Stories of Innovation

INNOVATE® Kansas City

UMKC Innovation Center

THE UMKC INNOVATION CENTER UNLOCKS THE POTENTIAL OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP BY HELPING PEOPLE TURN THEIR IDEAS AND INNOVATIONS INTO VENTURES THAT SHAPE AN ECONOMY OF HOPE.

Founded with the vision of fostering innovation and entrepreneurship,the UMKC Innovation Center was established in 2003 to transform Kansas City into a thriving hub of entrepreneurial activity. The center’s purpose is to nurture and support entrepreneurs, from fledgling startups to established businesses, by providing vital resources, coaching, and connections. By...

INNOVATE™ Adelaide

VALO

VALO, which means great courage, strength and moral worth, is a South Australian business founded in 2012 aiming to reach international markets in premium stadium lighting. With thousands of stadia across the world, the opportunities to place VALO and its South Australian innovations on the map are almost endless. Based...

INNOVATE® Milwaukee

BIOFORWARD WISCONSIN:

LEADING THE PATH TO PERSONALIZED MEDICINE

Pioneering Innovation in BiohealthNestled in the heart of America’s Midwest, BioForward Wisconsin represents Wisconsin’s vibrant biohealth sector which stands as a beacon of innovation and economic growth. A 501(c) 6 member association established in 1988 as the Wisconsin Biotechnology Association, the organization initially focused on biotechnology. It expanded its membership...

INNOVATE® South Carolina

IT-oLogy

Promote. Teach. Grow.

USC and BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina partnered with IBM in December 2008 to form the Consortium for Enterprise Systems Management. The Consortium was formed in part to encourage young people to learn the skills needed to manage enterprise systems, large-scale computers that process high volume transactions. Since its inception,...

INNOVATE® South Carolina

DC BLOX

DRIVING DIGITAL INNOVATION AND EMPOWERING COMMUNITIES IN SOUTH CAROLINA

Every morning, the sun rises over a small, unassuming building nestled near the shores of Myrtle Beach. From the outside, it could be anything—a warehouse, a power station, just another part of the city’s horizon. But inside, this facility is something extraordinary: a new kind of port, not for ships...

INNOVATE™ Estonia

DIPPERFOX

GRINDING THROUGH THE COMPETITION

Dipperfox, an Estonian-based heavy machinery attachment innovation powerhouse, has transformed the global approach to stump removal with its pioneering range of high-efficiency stump crushers. Designed for speed, durability, and versatility, Dipperfox stump grinders are rapidly becoming the tool of choice for professionals in forestry, landscaping, municipal services, and construction. Launched...

INNOVATE® Seattle

Turkish Delight

NO FRILLS, JUST VERY TASTY FOOD PREPARED AND SERVED WITH LOTS OF LOVE.

NO FRILLS, JUST VERY TASTY FOOD PREPARED AND SERVED WITH LOTS OF LOVE. Turkish Delight Turkish Delight was established in 1982, and with Ahmet and Semra’s dedication, it has become a cherished tradition with locals and also a delectable experience for visitors. A foodie delight with a spectacular view tucked...

INNOVATE® Washington DMV Edition

ENLIGHTENED, INC

Leading Innovation Through Technology and Thought Leadership

Enlightened, Inc. is not just another technology firm in Washington, D.C. It is a haven of innovation and thought leadership, dedicated to solving the most pressing challenges of its clients. With a mission to provide intelligent solutions that make a measurable impact, Enlightened stands out as an award-winning HUBZone-certified Information...

INNOVATE™ Vancouver Vol.2

ProShop ERP

Delivers powerful manufacturing software by deeply understanding our client’s challenges in order to meaningfully improve their businesses and in turn, their communities

We are the industry’s only shop management software specifically dedicated to, and built for an aerospace contract manufacturer in the Pacific Northwest. We are fanatical about managing every detail of machine shops in a paperless and web-based environment, including the enterprise resource management (ERP) functions necessary to run offices, the...

Global Innovation Spotlight

Hosting solutions for growing webshops

A webshop’s success depends not only on products and design but also on the technical foundation that supports daily operations. Hosting is the backbone of every online store, determining speed, reliability, and the ability to handle growth. Modern businesses increasingly look for flexible and future-proof environments that can adapt to...

