Stories of Innovation

INNOVATE® Washington DMV Edition

BROCCOLI CITY

Mission for a Healthier Tomorrow

Broccoli City is spearheading a transformative movement in the DMV region and nationally. Founded on the principles of impact, innovation, and empowerment, Broccoli City stands as a beacon of change, redefining what it means to be cool and conscious in today’s urban communities. With this organization, founders Brand McEachern and...

INNOVATE™ Bristol & Bath

Caleño

Caleño-The Story SO FAR!

The Story SO FAR!

About UsCaleño is a range of distilled non-alcoholic spirits inspired by the sun-drenched spirit of Colombia that take you seamlessly from day to night. Light & Zesty is a tropical blend of Inca berry, citrus and spice botanicals and Dark & Spicy, a warming infusion of dark tropical pineapple notes...

INNOVATE™ South Africa

MYSOCIALIFE

MYSOCIALIFE- IS AN EDTECH TRAINING PROGRAM THAT TRAINS PRE-TEENS AND TEENS ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD ABOUT ONLINE SAFETY

IS AN EDTECH TRAINING PROGRAM THAT TRAINS PRE-TEENS AND TEENS ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD ABOUT ONLINE SAFETY, DIGITAL CITIZENSHIP AND MEDIA LITERACY, IN ORDER TO FIRST MAKE THEM CONSCIOUS AND AWARE OF SAFETY ONLINE, WHICH WILL ULTIMATELY ALLOW THEM TO EXPLORE INTELLIGENTLY AND LATER EXCEL IN A COMPETITIVE FOURTH INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION

In order to ensure this is successful, the South African-based educators also teach learners’ parents and their teachers too, as well as mental health professionals, helping to bridge the technological divide and provide the much-needed insights and tools to navigate a complex social landscape.   “The more we do that,...

Global Innovation Spotlight

DUBAI INSTITUTE OF DESIGN AND INNOVATION

DUBAI INSTITUTE OF DESIGN AND INNOVATION-Was Established To Address The Growing Need For Talented Designers And Innovators In The UAE And Beyond.

Was Established To Address The Growing Need For Talented Designers And Innovators In The UAE And Beyond

Its vision is simple: to prepare students for a world where today’s jobs may not exist in the future. Global in outlook, bold in its approach, DIDI instils youth with the confidence to take risks, push boundaries, and challenge ways of thinking, making and creating.   The private non-profit university...

INNOVATION Quebec

ExperiSens

CCTT IN THE MULTISENSORY CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE AND HOSPITALITY

ExperiSens is a college centre for the transfer of technologies and innovative social practices (CCTT) at the Institut de tourisme et d’hôtellerie du Québec (ITHQ) that performs applied research and provides technical assistance, training, and information to tourismand hospitality organizations and professionals while enriching the ITHQ’s educational mission. Optimizing hospitality...

INNOVATE® Seattle

Piroshky Piroshky

CREATED BY US, SHARED WITH YOU, CELEBRATED TOGETHER.

We first opened our doors in Seattle’s world-famous Pike Place Market in 1992 and have since become a beloved local fixture. Our mission: to bring a world of flavors to the Pacific Northwest and beyond. For over three decades, we’ve been serving delicious handmade baked goods and specialty items to...

INNOVATE® Detroit

Duolingo

Duolingo's Detroit Journey: From Gunner to Hobbes and Animated Innovation.

In Detroit, two motion design studios were making waves in the animation world: Gunner, known for its bold illustration and character animation, and Hobbes, a leader in product-driven animation. The companies earned reputations for creativity and emotional intelligence, collaborating with high-profile clients for years. However, everything changed when Duolingo—the world’s...

INNOVATE™ Toronto

ONTARIO INSTITUTE FOR CANCER RESEARCH

ONTARIO INSTITUTE FOR CANCER RESEARCH- MOBILIZING THE CANCER RESEARCH COMMUNITY TO DRIVE PERSONALIZED CARE

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™ Stockholm

CAY COLLECTIVE

REDEFINING THE CREATIVE MARKET

In a world where creative talent often struggles to meet commerce, Cay Collective is shaping a new path. Founded in 2023 by Johanna Gauffin and Natalie Navia, the Stockholm-based platform serves as a marketplace for independent artists, fashion designers, and lifestyle creators offering more than just a digital storefront. Cay...

