Thought Leaders

In 1986, I left my position at the University of Alberta to enter the world of high-technology startups. Back then, there were no business support platforms that we enjoy today, such as Startup Edmonton or Platform Calgary. Canadians were cynical of the high-tech sector and assumed it was all in...

Le mot innovation est utilisé à plusieurs sauces. Il est toutefois clairement défini par le Larousse comme l’« ensemble du processus qui se déroule depuis la naissance d’une idée jusqu’à sa matérialisation ». Au-delà de l’idée, une solution nouvelle doit être utilisée, commercialisée, achetée ou déployée pour être innovante. Dans...

Healthcare is personal. We are all one diagnosis away from being a patient. To a doctor, the relationship with a patient is one of the most sacred connections. To the patient, it is almost always a moment of anxiety and fear. As a family doctor, I’ve seen this moment of...

In Spring 2019, two of our team – Charlie Widdows and Rob Sheffield – discussed how to create a network that would focus on innovation across Bristol. They had an intuitive sense that this was needed, but lacked the time and resource to turn the idea into reality. Then in...

My father was less than impressed with Andy Warhol’s art but as a furniture manufacturer competing against international businesses with much lower input costs he knew his business lived or died on its ability to continually innovate, to improve, to change. I took that lesson to heart and into government...

Business consultant Peter Drucker once said “culture eats strategy for breakfast,” and I’m a believer. Culture is everything. It’s true that you can have a financially successful company leading by fear and threatening to fire people if they don’t follow your lead. But fear-based leadership styles and cultures pit people...

Quebec is a fertile ground for deep tech entrepreneurship, which relies on knowledge and cutting-edge research, opening up new perspectives in several high-tech fields. These companies push the boundaries of innovation and create innovative solutions that have a profound impact on our society. Quebec’s universities and public research centers play...

Austin has long been known as a hub of and for creativity. Monikers like the “Live Music Capital of the  World” and “Keep Austin Weird” are known by those far outside of Austin’s City Limits. While it might have been music that initially landed Austin on the map, it’s our...

A renowned tech magnate once said, “If I were down to my last dollar, I would spend it on public relations.” Not to talk myself out of a job, but one rarely needs to spend their LAST dollar on PR if they just “keep it real” from day one. Growing...

As long as I can remember, I have always wondered how things work and how I could improve them. At ten years old, I came up with an electrical motor with magnets, only to discover a few years later that the damn thing already existed! This made me realize that...

It might be odd to hear this from someone who leads incubation at a university, but not everyone needs to be an entrepreneur and not every startup will succeed. Our success has come as a result of embracing this experience, and how it develops students and innovators. Leveraging startup and...

David Shrier, a notable professor at Imperial College London and co-director of the Trusted AI Institute, stands at the intersection of technology and humanity. His work, transcending academia, delves into the commercialization of AI and digital assets, influencing top tier corporations and governments alike. Through our conversation, it is clear...

John Oberg, DSW, is a Founder, CEO, Board Director, Advisor, and Investor who is trusted by organizations to navigate growth, conflict, and change. He founded two Austin-based healthcare innovators, Sedera, a community-based medical cost-sharing organization, and Precina, a chronic care virtual medical practice. John serves on the board of directors...

Sweden has a global reputation for entrepreneurship. We’re a small country, but we’ve produced our fair share of global companies and ideas. People ask ”why?”, seemingly expecting a secret (?) formula. I don’t think there is one. What there is – however – is a lot of trial and error,...

Jeff Citty ED.D. UF Innovation Academy Director One of the strongest competitive qualities we possess as Americans is our ability to innovate and develop creative solutions to complex problems. The University of Florida’s (UF) Innovation Academy (IA) facilitates innovative student thinking, creativity, and the creation of student partnerships with start...

Dr. Bhabani Misra Associate Dean – University of St. Thomas School of Engineering Not long ago, students could simply complete a college degree and find work for the rest of their lives. But today, industry is evolving rapidly—especially engineering and technology. Today, every one of us needs to retool and...

A SHIFT OF THINKINGA seismic shift is looming in business and society as new technologies, cultural evolution and climate change present humanity with some of the biggest challenges in our history. As imperative as it is that we invest in innovation, the word itself is bandied around frequently- almost like...

Innovative ecosystems are a lever for prosperity. Their strength lies in the collaboration between partners, in joint creativity, mutual trust and the willingness to bring together information and insights. It’s no coincidence that we, KU Leuven, have found these qualities to be strengths of the Kempen-Mechelen region. Our two fast-growing...

THE GENESIS AND EVOLUTION OF PUERTO RICO’S ENTREPRENEURIAL ECOSYSTEM AND WHAT’S NEEDED TO CHARGE AHEADFew people know that in 2010 Puerto Rico pioneered the first multistakeholder entrepreneurship ecosystem project in the world. Led by the Island’s most successful entrepreneurs in partnership with the Department of Economic Development, the Puerto Rico...

CONVERSATIONAL PERFORMANCEAre your people ready to do the job you’ve prepared them for? Do your managers know how to give feedback? Are your salespeople really listening to customers? Managing performance starts with measuring performance. But how do you measure workplace conversations? Language is complex. Conversations are rarely grammatical. Context matters....

South Australia is an innovative, collaborative and forward-thinking state with defence and space manufacturing at the heart of our emerging high-tech economy. Home to a critical mass of defence industry, cutting-edge research and education institutions as well as world-class infrastructure, precincts and advanced manufacturing capability, South Australia is firmly established...

ALE BROWN MBA, CIPP, CIPT, CIPM, PMP PRESIDENT AND PRINCIPAL CONSULTANT Innovation to me means a lot of different things. It means courage, it means ability to adapt, it means embracing the unknown. It means a brighter and more promising future if you can see where theopportunities lie and just...

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...

In the evolving corporate world, Cara de Lange stands out as a change-maker, TEDx speaker, author of ‘Softer Success,’ host of the Work Reset Revolution podcast, and a burnout researcher, advocating a shift from traditional corporate success to prioritizing employee well being. As the founder of Softer Success, Cara developed...