Stories of Innovation
INNOVATE® South Carolina
KION
FROM GLOBAL VISION TO LOCAL INGENUITY: HOW KION NORTH AMERICA IS DRIVING THE FUTURE OF INNOVATION
IN AN INDUSTRY OFTEN DEFINED BY POWER AND PRECISION, KION NORTH AMERICA STANDS APART FOR SOMETHING MORE INTANGIBLE: ITS COMMITMENT TO CONTINUOUS INNOVATION. FROM ADVANCED ENGINEERING AND MANUFACTURING TO A CULTURE THAT VALUES CREATIVE PROBLEM-SOLVING, KION NA’S APPROACH IS ONE OF GLOBAL COLLABORATION, LOCAL EXECUTION, AND DEEP CUSTOMER FOCUS. AT...
INNOVATION Quebec
NOVIKA
40 ans à créer demain. Ensemble.
La physique chez Novika, c’est bien plus qu’une science; c’est le quotidien. Le nôtre et le vôtre. Depuis quarante ans, nous appliquons nos compétences au développement de produits technologiques et de procédés industriels d’exception. Nous mesurons, comprenons, contrôlons et utilisons les phénomènes physiques pour qu’ils deviennent votre compétitivité, votre qualité...
INNOVATE™ Botswana Vol.1
V.I FITNESS
YOUR HEALTH PARTNER
V.I FITNESS IS A HOLISTIC FITNESS COMPANY FOUNDED BY COUSINS COLO TLHONG & LEBOGANG MOIPOAI, AS TEENS THEY BOTH HAD A STRONG DRIVE TO STAY ACTIVE CHALLENGE THEIR PHYSICAL LIMITATIONS ALBEIT IN VERY DIFFERENT WAYS. Lebogang was a multi-sport athlete who would try any and every sport; basketball, football, rugby...
Global Innovation Spotlight
LINGOKIDS
Donde El Aprendizaje Se Hace Jugando
Lingokids es una aplicación 100 % segura y divertida con contenido exclusivo de Playlearning™ para niños de entre 2 y 8 años. Nació en 2016, cuando nuestro CEO, Cristóbal Viedma, buscaba una herramienta educativa para enseñar inglés a su sobrina pequeña. Ese mismo año, en Lingokids comenzamos una asociación con...
INNOVATE™ Toronto
WORKWOLF
THE NEXT WAVE OF HIRING SOFTWARE IS ENABLING BLOCKCHAIN TECHNOLOGY AT A COMMERCIAL LEVEL
Owning one of Canada’s most successful Healthcare Recruiting Agencies, Workwolf’s Cofounder and CEO, Erik Simins, spent years working with enterprise companies to help establish more efficient ways to identify, attract and hire talent. Overseeing thousands of hiring cycles, one thing was very clear; resumes were the prominent source of data...
INNOVATION Quebec
PROMPT
YOUR INNOVATION BOOSTER FOR RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT IN NEW TECHNOLOGIES
For 20 years, Prompt, an industrial research sectoral group (Regroupement sectoriel de recherche industrielle – RSRI) mandated by the Québec Government, has been reinforcing collaboration and funding high-impact R&D projects. We are pioneers of collaborative innovation model, where front-line entrepreneurial players work with stakeholders in science and academia to invent...
Global Innovation Spotlight
Where to Get South African Goodies in Canada
The South African Shop Delivers Nationwide
Craving a taste of home like Mrs. Ball’s chutney, Peppermint Crisp, or Iwisa Mealy Meal? For South African expats in Canada, finding where to get South African goodies in Canada can feel like a mission—until you discover The South African Shop (The South African Shop). Based in Vancouver, this online...
INNOVATION Quebec
CMC MICROSYSTEMS
ACCÉLÉRER L’INNOVATION ET LA RECHERCHE
« CMC permet aux entrepreneurs et innovateurs l’accès aux meilleurs outils et plateformes au monde. Cela offrira à nos clients et partenaires de tout le cycle de vie de conception, de mise à l’essai et de fabrication des produits technologiques de pointe qui façonneront l’économie de demain. » – Gordon...
