Stories of Innovation

INNOVATE™ Adelaide

YANUN PROJECT SERVICES

APPLYING DECADES OF DEFENCE EXPERTISE TO SHAPE FIRST NATIONS CAREERS

One of only a few First Nations professional services businesses in the country, Yanun specialises in project management, schedule and planning support and project controls, playing a key role in the management and control of several major projects and programs around the country. Stemming from its roots in the defence...

INNOVATE™ Estonia

AIRE

THE TRUST THAT LED ESTONIAN COMPANIES ONTO AI AND ROBOTICS PATHS

In October 2021, AIRE began operations as one of Estonia’s leading AI and robotics innovation centres. The centre was established with the aim of supporting local industrial companies in adopting artificial intelligence and robotics solutions. Today, AIRE plays a central role in accelerating digital transformation, serving as a trustworthy bridge...

INNOVATE™ Vancouver Vol.2

Hubly

Unlocking the Human Side of Fintech

Hubly allows financial advisors and their teams to deliver a high-tough, stress-free customer experience at scale. Millions of people trust a financial advisor with their life savings. But as advisory firms scale, their operations, services, processes, and regulatory requirements become more complex. Soon, financial advisors are spending more time on...

INNOVATE® South Florida

GREATER FORT LAUDERDALE ALLIANCE

WORK IN THE CLOUD. LIVE IN THE SUN.™

Greater Fort Lauderdale has played an important role as a birthplace of global technology and innovation. This is evident in the products, services, and devices people use daily, including personal computers, mobile phones, mixed reality, satellite radio, and even pet products. Greater Fort Lauderdale is the launchpad for such household...

INNOVATE® Georgia

GEORGIA TECH - ENTERPRISE INNOVATION INSTITUTE

TRANSFORMS ENTREPRENEURS, BUSINESSES AND COMMUNITIES

With more than 60 years of economic development work in Georgia, the Southeast, the United States, and the world, the Enterprise Innovation Institute is the largest university-based economic development organization of its kind in the nation. The Enterprise Innovation Institute supports entrepreneurs in building and scaling technology-based startups; drives and...

INNOVATE® Nashville

VIDEOBOMB

VIDEOBOMB-MAKES ANY BRAND ENGAGEMENT MORE IMMERSIVE AND COMPELLING

MAKES ANY BRAND ENGAGEMENT MORE IMMERSIVE AND COMPELLING

According to Chad Marcum, VideoBomb’s Founder and CEO, “Our mission is to make augmented reality available to businesses of all sizes. AR is the next big thing in customer engagement, and it should not be limited to only the big brands with big budgets. We’ve made it easy and affordable...

INNOVATE® Washington DMV Edition

DCSTW. - DC STARTUP & TECH WEEK

Igniting Innovation in the Heart of America

In the heart of the Mid-Atlantic, a powerful wave of innovation is surging through the Washington D.C., Maryland, and Virginia (DMV) region. Driven by a collective mission to transform the area into a globally recognized innovation hub, this movement is brewing a different kind of revolution in the nation’s capital....

Global Innovation Spotlight

HILCO CONSUMER - RETAIL

INNOVATING FOR THE RETAIL LIFECYCLE – FROM BEGINNING TO END AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN

Can a business founded as a retail liquidation firm innovate to save retail? Hilco Consumer-Retail (HCR) is undoubtedly trying – and succeeding in BIG WAYS! Retail – and the consumer product businesses that feed them inventory – is among the most troubled sectors in the United States and worldwide. This...

INNOVATE® Milwaukee

THE WATER COUNCIL

INNOVATING THE FUTURE: THE WATER COUNCIL’S VISIONARY JOURNEY

In the heart of Milwaukee, where the vast expanse of Lake Michigan meets the city’s vibrant streets, a transformation in water technology and stewardship is underway. This isn’t just a story of a city that grew from the rich waters of the Great Lakes; it’s a narrative of revolution, where...

INNOVATE™ Vancouver Vol.2

Filament Health

Filament Health- Is a natural psychedelic drug development company. Our mission is to see safe

Is a natural psychedelic drug development company. Our mission is to see safe, natural psychedelics in the hands of everyone who needs them, as soon as possible.

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...

INNOVATE® New Jersey Vol.2

NJSBDC

HELPS SMALL BUSINESSES GROW

America’s Small Business Development Centers – New Jersey (NJSBDC), also known as New Jersey Small Business Development Centers, was established by Congress in 1978 as one of the first national SBDC pilot projects leading to the passage of Public Law 96-302. At present the NJSBDC network is comprised of the...

Global Innovation Spotlight

3 Surprising Innovations for Better Sleep Tonight

A man sleeping comfortably.

