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
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.
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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.
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
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
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
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
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
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
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...