Stories of Innovation

INNOVATE® Washington DMV Edition

Mintwood Strategies

THE INNOVATORS OF UNOFFICIAL WASHINGTON

There is official Washington you see on TV, which features the National Mall, Congress, and the White House, and there is unofficial Washington, which is home to 700,000 citizens who are denied the ability to electorally participate in official Washington. Mintwood Strategies has carved out a niche in the media...

INNOVATE™ Vancouver Vol.2

TAKASA

UNLOCK A WORLD OF SUSTAINABLE POSSIBILITIES WITH TAKASA

Takasa is a premium organic lifestyle company that is devoted to sourcing the finest materials, partnering with fair-trade and clean manufacturers, and delivering exceptional value to customers. With a passion for exceptionally high-quality materials and socially conscious manufacturing processes, Takasa is focused on combining thoughtfully designed premium products for those...

SharpSpring

SharpSpring - The company

The company, built in Gainesville, is committed to fueling growth and deepening roots in its hometown

When SharpSpring CEO Rick Carlson gets questions about moving his growing tech company to a larger, more metropolitan city, his answer is always the same. “We have no plans to go anywhere. The talent coming out of the university is fueling the emergence of a true tech center in Gainesville,...

INNOVATION Quebec

ÉCOBES

UN CCTT DÉDIÉ À RÉSOUDRE LES INÉGALITÉS SOCIALES EN ÉDUCATION ET EN SANTÉ

UN CCTT DÉDIÉ À RÉSOUDRE LES INÉGALITÉS SOCIALES EN ÉDUCATION ET EN SANTÉ AU MOYEN DE LA RECHERCHE APPLIQUÉE ET PARTENARIALE COMPRENDRE, COCONSTRUIRE, AGIR Le Centre d’Étude sur les COnditions de vie et BESoins de la population (ÉCOBES) s’affirme en tant que chef de file dans le domaine de l’innovation...

INNOVATE® Jacksonville

Forcura

Forcura-Designed Specifically For The Complexity Of Home Health And Hospice Agencies

Designed Specifically For The Complexity Of Home Health And Hospice Agencies

Craig Mandeville, CEO of Jacksonville, Florida-based healthcare technology provider Forcura founded his company for personal reasons, hoping to lessen the time his wife spent driving back and forth to her employer’s home healthcare agency. In her role at the time, Heather Mandeville helped patients who were leaving a hospital transition...

INNOVATE™ Vancouver Vol.2

TRAILBLAZE PARTNERS

FIRST WHO, THEN WHAT

Throughout their careers as leaders in a variety of industries, Rhys and Jerry started to realize that the problems they were being asked to solve had less to do with operational work, and far more to do with people and culture. Witnessing as they became involved with these, the impact...

INNOVATE™ Toronto

PORTAGE VENTURES

PORTAGE VENTURES-A GLOBAL FINTECH VENTURE CAPITAL INVESTOR

A GLOBAL FINTECH VENTURE CAPITAL INVESTOR

Portage Ventures (“Portage”) is a venture investor that partners with some of the world’s most innovative financial technology companies. Portage is the venture capital arm of multi-asset class alternative investment firm Sagard. It was cofounded in 2016 by Paul Desmarais III (Executive Chairman and CEO of Sagard) and Adam Felesky...

INNOVATION Quebec

STIQ (SOUS-TRAITANCE INDUSTRIELLE QUÉBEC)

A BENCHMARK IN QUEBEC’S MANUFACTURING ECOSYSTEM

STIQ a multi-industry association of Quebec based manufacturers whose mission is to improve the competitiveness of manufacturing supply chains in order to promote the development of our economy. Since its founding in 1987, STIQ has been a performance activator creating successful business networks and managing custom improvement programs. Innovation: a...

INNOVATE™ Alberta

OPTAVE

IS BUILDING THE FUTURE OF CUSTOMER SERVICE

VISION: We’re enabling a world where the systems are so effective and smart that problems are identified and solved before you even know they exist. And if you ever need to contact support, an artificial intelligent assistant will do it for you, making life easier for everyone. The ‘Uber’ of...