INNOVATE™ Alberta
KNEAD
UNLEASHING THE POWER OF FOOD RESCUE: KNEAD TECHNOLOGIES LEADS THE CHARGE TOWARDS ZERO WASTE
In a world where nearly 40% of produced food goes to waste, Knead Technologies has emerged as a trailblazer, revolutionizing the fight against food waste (Parfitt et al., 2021, p. 6). With their innovative logistics solutions, this software development company is redefining how food rescue organizations operate worldwide. By seamlessly...
INNOVATE® New Jersey Vol.2
KISWE
POWERING THE WORLD’S BIGGEST DIGITAL EVENTS THROUGH INTERACTIVE LIVESTREAMS
Kiswe is an award-winning technology company that helps partners fully monetize their content. Trusted by the world’s biggest entertainment and sports brands, Kiswe allows customers to seamlessly customize content for specific audiences, distribute content live or on-demand to their fans with branded ticketing and event websites, and create interactive experiences....
INNOVATE® Jacksonville
TEDx Jacksonville
Greatest Assets Are The Ideas And Dreams Of Its Citizenry
Our team has embraced the challenge of bringing the TEDx experience to Jacksonville because we believe our city’s greatest assets are the ideas and dreams of its citizenry. Ideas have the power to reshape minds and change the way people act. Dreams are the birthplace of the possible. But, too...
Global Innovation Spotlight
The economy of the fandom experience:
Merch, innovation, and sustainability
Everybody’s part of a fandom nowadays, with many people being part of several communities for different musicians, bands, movies, series, and sports teams at the same time. Since many are quite passionate about the fandoms they’re part of, it’s natural that they’d want to wear their interests on their sleeve....
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® New Jersey Vol.2
Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences
A research, training and innovation powerhouse
With nearly 7,000 students across eight schools and an array of centers and institutes, Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences (RBHS) leverages the university’s clinical, behavioral, public health, laboratory, engineering, and social science capabilities to train health professionals and researchers and expand access to quality care. RBHS is among the few...
INNOVATE™ Atlantic Canada
SMALL & LOCAL
REDEFINING LOCAL CONNECTIONS: THE FIRST-OF-ITS-KIND PLATFORM FOR SMALL BUSINESSES & BUY LOCAL SHOPPERS
Many online users face a similar dilemma: they love supporting local but are too tempted by the ease of filling up their Big Box Store online shopping cart and pressing “Order.” If only there was another option—one that could effortlessly help users find and buy from local businesses instead. Good...
INNOVATE™ Oeiras
STEP AHEAD CONSULTING
Make It Happen
Born in the year of the millennium, Step Ahead Consulting, headquartered in Quinta da Fonte, in Oeiras, quickly asserted itself in two aspects: Despite a very strong presence in Angola, the company remained committed to several outstanding national projects, such as the Nationality Process, and other management projects, in clients...
INNOVATE® Maryland
Upling
Delivering Equity, One Order at a Time.
In a world that often overlooks the most vulnerable, Upling is doing more than just delivering cannabis — it’s delivering purpose, access, and social equity. This Maryland-based, AI-powered cannabis delivery platform is rewriting the rules of healthcare access and digital entrepreneurship, all while confronting long-standing injustices in the cannabis industry....
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
MERIC S. GERTLER PRESIDENT, UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO ” INCLUSIVE EXCELLENCE ” “U of T’s remarkable diversity provides both a springboard to social mobility and a superb environment for education, research and innovation.” – MERIC S. GERTLER, PRESIDENT, UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO The strength of Toronto’s higher education, research and innovation enterprise...
