Stories of Innovation
INNOVATE® Nashville
BOON LEGAL
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® Nashville
IDEMIA
A twenty-year innovation journey positions Tennessee as the technology backbone of the fingerprinting background check industry
In March 1996, Casey Mayfield interviewed with a small biometrics company in Springfield, IL in a stylish business suit she’d purchased for $25 at a secondhand store. She met the owners, was fascinated with the technology, and signed on to be a Fingerprint Technician. She soon met Erik Wolle, who...
INNOVATE® New Jersey Vol.2
Innovate In What You Do! specializes in applying innovation skills and methods to the ever-evolving world of Pharma and Biotech Clinical Research. Our team brings a unique combination of passion, energy, and extensive experience across the clinical trial ecosystem. We are driven by our belief that constant innovation is crucial...
INNOVATE® Chicago Vol.1
TECHNORI
Since Launching Nearly a Decade Ago, Our Mission Has Been Simple; Help Founders More Easily Raise Startup Funds By Building a Community Around Tech And Investing
Before Chicago became a tech hub featuring world-renowned incubators like 1871 and more than a dozen unicorns, there was Technori – a small group of early adopters and startup founders on a mission to turn Chicago into the largest and most diverse tech community in the world. And, what began...
INNOVATE™ Atlantic Canada
Picketa Systems
REAL-TIME PLANT TISSUE ANALYSIS - MAKE TIMELY INFORMED DECISIONS TO OPTIMIZE YOUR NUTRIENT USE
REAL-TIME PLANT TISSUE ANALYSIS MAKE TIMELY INFORMED DECISIONS TO OPTIMIZE YOUR NUTRIENT USE “Picketa Systems, an agricultural technology company founded in 2020 to unlock agronomic potential, announces its expansion into 13 states across the USA with its groundbreaking LENS system. This innovative real-time crop management technology is poised to transform...
INNOVATE™ Toronto
TELUS POLLINATOR FUND FOR GOOD
INVESTING IN IMPACT
In the spring of 2020, just as the devastating first wave of the pandemic began to hit businesses, healthcare and our communities, the TELUS Pollinator Fund for Good was born. At $100 million, the Pollinator Fund is one of the world’s largest corporate impact funds. The Pollinator Fund invests in...
INNOVATE™ Vancouver Vol.2
SolvedAF Consulting Inc
SolvedAF inverts the traditional consulting model by partnering with organizations to grow their businesses through fractional leadership and right sourcing.
SolvedAF Consulting is a boutique management advisory firm that uses a unique approach to facilitate digital transformation and organizational growth, enabling innovation for its clients. With their foundational fractional leadership service model the goal at SolvedAF is to create an infrastructure of support services for startups and small to medium...
INNOVATION Quebec
Entrepreneuriat ULaval (« EUL »)
Est l’incubateur d’entreprises innovantes et responsables de l’Université Laval, à Québec
EUL propulse vers le succès les entrepreneures et entrepreneurs de la communauté universitaire qui rêvent grand et dont l’entreprise a des potentiels de croissance et d’impact sociétal élevés. Louis-Philippe Pleau, CEO & Co-Founder of LumIR Lasers EUL accompagne des jeunes pousses dans le domaine de la haute technologie appliquée principalement...
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...
INNOVATE™ Flanders
VIL
Empowering logistics for over 20 years
Creating added value for and enhancing competitiveness of all Flemish companies with logistics operations is VIL’s main focus. And it has been for over twenty years. From a small non-profit organization, VIL has grown to be a hands-on, company driven organization, with a staff of 35 employees. Since 2017 VIL...
INNOVATION Quebec
IRIPII
CCTT SUR L’IMMIGRATION ET SUR LES PRATIQUES INTERCULTURELLES ET INCLUSIVES
Créée en 2009 au Collège de Maisonneuve, l’institut de recherche sur l’immigration et sur les pratiques interculturelles et inclusives IRIPII est l’un des rares organismes au Québec qui, dans le domaine de l’immigration, de par sa position d’interface entre les milieux de recherche et les différents milieux de pratiques, a...
INNOVATE™ Toronto
MICROSOFT CANADA
GROWING CANADA’S TECH COMMUNITIES
Tech is about more than just new tools. It is about unlocking opportunities and markets, supporting new approaches, and empowering more high-tech innovations. Microsoft has worked closely with Toronto and Canada’s venture capital community looking to bolster its investments in Canadian startups. Toronto and Canada’s venture capitalists are innovation...