Global Innovation Spotlight

Soft2Bet Combines iGaming Growth with Purpose-Driven Giving

Growth, but with Grounding

Did You Know That Soft2Bet’s Business Model Has a Generous Side? Fast growth and big numbers tend to steal the spotlight in iGaming. But there’s another side to success that doesn’t always make the headlines — the part that gives back. Soft2Bet knows the business of scaling platforms and entering...

INNOVATION Quebec

DISTRIQ QUANTUM INNOVATION ZONE

DistriQ, Quantum Innovation Zone, is an organization that provides expertise and infrastructure to foster the emergence and acceleration of innovation in the quantum science and technology sector. DistriQ supports the development of one of the first innovation zones ofthe Quebec government, the Sherbrooke Quantum Innovation Zone. Since its designation in...

INNOVATE® Detroit

SNIFFER ROBOTICS

Reaching New Heights Through Environmental Innovation

Sniffer Robotics has quickly become an industry leader in the environmental technology sector. The company develops unique solutions and provides crucial emissions monitoring services to the waste, biogas, and renewable natural gas industries. Their mission is clear: to detect and mitigate methane emissions to help protect our environment. Surface emissions...

INNOVATE® Puerto Rico

ÁLVAREZ-DÍAZ & VILLALÓN

ÁLVAREZ-DÍAZ & VILLALÓN

THE ART OF THE PIVOT

Álvarez-Díaz & Villalón® (AD&V®) is the largest Architecture and Interior Design Firm in Puerto Rico. The firm is dedicated to sustainable design that enhances people’s experience and improves their lives. Cristina Villalón, Co-Founder | Ricardo Álvarez-Díaz, Co-Founder | Monique Lugo López, President Throughout AD&V’s ® history, they have been reinventing...

INNOVATE™ Kitchener Waterloo

ALERT LABS

SIMPLE BY DESIGN: HOW ALERT LABS MAKES WATER MANAGEMENT SMARTER

From the very beginning, Alert Labs set out to make things easier. Whether for building managers, property owners, or their own team, the goal was always to create solutions that customers would love to use and a company that people wanted to be part of. Alert Labs was founded in...

INNOVATE® Washington DMV Edition

REVOLUTION

Pioneering the Next Wave of Innovation

Founded by AOL co-founder Steve Case, the DC-based investment firm Revolution emerged in 2005 with a bold mission: to invest in startups around the country – highlighting venture opportunity beyond Silicon Valley and partnering with founders who recognize thetransformative impact of policy and regulation in helping them build market-defining companies....

INNOVATE™ Antwerp Vol.2

PUXANO

PUXANO- ACCELERATING STRUCTURE-BASED PROTEIN RESEARCH

ACCELERATING STRUCTURE-BASED PROTEIN RESEARCH

PROTEIN STRUCTURESProteins are key building blocks and fulfill many essential roles within all living organisms. They are involved in processes such as immunity, metabolism, perception, etc. As many diseases are the result of malfunctioning proteins, understanding what they look like and how they work is essential to develop better therapeutic...

INNOVATE® Washington DMV Edition

Anacostia Business Improvement District (BID)

A Vision Realized

The Anacostia Business Improvement District (BID) is dedicated to fostering a thriving, safe, and vibrant commercial and arts district in the designated BID area. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, it ensures that local businesses have the resources they need to succeed while promoting economic development that aligns with the unique character...

INNOVATE® New Jersey Vol.2

TERRACYCLE

ON A MISSION TO ELIMINATE THE IDEA OF WASTE

TerraCycle is an international leader in innovative sustainability solutions, creating and operating first-of-their-kind platforms in recycling, recycled materials, and reuse. Through collaboration and innovation, we’ve developed the world’s first solutions in everything from recycling to reuse. Businesses, government entities, and consumers work with us globally to keep trash out of...

INNOVATE™ Estonia

MIFUNDO

THE VERIFIED AND PASSPORTABLE FINANCIAL IDENTITY CONNECTING EUROPE’S CREDIT MARKETS

EUROPE’S FIRST INTEGRATED CREDIT INFRASTRUCTURE Mifundo provides European banks with cross-border credit data that allows consumer credit histories to move between countries. This technology removes one of the last remaining barriers to financial mobility in the European Union: fragmented data locked within national borders. For millions of people who live,...