INNOVATE™ Stockholm

TECHSVERIGE

A DRIVING FORCE FOR SWEDEN’S TECH INDUSTRY

TechSverige is the industry and employer association representing companies across Sweden’s tech, IT, and telecom sectors. With approximately 1,400 member companies—ranging from startups to multinational enterprises—and close to 100,000 employees, TechSverige plays a central role in building the conditions for a competitive and innovative tech industry. As both an industry...

INNOVATE™ Botswana Vol.1

BOCRA

BOCRA-PROMOTES ACCESS AND USAGE OF COMMUNICATION SERVICES FOR INNOVATION AND DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION

PROMOTES ACCESS AND USAGE OF COMMUNICATION SERVICES FOR INNOVATION AND DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION

BRIEF BACKGROUND Botswana’s rags to riches economic success story is often compared to that of countries such as United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Singapore. A former British protectorate, Botswana was poor by all standards when it got its independence. By the early to mid 80s, the country’s mineral resource was...

INNOVATE® Kansas City

CARTER MEDIA

EST 1950

Our story begins with a dream and a vision of Andrew “Skip” Robinson Carter. Carter was born in 1919 and raised in Savannah, Georgia. In 1933, at the young age of 14, Carter’s aspirations of operating a Black radio station began, and he built his first radio. He studied physics...

INNOVATE® Chicago Vol.1

CHICAGO FURNITURE BANK

CHICAGO FURNITURE BANK-TURNING HOUSES INTO HOMES SINCE 2018

TURNING HOUSES INTO HOMES SINCE 2018

The mission of the Chicago Furniture Bank (CFB) is to provide dignity, stability, and comfort to Chicagoans facing poverty by allowing our clients to handpick an entire home’s worth of furnishings for free. As the country’s largest furniture bank, we furnish 15 client homes per day through partnerships with our...

Global Innovation Spotlight

How Cybersecurity is Driving the Next Wave of Global Innovation

Cybersecurity has moved from the back-office control domain to a main driver in digital innovation. When there is confidence in system resilience, organizations can securely implement and scale AI, cloud, and IoT. According to the World Economic Forum’s 2025 outlook, growth will be tied to cyber resilience because threats and...

INNOVATE® Nashville

TREVECCA NAZARENE UNIVERSITY

TREVECCA NAZARENE UNIVERSITY-Was the first university in Nashville to offer weekend and evening formats for adults who are balancing school

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® 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™ Vancouver Vol.2

GCT GLOBAL CONTAINER TERMINALS INC

SYNCHRONIZING CONTAINER LOGISTICS THROUGH INNOVATION, PRECISION,

GCT Global Container Terminals Inc. (GCT) is Vancouver’s homegrown success story in marine container terminal operations and innovation. GCT is among the most advanced operators on the continent and boasts the largest semi-automated on-dock rail facility in North America. Shipping line customers and cargo owners benefit from easy access to...

INNOVATION Quebec

STIQ (SOUS-TRAITANCE INDUSTRIELLE QUÉBEC)

INCONTOURNABLE DANS L’ÉCOSYSTÈME MANUFACTURIER QUÉBÉCOIS

STIQ est une association multisectorielle d’entreprises québécoises qui a pour mission de développer les relations d’affaires et améliorer la compétitivité des entreprises manufacturières afin de favoriser l’essor de l’économie québécoise. Depuis sa fondation en 1987, STIQ agit comme activateur de performance en créant des maillages fructueux et en déployant des...

INNOVATION Quebec

TERRITOIRES INNOVANTS EN ÉCONOMIE SOCIALE ET SOLIDAIRE (TIESS)

CHANGING THE WORLD, ONE SOCIAL INNOVATION AT A TIME!

