Stories of Innovation
INNOVATION Quebec
SEREX
CCTT EN TRANSFORMATION DES PRODUITS FORESTIERS
Le SEREX est l’expert en transformation des produits forestiers. Notre équipe accompagne les entreprises pour développer des solutions et des pratiques durables qui leur permettent de se positionner sur les marchés d’avenir. Notre force, c’est d’être à l’écoute de l’environnement technique et économique de nos clients et partenaires pour créer...
INNOVATE® Nashville
BELMONT UNIVERSITY
INCUBATING INNOVATION- Incubating Creativity and Innovation to Lead to Human Flourishing
Founded in Nashville in 1890 by Susan Heron and Ida B. Hood–two female school teachers–Belmont University has been defying conventional expectations of higher education and serving as an incubator of innovation ever since. Today, the University is comprised of nearly 9,000 students from every U.S. state and 33 countries. Nationally...
INNOVATE® Chicago Vol.1
ROOMII
ROOMII’S MISSION IS TO PROVIDE ACCESS TO ASPIRATIONAL FURNITURE FOR EVERY ROOM IN YOUR HOME
Roomii is an online marketplace that lets you lease out your furniture to people who don’t want to own it. Our platform lets you earn a return on your furniture investment while helping people furnish their space short-term with quality pre-owned furniture. Roomii’s story began in the spring of 2020....
INNOVATE® Blockchain
NFT STUDIOS-CHIFIBOTS
CREATING A UNIVERSE FOR ENDLESS FUN
NFT Studios’ primary goal is to build a chain of: games, media, and real life events – based on the colorful characters and universes produced through their debut Play To Earn game “ChiFiBots.” And to also make 100 million players earn 100K USD a year playing our games. The...
INNOVATE™ Stockholm
CAY COLLECTIVE
REDEFINING THE CREATIVE MARKET
In a world where creative talent often struggles to meet commerce, Cay Collective is shaping a new path. Founded in 2023 by Johanna Gauffin and Natalie Navia, the Stockholm-based platform serves as a marketplace for independent artists, fashion designers, and lifestyle creators offering more than just a digital storefront. Cay...
INNOVATION Manitoba
Sheepdog Brew Co.
INNOVATION ISN’T ALWAYS LOUD. SOMETIMES IT COMES IN A BLACK CAN.
Innovation often comes from adding more. Sheepdog Brew Co. built its business by asking what could be stripped away instead. Founded in Manitoba by former Winnipeg Police Service officer and Army Reservist Shawn Black, Sheepdog Brew Co. set out to challenge a coffee industry increasingly driven by flavours, trends and...
INNOVATE® Detroit
THE SALVATION ARMY
MOBILIZING FOOD DISTRIBUTION EFFORTS IN METRO DETROIT THE SALVATION ARMY GREAT LAKES DIVISION
One Night in January 1988…One night in January 1988, a Salvation Army Emergency Disaster Services truck loaded up with 75 sandwiches, soup and hot chocolate to serve Detroit’s homeless. After driving around the city’s east side, the crew couldn’t find anyone to serve. When the truck pulled into an alley...
INNOVATE™ Estonia
SENSOWELL
TRANSFORMING SLEEP INTO A LIFE-SAVING SCIENCE
Modern medicine is extraordinary – but it often arrives too late. By the time patients enter a hospital, many health conditions have already compromised their quality of life. Sensowell was created to turn this model on its head, leading a shift from reactive treatments to proactive prevention. The company’s mission...
INNOVATE® Gaming & Esports
UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY
TO ENGAGE WITH OUR COMMUNITY OF STUDENTS, FACULTY, STAFF AND PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS WITH GAMING AND ESPORTS TOPICS WHILE PROMOTING EDUCATION AND CAREER DEVELOPMENT IN THIS SPACE
As is common with many of the great things that universities do, it all started with the students. The UK Esports Club was organized around 2017 by students who were interested in growing the community and helping different clubs focused on individual games to pool their resources and better leverage...
