Stories of Innovation
INNOVATE™ Toronto
FOUNDERSBOOST TORONTO
PROVES THAT GRASSROOTS EFFORTS CAN DEMOCRATIZE ACCESS TO THE RESOURCES AND RELATIONSHIPS THAT FOUNDERS NEED TO SUCCEED
FoundersBoost Toronto is the city’s only 100% free, not-for-profit preaccelerator program for early-stage founders. We are a volunteer-only organization that runs six-week boot camps that prepare founders for accelerators, investment, and revenue. We take no equity and charge no fees from any of our startups. FoundersBoost Toronto is led by...
INNOVATE® Georgia
FASTTEK GLOBAL
LEADERSHIP SETS THE TONE
In 2003, Carey Pachla joined Fast Switch, Ltd.; essentially, a start-up at the time. Over 16 years, she built the division she started into a best-in-class and purpose-driven organization with hundreds of team members servicing multiple organizations, which range in size from Fortune Top 10 to mid-size and start-up organizations....
INNOVATE® Washington DMV Edition
UNIVERSITY STARTUPS
Empowering Tomorrow
In the early, uncertain days of the pandemic, two Georgetown University McDonough School of Business professors found themselves contemplating a way to bring more purpose to their work and students’ lives. Marc Steren and John Jabara, both seasoned academics and entrepreneurs, decided to channel their expertise into something transformative. What...
INNOVATE® Gaming & Esports
KARTRIJ
TO UNITE GAMERS THROUGH THE DISCOVERY OF AMAZING BRANDS THAT CELEBRATE THEIR LIFESTYLE
Kartrij is a free platform that helps gamers discover brands through cash back offers. Gamers earn cash back automatically by securely linking their credit card to the platform and shopping at the stores they already do. Kartrij enables gaming brands to effectively advertise through real-time customer insights and custom offers....
INNOVATE® South Florida
LAS OLAS VENTURE CAPITAL
DRIVING INNOVATION & COMMUNITY IN THE SOUTH FLORIDA VENTURE ECOSYSTEM
Las Olas Venture Capital (LOVC) stands out in the venture capital ecosystem as an early-stage firm dedicated to transforming the B2B software sector. Founded in 2015 and based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, LOVC has quickly distinguished itself by leading investment rounds with an initial check size typically ranging from $1...
INNOVATE® Puerto Rico
GRAVITAL AGENCY
Gravital is a B2B performance-driven digital marketing agency and consulting firm specializing in growth strategies, marketing solutions and sales enablement.
Enhancing Sustainable Business Growth Via Digital MarketingGROW BY CREATING VALUE IS OUR MOTTO.We believe in producing meaningful outcomes that impact our customers’ bottom line, not in winning awards for flashy campaigns. OUR STORY The Digital ConnectionWe recognized the awesome reach and power of digital marketing and what it could...
INNOVATE® South Florida
eMerge Americas
The premier technology event connecting the Americas held annually at the Miami Beach Convention Center
eMerge Americas is the premier technology event connecting the Americas held annually at the Miami Beach Convention Center. By connecting global industry leaders and investors with corporate business executives, government leaders, and entrepreneurs, eMerge Americas is transforming Miami into the tech hub of the Americas. In 2019, eMerge Americas attracted...
INNOVATE® Gaming & Esports
GAME QUITTERS
Supporting The Mental Health Of Gamers And Their Families Through Content, Community And Coaching
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...
INNOVATE® Jacksonville
“People have asked me why i started Espero Biopharma in jacksonville when there is no industry and few talent locally” Here are the reasons. Few American cities of any size are home to so many facilities, among them Ackerman Cancer Center, Baptist Health, Brooks Rehabilitation, Mayo Clinic, Memorial Hospital,...
INNOVATE® South Carolina
Charleston Regional Development Alliance
Innovating Charleston: 30 Years of Bold Ideas and Big Wins
The Charleston region is one that’s on the move. For the past 30 years, the Charleston Regional Development Alliance (CRDA) has worked with its partners in government, academia and business to improve the three-county Charleston region’s economy now and into the future. The Charleston Regional Development Alliance serves as a...
