Thought Leaders
INNOVATION Quebec
MARIE CLAUDE LAGACÉ
DIRECTRICE PRINCIPALE, INNOVATION ET TRANSFORMATION SOCIALE
Plus jeune, j’adorais tous les jeux, du hockey bottine avec mon frère jusqu’au jeu d’échecs avec mon père. J’avais une certaine aversion pour l’ennuyant Monopoly, qui prenait invariablement fin lorsqu’une personne (habituellement ma sœur) provoquait la faillite des autres. Pas de tueur à démasquer, pas d’épique bataille navale, de dessins...
INNOVATE® Georgia
LEVI PERKINS
CEO, HANNIBAL AI
When in the shadows of giants, we assume the path to success is to stand on their shoulders. But in the world of technology, I’ve found that it’s not enough to just stand tall; we must also be nimble, ready to jump to the next giant as the ground shifts...
INNOVATE® Philadelphia
Manik Arora
Arora Engineers, inc
Philadelphia is the birthplace of our country and home to an eclectic mix of historical and modern infrastructure. However, with its rapid development over the years, the number of users is quickly exceeding the original capacity of its built environment. In response to this roadblock, two of our major transportation...
INNOVATE® Chicago Vol.1
JOAN M. STELTMANN
FOUNDER AND CEO, BOUNCE CHILDREN’S FOUNDATION
FOUNDER AND CEO, BOUNCE CHILDREN’S FOUNDATION CHANGING OUR MINDSET WILL MOVE THE PRIVATE AND SOCIAL SECTORS CLOSER TOGETHER – ENHANCING BOTH. If you still say “Non-Profit”, it’s time to upgrade your thinking to “Not for-Profit”. Why? It conveys purpose and intention, without placing limitations on outcomes. For social service organizations,...
VOICES of the Future
DR. RISA RYGER
EMBRACING CHANGE FOR A VIBRANT FUTURE
In an era where change is our only constant, one woman has taken it upon herself to guide us through the shifting sands of time: Dr. Risa Ryger, a distinguished clinical psychologist, international speaker, and entrepreneur. She has dedicated her life to helping individuals and organizations navigate the often turbulent...
INNOVATE® New Jersey Vol.2
JOSE ESPINOZA
FOUNDER OF MOVE THE NEEDLE, LLC
Daysi Gardenia Bernita, migrated to the USA in the pursuit of the American Dream with her six month old son in tote. Though a successful engineer in her native country of Ecuador, the language barrier and need to provide for her son and family back home, relegated her to being...
INNOVATE® Gainesville
DR. W. Kent Fuchs
The 12th President - The University Of Florida
The University of Florida is one of the nation’s very best public universities. Our home of Gainesville is a beautiful, thriving university city. Yet what truly sets us apart is our shared promise for the future.We have the opportunity over the next decade to become a center for innovation, a...
INNOVATIONS in Pharmaceutical Development®
DR. GER BROPHY
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENTOF BIOPHARMA PRODUCTION, AVANTOR
Bioproduction has taken a remarkable journey over the last several decades. In recent years, the demand for specific and powerful biologic therapies has continued to increase, underpinned by the ongoing development of monoclonal antibodies therapies (mAbs) and augmented by new platforms such as Cell and Gene Therapy and also nucleic...
INNOVATE™ Ottawa
Claude Brulé
President - Algonquin College
Claude Brulé, President – Algonquin College When Claude Brulé was appointed Algonquin College’s ninth president in mid-2019 he quickly embarked on an innovation agenda to establish experiential, personalized learning as the institution’s guiding educational principle for the future. “We know the people who walk through our doors, both physically...
INNOVATE® Northern Virginia
JONATHAN ABERMAN
CO-FOUNDER AND CEO, HUPSIDE
For most of my career, I’ve watched the same cycle play out whenever a transformative technology arrives. At the start, everyone rushes to adopt it: speed is rewarded, efficiency is celebrated, and early movers get headlines and high-fives. Then something quieter – and dangerous – sets in: sameness. In business,...
INNOVATE® Tampa Bay Vol.3
LAKSHMI SHENOY
CEO-EMBARC COLLECTIVE
REFLECTING ON THE CURVEBALLS OF 2020 For Embarc Collective, 2020 was defined as an exercise of turning obstacles into opportunity. In January we launched the final component of our value proposition, our 32,000-square-foot physical space. In doing this, we could finally bring our vision of making Embarc Collective the central...
