Stories of Innovation

INNOVATE® South Carolina

Gemba Systems

Empowering People with Smarter Technologies

In the heart of Greenville, South Carolina, Gemba Systems Inc. is redefining what “smart manufacturing” really means. Rather than chasing automation for its own sake, the company focuses on empowering people with smarter technologies – solutions that give manufacturers the visibility, insight, and control they need to perform at their...

INNOVATION Quebec

REAI

TRANSFORMER LES MANUFACTURIERS-UN PROJET À LA FOIS

Le REAI est un organisme à but non lucratif regroupant depuis 18 ans des membres spécialisés en automatisation, robotique et services de tous les pôles de compétences en automatisation et de créneaux de fabrication. C’est dans le cadre de l’offensive de transformation numérique du MEIE que nous poursuivons notre mission...

INNOVATE® Nashville

Vanderbilt University

Innovation at Vanderbilt

An R1 research institution, Vanderbilt University is known for pathbreaking research, advancing discoveries and fueling breakthroughs across multiple disciplines. With more than $1 billion in annual research expenditures, Vanderbilt fosters cross-disciplinary collaboration with global impact. But Vanderbilt isn’t just a research university, it’s a powerful economic engine that turns ideas...

INNOVATE® Puerto Rico

KEVANE GRANT THORTON

KEVANE GRANT THORTON

Accounting Experts, Kevane Grant Thornton Continues to Lead the Industry

Kevane Grant Thornton (KGT) continues to grow successfully and provide the community with accounting and tax-related needs. Through the years, KGT continues to support numerous businesses and personal goals for many. We have steadily become the leading professional service firm in Puerto Rico to provide accounting, audits, tax, and advisory...

INNOVATE® Jacksonville

Bluewave Technologies Inc.

Bluewave Technologies Inc. - A health-tech startup that started out of the University of Florida’s innovation hub

A health-tech startup that started out of the University of Florida’s innovation hub

Created in 2015 company, BLUEWAVE Technologies is a health-tech startup that started out of the University of Florida’s Innovation Hub. Innovation Hub. BLUEWAVE Technologies is a health-tech startup and the creator of the BLUEWAVE, a device that can deodorize items with its proprietary ozone infusion technology in as little as...

INNOVATE® South Carolina

SCRA

A Unique and Pivotal Player in SC’s Innovation Ecosystem

The South Carolina Research Authority has the distinct honor and responsibility to fuel South Carolina’s innovation economy. In 2024, it contributed over $1.33 billion to the state’s economy and supported 6624 South Carolina-based jobs. The average annual salary of these jobs was almost $92,000, 71% higher than the statewide average....

INNOVATE® Miami

Startup Safari Miami

Startup Safari Miami - An adventure into one of the fastest-growing startup hotspots in the Americas

An adventure into one of the fastest-growing startup hotspots in the Americas

Multi-day, Unconference that brings together startups and early-stage entrepreneurs, angel investors, venture capitalists, service providers, accelerator programs, in a multi-venue to experience the city’s local startup ecosystem including a startup competition. DISCOVER YOUR FUTURE SELF AND GET EXCLUSIVE ACCESS TO THE BEST STARTUPS AND TECH COMPANIES IN MIAMI. Startup SAFARI...

INNOVATE™ Curitiba

DATAPROM

SMART SOLUTIONS FOR MOBILITY

DATAPROM is a Brazilian company, headquartered in Curitiba/PR and has nine branch offices in Brazil, Colombia, and Peru. We were born in August 1988 from the creativity of engineers Marcos Olandoski, Alberto Abujamra and Carlos Perufo, who came together to develop innovative systems, capable of combining applicability and technology. At...

INNOVATE® Austin Volume 2

PLAYMAKER RECRUITING

Is here to level the playing field for student athletes and coaches, providing more access to opportunities and resources

Playmaker Recruiting was born from the broken system that is college athlete recruiting, with the mission to help students and coaches navigate the complicated recruiting process, and provide greater access to opportunities at the next level. Having seen friends and family go through the college recruiting process, it was apparent...

INNOVATE™ Bristol & Bath

boomsatsuma

Fuelling The Next Creative Generation

boomsatsuma is an independent education provider, offering training pathways to people from all backgrounds, aged 16 to degree level, into expanding creative industries. Established in 2011, with a background in Community Interest Projects, boomsatsuma has grown to be a creative industry educator maintaining close ties across Bristol community projects. Year-on-year...

