investment opportunities, and pilot partnerships to drive meaningful commercialization outcomes and economic development in energy, materials, and mobility. Newlab established its Detroit home in 2023 to enable...
INNOVATE® Georgia
HANNIBAL AI
ANCIENT TACTICS, DIGITALFRONTIERS: HANNIBAL AI’S MODERN CONQUEST
In the relentless march of technology, where change is the only constant, Hannibal AI provides real experience in artificial intelligence. The company understands the terrain of tomorrow, navigating the evolving landscape with the agility and foresight of its namesake, Hannibal Barca. Like Hannibal’s legendary campaigns against the Roman Republic, Hannibal...
INNOVATE® Nashville
TREVECCA NAZARENE UNIVERSITY
Was the first university in Nashville to offer weekend and evening formats for adults who are balancing school, work and family life
Located in the heart of Nashville, Trevecca offers students an exciting, fulfilling college experience as they pursue a personal calling in a thriving city. A Christian liberal arts university, Trevecca’s diverse, supportive community is a safe haven for spiritual and personal growth, vocational discernment and opportunities for service. Growth...
INNOVATE® Austin Volume 2
MOBILE LOAVES & FISHES
FOOD, HOPE, DIGNITY … AND THE MOST TALKED ABOUT NEIGHBORHOOD IN AUSTIN, TEXAS
What started as five men in Austin, Texas answering God’s call to “love your neighbor” by serving meals out of the back of a green minivan has turned into one of the country’s most innovative approaches for mitigating homelessness. In 1998, the seed of the idea for Mobile Loaves &...
INNOVATE® South Carolina
Last Drop Wrench
From the Upstate to Las Vegas; Reimagining the Standard Oil Change
For as long as internal combustion engines have required maintenance, the oil change has been viewed as a necessary, albeit messy, evil. Between the risk of skin contact with scalding fluids and the inevitable “oil bath” that occurs when a filter is breached, the process has remained stubbornly primitive. However,...
INNOVATE® Gaming & Esports
ESPORTS BAR
GATHERS INDUSTRY LEADERS TO SHAPE THE FUTURE TOGETHER
The world of esports is still young: the community is expanding, business models are fluid, and innovation never stops, as the industry looks to stay fresh and exciting. Esports BAR is the world’s esports business arena, and our mission is to transform the sport of the digital generation into...
INNOVATE® Georgia
UCB
USING TECHNOLOGY TO HELP PEOPLE LIVING WITH SEVERE DISEASE
UCB PRIORITIZES PATIENT VALUE, FOSTERING A CARING CULTURE SHAPED BY INDIVIDUAL NEEDS. EMPHASIZING TECH-DRIVEN INNOVATION AND HUMAN-CENTRIC HEALTHCARE, WE LEVERAGE AI AND DIGITAL STRATEGIES TO ADVANCE PATIENT CARE.. At UCB, we come together every day to work, laser-focused, on a simple question: How will this create value for people living...
INNOVATE™ Toronto
ONTARIO INSTITUTE FOR CANCER RESEARCH
MOBILIZING THE CANCER RESEARCH COMMUNITY TO DRIVE PERSONALIZED CARE
Cancer is not just one disease. Each tumour is unique, and each person will experience cancer differently, requiring tailored therapies matched to the unique drivers of their disease. To address this tremendous challenge effectively, it takes a diverse range of people working together in multidisciplinary networks on innovations in...
INNOVATE™ Toronto
GAIRDNER FOUNDATION
WAS ESTABLISHED BY TORONTO STOCKBROKER, JAMES GAIRDNER IN 1957
The Foundation awards the annual Canada Gairdner Awards to leading scientists from around the world whose discoveries have had a major impact on scientific progress and human health. The awards are Canada’s only globally recognized international scientific prize. Since 1959, more than 400 scientists from 40 countries have received a...
AI Québec
RETAIL INNOVATION LAB
AT THE BENSADOUN SCHOOL OF RETAIL MANAGEMENT, MCGILL UNIVERSITY
The Bensadoun School of Retail Management (BSRM) at McGill University recently launched a retail innovation lab. This initiative is a collaboration between McGill University and Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. (ACT). The lab is a convenience store as well as a living lab that operates on the McGill University campus and houses...
INNOVATE™ Toronto
DESTINATION TORONTO
THE PLACE TO BE
Toronto is the driving force behind Canada’s tech, finance, manufacturing, creative and service sectors. It’s also a cultural powerhouse. The most diverse city on the planet, Toronto is a place to convene, create, play, do business and launch the next great idea that could change the world. Top of...