INNOVATION Quebec
CENTRE QUÉBÉCOIS D’INNOVATION EN BIOTECHNOLOGIE (CQIB)
LE CQIB, AU CŒUR DE L’ÉCOSYSTÈME ENTREPRENEURRIAL EN SCIENCES DE LA VIE
Les lecteurs de cette publication sont bien placés pour le savoir : le Québec est un terreau incroyablement fertile pour l’innovation. Si on génère autant d’innovations en sol québécois, c’est notamment parce que nous avons en place des organisations mobilisatrice qui catalyse notre expertise et notre savoir. Parmi ces organisations,...
INNOVATION Quebec
Founded in 2017, the Maison de l’innovation sociale (MIS) is an NFP whose mission is to eliminate the obstacles between an idea with a positive social and environmental impact and its implementation. At MIS, we are interested in the precursor stage of a social innovation. We help very early-stage projects...
INNOVATE™ South Africa
AGGREKO
GOING GREEN – MEETING GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL GOALS WITH CLEAN ENERGY
South Africa will have to make a distinct shift to embrace the new norms in global climate and energy landscape discussions. Current infrastructure relies heavily on fuels that are not necessarily the most environmentally friendly, and this poses a threat to the country’s role in a global energy sector with...
Global Innovation Spotlight
How Soft2Bet Uses Data and Analytics for Product Development
Soft2Bet is an international B2B technology company that develops software solutions and digital platforms for the iGaming industry. Creating in-demand digital services requires effective management of information flows and data. Soft2Bet uses analytical approaches to the collection, processing, and interpretation of information, helping to improve digital products and user experience....
INNOVATE® Seattle
SVB - SILICON VALLEY BANK
SVB helps individuals, investors and the world’s most innovative companies achieve extraordinary outcomes.
Our Seattle-based team is dedicated to helping leading founders, executives, and investors achieve their financial goals. We’re based in downtown Seattle and proudly serve the Greater Seattle innovation economy. Silicon Valley Bank, SVB Capital, SVB Private, and SVB Securities together offer the services that dynamic and fast-growing clients require as...
INNOVATE® Philadelphia
Stateside Brands
An Innovative Leader
Few ready-to-drink beverage brands have captivated the market like Surfside. Since its 2022 launch, Surfside has taken off like a rocket ship, becoming the fastest-growing brand within the entire alcoholic beverage sector. At the close of 2025, Surfside achieved 11.1 million case sales, growing an astounding 6.2 million cases from...
INNOVATE™ Logistics
CONNECTIC
Revolutionising Asset Management in Transport and Logistics
Real-time information drives business decisions. Connectic – a distributor and integrator of digital solutions – supports the transport and logistics sector with its innovative digital asset tracking solutions to optimise productivity and operations. In the transport and logistics world, managing and monitoring assets can be a daunting challenge – especially...
INNOVATE® Georgia
GEORGIA ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN MANUFACTURING (GEORGIA AIM)
BUILDING A RESILIENT MANUFACTURING
Georgia Artificial Intelligence in Manufacturing (Georgia AIM) represents a bold vision for the future of manufacturing in Georgia and serves as a blueprint for the nation. This future is inclusive, innovative, and impactful, propelling the state of Georgia into the forefront of AI-driven manufacturing. STATEWIDE REACH AND FOCUS At its...
INNOVATE® Georgia
CREDENZA
THE FUTURE OF FAN ENGAGEMENT IS HERE
THE BACKSTORYIn 2013, Sandy Khaund, Credenza Inc’s Founder, was introduced to blockchain. He recognized the potential for decentralized identification, where identity isn’t tied to platforms like Facebook, Google, or proprietary logins, but instead relies on mathematical computation to universally identify each user. He believed that if this concept gained traction,...
INNOVATE® Milwaukee
WAUKESHA COUNTY TECHNICAL COLLEGE
LEADING HIGHER EDUCATION INTO THE FUTURE
Waukesha County Technical College, one of 16 Colleges part of the Wisconsin Technical College System, has been a leader of workforce development and training in Southeastern Wisconsin for more than a century. The College is focused on educating students for in-demand jobs and contributing to the economy by providing skilled...
INNOVATE™ Alberta
ALBERTA IoT
Supporting an ever-growing ecosystem at Alberta IoT
Alberta IoT is a non-profit member-based association supporting organizations with a vested interest in internet of things (IoT) and emerging technologies. Members, ranging in size from solo entrepreneurs to large enterprise, collaborate to provide a common voice to advance the knowledge, adoption, and growth of emerging tech in Alberta and...
INNOVATE® Gaming & Esports
GAMESAFER
SCALING SAFETY AND FAIR PLAY TO MILLIONS OF PLAYERS
GamerSafer’s mission is to scale safety and fair play experiences to millions of players worldwide. Fraud, crime, and toxicity are present in many online interactions, compromising user experience, lifetime value and engagement. The co-founders of GamerSafer, a former executive from the gaming industry and a social impact entrepreneur, both gamers...