INNOVATE™ Stockholm

PLUTOVETS

DISRUPTING PET HEALTHCARE

PlutoVets is rewriting the rules of veterinary care by combining in-home visits, digital-first convenience, and a full-service clinic into one seamless, empathetic experience. The mission is simple: to deliver care that puts both pets and pet parents first. The Convenience Revolution Taking a stressed animal to the clinic is one...

INNOVATE® New Jersey Vol.2

FAIRLEIGH DICKINSON UNIVERSITY

PERSONAL. GLOBAL. TRANSFORMATIONAL

THE HALLMARKS OF AN FDU EDUCATION ARE PERSONAL SUPPORT AND CONCERN, GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES AND OPPORTUNITIES, AND TRANSFORMATIONAL EXPERIENCES. HISTORY AND BACKGROUNDFounded in 1942 by Dr. Peter Sammartino and his wife, Sylvia (Sally), Fairleigh Dickinson University has grown into the largest private university in New Jersey. More than 11,000 students from...

INNOVATE® Washington DMV Edition

upace™

Revolutionizing How Members Engage with Recreation Centers

Revolutionizing How Members Engage with Recreation Centers In 2014, Rachel Koretsky founded Upace, which has since skyrocketed to become the top mobile app engagement and reservation platform, supporting over one million members of community recreation centers across the US and Canada. Her journey started at American University, driven by a...

INNOVATE™ South Africa

KOLT Creatives

KOLT Creatives- UNTAPPED POTENTIAL

UNTAPPED POTENTIAL

Untapped potential: a breeding ground for innovation and disruption. South Africa is overflowing with infinite talent. Unlocking their potential means unlocking opportunities. Millennials are excelling by themselves and for themselves. South Africa’s students and junior talent are the very essence of untapped potential. They are breaking down barriers. Alexa Georga...

INNOVATION Quebec

SYNTHESE

UN ACTEUR CLÉ POUR RÉPONDRE AUX ENJEUX DE MAIN-D’OEUVRE EN CRÉATION NUMÉRIQUE

La genèse de SYNTHÈSESYNTHÈSE a été fondée en 2018 par le ministère de l’Éducation et de l’Enseignement supérieur du Québec à la suite d’une mobilisation et d’une réflexion conjointes des entreprises de la création numérique, des collèges, des universités, des milieux associatifs ainsi que de représentant·e·s du ministère de l’Économie...

INNOVATE™ Alberta

GURU SEO SERVICES

PROVIDES COMPREHENSIVE MARKETING SERVICES TO CLIENTS IN VARIOUS INDUSTRIES

Guru SEO Services, based in Red Deer, Alberta is a digital marketing agency that aims to provide comprehensive marketing, web, SEO, and advertising services. The agency was founded by Jesse Tutt, who describes himself as a “Serial Entrepreneur” and has helped many businesses over the years stand out in the...

INNOVATE® Chicago Vol.1

TOPSTEP

INNOVATORS OF THE WORLD

Our Mission At Topstep, our goal is to be where the world goes to safely engage in and profit from the financial markets. In a nutshell, what we do at Topstep is break down the barriers to entry in what has historically been a very exclusive industry. Our mission is...

INNOVATE® Blockchain

HUMAN TRAFFICKING INSTITUTE

HUMAN TRAFFICKING INSTITUTE-

TOGETHER, WE CAN DECIMATE HUMAN TRAFFICKING AROUND THE WORLD

Two decades after the first laws around human trafficking were created, the Human Trafficking Institute’s (HTI) founders noticed a gap in the global response to trafficking: these great laws were not being enforced. HTI stepped in to provide prosecutors and investigators around the world with the tools and guidance necessary...

INNOVATE® Maryland

BALTIMORE CITY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Building the Infrastructure Behind Innovation

From neighborhood startups to growing enterprises, entrepreneurs across Baltimore are creating jobs and investing in their communities. Connecting those founders to the resources needed to sustain that momentum became the challenge Baltimore City Chamber of Commerce set out to solve. Sustainable pathways to wealth have remained central to the organization’s...

INNOVATION Quebec

ITMI

CCTT EN MAINTENANCE INDUSTRIELLE

Nous n’avons jamais autant parlé de transformation numérique, de maintenance prédictive, d’optimisation des opérations et d’innovation tant industrielle qu’économique dans notre écosystème de l’industrie et des PME. Et ce n’est que le début! À l’Institut technologique de maintenance industrielle (ITMI), on se réjouit de cette tendance puisqu’elle cadre avec la...