Propelling Ideas That Have an ImpactTIESS is Quebec’s leading authority on knowledge transfer in the social economy. Its mission? To provide organizations with the tools they need to meet the different challenges facing our society while transforming their practices. Through a continuous process of innovation—whether it be food self-sufficiency, the...

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® South Florida

PREMIERVIRTUAL

LAUNCHED IN LATE 2019 WHERE OUR MOTTO AT THE TIME WAS ‘FUTURE FOCUSED’

From the very beginning we knew that our virtual hiring event platform was ahead of its time, and that employers would have to be ‘Future Focused’ in order to embrace it. Founder and President of Premier Virtual, Steve Edwards saw the shift to digital firsthand as he hosted in-person job...

INNOVATE™ Estonia

ALPA KIDS

LOCALISED E-LEARNING GAMES FOR CHILDREN ACROSS THE GLOBE

Founded in 2018, ALPA Kids creates digital learning games for children aged 3–8, developed in close collaboration with local teachers and researchers to ensure pedagogically sound, age-appropriate content in each child’s native language. ALPA Kids mission is to turn children’s screen time into a safe, enriching learning experience by offering...

INNOVATION Quebec

GROUPE CTT

CCTT IN TEXTILE TECHNOLOGIES, GEOSYNTHETICS AND ADVANCED TEXTILE-BASED MATERIALS

Groupe CTT is a non-profit organization specializing in applied research, development and analysis in the fields of technical textiles, geosynthetics and advanced textile-based materials. Created in 1983, Groupe CTT was one of the first college centres for the transfer oftechnology in Quebec. It is located on the Cégep de Saint-Hyacinthe...

INNOVATE® Washington DMV Edition

Penn West Equity and Innovation District

CHANGEMAKERS WELCOME

CHANGEMAKERS WELCOME The Penn West Equity and Innovation District (Penn West) is transforming the landscape of innovation and equity in the world’s capital. This unique collaboration between the Golden Triangle Business Improvement District (BID), the District of Columbia, and The George Washington University (GW) is building an inclusive, collaborative innovation...

INNOVATE® Washington DMV Edition

BROCCOLI CITY

Mission for a Healthier Tomorrow

Broccoli City is spearheading a transformative movement in the DMV region and nationally. Founded on the principles of impact, innovation, and empowerment, Broccoli City stands as a beacon of change, redefining what it means to be cool and conscious in today’s urban communities. With this organization, founders Brand McEachern and...

INNOVATE™ Bristol & Bath

Caleño

Caleño-The Story SO FAR!

The Story SO FAR!

About UsCaleño is a range of distilled non-alcoholic spirits inspired by the sun-drenched spirit of Colombia that take you seamlessly from day to night. Light & Zesty is a tropical blend of Inca berry, citrus and spice botanicals and Dark & Spicy, a warming infusion of dark tropical pineapple notes...

INNOVATE™ South Africa

MYSOCIALIFE

MYSOCIALIFE- IS AN EDTECH TRAINING PROGRAM THAT TRAINS PRE-TEENS AND TEENS ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD ABOUT ONLINE SAFETY

IS AN EDTECH TRAINING PROGRAM THAT TRAINS PRE-TEENS AND TEENS ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD ABOUT ONLINE SAFETY, DIGITAL CITIZENSHIP AND MEDIA LITERACY, IN ORDER TO FIRST MAKE THEM CONSCIOUS AND AWARE OF SAFETY ONLINE, WHICH WILL ULTIMATELY ALLOW THEM TO EXPLORE INTELLIGENTLY AND LATER EXCEL IN A COMPETITIVE FOURTH INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION

In order to ensure this is successful, the South African-based educators also teach learners’ parents and their teachers too, as well as mental health professionals, helping to bridge the technological divide and provide the much-needed insights and tools to navigate a complex social landscape.   “The more we do that,...

Global Innovation Spotlight

DUBAI INSTITUTE OF DESIGN AND INNOVATION

DUBAI INSTITUTE OF DESIGN AND INNOVATION-Was Established To Address The Growing Need For Talented Designers And Innovators In The UAE And Beyond.