INNOVATE® Milwaukee
WEAR-TECH
INNOVATING SAFETY
WEAR-TECH – DETECT – PREDICT – PROTECT™ “Our homegrown AI companion, MAHI™, is aware of its users’ environment and alerts the wearer and the caregivers if a vulnerable loved one inadvertently heads towards a hazard.” A profound loss propelled an innovator in Hartland, WI, to create predictive safety technologies for...
INNOVATE® Washington DMV Edition
iUnit
Building Sustainable, Attainable Communities
Changing the way we live – and build our homes and lives – is no mean feat. That is precisely what iUnit sets out to do. It is a visionary real estate development/tech start-up spearheading a revolution in sustainable housing. Founded by Brice Leconte, iUnit is a trailblazer in merging...
INNOVATION Quebec
Institut TransMedTech
Catalyser l’innovation en technologies médicales
NOTRE MISSIONL’Institut TransMedTech (iTMT) vise à soutenir l’innovation en technologies médicales répondant aux besoins des personnes utilisatrices et du milieu de la santé, afin de faciliter et de catalyser leur développement et mise en œuvre dans le système de santé. L’iTMT vise également à former la prochaine génération de leaders...
INNOVATE® Nashville
SwitchPoint Ventures
We build companies around pioneering technologies.
Our journey began a decade ago, here in Nashville – a city known for creativity and reinvention. That same spirit shaped how we approach innovation: with collaboration, grit, and a builder’s mindset. At SwitchPoint Ventures, we build companies around pioneering technologies – particularly in AI, data science, and digital innovation...
INNOVATE® Washington DMV Edition
TO ALL OF OUR DMV INNOVATORS AND DREAMERS! Government and politics: two pillars that have long been synonymous with the identity of the capital region. While these will always remain cornerstones of the DMV, a new narrative is emerging – that of a global innovation hub for startups, emerging tech,...
INNOVATE® Miami
Penpal Schools
Helping teachers connect their students to learn with penpals around the world and from different backgrounds
PenPal Schools PenPal Schools is the world’s largest project-based learning community, with over a quarter million students in 150 countries. Students collaborate through online projects ranging from human rights and the environment to fake news and robotics, all while practicing literacy, technology, and social-emotional skills. PenPal Schools was recognized by...
INNOVATE® Nashville
Nashville Stars
Building a Brand, Creating a Venue, Inspiring a City
When the story of Nashville’s first Major League Baseball franchise is finally written, one theme will stand above the rest: innovation. Music City Baseball (MCB), the local ownership foundation behind the Nashville Stars, has approached the challenge of bringing MLB to Tennessee with a strategy that goes beyond the traditional...
INNOVATE® Chicago Vol.1
PRITZKER GROUP
HELPING ENTREPRENEURS ACHIEVE GREATNESS
ABOUT PGVC Pritzker Group, founded by Tony and J.B. Pritzker, has three principal investment teams: Venture Capital, which provides early-stage venture funding to technology companies throughout the United States; Private Capital, which acquires and operates leading North America based companies; and Asset Management, which partners with top-performing investment managers across...
INNOVATE® Washington DMV Edition
CAVA
CAVA’s Recipe for Success
From Mediterranean roots to nationwide expansion, CAVA brings heart, health, and humanity to food. CAVA isn’t just another restaurant chain. It’s on a mission not just to serve food but to serve a movement. It is a beacon of innovation, health, and Mediterranean flavors, transforming the way America eats. The...
INNOVATION Quebec
ZÚ
SOUTIENT ET PROPULSE LES ENTREPRENEURS QUI UTILISENT LES TECHNOLOGIES INNOVANTES POUR RÉVOLUTIONNER LES INDUSTRIES CRÉATIVES ET GÉNÉRER DES PROPRIÉTÉS INTELLECTUELLES DE CLASSE MONDIALE Incubateur initié par Guy Laliberté en 2018, Zú offre des programmes d’accompagnement pour startups, des services en innovation ouverte pour les PME et grandes entreprises, une expertise...