INNOVATE® Gaming & Esports

ALTURA

ALTURA-WHERE BLOCKCHAIN MEETS GAMING

WHERE BLOCKCHAIN MEETS GAMING

Altura’s mission is to provide gamers with the ability to control and own their in-game items and the ability for game developers to integrate blockchain technology in their video games seamlessly. Altura’s NFT Project The current state of NFTs is comparable to that of the web in the 90s; static...

INNOVATE™ Flanders

RIVER CLEANUP

From a 10-minute cleanup to 1000 plastic-free rivers

From a 10-minute cleanup to 1000 plastic-free rivers River Cleanup is a Belgium-based organization with one clear goal: making rivers plastic-free. The non-profit started with manual cleanup actions and evolved into a pioneer in the field of river protection, with mentions in Forbes, De Tijd, The Economist and many more....

INNOVATE® Nashville

Tyler York

Relationship-centered real estate, valuing people over profit, and inspiring others to do the same.

“Relationship-centered real estate, valuing people over profit, and inspiring others to do the same” – this was the vision of Founder and CEO Charlie Peterson when launching Tyler York Real Estate Brokers at the beginning of 2018. After a meteoric rise in Nashville real estate beginning in 2013, Charlie quickly...

INNOVATE® Gaming & Esports

THEGAMEHERS

THEGAMEHERS-IS THE FIRST AND LARGEST MEDIA PLATFORM

IS THE FIRST AND LARGEST MEDIA PLATFORM, SOCIAL NETWORKING COMMUNITY, AND LIFESTYLE BRAND FOR WOMEN WHO GAME AND WHO WORK IN THE GAMING SPACE

The global gaming market is forecast to worth $257 billion by 2025 and of the 2.7 billion gamers worldwide, 46% of them are women. The majority of these women experience hate and toxicity while gaming, simply for being women. In fact, in an effort to avoid harassment, 75% of women...

INNOVATE® Kansas City

UMKC Innovation Center

THE UMKC INNOVATION CENTER UNLOCKS THE POTENTIAL OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP BY HELPING PEOPLE TURN THEIR IDEAS AND INNOVATIONS INTO VENTURES THAT SHAPE AN ECONOMY OF HOPE.

Founded with the vision of fostering innovation and entrepreneurship,the UMKC Innovation Center was established in 2003 to transform Kansas City into a thriving hub of entrepreneurial activity. The center’s purpose is to nurture and support entrepreneurs, from fledgling startups to established businesses, by providing vital resources, coaching, and connections. By...

INNOVATE™ Adelaide

VALO

VALO, which means great courage, strength and moral worth, is a South Australian business founded in 2012 aiming to reach international markets in premium stadium lighting. With thousands of stadia across the world, the opportunities to place VALO and its South Australian innovations on the map are almost endless. Based...

INNOVATE® Milwaukee

BIOFORWARD WISCONSIN:

LEADING THE PATH TO PERSONALIZED MEDICINE

Pioneering Innovation in BiohealthNestled in the heart of America’s Midwest, BioForward Wisconsin represents Wisconsin’s vibrant biohealth sector which stands as a beacon of innovation and economic growth. A 501(c) 6 member association established in 1988 as the Wisconsin Biotechnology Association, the organization initially focused on biotechnology. It expanded its membership...

INNOVATE® South Carolina

IT-oLogy

Promote. Teach. Grow.

USC and BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina partnered with IBM in December 2008 to form the Consortium for Enterprise Systems Management. The Consortium was formed in part to encourage young people to learn the skills needed to manage enterprise systems, large-scale computers that process high volume transactions. Since its inception,...

INNOVATE® South Carolina

DC BLOX

DRIVING DIGITAL INNOVATION AND EMPOWERING COMMUNITIES IN SOUTH CAROLINA

Every morning, the sun rises over a small, unassuming building nestled near the shores of Myrtle Beach. From the outside, it could be anything—a warehouse, a power station, just another part of the city’s horizon. But inside, this facility is something extraordinary: a new kind of port, not for ships...