Global Innovation Spotlight
HILCO CONSUMER - RETAIL
INNOVATING FOR THE RETAIL LIFECYCLE – FROM BEGINNING TO END AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN
Can a business founded as a retail liquidation firm innovate to save retail? Hilco Consumer-Retail (HCR) is undoubtedly trying – and succeeding in BIG WAYS! Retail – and the consumer product businesses that feed them inventory – is among the most troubled sectors in the United States and worldwide. This...
INNOVATE™ South Africa
CHEFS WAREHOUSE
WHIPPING UP A WINNING RECIPE
As businesses go, restaurants aren’t for the faint of heart. The hospitality industry is one of cutthroat competition. This industry demands discipline, dedication, constant innovation, passion, opportunity, and perseverance from restaurateurs, managers, kitchen staff, and front-of-house staff. Creating fine-dining cuisine is as much an art form as it is the science...
INNOVATE™ Alberta
APEX Alberta is Southeast Alberta’s Regional Innovation Network. Nestled in the southern corner of the province, Southeast Alberta is a rural region known for agriculture, energy, defence, and manufacturing. Southeast Alberta’s Regional Innovation Network spans from Special Areas in the north to the County of Newell and Municipal District of...
INNOVATE® Puerto Rico
RSM
INNOVATION AS AN EXPRESSION OF CARING, CURIOSITY, COURAGE, COLLABORATION, AND CRITICAL THINKING
From mindset to execution, innovations and agility have allowed RSM Puerto Rico to adapt quickly to changes in market demands and to overcome challenges, both outwardly, to its clients, and inwardly, to its people. Many instances throughout the firm’s 45-year history prove that innovation has always been at the heart...
INNOVATE® Puerto Rico
URBITAL
PROVIDES A “FIRST OF ITS KIND” APP TO SERVE THE REAL ESTATE MARKET IN PUERTO RICO
We deliver a digital tool that enables a better experience for homeowners, potential buyers, and real estate brokers. Homeowners can know a price estimate based on comparable and listing market data. Potential buyers can look at a neighborhood and stay up to date on prices and listing .Real estate agents...
INNOVATE® Gaming & Esports
NERD STREET GAMERS
THERE’S A NERD IN EVERYONE
Nerd Street Gamers is a national esports infrastructure that puts accessibility, integrity and opportunity at the forefront of everything they do. As gaming communities slowly began to gain traction on a small scale, the CEO of Nerd Street Gamers and Localhost, John Fazio, knew that individuals nationwide would soon realize...
INNOVATE® Nashville
INTERAWORKS
IS YOUR ORGANIZATION READY FOR THE FUTURE@WORK?
InteraWorks is an answer to how companies and their employees can elevate the human experience at work, leading to higher performance and new models of leadership, learning, and culture. The world has changed, and it is time that companies realize that people absolutely must come first. Their capacity and...
INNOVATION Quebec
CIRADD
CCTT FOR SOCIAL INNOVATION IN SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
Founded in 2006, CIRADD has been a CCTT in innovative social practices since 2010, specializing in sustainable territorial development. The centre is located in Gaspésie and is a member of the Synchronex CCTT Network. Our mission is to help organizations, businesses and communities sustainably develop their environment through applied research...
INNOVATE™ Vancouver Vol.2
JIBE
LEADING ECOMMERCE INTO THE FUTURE
JIBE Ecommerce.JIBE is a digital ecommerce agency, originally founded in 2009 to help better-life brands transform into thriving ecommerce businesses by helping them navigate and build their growing technology ecosystem. In the decade or so since, JIBE has grown from building brochure business websites to a multidisciplinary team of developers,...
INNOVATE™ Estonia
IMPACT BUILDERS
TOWARDS A RESILIENT AND HUMAN-CENTERED EUROPE
Europe stands at a turning point. Global supply chains are increasingly shaped by geopolitical shifts, critical technologies are still developed elsewhere, and many European industries struggle with succession and growth. To safeguard prosperity, the continent needs to build its own strength. A Europe-first economy means homegrown technologies, resilient supply chains,...