INNOVATE® Chicago Vol.1
PECHAKUCHA
This Japanese-Inspired Creator Platform Inspires Meaningful Connections – In Real Life And VIrtually – Using Time As Its Superpower
PechaKucha was born in 2003 because people talk too much. That’s what happens when passionate people gather together to share ideas and creations. PechaKucha, which means “chit-chat” in Japanese, was founded in Tokyo by architects Mark Dytham and Astrid Klein of Klein Dytham architecture. It originated as a “20×20’’ live...
INNOVATE® Nashville
LODESTONE ADVISORY GROUP
Is reimagining venture capital and economic development from the ground up
When we founded Lodestone Advisory Group in 2013, business leaders were tired of a management consulting industry that was a stiff, black box offering one-size-fits-all “solutions,” with little accountability on end results. Lodestone, named after the naturally occurring magnetic powder that gave early merchants and tradesmen the ability to navigate...
INNOVATE™ Vancouver Vol.2
The Frontier Collective
Building the future of Vancouver’s innovation movement on the local & global stage
Frontier technologies are thriving in Vancouver. The region is a talent engine and hub for VR/AR, AI, Cleantech, Web3, Robotics, Biotech/Healthtech, and so many more industries. Vancouver has an immense opportunity to lead the world in frontier tech, ushering in a new wave of transformation, economic prosperity and high-paying jobs, but...
INNOVATE® South Carolina
Mill Village Ministries
Flourishing Takes a Village
Mill Village Ministries is a family of nonprofit social enterprises that was founded in 2012 by Furman University Alum Dan Weidenbenner. Weidenbenner serves as the Executive Director of the West Greenville based “umbrella” nonprofit. The organization is a faith based family of enterprises that aims to elevate the whole community...
INNOVATE® Washington DMV Edition
1863 VENTURES
Unleashing Potential
“We’re excited about the continued progress on our path to creating $100B in new wealth by 2030.” In the heart of innovation, where dreams intertwine with reality, 1836 Ventures stands as a beacon of hope and transformation. Born from a modest volunteer project at Georgetown, it has evolved into an...
INNOVATE® South Carolina
KION
FROM GLOBAL VISION TO LOCAL INGENUITY: HOW KION NORTH AMERICA IS DRIVING THE FUTURE OF INNOVATION
IN AN INDUSTRY OFTEN DEFINED BY POWER AND PRECISION, KION NORTH AMERICA STANDS APART FOR SOMETHING MORE INTANGIBLE: ITS COMMITMENT TO CONTINUOUS INNOVATION. FROM ADVANCED ENGINEERING AND MANUFACTURING TO A CULTURE THAT VALUES CREATIVE PROBLEM-SOLVING, KION NA’S APPROACH IS ONE OF GLOBAL COLLABORATION, LOCAL EXECUTION, AND DEEP CUSTOMER FOCUS. AT...
INNOVATION Quebec
NOVIKA
40 ans à créer demain. Ensemble.
La physique chez Novika, c’est bien plus qu’une science; c’est le quotidien. Le nôtre et le vôtre. Depuis quarante ans, nous appliquons nos compétences au développement de produits technologiques et de procédés industriels d’exception. Nous mesurons, comprenons, contrôlons et utilisons les phénomènes physiques pour qu’ils deviennent votre compétitivité, votre qualité...
INNOVATE™ Botswana Vol.1
V.I FITNESS
YOUR HEALTH PARTNER
V.I FITNESS IS A HOLISTIC FITNESS COMPANY FOUNDED BY COUSINS COLO TLHONG & LEBOGANG MOIPOAI, AS TEENS THEY BOTH HAD A STRONG DRIVE TO STAY ACTIVE CHALLENGE THEIR PHYSICAL LIMITATIONS ALBEIT IN VERY DIFFERENT WAYS. Lebogang was a multi-sport athlete who would try any and every sport; basketball, football, rugby...