INNOVATE™ Vancouver Vol.2
CYBELE NEGRIS
CEO - WEBNAMES.CA
CYBELE NEGRIS Life is so fast-paced that we take too much for granted, whether it is the Internet which has now practically become a basic right or the growing role of women in positions of power, which is an outcome that has not come easily. All these giant leaps...
INNOVATE® St. Louis
Brandon Dempsey
Husband, Father, Adventurer, Entrepreneur, Author, Professor, & Global non-profit leader - Gobrandgo!
Brandon spends his time traveling the world from the back of a BMW motorcycle and adventuring with his family. When he’s not adventuring, you will find him running a marketing agency that serves mid market manufacturing companies, working with high school kids exploring entrepreneurship, teaching marketing strategy courses at Washington...
INNOVATE® Minnesota
Angie Conley
CEO - Abilitech
In my days at Medtronic, I remember Bill George used to say (as a lighthearted dig at General Mills), “We’re not selling Cheerios; we’ve got soul.” We all laughed, but even today I find it relevant in thinking about the importance of a mission. A mission-centered culture gives employees purpose,...
INNOVATE® New Jersey Vol.2
Lisa Marks-Canty
President & Managing Partner – Nest Global Solutions
Innovation is very important for any company to grow and be successful. However, in order to innovate, a company needs to be able to learn how to monetize its innovation. That means being able to exceed or meet goals by monetizing products, and that happens when companies recognize the needs...
INNOVATE® Georgia
DR. RAMNATH K. CHELLAPPA
PROFESSOR OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS & OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT
DR. RAMNATH K. CHELLAPPA,PROFESSOR OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS &OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT;ASSOCIATE DEAN & ACADEMIC DIRECTOR,MS IN BUSINESS ANALYTICS. AI, BUSINESS & EMORYAmidst all the technological advances, businesses have been struggling to keep up. From Machine Learning to AI to now Large Language Models, the readiness of organizations to adopt these new techniques...
INNOVATE® Philadelphia
KRISTOFFER JONES
FOUNDER AND CEO, NAVAL WELDING INSTITUTE
Long before I founded the Naval Welding Institute, time spent inside naval manufacturing environments taught me that the smallest decisions made on a welding floor can follow ships, crews, and critical infrastructure long after the work disappears behind layers of steel. That thinking shaped the institute from the beginning. My...
INNOVATE® Maryland
CYNTHIA RIVARDE
CEO OF ROCKVILLE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, INC. (REDI).
In an era where uncertainty is the new normal, the greatest asset a community can cultivate is not just data or infrastructure – it is creativity. And creativity does not emerge from a vacuum. It is nurtured in spaces where art, culture, and innovation intersect. Rockville is one of those...
INNOVATE® New Jersey Vol.2
Chris Sugden
Managing Partner - Edison Partners
At Edison Partners, we believe that there’s no stronger relationship than the one an investor has with an entrepreneur and the management team. Trust and empathy are the foundations to a successful partnership. There’s a reason for that. Mutual understanding is the prerequisite for a great outcome. You each must...
INNOVATE® San Diego Vol.1
Jason Anderson
President & CEO - Cleantech San Diego
As urban populations continue to grow and digital tools expand at warp speed, cities and public agencies around the globe are looking to new technologies to help manage resources in more sustainable and cost-effective ways. The San Diego region is no exception, where public leaders and organizations have made a...
INNOVATE™ Stockholm
ROBERT FALCK
FOUNDER, EINRIDE
The road freight industry stands at a defining moment. Once constrained by the limits of diesel and incremental change, the $4.6 trillion global market is now poised for disruption at unprecedented scale. The catalyst is clear: artificial intelligence is rapidly redrawing the boundaries of what is possible in logistics, and...
INNOVATE™ Adelaide
DAVID WILSON
CEO & FOUNDER,GREEN FROG SYSTEMS
Solar Lighting: A Path to Sustainability and Improved Road SafetySolar lighting technology has made significant strides, revolutionising smart city development, enhancing road safety in areas without access or limited power and enabling governments to offset its emissions in conjunction with Net-Zero polices. Driving Uptake of Sustainable TechnologiesA larger initiative is...