Was Established To Address The Growing Need For Talented Designers And Innovators In The UAE And Beyond

Its vision is simple: to prepare students for a world where today’s jobs may not exist in the future. Global in outlook, bold in its approach, DIDI instils youth with the confidence to take risks, push boundaries, and challenge ways of thinking, making and creating.   The private non-profit university...

INNOVATION Quebec

ExperiSens

CCTT IN THE MULTISENSORY CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE AND HOSPITALITY

ExperiSens is a college centre for the transfer of technologies and innovative social practices (CCTT) at the Institut de tourisme et d’hôtellerie du Québec (ITHQ) that performs applied research and provides technical assistance, training, and information to tourismand hospitality organizations and professionals while enriching the ITHQ’s educational mission. Optimizing hospitality...

INNOVATE® Seattle

Piroshky Piroshky

CREATED BY US, SHARED WITH YOU, CELEBRATED TOGETHER.

We first opened our doors in Seattle’s world-famous Pike Place Market in 1992 and have since become a beloved local fixture. Our mission: to bring a world of flavors to the Pacific Northwest and beyond. For over three decades, we’ve been serving delicious handmade baked goods and specialty items to...

INNOVATE® Detroit

Duolingo

Duolingo's Detroit Journey: From Gunner to Hobbes and Animated Innovation.

In Detroit, two motion design studios were making waves in the animation world: Gunner, known for its bold illustration and character animation, and Hobbes, a leader in product-driven animation. The companies earned reputations for creativity and emotional intelligence, collaborating with high-profile clients for years. However, everything changed when Duolingo—the world’s...

INNOVATE™ Toronto

ONTARIO INSTITUTE FOR CANCER RESEARCH

ONTARIO INSTITUTE FOR CANCER RESEARCH- MOBILIZING THE CANCER RESEARCH COMMUNITY TO DRIVE PERSONALIZED CARE

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™ Stockholm

CAY COLLECTIVE

REDEFINING THE CREATIVE MARKET

In a world where creative talent often struggles to meet commerce, Cay Collective is shaping a new path. Founded in 2023 by Johanna Gauffin and Natalie Navia, the Stockholm-based platform serves as a marketplace for independent artists, fashion designers, and lifestyle creators offering more than just a digital storefront. Cay...

INNOVATE™ Stockholm

TECHSVERIGE

A DRIVING FORCE FOR SWEDEN’S TECH INDUSTRY

TechSverige is the industry and employer association representing companies across Sweden’s tech, IT, and telecom sectors. With approximately 1,400 member companies—ranging from startups to multinational enterprises—and close to 100,000 employees, TechSverige plays a central role in building the conditions for a competitive and innovative tech industry. As both an industry...

INNOVATE™ Botswana Vol.1

BOCRA

BOCRA-PROMOTES ACCESS AND USAGE OF COMMUNICATION SERVICES FOR INNOVATION AND DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION

PROMOTES ACCESS AND USAGE OF COMMUNICATION SERVICES FOR INNOVATION AND DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION

BRIEF BACKGROUND Botswana’s rags to riches economic success story is often compared to that of countries such as United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Singapore. A former British protectorate, Botswana was poor by all standards when it got its independence. By the early to mid 80s, the country’s mineral resource was...

INNOVATE® Kansas City

CARTER MEDIA

EST 1950

Our story begins with a dream and a vision of Andrew “Skip” Robinson Carter. Carter was born in 1919 and raised in Savannah, Georgia. In 1933, at the young age of 14, Carter’s aspirations of operating a Black radio station began, and he built his first radio. He studied physics...

INNOVATE® Chicago Vol.1

CHICAGO FURNITURE BANK

CHICAGO FURNITURE BANK-TURNING HOUSES INTO HOMES SINCE 2018

TURNING HOUSES INTO HOMES SINCE 2018

The mission of the Chicago Furniture Bank (CFB) is to provide dignity, stability, and comfort to Chicagoans facing poverty by allowing our clients to handpick an entire home’s worth of furnishings for free. As the country’s largest furniture bank, we furnish 15 client homes per day through partnerships with our...