INNOVATE™ South Africa
THIRD-i MARKETING INTELLIGENCE
NO MORE MYSTERY SHOPPERS – THIRD-i SMART POINT OF SALE DISPLAYS – A RETAIL INNOVATION FROM SOUTH AFRICA
The third eye represents intuition and insight—an inner vision and enlightenment beyond what the physical eye can see. Modern shoppers are increasingly time-starved and brand-agnostic. It is therefore imperative for brands to understand as much as they can about the people who are buying their products and how they feel...
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™ Botswana Vol.1
FIRST-AID COUNSELLING
A DIGITAL PLATFORM THAT ALLOWS USERS TO ACCESS MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES INSTANTLY AND ANONYMOUSLY
I always say to my team, “Digitisation has become a necessity in a world consumed by mobile devices”. Our digital mental health platforms aim to promote mental wellness by being up close and personal in your mobile device. – Kesego Mosime, CEO and Co-Founder, First-Aid Counselling. In a country with...
INNOVATE® Detroit
Newlab
Building the Future of Sustainable Mobility at Michigan Central
Newlab is a global network of purpose-built innovation hubs that accelerates climate and deep tech time-to-market. Newlab provides startups with physical infrastructure, direct investment opportunities, and pilot partnerships to drive meaningful commercialization outcomes and economic development in energy, materials, and mobility. Newlab established its Detroit home in 2023 to enable...
INNOVATE® Georgia
HANNIBAL AI
ANCIENT TACTICS, DIGITALFRONTIERS: HANNIBAL AI’S MODERN CONQUEST
In the relentless march of technology, where change is the only constant, Hannibal AI provides real experience in artificial intelligence. The company understands the terrain of tomorrow, navigating the evolving landscape with the agility and foresight of its namesake, Hannibal Barca. Like Hannibal’s legendary campaigns against the Roman Republic, Hannibal...
INNOVATE® Nashville
TREVECCA NAZARENE UNIVERSITY
Was the first university in Nashville to offer weekend and evening formats for adults who are balancing school, work and family life
Located in the heart of Nashville, Trevecca offers students an exciting, fulfilling college experience as they pursue a personal calling in a thriving city. A Christian liberal arts university, Trevecca’s diverse, supportive community is a safe haven for spiritual and personal growth, vocational discernment and opportunities for service. Growth...
INNOVATE® Austin Volume 2
MOBILE LOAVES & FISHES
FOOD, HOPE, DIGNITY … AND THE MOST TALKED ABOUT NEIGHBORHOOD IN AUSTIN, TEXAS
What started as five men in Austin, Texas answering God’s call to “love your neighbor” by serving meals out of the back of a green minivan has turned into one of the country’s most innovative approaches for mitigating homelessness. In 1998, the seed of the idea for Mobile Loaves &...
INNOVATE® South Carolina
Last Drop Wrench
From the Upstate to Las Vegas; Reimagining the Standard Oil Change
For as long as internal combustion engines have required maintenance, the oil change has been viewed as a necessary, albeit messy, evil. Between the risk of skin contact with scalding fluids and the inevitable “oil bath” that occurs when a filter is breached, the process has remained stubbornly primitive. However,...
INNOVATE® Gaming & Esports
ESPORTS BAR
GATHERS INDUSTRY LEADERS TO SHAPE THE FUTURE TOGETHER
The world of esports is still young: the community is expanding, business models are fluid, and innovation never stops, as the industry looks to stay fresh and exciting. Esports BAR is the world’s esports business arena, and our mission is to transform the sport of the digital generation into...
INNOVATE® Georgia
UCB
USING TECHNOLOGY TO HELP PEOPLE LIVING WITH SEVERE DISEASE
UCB PRIORITIZES PATIENT VALUE, FOSTERING A CARING CULTURE SHAPED BY INDIVIDUAL NEEDS. EMPHASIZING TECH-DRIVEN INNOVATION AND HUMAN-CENTRIC HEALTHCARE, WE LEVERAGE AI AND DIGITAL STRATEGIES TO ADVANCE PATIENT CARE.. At UCB, we come together every day to work, laser-focused, on a simple question: How will this create value for people living...
INNOVATE™ Toronto
ONTARIO INSTITUTE FOR CANCER RESEARCH
MOBILIZING THE CANCER RESEARCH COMMUNITY TO DRIVE PERSONALIZED CARE
Cancer is not just one disease. Each tumour is unique, and each person will experience cancer differently, requiring tailored therapies matched to the unique drivers of their disease. To address this tremendous challenge effectively, it takes a diverse range of people working together in multidisciplinary networks on innovations in...