3 Surprising Innovations for Better Sleep Tonight Maya Liu, a robotics founder, blanked during a crucial investor pitch due to exhaustion. Chronic sleep debt saps an innovator’s edge faster than almost anything else. Her turnaround began not with coffee, but with smarter sleep technology. Tonight, you can tap into similar...

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...

INNOVATE™ Atlantic Canada

LIFE SCIENCES NOVA SCOTIA

BUILDING A THRIVING COMMUNITY

Life Sciences Nova Scotia (LSNS) is more than just an organization; it is the cornerstone of Nova Scotia’s life sciences community, fostering growth, innovation, and collaboration across the province and Atlantic Canada. At its core, LSNS is driven by the belief that transformative ideas in biotechnology, healthcare, and pharmaceuticals can...

INNOVATE™ Curitiba

MAGNETRON

STRENGTH, DETERMINATION, AND CHALLENGE

Currently, in Brazil, one in every three cities has more motorcycles than cars, totaling over 32 million registered motorcycles. This scenario reflects a market with significant investment potential, and Magnetron is always at the forefront in seeking the best solutions to serve this sector. Founded in the 1960s, the company...

INNOVATE® Miami

Creator Connect

Creator Connect - Giving People The Power To Create New Things

Giving People The Power To Create New Things

Creator Connect came to me in October 2017, lying on my couch in Boca Raton, Florida. I thought to myself, what if every time someone posted to Facebook or Instagram they could turn their post into an inspiration for custom artwork. That day the concept of Creator Connect was born....

INNOVATE™ South Africa

WHYFIVE INSIGHTS - BRANDMAPP

WHYFIVE INSIGHTS - BRANDMAPP- A WEALTH OF CONSUMER INSIGHTS

A WEALTH OF CONSUMER INSIGHTS

Where do brands and marketers look to understand middle-class consumers go to find actionable, realistic, useful data? That was the question the team at WhyFive Insights asked almost a decade ago when they launched a unique annual survey and data set called BrandMapp. “We were working in media at the...

INNOVATE® Nashville

Pathway Lending

Innovation with Purpose: Transforming How Communities Access Capital

In Middle Tennessee’s fast-growing economy, small businesses are driving innovation, creating jobs, and shaping the future of communities. But too often, promising businesses and catalytic projects can’t access traditional financing. That’s where Pathway Lending steps in. As a mission-driven Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) based in Nashville, Pathway strengthens communities...

INNOVATE® Gaming & Esports

ONWARD PLAY

ONWARD PLAY-WE PUT GAMING TALENT TO WORK

WE PUT GAMING TALENT TO WORK

Onward Play is a nationwide game staffing agency specializing in freelance and direct hire. Onward Play’s niche is linking up creative, technical and production talent with incredible game, XR, and esports studios. Onward Play recruits talent for segments like PC, Console, Mobile, VR, AR, XR, esports, toys, casino and tabletop....

INNOVATE® Gaming & Esports

INDIE CLUSTER

INDIE CLUSTER-Inspiring The Untargeted

Inspiring The Untargeted, Promoting The Unseen, And Supporting The Unfunded!

The Indie Cluster is a platform providing opportunities, resources, and services centered around supporting indie game developers. We focus on quality assurance testing, discoverability, hands-on production, and curating a traveling booth for our games. As our digital future demands more interactive experiences, sustainability is crucial for these small businesses. We’ve...

INNOVATE™ South Africa

CITI

CITI-TWENTY-TWO YEARS AGO

TWENTY-TWO YEARS AGO, THE CAPE INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY INITIATIVE (CITI) SEEDED IT’S VISION OF A FUTURE FIT INCLUSIVE SOCIETY, IN THE WESTERN CAPE, THEN A PREDOMINANTLY AGRARIAN ECONOMY

Using Michael Porter’s cluster theory as a cornerstone of its strategy, CiTi designed interventions to grow, transform and enable a leading digital economy on the continent.   CiTi’s interventions have been acknowledged to have supported South Africa’s charge to the top of the inaugural fDi Africa “Tech Ecosystems of the...

INNOVATION Quebec

GERAD

L’INTELLIGENCE NUMÉRIQUE AU SERVICE DE L’INNOVATION

Qui sommes-nousLe GERAD est un centre de recherche interuniversitaire au cœur de l’intelligence numérique. Il se veut un pôle de référence en matière de mathématiques de la décision et de ses applications dans les systèmes complexes, en fédérant des chercheurs universitaires et industriels pour la réalisation de projets de recherche...

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® Nashville

NASHVILLE AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

NASHVILLE AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE-Since 1847

Since 1847, the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce has increased economic prosperity by facilitating community leadership

Since 1847, the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce has been working for Middle Tennessee businesses. The Chamber is a nonprofit organization dedicated to creating economic prosperity by facilitating community leadership. The Nashville Area Chamber is Middle Tennessee’s largest business federation, representing more than 1,700 member businesses in 10 counties (Davidson,...