INNOVATE® Nashville
Care Sherpa
Bridging the Gap Between Interest and Action
Transforming how healthcare organizations connect, convert, and grow. In the heart of Nashville’s thriving healthcare innovation scene, Care Sherpa is making a measurable difference—both in patient access and in how healthcare organizations grow. Founded by CEO Jessica Walker, Care Sherpa was built to solve one of the industry’s most persistent...
INNOVATE™ Vancouver Vol.2
INFORMA FINANCIAL
THE IMPORTANCE OF A WELL-ROUNDED TOTAL BENEFITS EXPERIENCE IS MORE IMPORTANT NOW
INFORMA FINANCIAL – THE IMPORTANCE OF A WELL-ROUNDED TOTAL BENEFITS EXPERIENCE IS MORE IMPORTANT NOW THAN IT HAS EVER BEEN. Informa’s founder, Cliff Pipke, began this business out of a desire to help service the insurance needs of families, as well as those of the small business owner. As Informa’s...
INNOVATE® Jacksonville
Wilson Dutra Innovation Law
The Backbone of Many New Ventures Is Intellectual Property
The backbone of many new ventures is intellectual property – a swirl of ideas that can include inventions, branding, product designs, and a variety of intangibles that make an undertaking worth pursuing. Most ventures begin with curious minds asking questions, identifying a gap in a market, or challenging the status...
INNOVATE® Nashville
BOS FRAMEWORK
Cloud Enablement, Simplified
Tech-enabled companies and enterprises save 30-50% of their Cloud development and modernization cost and time with BOS. After building over 200 software products across industries spanning Clinical Research, HealthCare, Finance, Departments of Corrections, Defense, and Education in multiple geographies including North America, Europe, Australia, and Asia, BOS CEO and Founder...
INNOVATION Quebec
SEREX
CCTT EN TRANSFORMATION DES PRODUITS FORESTIERS
Le SEREX est l’expert en transformation des produits forestiers. Notre équipe accompagne les entreprises pour développer des solutions et des pratiques durables qui leur permettent de se positionner sur les marchés d’avenir. Notre force, c’est d’être à l’écoute de l’environnement technique et économique de nos clients et partenaires pour créer...
INNOVATE® Nashville
BELMONT UNIVERSITY
INCUBATING INNOVATION- Incubating Creativity and Innovation to Lead to Human Flourishing
Founded in Nashville in 1890 by Susan Heron and Ida B. Hood–two female school teachers–Belmont University has been defying conventional expectations of higher education and serving as an incubator of innovation ever since. Today, the University is comprised of nearly 9,000 students from every U.S. state and 33 countries. Nationally...
INNOVATE® Chicago Vol.1
ROOMII
ROOMII’S MISSION IS TO PROVIDE ACCESS TO ASPIRATIONAL FURNITURE FOR EVERY ROOM IN YOUR HOME
Roomii is an online marketplace that lets you lease out your furniture to people who don’t want to own it. Our platform lets you earn a return on your furniture investment while helping people furnish their space short-term with quality pre-owned furniture. Roomii’s story began in the spring of 2020....
INNOVATE® Blockchain
NFT STUDIOS-CHIFIBOTS
CREATING A UNIVERSE FOR ENDLESS FUN
NFT Studios’ primary goal is to build a chain of: games, media, and real life events – based on the colorful characters and universes produced through their debut Play To Earn game “ChiFiBots.” And to also make 100 million players earn 100K USD a year playing our games. The...
INNOVATE™ Stockholm
CAY COLLECTIVE
REDEFINING THE CREATIVE MARKET
In a world where creative talent often struggles to meet commerce, Cay Collective is shaping a new path. Founded in 2023 by Johanna Gauffin and Natalie Navia, the Stockholm-based platform serves as a marketplace for independent artists, fashion designers, and lifestyle creators offering more than just a digital storefront. Cay...
