Stories of Innovation

ON THE PATH TO ZERO™ Decarbonization innovator First Mode develops and manufactures clean energy solutions for heavy industry, including the mining sector, which contributes 4-7% of global greenhouse gas emissions annually. In 2022, First Mode in partnership with Anglo American debuted the world’s largest zero-emissions truck by retrofitting a Komatsu...

Ensuring competitive advantages, fostering business opportunities, introducing new products and optimizing processes. When it comes to innovation, startups serve as crucial partners for propelling progress in the automotive sector. In this scenario, those who stand out are the ones helping dealerships identify opportunities to enhance the customer experience while adapting...

Game Quitters provides the best tools, resources, and support for gamers of all ages to keep gaming under control and maintain their health and wellbeing. We believe there are benefits and risks associated with playing video games and individuals should be equipped to navigate that experience. We do this by...

Grünenthal, SA is a subsidiary of Grünenthal GmbH, with a presence in Portugal since 1990, which is dedicated to the marketing of pharmaceutical products and a leader in medicines for the treatment of moderate to severe pain. Our mission is to improve the lives of people living with chronic pain....

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...

Economic impact has a standard playbook: count jobs, measure spending, calculate activity, and produce a number. Oftentimes this approach defines how cities, institutions, and developers tell their economic story, but it can leave out the most important part—the context of the place and the tangible day-to-day impacts on the community....

7Factor Software was founded on human-centric principles held fiercely true at every step in their work to design, develop, deploy, and maintain well-engineered software solutions for tech-forward enterprises and ambitious start-ups with great ideas and a commitment to quality. They tackle their clients’ most unique problems, empowering them to seize...

Timbeter is an Estonian company whose digital solutions bring transparency, traceability, and efficiency to timber measurement from the forest to the factory. Its core products include a mobile app for logs and lumber measurement, a cloud platform for data management, and a dashboard for traceability and reporting. By applying AI,...

“The Summit is where solutions to our nation’s most pressing problems are birthed.” The Wharton Club of D.C., grounded in the rich legacy of the Wharton School’s distinguished alumni, has grown into a pivotal ecosystem of innovation and enterprise. Established in 1968, the Club has curated a potent alchemy of...

With a world-class festival and events calendar that spans the whole year, you’ll always find frivolity on your South Australian itinerary. Think festivals dedicated to Australia’s most watched game, or all things culinary excellence; Australia’s greatest cycling race, international sporting debuts or the world’s second largest arts festival. There’s a...

The foundation of our mission lies in the collective capacity building of local non-profits, and the engagement of community members through events like Bike to the Beach, a renowned national cycling series that raises funds for autism and disabilities. This initiative began as a small gathering of friends who shared...

Nothing is more powerful than an idea whose time has come, suggested Victor Hugo, French literary genius, in 1852. Capitec was – and is still – such an idea, but you might not have thought so at the time. At the beginning of the 21st century, the general consensus was...

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. Their recently launched Clean River Model offers a...

Subsidiary of one of the world’s largest commercial vehicle OEMs, Volvo do Brasil has a track record marked by the development of innovative solutions in the passenger and cargo transportation sector in the country. Curitiba, the city chosen by OEM to be the location of its operations on the continent...

UltraZonic has received a true (medical) world premiere. This Belgian company, specialized in innovative medical cleaning devices, has developed the first semi-automatic pre-cleaner for flexible endoscopes. Not the biggest luxury invention, knowing that endoscopes are popular hotbeds for several bacteria. “Due to great time pressure, staff often miss important cleaning...

Foresight is elevating the sales profession by arming reps with their buyer’s unique needs and pain points so they can have more effective meetings. In the information age, buyers want consultants (not sales reps) to guide them through the process. We make that vision a reality. Freshly baked sourdough and heirloom...

Filament Health was founded by experts in botanical extraction and commercialization. We honed our expertise at Mazza Innovation, a natural extraction startup, which our team scaled from pre-seed to an exit in 2018. At Mazza, we developed and commercialized patent-protected extraction technologies at a 35,000 ft2 commercial-scale, GMP facility. After...

MaRS helps promising ventures become world-leading companies. The anchor of Canada’s tech ecosystem, MaRS connects all players in the innovation economy to turn breakthrough ideas into products and services with global impact. MaRS was founded on the philosophy that innovators require more than labs and offices. They need a platform...

Empire Dreams is birthing a new blueprint for urban transformation in East-Side Kansas City neighborhoods long neglected and marginalized by institutions and systems that fueled their disinvestment. Every facet of their work is designed to dismantle systemic racism, generational poverty, and the lingering effects of childhood trauma. Believing that true...

“TechTown is foundational to the entrepreneurship community in and around Detroit and integral to Wayne State’s vision for innovation in the region,” said WSU President Dr. Kimberly Andrews Espy. “In addition to elevating entrepreneurs in our community, TechTown’s community-based programs and services create enriching, impactful opportunities beyond the classroom for...

The Accelera Hub innovation center was born from the vision of traditional entrepreneurs of the building sector in Curitiba – Paládio Group and Daher Technology a vision through which they grasped the opportunity to make a cultural change in their organizations out of innovation. This journey resulted in the bold...

When the future of work spilled out of traditional offices and into vibrant spaces where community mattered as much as connectivity, Spark Coworking emerged as a beacon for entrepreneurs, creatives, and innovators. Launched in 2016 by The Cordish Companies, Spark has grown into a national network of collaborative workspaces –...

Detroit’s entrepreneurial resurgence is being shaped by a powerful force: Endeavor. Since its establishment in the city in 2015, Endeavor Detroit has become a catalyst for scaling high-growth companies, selecting and supporting founders who have the potential to transform economies. More than just a business accelerator or an investment firm,...

ELEVATOR PITCH “Every woman deserves to feel beautiful; every woman deserves to feel safe; every woman deserves to feel happy.” is the motto at Sparkle & Sabre, a small jewelry company specializing in stylish pieces that boost wearers’ sense of security and well-being. With a majority of available self-defense products...