Global Innovation Spotlight
LINGOKIDS
Donde El Aprendizaje Se Hace Jugando
Lingokids es una aplicación 100 % segura y divertida con contenido exclusivo de Playlearning™ para niños de entre 2 y 8 años. Nació en 2016, cuando nuestro CEO, Cristóbal Viedma, buscaba una herramienta educativa para enseñar inglés a su sobrina pequeña. Ese mismo año, en Lingokids comenzamos una asociación con...
INNOVATE™ Toronto
WORKWOLF
THE NEXT WAVE OF HIRING SOFTWARE IS ENABLING BLOCKCHAIN TECHNOLOGY AT A COMMERCIAL LEVEL
Owning one of Canada’s most successful Healthcare Recruiting Agencies, Workwolf’s Cofounder and CEO, Erik Simins, spent years working with enterprise companies to help establish more efficient ways to identify, attract and hire talent. Overseeing thousands of hiring cycles, one thing was very clear; resumes were the prominent source of data...
INNOVATION Quebec
PROMPT
YOUR INNOVATION BOOSTER FOR RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT IN NEW TECHNOLOGIES
For 20 years, Prompt, an industrial research sectoral group (Regroupement sectoriel de recherche industrielle – RSRI) mandated by the Québec Government, has been reinforcing collaboration and funding high-impact R&D projects. We are pioneers of collaborative innovation model, where front-line entrepreneurial players work with stakeholders in science and academia to invent...
Global Innovation Spotlight
Where to Get South African Goodies in Canada
The South African Shop Delivers Nationwide
Craving a taste of home like Mrs. Ball’s chutney, Peppermint Crisp, or Iwisa Mealy Meal? For South African expats in Canada, finding where to get South African goodies in Canada can feel like a mission—until you discover The South African Shop (The South African Shop). Based in Vancouver, this online...
INNOVATION Quebec
CMC MICROSYSTEMS
ACCÉLÉRER L’INNOVATION ET LA RECHERCHE
« CMC permet aux entrepreneurs et innovateurs l’accès aux meilleurs outils et plateformes au monde. Cela offrira à nos clients et partenaires de tout le cycle de vie de conception, de mise à l’essai et de fabrication des produits technologiques de pointe qui façonneront l’économie de demain. » – Gordon...
INNOVATE™ Alberta
KNEAD
UNLEASHING THE POWER OF FOOD RESCUE: KNEAD TECHNOLOGIES LEADS THE CHARGE TOWARDS ZERO WASTE
In a world where nearly 40% of produced food goes to waste, Knead Technologies has emerged as a trailblazer, revolutionizing the fight against food waste (Parfitt et al., 2021, p. 6). With their innovative logistics solutions, this software development company is redefining how food rescue organizations operate worldwide. By seamlessly...
INNOVATE® New Jersey Vol.2
KISWE
POWERING THE WORLD’S BIGGEST DIGITAL EVENTS THROUGH INTERACTIVE LIVESTREAMS
Kiswe is an award-winning technology company that helps partners fully monetize their content. Trusted by the world’s biggest entertainment and sports brands, Kiswe allows customers to seamlessly customize content for specific audiences, distribute content live or on-demand to their fans with branded ticketing and event websites, and create interactive experiences....
INNOVATE® Jacksonville
TEDx Jacksonville
Greatest Assets Are The Ideas And Dreams Of Its Citizenry
Our team has embraced the challenge of bringing the TEDx experience to Jacksonville because we believe our city’s greatest assets are the ideas and dreams of its citizenry. Ideas have the power to reshape minds and change the way people act. Dreams are the birthplace of the possible. But, too...
Global Innovation Spotlight
The economy of the fandom experience:
Merch, innovation, and sustainability
Everybody’s part of a fandom nowadays, with many people being part of several communities for different musicians, bands, movies, series, and sports teams at the same time. Since many are quite passionate about the fandoms they’re part of, it’s natural that they’d want to wear their interests on their sleeve....