INNOVATE™ Toronto

AIRMATRIX

AIRMATRIX- BUILDS THE WORLD'S MOST PRECISE DRONE ROAD SYSTEMS

BUILDS THE WORLD'S MOST PRECISE DRONE ROAD SYSTEMS

Co-founded by University of Toronto graduates, Bashir Khan, Ayaan Haider and Shayaan Haider in 2018, AirMatrix builds the world’s most precise drone road systems. AirMatrix is innovating at the bleeding edge and is affiliated with Communitech, MaRS, IRAP and DMZ. AirMatrix is a member of Transport Canada’s action team on...

Global Innovation Spotlight

Smarter Transportation Planning Without Replacing Everything

Container ship, freight truck and cargo aircraft moving shipments across connected transport modes

Connect the systems you already run, then close only the gaps that are slowing planning down.

Transportation planning rarely fails because a single system is bad. It fails because data lives in too many places at once. Most shippers run their operations across an ERP, a WMS, a transportation management systems solution, several carrier portals, and at least one spreadsheet that everyone quietly depends on. Each...

INNOVATE® Chicago Vol.1

SAFE STAYS BY RELOSHARE

SAFE STAYS BY RELOSHARE: Changing the Game for Emergency Housing by Providing Anonymous Hotel Bookings for Social Service Agencies

Changing the Game for Emergency Housing by Providing Anonymous Hotel Bookings for Social Service Agencies

According to the National Network to End Domestic Violence’s 2021 DV Counts Report, agencies were unable to provide emergency shelter to 1,982 adults and 1,184 children nationwide in just one day. Annualized, that’s 723,430 adults and 432,160 children who are left without access to emergency domestic violence shelters each year....

Global Innovation Spotlight

How Driver Screening Failures Fuel Claims Against a Ride Platform

When background checks miss warning signs, rideshare passengers who are harmed may have a claim against the platform as well as the driver.

Chicago’s busy streets and growing reliance on app-based transportation make rideshare services a common choice for residents and visitors. While these platforms offer convenient travel, passengers must be able to trust that the people behind the wheel have been properly screened. When a driver has a history of violent or...

INNOVATE® South Carolina

Gemba Systems

Empowering People with Smarter Technologies

In the heart of Greenville, South Carolina, Gemba Systems Inc. is redefining what “smart manufacturing” really means. Rather than chasing automation for its own sake, the company focuses on empowering people with smarter technologies – solutions that give manufacturers the visibility, insight, and control they need to perform at their...

INNOVATION Quebec

REAI

TRANSFORMER LES MANUFACTURIERS-UN PROJET À LA FOIS

Le REAI est un organisme à but non lucratif regroupant depuis 18 ans des membres spécialisés en automatisation, robotique et services de tous les pôles de compétences en automatisation et de créneaux de fabrication. C’est dans le cadre de l’offensive de transformation numérique du MEIE que nous poursuivons notre mission...

INNOVATE® Nashville

Vanderbilt University

Innovation at Vanderbilt

An R1 research institution, Vanderbilt University is known for pathbreaking research, advancing discoveries and fueling breakthroughs across multiple disciplines. With more than $1 billion in annual research expenditures, Vanderbilt fosters cross-disciplinary collaboration with global impact. But Vanderbilt isn’t just a research university, it’s a powerful economic engine that turns ideas...

INNOVATE® Puerto Rico

KEVANE GRANT THORTON

KEVANE GRANT THORTON

Accounting Experts, Kevane Grant Thornton Continues to Lead the Industry

Kevane Grant Thornton (KGT) continues to grow successfully and provide the community with accounting and tax-related needs. Through the years, KGT continues to support numerous businesses and personal goals for many. We have steadily become the leading professional service firm in Puerto Rico to provide accounting, audits, tax, and advisory...

INNOVATE® Jacksonville

Bluewave Technologies Inc.

Bluewave Technologies Inc. - A health-tech startup that started out of the University of Florida’s innovation hub

A health-tech startup that started out of the University of Florida’s innovation hub

Created in 2015 company, BLUEWAVE Technologies is a health-tech startup that started out of the University of Florida’s Innovation Hub. Innovation Hub. BLUEWAVE Technologies is a health-tech startup and the creator of the BLUEWAVE, a device that can deodorize items with its proprietary ozone infusion technology in as little as...