INNOVATE® New Jersey Vol.2

INTERFLEXION

DELIVERS AI-POWERED ROLE-PLAY THAT HELPS ASPIRING PROFESSIONALS IMPROVE THEIR CONVERSATION SKILLS

INTERFLEXION WAS FOUNDED TO IMPROVE WORKPLACE COMMUNICATIONS.Interflexion’s co-founders, successful fintech entrepreneur John Muldoon & tech innovator John Hack, had worked together during the dotcom era and bonded over their interest in emerging technologies and organizational performance. In 2019, we were returning from a meeting with a VR expert when we...

INNOVATION Quebec

CYBERECO

A UNIQUE AND INNOVATIVE CYBERSECURITY CATALYST IN QUEBEC AND CANADA

The genesis of CyberecoIn 2018, Desjardins Group, National Bank, Deloitte and RHEA Group decided to join forces to advance cybersecurity by creating Cybereco. The initiative was motivated in particular by the founders’ desire to work together to meet the challenges of the talent shortage, to improve the cyber resilience of...

INNOVATE™ Antwerp Vol.2

GORILLA MARKETING

THE TIMECHAMBER

With their fresh, innovative ideas they already proved themselves worthy as a marketing agency, helping dozens of companies defining their position in the market and upping their (digital) game....

Global Innovation Spotlight

Canadian Choice

Windows and Doors that continues to prove why it's the number one option in Canada

A Commitment to Quality, Service, and Community Founded in 1997, Canadian Choice Windows and Doors is Canada’s #1 window and door manufacturer and installation company. They owe their success to their unique window technology, customer-centric service, and dedication to growth and community support. From manufacturing to servicing, they take a...

INNOVATE® South Carolina

Furman University

Furman’s Center for Innovative Leadership: Shaping Leaders, Sparking Innovation.

Furman University, consistently recognized among the nation’s most innovative universities, made a decisive move in 2023 by launching the Center for Innovative Leadership (CIL). Building on Furman’s mission to build lifelong learners who lead lives of meaning and consequence, its reputation for producing high-potential leaders and the Hill Institute for...

INNOVATE™ Curitiba

PREÂMBULO TECH

WITH DETERMINATION AND A REVOLUTIONARY SPIRIT, PREÂMBULO TECH EMERGED

WITH DETERMINATION AND A REVOLUTIONARY SPIRIT, PREÂMBULO TECH EMERGED TO TRANSFORM THE BRAZILIAN LEGAL LANDSCAPE. Investing heavily in technology and innovation, the company has established itself as a benchmark in the country’s Legaltech market. The founder and CEO, Hamilton Andreatta, takes pride in being an example for his city, state,...

INNOVATE® Nashville

TEACH FOR AMERICA

TRANSFORMING CLASSROOMS AND EXPANDING POSSIBILITIES

A National Movement to Expand Educational Opportunity This year, Teach For America marks its 35th anniversary – a milestone that celebrates a movement of leaders working alongside communities to expand opportunity for all children. Since its founding in 1990, Teach For America has recruited, developed, and supported a diverse network...

INNOVATION Quebec

CPA

CCTT IN AUTOMATED PRODUCTION

Since 1984, Cégep de Jonquière’s Centre de production automatisée (CPA) has been working closely with approximately 200 organizations each year, both locally and internationally. Our mission has expanded with the creation of our Centre en technologies des énergies renouvelables et du rendement énergétique (Centre TERRE) through the NSERC. Working together...

INNOVATE™ Vancouver Vol.2

RAFAEL SANTA ANA ARCHITECTURE WORKSHOP

CHALLENGING CREATIVITY THROUGH DIVERSITY

Rafael Santa Ana Architecture Workshop (RSAAW) is a Vancouver-based architectural practice that creates expressive, contemporary interventions that contribute to our communities in thoughtful and meaningful ways. The practice’s diverse team pursues projects where design can be developed, including residential, commercial, institutional, industrial, and mixed use development programs. RSAAW seeks creative...

