Stories of Innovation

The Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development (DMPED) is a driving force behind Washington, D.C.’s economic engine, a catalyst for innovation, growth, and opportunity in the nation’s capital. With a mission to foster a thriving, inclusive ecosystem, DMPED spearheads initiatives that attract businesses and cultivate job...

The CEO and founder of Red-Lined International Terence Marsh had a goal of competing on the world stage at Dakar and established the business in 2013. We set out into the international market in search of a race car and returned to South Africa disillusioned at what the market had...

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...

DAINTREE CAPITAL – Investing In A Diverse Future Daintree Capital emerges in the Washington, D.C., landscape not just as an investment firm but as a beacon of innovation and diversity. Founded by Alisha Griffey, a visionary with deep roots in the startup ecosystem, Daintree Capital’s mission resonates with the rich...

At Concurrency, the journey is defined by a relentless pursuit of innovation, excellence, and an unwavering commitment to transforming businesses through cutting-edge technology solutions. As a distinguished 12-time Microsoft Partner of the Year winner and a top AI Partner, Concurrency is at the forefront of the digital revolution, empowering organizations...

As of early 2024, slot games account for nearly 70% of digital casino revenue (H2 Gambling Capital). Rapid advances in mobile and cloud tech have forced companies to rethink launches, promotion, and profit models, while a constant flood of new titles keeps operators and studios scrambling to adapt. Today, success...

Canada’s first NSERC-P&WC Executive Industrial Chair in Aerospace Research on Propulsion System Integration and Optimization (2011-2016). These projects filled a significant lack of data and criteria in the literature on the preliminary design phase of aircraft engines. The goal was to develop an automated and integrated turbine design system that...

Bringing together more than 100 university or college research groups and several scientific platforms, QCAM aims to provide solutions to major societal challenges through advanced materials2 . To do so, its members study nano, self-assembled and polymer materials and collaborate with industrial partners to address energy, health and sustainable development...

CIRANO is the leading institution in Quebec for knowledge enhancement in the economic evaluation of decisions on major societal issues, and for the development and evaluation of public policies. Nathalie de Marcellis-Warin, Polytechnique Montreal professor, President and CEO, CIRANO Catherine Beaudry Polytechnique Montréal “CIRANO plays a crucial role in Quebec’s...

INVID Group was founded in 2003 in the garage of Alberto Lugo’s parents’ house. Back then, his main drive was to create exciting jobs on the island and have a positive work environment that would stimulate innovation and contribute to the economic growth of Puerto Rico. Since then, INVID has...

MYCÉLIUM boasts an innovative incubation model enhanced by the involvement of the regional business network, stakeholders’ expertise and access to the talent of several scientists from the Institut sur la nutrition et les aliments fonctionnels de l’Université Laval (INAF), the largest research centre in Canada dedicated to food and nutrition....

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...

Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A., Inc. (Konica Minolta) has been operating out of its U.S. headquarters in Ramsey, NJ since the 1970s. Across the country, more than 5,000 employees work together to reshape and revolutionize the workplace to achieve true connectivity through the Intelligent Connected Workplace. The company guides and...

Innovators rarely consider themselves to be pioneers within their own industry. And Andrew Augustin is a prime example of this axiom. Augustin is a graphic designer who, in 2011, founded Notion Games, an Austin-based video gaming company that creates games for people of all ages. But that brief description fails...

GIA STORY“What if learning felt like a game?” This initial question was actually the starting point for the Games Institute. When Thomas Kunze stumbled over the topic of Game Based Learning in 2010, it was a question that never really left his thoughts again. Learning, especially in a digital world,...

AN ESSENTIAL MISSION FOR THE FUTURE OF QUÉBEC Axelys integrates innovations from Quebec’s public research into the mainstream of society. Our mission is at the heart of the new 2022 2027 Québec strategy to support research and investment in innovation, launched in May 2022 by the Quebec government. At Axelys,...

At Deloitte, we have a big-picture vision of innovation—it’s not only about what we produce but also about where it takes us and how it enables our people, clients, communities, and country to thrive. To realize this vision, we work to inspire and empower our people to be innovative at...

Very few people were talking about entrepreneurship in Puerto Rico when Grupo Guayacan, Inc. was born in 1996. Founded by Enrique “Ricky” Adsuar as a private sector mission-driven nonprofit organization, it has served entrepreneurs with a unique model that has coupled private equity investment with a series of programs to...

The initials GDI comes from the concept “Ground Digital Interface”, not dropping the story, keeping three letters of the company “GrunDIg”.   Founded by three people and with the support of Corex Web, a technology startup, was the embarkment of a project without any investment capital. Something that would certainly...

Proudly, Ahrens is a 120-year-old family-owned SA company, spanning five generations, delivering a diverse range of high-quality and cost-effective products, projects and services. Beginning in 1902 as a one-dimensional business in Sheaoak Log, on the edge of the Barossa Valley, and offering blacksmithing services of its time, the business has...

In the heart of Curitiba, Brazil, Grupo Senff’s journey started in 1892 within the walls of a humble bakery, laying the foundation for 130 years of continuous innovation. This financial stalwart reached a pivotal juncture in 1977 by evolving into the acclaimed Parati Supermarket Chain. A transformative moment occurred in...

INNOVATION IN THE PORT SECTOR Innovate to Compete Transnet Port Terminals (TPT), a division of Transnet SOC Ltd is responsible for the operations of 16 port terminals across seven of South Africa’s ports. More than 9,000 employees work diligently every day to ensure that containers, cars, bulk, and break-bulk cargo...

But Newzoo wasn’t its founder’s (Peter Warman and Thijs Hagoort) first venture into the world of business. Far from it. After becoming friends playing basketball in high school, the industrious duo sold custom-designed t-shirts. Those early days taught them a valuable lesson: custom production based on manuals does not scale...

With a staff complement of close to 10 employees on a full-time basis, Litter Kings is a pronounced example of a local business that started from the bottom and relentlessly worked hard to ensure growth and sustainability of the company over the years. The company started running in 2013 when...