INNOVATE® South Carolina

SCRA

A Unique and Pivotal Player in SC’s Innovation Ecosystem

The South Carolina Research Authority has the distinct honor and responsibility to fuel South Carolina’s innovation economy. In 2024, it contributed over $1.33 billion to the state’s economy and supported 6624 South Carolina-based jobs. The average annual salary of these jobs was almost $92,000, 71% higher than the statewide average....

INNOVATE® Miami

Startup Safari Miami

Startup Safari Miami - An adventure into one of the fastest-growing startup hotspots in the Americas

An adventure into one of the fastest-growing startup hotspots in the Americas

Multi-day, Unconference that brings together startups and early-stage entrepreneurs, angel investors, venture capitalists, service providers, accelerator programs, in a multi-venue to experience the city’s local startup ecosystem including a startup competition. DISCOVER YOUR FUTURE SELF AND GET EXCLUSIVE ACCESS TO THE BEST STARTUPS AND TECH COMPANIES IN MIAMI. Startup SAFARI...

INNOVATE™ Curitiba

DATAPROM

SMART SOLUTIONS FOR MOBILITY

DATAPROM is a Brazilian company, headquartered in Curitiba/PR and has nine branch offices in Brazil, Colombia, and Peru. We were born in August 1988 from the creativity of engineers Marcos Olandoski, Alberto Abujamra and Carlos Perufo, who came together to develop innovative systems, capable of combining applicability and technology. At...

INNOVATE® Austin Volume 2

PLAYMAKER RECRUITING

Is here to level the playing field for student athletes and coaches, providing more access to opportunities and resources

Playmaker Recruiting was born from the broken system that is college athlete recruiting, with the mission to help students and coaches navigate the complicated recruiting process, and provide greater access to opportunities at the next level. Having seen friends and family go through the college recruiting process, it was apparent...

INNOVATE™ Bristol & Bath

boomsatsuma

Fuelling The Next Creative Generation

boomsatsuma is an independent education provider, offering training pathways to people from all backgrounds, aged 16 to degree level, into expanding creative industries. Established in 2011, with a background in Community Interest Projects, boomsatsuma has grown to be a creative industry educator maintaining close ties across Bristol community projects. Year-on-year...

INNOVATE™ Stockholm

PLUTOVETS

DISRUPTING PET HEALTHCARE

PlutoVets is rewriting the rules of veterinary care by combining in-home visits, digital-first convenience, and a full-service clinic into one seamless, empathetic experience. The mission is simple: to deliver care that puts both pets and pet parents first. The Convenience Revolution Taking a stressed animal to the clinic is one...

INNOVATE® New Jersey Vol.2

FAIRLEIGH DICKINSON UNIVERSITY

PERSONAL. GLOBAL. TRANSFORMATIONAL

THE HALLMARKS OF AN FDU EDUCATION ARE PERSONAL SUPPORT AND CONCERN, GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES AND OPPORTUNITIES, AND TRANSFORMATIONAL EXPERIENCES. HISTORY AND BACKGROUNDFounded in 1942 by Dr. Peter Sammartino and his wife, Sylvia (Sally), Fairleigh Dickinson University has grown into the largest private university in New Jersey. More than 11,000 students from...

INNOVATE® Washington DMV Edition

upace™

Revolutionizing How Members Engage with Recreation Centers

Revolutionizing How Members Engage with Recreation Centers In 2014, Rachel Koretsky founded Upace, which has since skyrocketed to become the top mobile app engagement and reservation platform, supporting over one million members of community recreation centers across the US and Canada. Her journey started at American University, driven by a...

INNOVATE™ South Africa

KOLT Creatives

KOLT Creatives- UNTAPPED POTENTIAL

UNTAPPED POTENTIAL

Untapped potential: a breeding ground for innovation and disruption. South Africa is overflowing with infinite talent. Unlocking their potential means unlocking opportunities. Millennials are excelling by themselves and for themselves. South Africa’s students and junior talent are the very essence of untapped potential. They are breaking down barriers. Alexa Georga...

INNOVATION Quebec

SYNTHESE

UN ACTEUR CLÉ POUR RÉPONDRE AUX ENJEUX DE MAIN-D’OEUVRE EN CRÉATION NUMÉRIQUE

La genèse de SYNTHÈSESYNTHÈSE a été fondée en 2018 par le ministère de l’Éducation et de l’Enseignement supérieur du Québec à la suite d’une mobilisation et d’une réflexion conjointes des entreprises de la création numérique, des collèges, des universités, des milieux associatifs ainsi que de représentant·e·s du ministère de l’Économie...