INNOVATION Manitoba
Sheepdog Brew Co.
INNOVATION ISN’T ALWAYS LOUD. SOMETIMES IT COMES IN A BLACK CAN.
Innovation often comes from adding more. Sheepdog Brew Co. built its business by asking what could be stripped away instead. Founded in Manitoba by former Winnipeg Police Service officer and Army Reservist Shawn Black, Sheepdog Brew Co. set out to challenge a coffee industry increasingly driven by flavours, trends and...
INNOVATE® Detroit
THE SALVATION ARMY
MOBILIZING FOOD DISTRIBUTION EFFORTS IN METRO DETROIT THE SALVATION ARMY GREAT LAKES DIVISION
One Night in January 1988…One night in January 1988, a Salvation Army Emergency Disaster Services truck loaded up with 75 sandwiches, soup and hot chocolate to serve Detroit’s homeless. After driving around the city’s east side, the crew couldn’t find anyone to serve. When the truck pulled into an alley...
INNOVATE™ Estonia
SENSOWELL
TRANSFORMING SLEEP INTO A LIFE-SAVING SCIENCE
Modern medicine is extraordinary – but it often arrives too late. By the time patients enter a hospital, many health conditions have already compromised their quality of life. Sensowell was created to turn this model on its head, leading a shift from reactive treatments to proactive prevention. The company’s mission...
INNOVATE® Gaming & Esports
UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY
TO ENGAGE WITH OUR COMMUNITY OF STUDENTS, FACULTY, STAFF AND PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS WITH GAMING AND ESPORTS TOPICS WHILE PROMOTING EDUCATION AND CAREER DEVELOPMENT IN THIS SPACE
As is common with many of the great things that universities do, it all started with the students. The UK Esports Club was organized around 2017 by students who were interested in growing the community and helping different clubs focused on individual games to pool their resources and better leverage...
INNOVATE® Milwaukee
WEAR-TECH
INNOVATING SAFETY
WEAR-TECH – DETECT – PREDICT – PROTECT™ “Our homegrown AI companion, MAHI™, is aware of its users’ environment and alerts the wearer and the caregivers if a vulnerable loved one inadvertently heads towards a hazard.” A profound loss propelled an innovator in Hartland, WI, to create predictive safety technologies for...
INNOVATE® Washington DMV Edition
iUnit
Building Sustainable, Attainable Communities
Changing the way we live – and build our homes and lives – is no mean feat. That is precisely what iUnit sets out to do. It is a visionary real estate development/tech start-up spearheading a revolution in sustainable housing. Founded by Brice Leconte, iUnit is a trailblazer in merging...
INNOVATION Quebec
Institut TransMedTech
Catalyser l’innovation en technologies médicales
NOTRE MISSIONL’Institut TransMedTech (iTMT) vise à soutenir l’innovation en technologies médicales répondant aux besoins des personnes utilisatrices et du milieu de la santé, afin de faciliter et de catalyser leur développement et mise en œuvre dans le système de santé. L’iTMT vise également à former la prochaine génération de leaders...
INNOVATE® Nashville
SwitchPoint Ventures
We build companies around pioneering technologies.
Our journey began a decade ago, here in Nashville – a city known for creativity and reinvention. That same spirit shaped how we approach innovation: with collaboration, grit, and a builder’s mindset. At SwitchPoint Ventures, we build companies around pioneering technologies – particularly in AI, data science, and digital innovation...
INNOVATE® Washington DMV Edition
TO ALL OF OUR DMV INNOVATORS AND DREAMERS! Government and politics: two pillars that have long been synonymous with the identity of the capital region. While these will always remain cornerstones of the DMV, a new narrative is emerging – that of a global innovation hub for startups, emerging tech,...