INNOVATION Quebec
ACCOMPAGNE LES ORGANISATIONS IMPLIQUÉES DANS LE DOMAINE DE LA SANTÉ, EN ADAPTATION, EN RÉADAPTATION
ACCOMPAGNE LES ORGANISATIONS IMPLIQUÉES DANS LE DOMAINE DE LA SANTÉ, EN ADAPTATION, EN RÉADAPTATION ET EN MOBILITÉ PAR LE DÉVELOPPEMENT, LA PERSONNALISATION, L’OPTIMISATION ET LA VALIDATION D’APPAREILLAGES, D’ÉQUIPEMENTS ET DE TECHNOLOGIES POUR LES POPULATIONS VULNÉRABLES ET SPORTIVES. TOPMED élabore et réalise des projets de recherche appliquée axés sur l’innovation et...
INNOVATE™ Botswana Vol.1
FIRST-AID COUNSELLING
A DIGITAL PLATFORM THAT ALLOWS USERS TO ACCESS MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES INSTANTLY AND ANONYMOUSLY
I always say to my team, “Digitisation has become a necessity in a world consumed by mobile devices”. Our digital mental health platforms aim to promote mental wellness by being up close and personal in your mobile device. – Kesego Mosime, CEO and Co-Founder, First-Aid Counselling. In a country with...
INNOVATE® Gaming & Esports
LEARN2ESPORT'S
MISSION IS TO HELP YOUTH LEARN VALUABLE LIFE SKILLS THROUGH ESPORTS
Their core product, Gameplan, helps players of all ages acquire real-world skills that aid professional development, cognitive abilities, promote healthy habits, and more. Rasmus Sandstöm and Dan Andreasson started Learn2Esport in 2016 with the vision of engaging students through esports, and teaching them valuable life skills to prepare them...
INNOVATE™ Estonia
AISTRA
DEVELOPING AI SKILLS AND DECENTRALIZED AI READINESS ACROSS SECTORS
AISTRA: Building AI Literacy and Decentralized AI Readiness Across Sectors In Estonia’s fast-moving digital ecosystem — where nearly every public service is online and global corporations test future-ready solutions — one consultancy has quietly shaped the national conversation on how artificial intelligence should work: technologically, ethically, and organizationally, while advancing...
Global Innovation Spotlight
PINKTUM
Personnel Development In Spain Goes Digital
A new form of human resources development is needed to successfully master global challenges. As one of the leading providers of E-learning and web-based trainings for effective and sustainable personnel development in companies, PINKTUM breaks new ground in Madrid’s start-up scene. PINKTUM offers scientifically based personnel development in the digital...
INNOVATE® Puerto Rico
PILOTO 151
PUERTO RICO’S LAUNCHPAD FOR INVESTMENT AND INNOVATION
The year was 2012. Stolberg siblings, Sofia and Juan Carlos, had just moved back to their native Puerto Rico, ran their own businesses, and were searching for a coworking space to network with like-minded individuals. Noticing that coworking was not a thing on the Island, they took it upon themselves...
INNOVATE™ Toronto
MAVERIX PRIVATE EQUITY
Closing The Canadian Investment Gap
Currently amid the Fourth Industrial Revolution, we are witnessing unprecedented technological change triggered by a multitude of disruptive forces. These changes have shaken Canada’s business ecosystem, causing new players to rise and existing leaders to fall. Consequently, incumbents are faced with a harsh reality where constant innovation and technological...
INNOVATE™ South Africa
MAHLAKO A PHAHLA
AN ORGANISATION THAT IS AFRICAN WOMEN-OWNED, MANAGED AND INSPIRED, THAT PROMOTES AFRICAN AND WOMEN EMPOWERMENT, ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND EXCELLENCE
Mahlako a Phahla, founded by sisters Makole Mupita and Meta Mhlarhi, is named after our mother Mahlako to pay homage to her pioneering and entrepreneurial spirit in building a successful family business at a time when it was difficult for many black people to do so. Mahlako is an...
INNOVATE® Austin Volume 2
TROY JESSEE CONSTRUCTION
CARE BY DESIGN
“An emphasis on long-term relationships, coupled with an ethic that treats everyone with the highest degree of respect, has created beautiful construction and bonds that enrich the community.” How much architecture can you fit in a building? That’s a line as old as the construction industry itself – and one...