INNOVATE™ Estonia

DIPPERFOX

GRINDING THROUGH THE COMPETITION

Dipperfox, an Estonian-based heavy machinery attachment innovation powerhouse, has transformed the global approach to stump removal with its pioneering range of high-efficiency stump crushers. Designed for speed, durability, and versatility, Dipperfox stump grinders are rapidly becoming the tool of choice for professionals in forestry, landscaping, municipal services, and construction. Launched...

INNOVATE® Seattle

Turkish Delight

NO FRILLS, JUST VERY TASTY FOOD PREPARED AND SERVED WITH LOTS OF LOVE.

NO FRILLS, JUST VERY TASTY FOOD PREPARED AND SERVED WITH LOTS OF LOVE. Turkish Delight Turkish Delight was established in 1982, and with Ahmet and Semra’s dedication, it has become a cherished tradition with locals and also a delectable experience for visitors. A foodie delight with a spectacular view tucked...

INNOVATE® Washington DMV Edition

ENLIGHTENED, INC

Leading Innovation Through Technology and Thought Leadership

Enlightened, Inc. is not just another technology firm in Washington, D.C. It is a haven of innovation and thought leadership, dedicated to solving the most pressing challenges of its clients. With a mission to provide intelligent solutions that make a measurable impact, Enlightened stands out as an award-winning HUBZone-certified Information...

INNOVATE™ Vancouver Vol.2

ProShop ERP

Delivers powerful manufacturing software by deeply understanding our client’s challenges in order to meaningfully improve their businesses and in turn, their communities

We are the industry’s only shop management software specifically dedicated to, and built for an aerospace contract manufacturer in the Pacific Northwest. We are fanatical about managing every detail of machine shops in a paperless and web-based environment, including the enterprise resource management (ERP) functions necessary to run offices, the...

Global Innovation Spotlight

Hosting solutions for growing webshops

A webshop’s success depends not only on products and design but also on the technical foundation that supports daily operations. Hosting is the backbone of every online store, determining speed, reliability, and the ability to handle growth. Modern businesses increasingly look for flexible and future-proof environments that can adapt to...

Global Innovation Spotlight

Soft2Bet Combines iGaming Growth with Purpose-Driven Giving

Growth, but with Grounding

Did You Know That Soft2Bet’s Business Model Has a Generous Side? Fast growth and big numbers tend to steal the spotlight in iGaming. But there’s another side to success that doesn’t always make the headlines — the part that gives back. Soft2Bet knows the business of scaling platforms and entering...

INNOVATION Quebec

DISTRIQ QUANTUM INNOVATION ZONE

DistriQ, Quantum Innovation Zone, is an organization that provides expertise and infrastructure to foster the emergence and acceleration of innovation in the quantum science and technology sector. DistriQ supports the development of one of the first innovation zones ofthe Quebec government, the Sherbrooke Quantum Innovation Zone. Since its designation in...

INNOVATE® Detroit

SNIFFER ROBOTICS

Reaching New Heights Through Environmental Innovation

Sniffer Robotics has quickly become an industry leader in the environmental technology sector. The company develops unique solutions and provides crucial emissions monitoring services to the waste, biogas, and renewable natural gas industries. Their mission is clear: to detect and mitigate methane emissions to help protect our environment. Surface emissions...

INNOVATE® Puerto Rico

ÁLVAREZ-DÍAZ & VILLALÓN

ÁLVAREZ-DÍAZ & VILLALÓN

THE ART OF THE PIVOT

Álvarez-Díaz & Villalón® (AD&V®) is the largest Architecture and Interior Design Firm in Puerto Rico. The firm is dedicated to sustainable design that enhances people’s experience and improves their lives. Cristina Villalón, Co-Founder | Ricardo Álvarez-Díaz, Co-Founder | Monique Lugo López, President Throughout AD&V’s ® history, they have been reinventing...

INNOVATE™ Kitchener Waterloo

ALERT LABS

SIMPLE BY DESIGN: HOW ALERT LABS MAKES WATER MANAGEMENT SMARTER

From the very beginning, Alert Labs set out to make things easier. Whether for building managers, property owners, or their own team, the goal was always to create solutions that customers would love to use and a company that people wanted to be part of. Alert Labs was founded in...