INNOVATION Quebec

PÔLE SUR LA VILLE RÉSILIENTE

ET SON TIERS LIEU MIXCITÉ, UNIVERSITÉ DU QUÉBEC À MONTRÉAL

Les villes sont appelées à se transformer profondément dans les prochaines décennies autant pour s’adapter aux importants changements environnementaux qui découlent du mode de développement basé sur la croissance continue que pour atténuer les externalités négatives de l’urbanité. En fait, on peut avoir pour ambition que les villes participent à...

INNOVATE® Washington DMV Edition

CUBISMI

A Vanguard of Healthcare’s Transformation

“Grassroots physician leadership will be vital for patient-centered transformative innovation.” – Dr. Moira Schieke Cubismi is redefining the frontiers of healthcare through the synergy of AI, cloud, and physician-led human-centered design. Guided by the visionary leadership of Dr. Moira Schieke, Cubismi is leading transformative innovation to usher in a new...

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® Chicago Vol.1

THE CHICAGO HELP INITIATIVE

THE CHICAGO HELP INITIATIVE-A Simple

A Simple, Duplicable Model Of How Local Organizations Can Help Those In Need And The Community That Surrounds Them

The Chicago Help Initiative was founded in 1999 by Jacqueline C. Hayes to be a compassionate response to the homeless displaced by efforts of the City of Chicago. It has evolved into a hyperlocal model of how individuals can link together to address a difficult problem using a mix of...

INNOVATE™ South Africa

GOODBYE MALARIA

GOODBYE MALARIA-IT’S TIME TO SAY GOODBYE

IT’S TIME TO SAY GOODBYE, TO MALARIA

Mosquitoes. For most people around the world, their buzzing is merely an irritation and a disruption to sleep. For many in Africa, it is a deadly killer. Of all the beautiful, awe-inspiring and scary animals across this continent, one of its smallest insects wreaks the most tragedy and pain. To...

INNOVATE™ Kitchener Waterloo

VOLTERA

CATALYZING INNOVATION IN ADDITIVE ELECTRONICS

In 2013, Voltera set out to solve a long-standing challenge in the engineering community — creating an easy-to-use desktop PCB printer. By 2015, that vision had come to life with the launch of V-One, a compact PCB printer capable of drilling through-holes, printing conductive materials, dispensing solder paste, and reflowing...

INNOVATE® Washington DMV Edition

Mintwood Strategies

THE INNOVATORS OF UNOFFICIAL WASHINGTON

There is official Washington you see on TV, which features the National Mall, Congress, and the White House, and there is unofficial Washington, which is home to 700,000 citizens who are denied the ability to electorally participate in official Washington. Mintwood Strategies has carved out a niche in the media...

INNOVATE™ Vancouver Vol.2

TAKASA

UNLOCK A WORLD OF SUSTAINABLE POSSIBILITIES WITH TAKASA

Takasa is a premium organic lifestyle company that is devoted to sourcing the finest materials, partnering with fair-trade and clean manufacturers, and delivering exceptional value to customers. With a passion for exceptionally high-quality materials and socially conscious manufacturing processes, Takasa is focused on combining thoughtfully designed premium products for those...

SharpSpring

SharpSpring - The company

The company, built in Gainesville, is committed to fueling growth and deepening roots in its hometown

When SharpSpring CEO Rick Carlson gets questions about moving his growing tech company to a larger, more metropolitan city, his answer is always the same. “We have no plans to go anywhere. The talent coming out of the university is fueling the emergence of a true tech center in Gainesville,...

INNOVATION Quebec

ÉCOBES

UN CCTT DÉDIÉ À RÉSOUDRE LES INÉGALITÉS SOCIALES EN ÉDUCATION ET EN SANTÉ

UN CCTT DÉDIÉ À RÉSOUDRE LES INÉGALITÉS SOCIALES EN ÉDUCATION ET EN SANTÉ AU MOYEN DE LA RECHERCHE APPLIQUÉE ET PARTENARIALE COMPRENDRE, COCONSTRUIRE, AGIR Le Centre d’Étude sur les COnditions de vie et BESoins de la population (ÉCOBES) s’affirme en tant que chef de file dans le domaine de l’innovation...