INNOVATE® Jacksonville
Phase Eight Theater Company
Pushing The Boundaries Of Performance
WHO WE ARE Phase Eight Theater Company is the latest arts organization to be formed in Jacksonville, Florida. It is recognized as a boundary-pushing and socially progressive theater group. They’ve presented fourteen productions in its first two and a half years of existence having performed for hundreds of audience members....
INNOVATE® South Carolina
Furman University
Furman’s Center for Innovative Leadership: Shaping Leaders, Sparking Innovation.
Furman University, consistently recognized among the nation’s most innovative universities, made a decisive move in 2023 by launching the Center for Innovative Leadership (CIL). Building on Furman’s mission to build lifelong learners who lead lives of meaning and consequence, its reputation for producing high-potential leaders and the Hill Institute for...
INNOVATE™ Toronto
GATIK
DEPLOYS CANADA’S FIRST AUTONOMOUS DELIVERY FLEET
Gatik, the market leader in autonomous middle mile logistics, focuses on B2B short-haul delivery, moving goods safely and efficiently using its fleet of medium duty trucks. Gatik’s autonomous vehicles (AVs) are commercially deployed in multiple markets including Ontario, Texas, Arkansas and Louisiana. Founded in 2017 by veterans of the autonomous...
INNOVATE™ Botswana Vol.1
PCG SOFTWARE
THE TRAILBLAZING DIGITAL SOLUTIONS STARTUP DRIVING INNOVATION IN BOTSWANA AND SOON AFRICA!
PCG Software is a multi-award-winning, youth-led software development startup that offers bespoke digital solutions. We offer a diverse range of services including planning and consulting, back-end integrations, application development, testing and maintenance to deliver quality software apps that work across multiple platforms and devices. From left to right: Michael Mavuso –...
INNOVATE® Washington DMV Edition
Anacostia Business Improvement District (BID)
A Vision Realized
The Anacostia Business Improvement District (BID) is dedicated to fostering a thriving, safe, and vibrant commercial and arts district in the designated BID area. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, it ensures that local businesses have the resources they need to succeed while promoting economic development that aligns with the unique character...
INNOVATE™ Toronto
FOUNDERSBOOST TORONTO
PROVES THAT GRASSROOTS EFFORTS CAN DEMOCRATIZE ACCESS TO THE RESOURCES AND RELATIONSHIPS THAT FOUNDERS NEED TO SUCCEED
FoundersBoost Toronto is the city’s only 100% free, not-for-profit preaccelerator program for early-stage founders. We are a volunteer-only organization that runs six-week boot camps that prepare founders for accelerators, investment, and revenue. We take no equity and charge no fees from any of our startups. FoundersBoost Toronto is led by...
INNOVATE® Georgia
FASTTEK GLOBAL
LEADERSHIP SETS THE TONE
In 2003, Carey Pachla joined Fast Switch, Ltd.; essentially, a start-up at the time. Over 16 years, she built the division she started into a best-in-class and purpose-driven organization with hundreds of team members servicing multiple organizations, which range in size from Fortune Top 10 to mid-size and start-up organizations....
INNOVATE® Washington DMV Edition
UNIVERSITY STARTUPS
Empowering Tomorrow
In the early, uncertain days of the pandemic, two Georgetown University McDonough School of Business professors found themselves contemplating a way to bring more purpose to their work and students’ lives. Marc Steren and John Jabara, both seasoned academics and entrepreneurs, decided to channel their expertise into something transformative. What...
INNOVATE® Gaming & Esports
KARTRIJ
TO UNITE GAMERS THROUGH THE DISCOVERY OF AMAZING BRANDS THAT CELEBRATE THEIR LIFESTYLE
Kartrij is a free platform that helps gamers discover brands through cash back offers. Gamers earn cash back automatically by securely linking their credit card to the platform and shopping at the stores they already do. Kartrij enables gaming brands to effectively advertise through real-time customer insights and custom offers....
INNOVATE® South Florida
LAS OLAS VENTURE CAPITAL
DRIVING INNOVATION & COMMUNITY IN THE SOUTH FLORIDA VENTURE ECOSYSTEM
Las Olas Venture Capital (LOVC) stands out in the venture capital ecosystem as an early-stage firm dedicated to transforming the B2B software sector. Founded in 2015 and based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, LOVC has quickly distinguished itself by leading investment rounds with an initial check size typically ranging from $1...