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® New Jersey Vol.2
Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences
A research, training and innovation powerhouse
With nearly 7,000 students across eight schools and an array of centers and institutes, Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences (RBHS) leverages the university’s clinical, behavioral, public health, laboratory, engineering, and social science capabilities to train health professionals and researchers and expand access to quality care. RBHS is among the few...
INNOVATE™ Atlantic Canada
SMALL & LOCAL
REDEFINING LOCAL CONNECTIONS: THE FIRST-OF-ITS-KIND PLATFORM FOR SMALL BUSINESSES & BUY LOCAL SHOPPERS
Many online users face a similar dilemma: they love supporting local but are too tempted by the ease of filling up their Big Box Store online shopping cart and pressing “Order.” If only there was another option—one that could effortlessly help users find and buy from local businesses instead. Good...
INNOVATE™ Oeiras
STEP AHEAD CONSULTING
Make It Happen
Born in the year of the millennium, Step Ahead Consulting, headquartered in Quinta da Fonte, in Oeiras, quickly asserted itself in two aspects: Despite a very strong presence in Angola, the company remained committed to several outstanding national projects, such as the Nationality Process, and other management projects, in clients...
INNOVATE® Maryland
Upling
Delivering Equity, One Order at a Time.
In a world that often overlooks the most vulnerable, Upling is doing more than just delivering cannabis — it’s delivering purpose, access, and social equity. This Maryland-based, AI-powered cannabis delivery platform is rewriting the rules of healthcare access and digital entrepreneurship, all while confronting long-standing injustices in the cannabis industry....
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
MERIC S. GERTLER PRESIDENT, UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO ” INCLUSIVE EXCELLENCE ” “U of T’s remarkable diversity provides both a springboard to social mobility and a superb environment for education, research and innovation.” – MERIC S. GERTLER, PRESIDENT, UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO The strength of Toronto’s higher education, research and innovation enterprise...
INNOVATE® Chicago Vol.1
PECHAKUCHA
This Japanese-Inspired Creator Platform Inspires Meaningful Connections – In Real Life And VIrtually – Using Time As Its Superpower
PechaKucha was born in 2003 because people talk too much. That’s what happens when passionate people gather together to share ideas and creations. PechaKucha, which means “chit-chat” in Japanese, was founded in Tokyo by architects Mark Dytham and Astrid Klein of Klein Dytham architecture. It originated as a “20×20’’ live...
INNOVATE® Nashville
LODESTONE ADVISORY GROUP
Is reimagining venture capital and economic development from the ground up
When we founded Lodestone Advisory Group in 2013, business leaders were tired of a management consulting industry that was a stiff, black box offering one-size-fits-all “solutions,” with little accountability on end results. Lodestone, named after the naturally occurring magnetic powder that gave early merchants and tradesmen the ability to navigate...
INNOVATE™ Vancouver Vol.2
The Frontier Collective
Building the future of Vancouver’s innovation movement on the local & global stage
Frontier technologies are thriving in Vancouver. The region is a talent engine and hub for VR/AR, AI, Cleantech, Web3, Robotics, Biotech/Healthtech, and so many more industries. Vancouver has an immense opportunity to lead the world in frontier tech, ushering in a new wave of transformation, economic prosperity and high-paying jobs, but...
INNOVATE® South Carolina
Mill Village Ministries
Flourishing Takes a Village
Mill Village Ministries is a family of nonprofit social enterprises that was founded in 2012 by Furman University Alum Dan Weidenbenner. Weidenbenner serves as the Executive Director of the West Greenville based “umbrella” nonprofit. The organization is a faith based family of enterprises that aims to elevate the whole community...
INNOVATE® Washington DMV Edition
1863 VENTURES
Unleashing Potential
“We’re excited about the continued progress on our path to creating $100B in new wealth by 2030.” In the heart of innovation, where dreams intertwine with reality, 1836 Ventures stands as a beacon of hope and transformation. Born from a modest volunteer project at Georgetown, it has evolved into an...