INNOVATE™ Alberta

GURU SEO SERVICES

PROVIDES COMPREHENSIVE MARKETING SERVICES TO CLIENTS IN VARIOUS INDUSTRIES

Guru SEO Services, based in Red Deer, Alberta is a digital marketing agency that aims to provide comprehensive marketing, web, SEO, and advertising services. The agency was founded by Jesse Tutt, who describes himself as a “Serial Entrepreneur” and has helped many businesses over the years stand out in the...

INNOVATE® Chicago Vol.1

TOPSTEP

INNOVATORS OF THE WORLD

Our Mission At Topstep, our goal is to be where the world goes to safely engage in and profit from the financial markets. In a nutshell, what we do at Topstep is break down the barriers to entry in what has historically been a very exclusive industry. Our mission is...

INNOVATE® Blockchain

HUMAN TRAFFICKING INSTITUTE

HUMAN TRAFFICKING INSTITUTE-

TOGETHER, WE CAN DECIMATE HUMAN TRAFFICKING AROUND THE WORLD

Two decades after the first laws around human trafficking were created, the Human Trafficking Institute’s (HTI) founders noticed a gap in the global response to trafficking: these great laws were not being enforced. HTI stepped in to provide prosecutors and investigators around the world with the tools and guidance necessary...

INNOVATE® Maryland

BALTIMORE CITY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Building the Infrastructure Behind Innovation

From neighborhood startups to growing enterprises, entrepreneurs across Baltimore are creating jobs and investing in their communities. Connecting those founders to the resources needed to sustain that momentum became the challenge Baltimore City Chamber of Commerce set out to solve. Sustainable pathways to wealth have remained central to the organization’s...

INNOVATION Quebec

ITMI

CCTT EN MAINTENANCE INDUSTRIELLE

Nous n’avons jamais autant parlé de transformation numérique, de maintenance prédictive, d’optimisation des opérations et d’innovation tant industrielle qu’économique dans notre écosystème de l’industrie et des PME. Et ce n’est que le début! À l’Institut technologique de maintenance industrielle (ITMI), on se réjouit de cette tendance puisqu’elle cadre avec la...

INNOVATE™ Toronto

AIRMATRIX

AIRMATRIX- BUILDS THE WORLD'S MOST PRECISE DRONE ROAD SYSTEMS

BUILDS THE WORLD'S MOST PRECISE DRONE ROAD SYSTEMS

Co-founded by University of Toronto graduates, Bashir Khan, Ayaan Haider and Shayaan Haider in 2018, AirMatrix builds the world’s most precise drone road systems. AirMatrix is innovating at the bleeding edge and is affiliated with Communitech, MaRS, IRAP and DMZ. AirMatrix is a member of Transport Canada’s action team on...

Global Innovation Spotlight

Smarter Transportation Planning Without Replacing Everything

Container ship, freight truck and cargo aircraft moving shipments across connected transport modes

Connect the systems you already run, then close only the gaps that are slowing planning down.

Transportation planning rarely fails because a single system is bad. It fails because data lives in too many places at once. Most shippers run their operations across an ERP, a WMS, a transportation management systems solution, several carrier portals, and at least one spreadsheet that everyone quietly depends on. Each...

INNOVATE® Chicago Vol.1

SAFE STAYS BY RELOSHARE

SAFE STAYS BY RELOSHARE: Changing the Game for Emergency Housing by Providing Anonymous Hotel Bookings for Social Service Agencies

Changing the Game for Emergency Housing by Providing Anonymous Hotel Bookings for Social Service Agencies

According to the National Network to End Domestic Violence’s 2021 DV Counts Report, agencies were unable to provide emergency shelter to 1,982 adults and 1,184 children nationwide in just one day. Annualized, that’s 723,430 adults and 432,160 children who are left without access to emergency domestic violence shelters each year....

Global Innovation Spotlight

How Driver Screening Failures Fuel Claims Against a Ride Platform

When background checks miss warning signs, rideshare passengers who are harmed may have a claim against the platform as well as the driver.

Chicago’s busy streets and growing reliance on app-based transportation make rideshare services a common choice for residents and visitors. While these platforms offer convenient travel, passengers must be able to trust that the people behind the wheel have been properly screened. When a driver has a history of violent or...

Ecosystems