INNOVATE® Puerto Rico
GRAVITAL AGENCY
Gravital is a B2B performance-driven digital marketing agency and consulting firm specializing in growth strategies, marketing solutions and sales enablement.
Enhancing Sustainable Business Growth Via Digital MarketingGROW BY CREATING VALUE IS OUR MOTTO.We believe in producing meaningful outcomes that impact our customers’ bottom line, not in winning awards for flashy campaigns. OUR STORY The Digital ConnectionWe recognized the awesome reach and power of digital marketing and what it could...
INNOVATE® South Florida
eMerge Americas
The premier technology event connecting the Americas held annually at the Miami Beach Convention Center
eMerge Americas is the premier technology event connecting the Americas held annually at the Miami Beach Convention Center. By connecting global industry leaders and investors with corporate business executives, government leaders, and entrepreneurs, eMerge Americas is transforming Miami into the tech hub of the Americas. In 2019, eMerge Americas attracted...
INNOVATE® Gaming & Esports
GAME QUITTERS
Supporting The Mental Health Of Gamers And Their Families Through Content, Community And Coaching
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...
INNOVATE® Jacksonville
“People have asked me why i started Espero Biopharma in jacksonville when there is no industry and few talent locally” Here are the reasons. Few American cities of any size are home to so many facilities, among them Ackerman Cancer Center, Baptist Health, Brooks Rehabilitation, Mayo Clinic, Memorial Hospital,...
INNOVATE® South Carolina
Charleston Regional Development Alliance
Innovating Charleston: 30 Years of Bold Ideas and Big Wins
The Charleston region is one that’s on the move. For the past 30 years, the Charleston Regional Development Alliance (CRDA) has worked with its partners in government, academia and business to improve the three-county Charleston region’s economy now and into the future. The Charleston Regional Development Alliance serves as a...
INNOVATION Quebec
ACCOMPAGNE LES ORGANISATIONS IMPLIQUÉES DANS LE DOMAINE DE LA SANTÉ, EN ADAPTATION, EN RÉADAPTATION
ACCOMPAGNE LES ORGANISATIONS IMPLIQUÉES DANS LE DOMAINE DE LA SANTÉ, EN ADAPTATION, EN RÉADAPTATION ET EN MOBILITÉ PAR LE DÉVELOPPEMENT, LA PERSONNALISATION, L’OPTIMISATION ET LA VALIDATION D’APPAREILLAGES, D’ÉQUIPEMENTS ET DE TECHNOLOGIES POUR LES POPULATIONS VULNÉRABLES ET SPORTIVES. TOPMED élabore et réalise des projets de recherche appliquée axés sur l’innovation et...
INNOVATE™ Botswana Vol.1
FIRST-AID COUNSELLING
A DIGITAL PLATFORM THAT ALLOWS USERS TO ACCESS MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES INSTANTLY AND ANONYMOUSLY
I always say to my team, “Digitisation has become a necessity in a world consumed by mobile devices”. Our digital mental health platforms aim to promote mental wellness by being up close and personal in your mobile device. – Kesego Mosime, CEO and Co-Founder, First-Aid Counselling. In a country with...
INNOVATE® Gaming & Esports
LEARN2ESPORT'S
MISSION IS TO HELP YOUTH LEARN VALUABLE LIFE SKILLS THROUGH ESPORTS
Their core product, Gameplan, helps players of all ages acquire real-world skills that aid professional development, cognitive abilities, promote healthy habits, and more. Rasmus Sandstöm and Dan Andreasson started Learn2Esport in 2016 with the vision of engaging students through esports, and teaching them valuable life skills to prepare them...
INNOVATE™ Estonia
AISTRA
DEVELOPING AI SKILLS AND DECENTRALIZED AI READINESS ACROSS SECTORS
AISTRA: Building AI Literacy and Decentralized AI Readiness Across Sectors In Estonia’s fast-moving digital ecosystem — where nearly every public service is online and global corporations test future-ready solutions — one consultancy has quietly shaped the national conversation on how artificial intelligence should work: technologically, ethically, and organizationally, while advancing...