INNOVATE® Miami
Penpal Schools
Helping teachers connect their students to learn with penpals around the world and from different backgrounds
PenPal Schools PenPal Schools is the world’s largest project-based learning community, with over a quarter million students in 150 countries. Students collaborate through online projects ranging from human rights and the environment to fake news and robotics, all while practicing literacy, technology, and social-emotional skills. PenPal Schools was recognized by...
INNOVATE® Nashville
Nashville Stars
Building a Brand, Creating a Venue, Inspiring a City
When the story of Nashville’s first Major League Baseball franchise is finally written, one theme will stand above the rest: innovation. Music City Baseball (MCB), the local ownership foundation behind the Nashville Stars, has approached the challenge of bringing MLB to Tennessee with a strategy that goes beyond the traditional...
INNOVATE® Chicago Vol.1
PRITZKER GROUP
HELPING ENTREPRENEURS ACHIEVE GREATNESS
ABOUT PGVC Pritzker Group, founded by Tony and J.B. Pritzker, has three principal investment teams: Venture Capital, which provides early-stage venture funding to technology companies throughout the United States; Private Capital, which acquires and operates leading North America based companies; and Asset Management, which partners with top-performing investment managers across...
INNOVATE® Washington DMV Edition
CAVA
CAVA’s Recipe for Success
From Mediterranean roots to nationwide expansion, CAVA brings heart, health, and humanity to food. CAVA isn’t just another restaurant chain. It’s on a mission not just to serve food but to serve a movement. It is a beacon of innovation, health, and Mediterranean flavors, transforming the way America eats. The...
INNOVATION Quebec
ZÚ
SOUTIENT ET PROPULSE LES ENTREPRENEURS QUI UTILISENT LES TECHNOLOGIES INNOVANTES POUR RÉVOLUTIONNER LES INDUSTRIES CRÉATIVES ET GÉNÉRER DES PROPRIÉTÉS INTELLECTUELLES DE CLASSE MONDIALE Incubateur initié par Guy Laliberté en 2018, Zú offre des programmes d’accompagnement pour startups, des services en innovation ouverte pour les PME et grandes entreprises, une expertise...
INNOVATE® Nashville
Care Sherpa
Bridging the Gap Between Interest and Action
Transforming how healthcare organizations connect, convert, and grow. In the heart of Nashville’s thriving healthcare innovation scene, Care Sherpa is making a measurable difference—both in patient access and in how healthcare organizations grow. Founded by CEO Jessica Walker, Care Sherpa was built to solve one of the industry’s most persistent...
INNOVATE™ Vancouver Vol.2
INFORMA FINANCIAL
THE IMPORTANCE OF A WELL-ROUNDED TOTAL BENEFITS EXPERIENCE IS MORE IMPORTANT NOW
INFORMA FINANCIAL – THE IMPORTANCE OF A WELL-ROUNDED TOTAL BENEFITS EXPERIENCE IS MORE IMPORTANT NOW THAN IT HAS EVER BEEN. Informa’s founder, Cliff Pipke, began this business out of a desire to help service the insurance needs of families, as well as those of the small business owner. As Informa’s...
INNOVATE® Jacksonville
Wilson Dutra Innovation Law
The Backbone of Many New Ventures Is Intellectual Property
The backbone of many new ventures is intellectual property – a swirl of ideas that can include inventions, branding, product designs, and a variety of intangibles that make an undertaking worth pursuing. Most ventures begin with curious minds asking questions, identifying a gap in a market, or challenging the status...
INNOVATE® Nashville
BOS FRAMEWORK
Cloud Enablement, Simplified
Tech-enabled companies and enterprises save 30-50% of their Cloud development and modernization cost and time with BOS. After building over 200 software products across industries spanning Clinical Research, HealthCare, Finance, Departments of Corrections, Defense, and Education in multiple geographies including North America, Europe, Australia, and Asia, BOS CEO and Founder...