INNOVATE® Nashville
BOON LEGAL
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® Nashville
IDEMIA
A twenty-year innovation journey positions Tennessee as the technology backbone of the fingerprinting background check industry
In March 1996, Casey Mayfield interviewed with a small biometrics company in Springfield, IL in a stylish business suit she’d purchased for $25 at a secondhand store. She met the owners, was fascinated with the technology, and signed on to be a Fingerprint Technician. She soon met Erik Wolle, who...
INNOVATE® New Jersey Vol.2
Innovate In What You Do! specializes in applying innovation skills and methods to the ever-evolving world of Pharma and Biotech Clinical Research. Our team brings a unique combination of passion, energy, and extensive experience across the clinical trial ecosystem. We are driven by our belief that constant innovation is crucial...
INNOVATE® Chicago Vol.1
TECHNORI
Since Launching Nearly a Decade Ago, Our Mission Has Been Simple; Help Founders More Easily Raise Startup Funds By Building a Community Around Tech And Investing
Before Chicago became a tech hub featuring world-renowned incubators like 1871 and more than a dozen unicorns, there was Technori – a small group of early adopters and startup founders on a mission to turn Chicago into the largest and most diverse tech community in the world. And, what began...
INNOVATE™ Atlantic Canada
Picketa Systems
REAL-TIME PLANT TISSUE ANALYSIS - MAKE TIMELY INFORMED DECISIONS TO OPTIMIZE YOUR NUTRIENT USE
REAL-TIME PLANT TISSUE ANALYSIS MAKE TIMELY INFORMED DECISIONS TO OPTIMIZE YOUR NUTRIENT USE “Picketa Systems, an agricultural technology company founded in 2020 to unlock agronomic potential, announces its expansion into 13 states across the USA with its groundbreaking LENS system. This innovative real-time crop management technology is poised to transform...
INNOVATE™ Toronto
TELUS POLLINATOR FUND FOR GOOD
INVESTING IN IMPACT
In the spring of 2020, just as the devastating first wave of the pandemic began to hit businesses, healthcare and our communities, the TELUS Pollinator Fund for Good was born. At $100 million, the Pollinator Fund is one of the world’s largest corporate impact funds. The Pollinator Fund invests in...
INNOVATE™ Vancouver Vol.2
SolvedAF Consulting Inc
SolvedAF inverts the traditional consulting model by partnering with organizations to grow their businesses through fractional leadership and right sourcing.
SolvedAF Consulting is a boutique management advisory firm that uses a unique approach to facilitate digital transformation and organizational growth, enabling innovation for its clients. With their foundational fractional leadership service model the goal at SolvedAF is to create an infrastructure of support services for startups and small to medium...
INNOVATION Quebec
Entrepreneuriat ULaval (« EUL »)
Est l’incubateur d’entreprises innovantes et responsables de l’Université Laval, à Québec
EUL propulse vers le succès les entrepreneures et entrepreneurs de la communauté universitaire qui rêvent grand et dont l’entreprise a des potentiels de croissance et d’impact sociétal élevés. Louis-Philippe Pleau, CEO & Co-Founder of LumIR Lasers EUL accompagne des jeunes pousses dans le domaine de la haute technologie appliquée principalement...
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...
INNOVATE™ Flanders
VIL
Empowering logistics for over 20 years
Creating added value for and enhancing competitiveness of all Flemish companies with logistics operations is VIL’s main focus. And it has been for over twenty years. From a small non-profit organization, VIL has grown to be a hands-on, company driven organization, with a staff of 35 employees. Since 2017 VIL...
INNOVATION Quebec
IRIPII
CCTT SUR L’IMMIGRATION ET SUR LES PRATIQUES INTERCULTURELLES ET INCLUSIVES
Créée en 2009 au Collège de Maisonneuve, l’institut de recherche sur l’immigration et sur les pratiques interculturelles et inclusives IRIPII est l’un des rares organismes au Québec qui, dans le domaine de l’immigration, de par sa position d’interface entre les milieux de recherche et les différents milieux de pratiques, a...
INNOVATE™ Toronto
MICROSOFT CANADA
GROWING CANADA’S TECH COMMUNITIES
Tech is about more than just new tools. It is about unlocking opportunities and markets, supporting new approaches, and empowering more high-tech innovations. Microsoft has worked closely with Toronto and Canada’s venture capital community looking to bolster its investments in Canadian startups. Toronto and Canada’s venture capitalists are innovation...