Global Innovation Spotlight
PINKTUM
Personnel Development In Spain Goes Digital
A new form of human resources development is needed to successfully master global challenges. As one of the leading providers of E-learning and web-based trainings for effective and sustainable personnel development in companies, PINKTUM breaks new ground in Madrid’s start-up scene. PINKTUM offers scientifically based personnel development in the digital...
INNOVATE® Puerto Rico
PILOTO 151
PUERTO RICO’S LAUNCHPAD FOR INVESTMENT AND INNOVATION
The year was 2012. Stolberg siblings, Sofia and Juan Carlos, had just moved back to their native Puerto Rico, ran their own businesses, and were searching for a coworking space to network with like-minded individuals. Noticing that coworking was not a thing on the Island, they took it upon themselves...
INNOVATE™ Toronto
MAVERIX PRIVATE EQUITY
Closing The Canadian Investment Gap
Currently amid the Fourth Industrial Revolution, we are witnessing unprecedented technological change triggered by a multitude of disruptive forces. These changes have shaken Canada’s business ecosystem, causing new players to rise and existing leaders to fall. Consequently, incumbents are faced with a harsh reality where constant innovation and technological...
INNOVATE™ South Africa
MAHLAKO A PHAHLA
AN ORGANISATION THAT IS AFRICAN WOMEN-OWNED, MANAGED AND INSPIRED, THAT PROMOTES AFRICAN AND WOMEN EMPOWERMENT, ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND EXCELLENCE
Mahlako a Phahla, founded by sisters Makole Mupita and Meta Mhlarhi, is named after our mother Mahlako to pay homage to her pioneering and entrepreneurial spirit in building a successful family business at a time when it was difficult for many black people to do so. Mahlako is an...
INNOVATE® Austin Volume 2
TROY JESSEE CONSTRUCTION
CARE BY DESIGN
“An emphasis on long-term relationships, coupled with an ethic that treats everyone with the highest degree of respect, has created beautiful construction and bonds that enrich the community.” How much architecture can you fit in a building? That’s a line as old as the construction industry itself – and one...
INNOVATE® Jacksonville
Phase Eight Theater Company
Pushing The Boundaries Of Performance
WHO WE ARE Phase Eight Theater Company is the latest arts organization to be formed in Jacksonville, Florida. It is recognized as a boundary-pushing and socially progressive theater group. They’ve presented fourteen productions in its first two and a half years of existence having performed for hundreds of audience members....
INNOVATE® South Carolina
Furman University
Furman’s Center for Innovative Leadership: Shaping Leaders, Sparking Innovation.
Furman University, consistently recognized among the nation’s most innovative universities, made a decisive move in 2023 by launching the Center for Innovative Leadership (CIL). Building on Furman’s mission to build lifelong learners who lead lives of meaning and consequence, its reputation for producing high-potential leaders and the Hill Institute for...
INNOVATE™ Toronto
GATIK
DEPLOYS CANADA’S FIRST AUTONOMOUS DELIVERY FLEET
Gatik, the market leader in autonomous middle mile logistics, focuses on B2B short-haul delivery, moving goods safely and efficiently using its fleet of medium duty trucks. Gatik’s autonomous vehicles (AVs) are commercially deployed in multiple markets including Ontario, Texas, Arkansas and Louisiana. Founded in 2017 by veterans of the autonomous...
INNOVATE™ Botswana Vol.1
PCG SOFTWARE
THE TRAILBLAZING DIGITAL SOLUTIONS STARTUP DRIVING INNOVATION IN BOTSWANA AND SOON AFRICA!
PCG Software is a multi-award-winning, youth-led software development startup that offers bespoke digital solutions. We offer a diverse range of services including planning and consulting, back-end integrations, application development, testing and maintenance to deliver quality software apps that work across multiple platforms and devices. From left to right: Michael Mavuso –...
INNOVATE® Washington DMV Edition
Anacostia Business Improvement District (BID)
A Vision Realized
The Anacostia Business Improvement District (BID) is dedicated to fostering a thriving, safe, and vibrant commercial and arts district in the designated BID area. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, it ensures that local businesses have the resources they need to succeed while promoting economic development that aligns with the unique character...