INNOVATE® Jacksonville

Forcura

Forcura-Designed Specifically For The Complexity Of Home Health And Hospice Agencies

Designed Specifically For The Complexity Of Home Health And Hospice Agencies

Craig Mandeville, CEO of Jacksonville, Florida-based healthcare technology provider Forcura founded his company for personal reasons, hoping to lessen the time his wife spent driving back and forth to her employer’s home healthcare agency. In her role at the time, Heather Mandeville helped patients who were leaving a hospital transition...

INNOVATE™ Vancouver Vol.2

TRAILBLAZE PARTNERS

FIRST WHO, THEN WHAT

Throughout their careers as leaders in a variety of industries, Rhys and Jerry started to realize that the problems they were being asked to solve had less to do with operational work, and far more to do with people and culture. Witnessing as they became involved with these, the impact...

INNOVATE™ Toronto

PORTAGE VENTURES

PORTAGE VENTURES-A GLOBAL FINTECH VENTURE CAPITAL INVESTOR

A GLOBAL FINTECH VENTURE CAPITAL INVESTOR

Portage Ventures (“Portage”) is a venture investor that partners with some of the world’s most innovative financial technology companies. Portage is the venture capital arm of multi-asset class alternative investment firm Sagard. It was cofounded in 2016 by Paul Desmarais III (Executive Chairman and CEO of Sagard) and Adam Felesky...

INNOVATION Quebec

STIQ (SOUS-TRAITANCE INDUSTRIELLE QUÉBEC)

A BENCHMARK IN QUEBEC’S MANUFACTURING ECOSYSTEM

STIQ a multi-industry association of Quebec based manufacturers whose mission is to improve the competitiveness of manufacturing supply chains in order to promote the development of our economy. Since its founding in 1987, STIQ has been a performance activator creating successful business networks and managing custom improvement programs. Innovation: a...

INNOVATE™ Alberta

OPTAVE

IS BUILDING THE FUTURE OF CUSTOMER SERVICE

VISION: We’re enabling a world where the systems are so effective and smart that problems are identified and solved before you even know they exist. And if you ever need to contact support, an artificial intelligent assistant will do it for you, making life easier for everyone. The ‘Uber’ of...

INNOVATE® New Jersey Vol.2

INTERFLEXION

DELIVERS AI-POWERED ROLE-PLAY THAT HELPS ASPIRING PROFESSIONALS IMPROVE THEIR CONVERSATION SKILLS

INTERFLEXION WAS FOUNDED TO IMPROVE WORKPLACE COMMUNICATIONS.Interflexion’s co-founders, successful fintech entrepreneur John Muldoon & tech innovator John Hack, had worked together during the dotcom era and bonded over their interest in emerging technologies and organizational performance. In 2019, we were returning from a meeting with a VR expert when we...

INNOVATION Quebec

CYBERECO

A UNIQUE AND INNOVATIVE CYBERSECURITY CATALYST IN QUEBEC AND CANADA

The genesis of CyberecoIn 2018, Desjardins Group, National Bank, Deloitte and RHEA Group decided to join forces to advance cybersecurity by creating Cybereco. The initiative was motivated in particular by the founders’ desire to work together to meet the challenges of the talent shortage, to improve the cyber resilience of...

INNOVATE™ Antwerp Vol.2

GORILLA MARKETING

THE TIMECHAMBER

With their fresh, innovative ideas they already proved themselves worthy as a marketing agency, helping dozens of companies defining their position in the market and upping their (digital) game....

Global Innovation Spotlight

Canadian Choice

Windows and Doors that continues to prove why it's the number one option in Canada

A Commitment to Quality, Service, and Community Founded in 1997, Canadian Choice Windows and Doors is Canada’s #1 window and door manufacturer and installation company. They owe their success to their unique window technology, customer-centric service, and dedication to growth and community support. From manufacturing to servicing, they take a...

INNOVATE® South Carolina

Furman University

Furman’s Center for Innovative Leadership: Shaping Leaders, Sparking Innovation.

Furman University, consistently recognized among the nation’s most innovative universities, made a decisive move in 2023 by launching the Center for Innovative Leadership (CIL). Building on Furman’s mission to build lifelong learners who lead lives of meaning and consequence, its reputation for producing high-potential leaders and the Hill Institute for...