INNOVATE™ Adelaide

YANUN PROJECT SERVICES

APPLYING DECADES OF DEFENCE EXPERTISE TO SHAPE FIRST NATIONS CAREERS

One of only a few First Nations professional services businesses in the country, Yanun specialises in project management, schedule and planning support and project controls, playing a key role in the management and control of several major projects and programs around the country. Stemming from its roots in the defence...

INNOVATE™ Estonia

AIRE

THE TRUST THAT LED ESTONIAN COMPANIES ONTO AI AND ROBOTICS PATHS

In October 2021, AIRE began operations as one of Estonia’s leading AI and robotics innovation centres. The centre was established with the aim of supporting local industrial companies in adopting artificial intelligence and robotics solutions. Today, AIRE plays a central role in accelerating digital transformation, serving as a trustworthy bridge...

INNOVATE™ Vancouver Vol.2

Hubly

Unlocking the Human Side of Fintech

Hubly allows financial advisors and their teams to deliver a high-tough, stress-free customer experience at scale. Millions of people trust a financial advisor with their life savings. But as advisory firms scale, their operations, services, processes, and regulatory requirements become more complex. Soon, financial advisors are spending more time on...

INNOVATE® South Florida

GREATER FORT LAUDERDALE ALLIANCE

WORK IN THE CLOUD. LIVE IN THE SUN.™

Greater Fort Lauderdale has played an important role as a birthplace of global technology and innovation. This is evident in the products, services, and devices people use daily, including personal computers, mobile phones, mixed reality, satellite radio, and even pet products. Greater Fort Lauderdale is the launchpad for such household...

INNOVATE® Georgia

GEORGIA TECH - ENTERPRISE INNOVATION INSTITUTE

TRANSFORMS ENTREPRENEURS, BUSINESSES AND COMMUNITIES

With more than 60 years of economic development work in Georgia, the Southeast, the United States, and the world, the Enterprise Innovation Institute is the largest university-based economic development organization of its kind in the nation. The Enterprise Innovation Institute supports entrepreneurs in building and scaling technology-based startups; drives and...

INNOVATE® Nashville

VIDEOBOMB

VIDEOBOMB-MAKES ANY BRAND ENGAGEMENT MORE IMMERSIVE AND COMPELLING

MAKES ANY BRAND ENGAGEMENT MORE IMMERSIVE AND COMPELLING

According to Chad Marcum, VideoBomb’s Founder and CEO, “Our mission is to make augmented reality available to businesses of all sizes. AR is the next big thing in customer engagement, and it should not be limited to only the big brands with big budgets. We’ve made it easy and affordable...

INNOVATE® Washington DMV Edition

DCSTW. - DC STARTUP & TECH WEEK

Igniting Innovation in the Heart of America

In the heart of the Mid-Atlantic, a powerful wave of innovation is surging through the Washington D.C., Maryland, and Virginia (DMV) region. Driven by a collective mission to transform the area into a globally recognized innovation hub, this movement is brewing a different kind of revolution in the nation’s capital....

Global Innovation Spotlight

HILCO CONSUMER - RETAIL

INNOVATING FOR THE RETAIL LIFECYCLE – FROM BEGINNING TO END AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN

Can a business founded as a retail liquidation firm innovate to save retail? Hilco Consumer-Retail (HCR) is undoubtedly trying – and succeeding in BIG WAYS! Retail – and the consumer product businesses that feed them inventory – is among the most troubled sectors in the United States and worldwide. This...

INNOVATE® Milwaukee

THE WATER COUNCIL

INNOVATING THE FUTURE: THE WATER COUNCIL’S VISIONARY JOURNEY

In the heart of Milwaukee, where the vast expanse of Lake Michigan meets the city’s vibrant streets, a transformation in water technology and stewardship is underway. This isn’t just a story of a city that grew from the rich waters of the Great Lakes; it’s a narrative of revolution, where...

INNOVATE™ Vancouver Vol.2

Filament Health

Filament Health- Is a natural psychedelic drug development company. Our mission is to see safe

Is a natural psychedelic drug development company. Our mission is to see safe, natural psychedelics in the hands of everyone who needs them, as soon as possible.

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...

INNOVATE® New Jersey Vol.2

NJSBDC

HELPS SMALL BUSINESSES GROW

America’s Small Business Development Centers – New Jersey (NJSBDC), also known as New Jersey Small Business Development Centers, was established by Congress in 1978 as one of the first national SBDC pilot projects leading to the passage of Public Law 96-302. At present the NJSBDC network is comprised of the...

Global Innovation Spotlight

3 Surprising Innovations for Better Sleep Tonight

A man sleeping comfortably.

3 Surprising Innovations for Better Sleep Tonight Maya Liu, a robotics founder, blanked during a crucial investor pitch due to exhaustion. Chronic sleep debt saps an innovator’s edge faster than almost anything else. Her turnaround began not with coffee, but with smarter sleep technology. Tonight, you can tap into similar...