Global Innovation Spotlight

How Cybersecurity is Driving the Next Wave of Global Innovation

Cybersecurity has moved from the back-office control domain to a main driver in digital innovation. When there is confidence in system resilience, organizations can securely implement and scale AI, cloud, and IoT. According to the World Economic Forum’s 2025 outlook, growth will be tied to cyber resilience because threats and...

INNOVATE® Nashville

TREVECCA NAZARENE UNIVERSITY

TREVECCA NAZARENE UNIVERSITY-Was the first university in Nashville to offer weekend and evening formats for adults who are balancing school

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® 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™ Vancouver Vol.2

GCT GLOBAL CONTAINER TERMINALS INC

SYNCHRONIZING CONTAINER LOGISTICS THROUGH INNOVATION, PRECISION,

GCT Global Container Terminals Inc. (GCT) is Vancouver’s homegrown success story in marine container terminal operations and innovation. GCT is among the most advanced operators on the continent and boasts the largest semi-automated on-dock rail facility in North America. Shipping line customers and cargo owners benefit from easy access to...

INNOVATION Quebec

STIQ (SOUS-TRAITANCE INDUSTRIELLE QUÉBEC)

INCONTOURNABLE DANS L’ÉCOSYSTÈME MANUFACTURIER QUÉBÉCOIS

STIQ est une association multisectorielle d’entreprises québécoises qui a pour mission de développer les relations d’affaires et améliorer la compétitivité des entreprises manufacturières afin de favoriser l’essor de l’économie québécoise. Depuis sa fondation en 1987, STIQ agit comme activateur de performance en créant des maillages fructueux et en déployant des...

INNOVATION Quebec

TERRITOIRES INNOVANTS EN ÉCONOMIE SOCIALE ET SOLIDAIRE (TIESS)

CHANGING THE WORLD, ONE SOCIAL INNOVATION AT A TIME!

Propelling Ideas That Have an ImpactTIESS is Quebec’s leading authority on knowledge transfer in the social economy. Its mission? To provide organizations with the tools they need to meet the different challenges facing our society while transforming their practices. Through a continuous process of innovation—whether it be food self-sufficiency, the...

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® South Florida

PREMIERVIRTUAL

LAUNCHED IN LATE 2019 WHERE OUR MOTTO AT THE TIME WAS ‘FUTURE FOCUSED’

From the very beginning we knew that our virtual hiring event platform was ahead of its time, and that employers would have to be ‘Future Focused’ in order to embrace it. Founder and President of Premier Virtual, Steve Edwards saw the shift to digital firsthand as he hosted in-person job...

INNOVATE™ Estonia

ALPA KIDS

LOCALISED E-LEARNING GAMES FOR CHILDREN ACROSS THE GLOBE

Founded in 2018, ALPA Kids creates digital learning games for children aged 3–8, developed in close collaboration with local teachers and researchers to ensure pedagogically sound, age-appropriate content in each child’s native language. ALPA Kids mission is to turn children’s screen time into a safe, enriching learning experience by offering...

INNOVATION Quebec

GROUPE CTT

CCTT IN TEXTILE TECHNOLOGIES, GEOSYNTHETICS AND ADVANCED TEXTILE-BASED MATERIALS

Groupe CTT is a non-profit organization specializing in applied research, development and analysis in the fields of technical textiles, geosynthetics and advanced textile-based materials. Created in 1983, Groupe CTT was one of the first college centres for the transfer oftechnology in Quebec. It is located on the Cégep de Saint-Hyacinthe...

INNOVATE® Washington DMV Edition

Penn West Equity and Innovation District

CHANGEMAKERS WELCOME

CHANGEMAKERS WELCOME The Penn West Equity and Innovation District (Penn West) is transforming the landscape of innovation and equity in the world’s capital. This unique collaboration between the Golden Triangle Business Improvement District (BID), the District of Columbia, and The George Washington University (GW) is building an inclusive, collaborative innovation...

Ecosystems