VOICES of the Future
DORIE CLARK
PURPOSE IN THE TUNNEL
In the heart of America’s corporate hustle, where ambition beats faster than a Wall Street trader’s pulse, Dorie Clark is a beacon of foresight and inspiration. This moment isn’t just a conversation; it is a masterclass in future-flung vision, delivered by a woman who’s cracked the code on thriving in...
INNOVATE® St. Louis
Marie Carlie
Tax Partner - BDO USA, Llp
In the world of business, the words “disrupt, innovate, and transform” have become the new normal. For companies looking to make their mark, digital transformation is now the pathway to create revenue and new value, increase profitability, and improve employee and customer retention. It can also help remove IT complexities,...
MARIE CLAUDE LAGACÉ
DIRECTRICE PRINCIPALE, INNOVATION ET TRANSFORMATION SOCIALE
Plus jeune, j’adorais tous les jeux, du hockey bottine avec mon frère jusqu’au jeu d’échecs avec mon père. J’avais une certaine aversion pour l’ennuyant Monopoly, qui prenait invariablement fin lorsqu’une personne (habituellement ma sœur) provoquait la faillite des autres. Pas de tueur à démasquer, pas d’épique bataille navale, de dessins...
Manik Arora
Arora Engineers, inc
Philadelphia is the birthplace of our country and home to an eclectic mix of historical and modern infrastructure. However, with its rapid development over the years, the number of users is quickly exceeding the original capacity of its built environment. In response to this roadblock, two of our major transportation...
JOAN M. STELTMANN
FOUNDER AND CEO, BOUNCE CHILDREN’S FOUNDATION
FOUNDER AND CEO, BOUNCE CHILDREN’S FOUNDATION CHANGING OUR MINDSET WILL MOVE THE PRIVATE AND SOCIAL SECTORS CLOSER TOGETHER – ENHANCING BOTH. If you still say “Non-Profit”, it’s time to upgrade your thinking to “Not for-Profit”. Why? It conveys purpose and intention, without placing limitations on outcomes. For social service organizations,...
DR. RISA RYGER
EMBRACING CHANGE FOR A VIBRANT FUTURE
In an era where change is our only constant, one woman has taken it upon herself to guide us through the shifting sands of time: Dr. Risa Ryger, a distinguished clinical psychologist, international speaker, and entrepreneur. She has dedicated her life to helping individuals and organizations navigate the often turbulent...
JOSE ESPINOZA
FOUNDER OF MOVE THE NEEDLE, LLC
Daysi Gardenia Bernita, migrated to the USA in the pursuit of the American Dream with her six month old son in tote. Though a successful engineer in her native country of Ecuador, the language barrier and need to provide for her son and family back home, relegated her to being...
DR. W. Kent Fuchs
The 12th President - The University Of Florida
The University of Florida is one of the nation’s very best public universities. Our home of Gainesville is a beautiful, thriving university city. Yet what truly sets us apart is our shared promise for the future.We have the opportunity over the next decade to become a center for innovation, a...
DR. GER BROPHY
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENTOF BIOPHARMA PRODUCTION, AVANTOR
Bioproduction has taken a remarkable journey over the last several decades. In recent years, the demand for specific and powerful biologic therapies has continued to increase, underpinned by the ongoing development of monoclonal antibodies therapies (mAbs) and augmented by new platforms such as Cell and Gene Therapy and also nucleic...
Claude Brulé
President - Algonquin College
Claude Brulé, President – Algonquin College When Claude Brulé was appointed Algonquin College’s ninth president in mid-2019 he quickly embarked on an innovation agenda to establish experiential, personalized learning as the institution’s guiding educational principle for the future. “We know the people who walk through our doors, both physically...
JONATHAN ABERMAN
CO-FOUNDER AND CEO, HUPSIDE
For most of my career, I’ve watched the same cycle play out whenever a transformative technology arrives. At the start, everyone rushes to adopt it: speed is rewarded, efficiency is celebrated, and early movers get headlines and high-fives. Then something quieter – and dangerous – sets in: sameness. In business,...
LAKSHMI SHENOY
CEO-EMBARC COLLECTIVE
REFLECTING ON THE CURVEBALLS OF 2020 For Embarc Collective, 2020 was defined as an exercise of turning obstacles into opportunity. In January we launched the final component of our value proposition, our 32,000-square-foot physical space. In doing this, we could finally bring our vision of making Embarc Collective the central...