INNOVATE™ Curitiba

PREÂMBULO TECH

WITH DETERMINATION AND A REVOLUTIONARY SPIRIT, PREÂMBULO TECH EMERGED

WITH DETERMINATION AND A REVOLUTIONARY SPIRIT, PREÂMBULO TECH EMERGED TO TRANSFORM THE BRAZILIAN LEGAL LANDSCAPE. Investing heavily in technology and innovation, the company has established itself as a benchmark in the country’s Legaltech market. The founder and CEO, Hamilton Andreatta, takes pride in being an example for his city, state,...

INNOVATE® Nashville

TEACH FOR AMERICA

TRANSFORMING CLASSROOMS AND EXPANDING POSSIBILITIES

A National Movement to Expand Educational Opportunity This year, Teach For America marks its 35th anniversary – a milestone that celebrates a movement of leaders working alongside communities to expand opportunity for all children. Since its founding in 1990, Teach For America has recruited, developed, and supported a diverse network...

INNOVATION Quebec

CPA

CCTT IN AUTOMATED PRODUCTION

Since 1984, Cégep de Jonquière’s Centre de production automatisée (CPA) has been working closely with approximately 200 organizations each year, both locally and internationally. Our mission has expanded with the creation of our Centre en technologies des énergies renouvelables et du rendement énergétique (Centre TERRE) through the NSERC. Working together...

INNOVATE™ Vancouver Vol.2

RAFAEL SANTA ANA ARCHITECTURE WORKSHOP

CHALLENGING CREATIVITY THROUGH DIVERSITY

Rafael Santa Ana Architecture Workshop (RSAAW) is a Vancouver-based architectural practice that creates expressive, contemporary interventions that contribute to our communities in thoughtful and meaningful ways. The practice’s diverse team pursues projects where design can be developed, including residential, commercial, institutional, industrial, and mixed use development programs. RSAAW seeks creative...

INNOVATION Quebec

PÔLE SUR LA VILLE RÉSILIENTE

ET SON TIERS LIEU MIXCITÉ, UNIVERSITÉ DU QUÉBEC À MONTRÉAL

Les villes sont appelées à se transformer profondément dans les prochaines décennies autant pour s’adapter aux importants changements environnementaux qui découlent du mode de développement basé sur la croissance continue que pour atténuer les externalités négatives de l’urbanité. En fait, on peut avoir pour ambition que les villes participent à...

INNOVATE® Washington DMV Edition

CUBISMI

A Vanguard of Healthcare’s Transformation

“Grassroots physician leadership will be vital for patient-centered transformative innovation.” – Dr. Moira Schieke Cubismi is redefining the frontiers of healthcare through the synergy of AI, cloud, and physician-led human-centered design. Guided by the visionary leadership of Dr. Moira Schieke, Cubismi is leading transformative innovation to usher in a new...

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® Chicago Vol.1

THE CHICAGO HELP INITIATIVE

THE CHICAGO HELP INITIATIVE-A Simple

A Simple, Duplicable Model Of How Local Organizations Can Help Those In Need And The Community That Surrounds Them

The Chicago Help Initiative was founded in 1999 by Jacqueline C. Hayes to be a compassionate response to the homeless displaced by efforts of the City of Chicago. It has evolved into a hyperlocal model of how individuals can link together to address a difficult problem using a mix of...

INNOVATE™ South Africa

GOODBYE MALARIA

GOODBYE MALARIA-IT’S TIME TO SAY GOODBYE

IT’S TIME TO SAY GOODBYE, TO MALARIA

Mosquitoes. For most people around the world, their buzzing is merely an irritation and a disruption to sleep. For many in Africa, it is a deadly killer. Of all the beautiful, awe-inspiring and scary animals across this continent, one of its smallest insects wreaks the most tragedy and pain. To...

INNOVATE™ Kitchener Waterloo

VOLTERA

CATALYZING INNOVATION IN ADDITIVE ELECTRONICS

In 2013, Voltera set out to solve a long-standing challenge in the engineering community — creating an easy-to-use desktop PCB printer. By 2015, that vision had come to life with the launch of V-One, a compact PCB printer capable of drilling through-holes, printing conductive materials, dispensing solder paste, and reflowing...

Ecosystems