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...

INNOVATE™ Atlantic Canada

LIFE SCIENCES NOVA SCOTIA

BUILDING A THRIVING COMMUNITY

Life Sciences Nova Scotia (LSNS) is more than just an organization; it is the cornerstone of Nova Scotia’s life sciences community, fostering growth, innovation, and collaboration across the province and Atlantic Canada. At its core, LSNS is driven by the belief that transformative ideas in biotechnology, healthcare, and pharmaceuticals can...

INNOVATE™ Curitiba

MAGNETRON

STRENGTH, DETERMINATION, AND CHALLENGE

Currently, in Brazil, one in every three cities has more motorcycles than cars, totaling over 32 million registered motorcycles. This scenario reflects a market with significant investment potential, and Magnetron is always at the forefront in seeking the best solutions to serve this sector. Founded in the 1960s, the company...

INNOVATE® Miami

Creator Connect

Creator Connect - Giving People The Power To Create New Things

Giving People The Power To Create New Things

Creator Connect came to me in October 2017, lying on my couch in Boca Raton, Florida. I thought to myself, what if every time someone posted to Facebook or Instagram they could turn their post into an inspiration for custom artwork. That day the concept of Creator Connect was born....

INNOVATE™ South Africa

WHYFIVE INSIGHTS - BRANDMAPP

WHYFIVE INSIGHTS - BRANDMAPP- A WEALTH OF CONSUMER INSIGHTS

A WEALTH OF CONSUMER INSIGHTS

Where do brands and marketers look to understand middle-class consumers go to find actionable, realistic, useful data? That was the question the team at WhyFive Insights asked almost a decade ago when they launched a unique annual survey and data set called BrandMapp. “We were working in media at the...

INNOVATE® Nashville

Pathway Lending

Innovation with Purpose: Transforming How Communities Access Capital

In Middle Tennessee’s fast-growing economy, small businesses are driving innovation, creating jobs, and shaping the future of communities. But too often, promising businesses and catalytic projects can’t access traditional financing. That’s where Pathway Lending steps in. As a mission-driven Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) based in Nashville, Pathway strengthens communities...

INNOVATE® Gaming & Esports

ONWARD PLAY

ONWARD PLAY-WE PUT GAMING TALENT TO WORK

WE PUT GAMING TALENT TO WORK

Onward Play is a nationwide game staffing agency specializing in freelance and direct hire. Onward Play’s niche is linking up creative, technical and production talent with incredible game, XR, and esports studios. Onward Play recruits talent for segments like PC, Console, Mobile, VR, AR, XR, esports, toys, casino and tabletop....

INNOVATE® Gaming & Esports

INDIE CLUSTER

INDIE CLUSTER-Inspiring The Untargeted

Inspiring The Untargeted, Promoting The Unseen, And Supporting The Unfunded!

The Indie Cluster is a platform providing opportunities, resources, and services centered around supporting indie game developers. We focus on quality assurance testing, discoverability, hands-on production, and curating a traveling booth for our games. As our digital future demands more interactive experiences, sustainability is crucial for these small businesses. We’ve...

INNOVATE™ South Africa

CITI

CITI-TWENTY-TWO YEARS AGO

TWENTY-TWO YEARS AGO, THE CAPE INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY INITIATIVE (CITI) SEEDED IT’S VISION OF A FUTURE FIT INCLUSIVE SOCIETY, IN THE WESTERN CAPE, THEN A PREDOMINANTLY AGRARIAN ECONOMY

Using Michael Porter’s cluster theory as a cornerstone of its strategy, CiTi designed interventions to grow, transform and enable a leading digital economy on the continent.   CiTi’s interventions have been acknowledged to have supported South Africa’s charge to the top of the inaugural fDi Africa “Tech Ecosystems of the...

INNOVATION Quebec

GERAD

L’INTELLIGENCE NUMÉRIQUE AU SERVICE DE L’INNOVATION

Qui sommes-nousLe GERAD est un centre de recherche interuniversitaire au cœur de l’intelligence numérique. Il se veut un pôle de référence en matière de mathématiques de la décision et de ses applications dans les systèmes complexes, en fédérant des chercheurs universitaires et industriels pour la réalisation de projets de recherche...

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® Nashville

NASHVILLE AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

NASHVILLE AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE-Since 1847

Since 1847, the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce has increased economic prosperity by facilitating community leadership

Since 1847, the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce has been working for Middle Tennessee businesses. The Chamber is a nonprofit organization dedicated to creating economic prosperity by facilitating community leadership. The Nashville Area Chamber is Middle Tennessee’s largest business federation, representing more than 1,700 member businesses in 10 counties (Davidson,...

Ecosystems