Brandon Dempsey
Husband, Father, Adventurer, Entrepreneur, Author, Professor, & Global non-profit leader - Gobrandgo!
Brandon spends his time traveling the world from the back of a BMW motorcycle and adventuring with his family. When he’s not adventuring, you will find him running a marketing agency that serves mid market manufacturing companies, working with high school kids exploring entrepreneurship, teaching marketing strategy courses at Washington...
Angie Conley
CEO - Abilitech
In my days at Medtronic, I remember Bill George used to say (as a lighthearted dig at General Mills), “We’re not selling Cheerios; we’ve got soul.” We all laughed, but even today I find it relevant in thinking about the importance of a mission. A mission-centered culture gives employees purpose,...
Lisa Marks-Canty
President & Managing Partner – Nest Global Solutions
Innovation is very important for any company to grow and be successful. However, in order to innovate, a company needs to be able to learn how to monetize its innovation. That means being able to exceed or meet goals by monetizing products, and that happens when companies recognize the needs...
DR. RAMNATH K. CHELLAPPA
PROFESSOR OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS & OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT
DR. RAMNATH K. CHELLAPPA,PROFESSOR OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS &OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT;ASSOCIATE DEAN & ACADEMIC DIRECTOR,MS IN BUSINESS ANALYTICS. AI, BUSINESS & EMORYAmidst all the technological advances, businesses have been struggling to keep up. From Machine Learning to AI to now Large Language Models, the readiness of organizations to adopt these new techniques...
KRISTOFFER JONES
FOUNDER AND CEO, NAVAL WELDING INSTITUTE
Long before I founded the Naval Welding Institute, time spent inside naval manufacturing environments taught me that the smallest decisions made on a welding floor can follow ships, crews, and critical infrastructure long after the work disappears behind layers of steel. That thinking shaped the institute from the beginning. My...
CYNTHIA RIVARDE
CEO OF ROCKVILLE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, INC. (REDI).
In an era where uncertainty is the new normal, the greatest asset a community can cultivate is not just data or infrastructure – it is creativity. And creativity does not emerge from a vacuum. It is nurtured in spaces where art, culture, and innovation intersect. Rockville is one of those...
Chris Sugden
Managing Partner - Edison Partners
At Edison Partners, we believe that there’s no stronger relationship than the one an investor has with an entrepreneur and the management team. Trust and empathy are the foundations to a successful partnership. There’s a reason for that. Mutual understanding is the prerequisite for a great outcome. You each must...
Jason Anderson
President & CEO - Cleantech San Diego
As urban populations continue to grow and digital tools expand at warp speed, cities and public agencies around the globe are looking to new technologies to help manage resources in more sustainable and cost-effective ways. The San Diego region is no exception, where public leaders and organizations have made a...
ROBERT FALCK
FOUNDER, EINRIDE
The road freight industry stands at a defining moment. Once constrained by the limits of diesel and incremental change, the $4.6 trillion global market is now poised for disruption at unprecedented scale. The catalyst is clear: artificial intelligence is rapidly redrawing the boundaries of what is possible in logistics, and...
DAVID WILSON
CEO & FOUNDER,GREEN FROG SYSTEMS
Solar Lighting: A Path to Sustainability and Improved Road SafetySolar lighting technology has made significant strides, revolutionising smart city development, enhancing road safety in areas without access or limited power and enabling governments to offset its emissions in conjunction with Net-Zero polices. Driving Uptake of Sustainable TechnologiesA larger initiative is...
DORIE CLARK
PURPOSE IN THE TUNNEL
In the heart of America’s corporate hustle, where ambition beats faster than a Wall Street trader’s pulse, Dorie Clark is a beacon of foresight and inspiration. This moment isn’t just a conversation; it is a masterclass in future-flung vision, delivered by a woman who’s cracked the code on thriving in...
Marie Carlie
Tax Partner - BDO USA, Llp
In the world of business, the words “disrupt, innovate, and transform” have become the new normal. For companies looking to make their mark, digital transformation is now the pathway to create revenue and new value, increase profitability, and improve employee and customer retention. It can also help remove IT complexities,...