INNOVATE® Washington DMV Edition

REVOLUTION

Pioneering the Next Wave of Innovation

Founded by AOL co-founder Steve Case, the DC-based investment firm Revolution emerged in 2005 with a bold mission: to invest in startups around the country – highlighting venture opportunity beyond Silicon Valley and partnering with founders who recognize thetransformative impact of policy and regulation in helping them build market-defining companies....

INNOVATE™ Antwerp Vol.2

PUXANO

PUXANO- ACCELERATING STRUCTURE-BASED PROTEIN RESEARCH

ACCELERATING STRUCTURE-BASED PROTEIN RESEARCH

PROTEIN STRUCTURESProteins are key building blocks and fulfill many essential roles within all living organisms. They are involved in processes such as immunity, metabolism, perception, etc. As many diseases are the result of malfunctioning proteins, understanding what they look like and how they work is essential to develop better therapeutic...

INNOVATE® Washington DMV Edition

Anacostia Business Improvement District (BID)

A Vision Realized

The Anacostia Business Improvement District (BID) is dedicated to fostering a thriving, safe, and vibrant commercial and arts district in the designated BID area. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, it ensures that local businesses have the resources they need to succeed while promoting economic development that aligns with the unique character...

INNOVATE® New Jersey Vol.2

TERRACYCLE

ON A MISSION TO ELIMINATE THE IDEA OF WASTE

TerraCycle is an international leader in innovative sustainability solutions, creating and operating first-of-their-kind platforms in recycling, recycled materials, and reuse. Through collaboration and innovation, we’ve developed the world’s first solutions in everything from recycling to reuse. Businesses, government entities, and consumers work with us globally to keep trash out of...

INNOVATE™ Estonia

MIFUNDO

THE VERIFIED AND PASSPORTABLE FINANCIAL IDENTITY CONNECTING EUROPE’S CREDIT MARKETS

EUROPE’S FIRST INTEGRATED CREDIT INFRASTRUCTURE Mifundo provides European banks with cross-border credit data that allows consumer credit histories to move between countries. This technology removes one of the last remaining barriers to financial mobility in the European Union: fragmented data locked within national borders. For millions of people who live,...

INNOVATE® Gaming & Esports

ALTURA

ALTURA-WHERE BLOCKCHAIN MEETS GAMING

WHERE BLOCKCHAIN MEETS GAMING

Altura’s mission is to provide gamers with the ability to control and own their in-game items and the ability for game developers to integrate blockchain technology in their video games seamlessly. Altura’s NFT Project The current state of NFTs is comparable to that of the web in the 90s; static...

INNOVATE™ Flanders

RIVER CLEANUP

From a 10-minute cleanup to 1000 plastic-free rivers

From a 10-minute cleanup to 1000 plastic-free rivers River Cleanup is a Belgium-based organization with one clear goal: making rivers plastic-free. The non-profit started with manual cleanup actions and evolved into a pioneer in the field of river protection, with mentions in Forbes, De Tijd, The Economist and many more....

INNOVATE® Nashville

Tyler York

Relationship-centered real estate, valuing people over profit, and inspiring others to do the same.

“Relationship-centered real estate, valuing people over profit, and inspiring others to do the same” – this was the vision of Founder and CEO Charlie Peterson when launching Tyler York Real Estate Brokers at the beginning of 2018. After a meteoric rise in Nashville real estate beginning in 2013, Charlie quickly...

INNOVATE® Gaming & Esports

THEGAMEHERS

THEGAMEHERS-IS THE FIRST AND LARGEST MEDIA PLATFORM

IS THE FIRST AND LARGEST MEDIA PLATFORM, SOCIAL NETWORKING COMMUNITY, AND LIFESTYLE BRAND FOR WOMEN WHO GAME AND WHO WORK IN THE GAMING SPACE

The global gaming market is forecast to worth $257 billion by 2025 and of the 2.7 billion gamers worldwide, 46% of them are women. The majority of these women experience hate and toxicity while gaming, simply for being women. In fact, in an effort to avoid harassment, 75% of women...

Ecosystems