INNOVATION Quebec
CENTRE QUÉBÉCOIS D’INNOVATION EN BIOTECHNOLOGIE (CQIB)
LE CQIB, AU CŒUR DE L’ÉCOSYSTÈME ENTREPRENEURRIAL EN SCIENCES DE LA VIE
Les lecteurs de cette publication sont bien placés pour le savoir : le Québec est un terreau incroyablement fertile pour l’innovation. Si on génère autant d’innovations en sol québécois, c’est notamment parce que nous avons en place des organisations mobilisatrice qui catalyse notre expertise et notre savoir. Parmi ces organisations,...
INNOVATION Quebec
Founded in 2017, the Maison de l’innovation sociale (MIS) is an NFP whose mission is to eliminate the obstacles between an idea with a positive social and environmental impact and its implementation. At MIS, we are interested in the precursor stage of a social innovation. We help very early-stage projects...
INNOVATE™ South Africa
AGGREKO
GOING GREEN – MEETING GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL GOALS WITH CLEAN ENERGY
South Africa will have to make a distinct shift to embrace the new norms in global climate and energy landscape discussions. Current infrastructure relies heavily on fuels that are not necessarily the most environmentally friendly, and this poses a threat to the country’s role in a global energy sector with...
Global Innovation Spotlight
How Soft2Bet Uses Data and Analytics for Product Development
Soft2Bet is an international B2B technology company that develops software solutions and digital platforms for the iGaming industry. Creating in-demand digital services requires effective management of information flows and data. Soft2Bet uses analytical approaches to the collection, processing, and interpretation of information, helping to improve digital products and user experience....
INNOVATE® Seattle
SVB - SILICON VALLEY BANK
SVB helps individuals, investors and the world’s most innovative companies achieve extraordinary outcomes.
Our Seattle-based team is dedicated to helping leading founders, executives, and investors achieve their financial goals. We’re based in downtown Seattle and proudly serve the Greater Seattle innovation economy. Silicon Valley Bank, SVB Capital, SVB Private, and SVB Securities together offer the services that dynamic and fast-growing clients require as...
INNOVATE® Philadelphia
Stateside Brands
An Innovative Leader
Few ready-to-drink beverage brands have captivated the market like Surfside. Since its 2022 launch, Surfside has taken off like a rocket ship, becoming the fastest-growing brand within the entire alcoholic beverage sector. At the close of 2025, Surfside achieved 11.1 million case sales, growing an astounding 6.2 million cases from...
INNOVATE™ Logistics
CONNECTIC
Revolutionising Asset Management in Transport and Logistics
Real-time information drives business decisions. Connectic – a distributor and integrator of digital solutions – supports the transport and logistics sector with its innovative digital asset tracking solutions to optimise productivity and operations. In the transport and logistics world, managing and monitoring assets can be a daunting challenge – especially...
INNOVATE® Georgia
GEORGIA ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN MANUFACTURING (GEORGIA AIM)
BUILDING A RESILIENT MANUFACTURING
Georgia Artificial Intelligence in Manufacturing (Georgia AIM) represents a bold vision for the future of manufacturing in Georgia and serves as a blueprint for the nation. This future is inclusive, innovative, and impactful, propelling the state of Georgia into the forefront of AI-driven manufacturing. STATEWIDE REACH AND FOCUS At its...
INNOVATE® Georgia
CREDENZA
THE FUTURE OF FAN ENGAGEMENT IS HERE
THE BACKSTORYIn 2013, Sandy Khaund, Credenza Inc’s Founder, was introduced to blockchain. He recognized the potential for decentralized identification, where identity isn’t tied to platforms like Facebook, Google, or proprietary logins, but instead relies on mathematical computation to universally identify each user. He believed that if this concept gained traction,...
INNOVATE® Milwaukee
WAUKESHA COUNTY TECHNICAL COLLEGE
LEADING HIGHER EDUCATION INTO THE FUTURE
Waukesha County Technical College, one of 16 Colleges part of the Wisconsin Technical College System, has been a leader of workforce development and training in Southeastern Wisconsin for more than a century. The College is focused on educating students for in-demand jobs and contributing to the economy by providing skilled...
INNOVATE™ Alberta
ALBERTA IoT
Supporting an ever-growing ecosystem at Alberta IoT
Alberta IoT is a non-profit member-based association supporting organizations with a vested interest in internet of things (IoT) and emerging technologies. Members, ranging in size from solo entrepreneurs to large enterprise, collaborate to provide a common voice to advance the knowledge, adoption, and growth of emerging tech in Alberta and...
INNOVATE® Gaming & Esports
GAMESAFER
SCALING SAFETY AND FAIR PLAY TO MILLIONS OF PLAYERS
GamerSafer’s mission is to scale safety and fair play experiences to millions of players worldwide. Fraud, crime, and toxicity are present in many online interactions, compromising user experience, lifetime value and engagement. The co-founders of GamerSafer, a former executive from the gaming industry and a social impact entrepreneur, both gamers...