Thought Leaders

INNOVATE® Milwaukee

DEEPAK ARORA

FOUNDER, PRESIDENT & CEO OF WEAR-TECH

I was born to be an entrepreneur. But I didn’t feel the urgency to step into that role until tragedy struck. In that moment, everything changed. Technology is in my DNA, and I want to use it to make the planet a better place. I realized that technology isn’t just...

INNOVATE™ Estonia

KADI PÄRNITS

CHAIRMAN OF THE MANAGEMENT BOARD, MAINOR AS, ÜLEMISTE CITY.

When I joined Ülemiste City the vision of a smart city for smart people was already in place. Today, the vision has grown into a future-focused urban environment with 18 000 talents from more than 73 countries and 400 companies. Based on the labor tax from business ventures, the contribution...

INNOVATE® Gaming & Esports

RICHARD BUTLER

RICHARD BUTLER

FOUNDER, RAGE WORKS

There is truly no one size fits all approach when it comes to podcasting and running a business, especially in New York City. However, this flexibility has allowed me to remain passionate about podcasting and do what I can to help the space grow and thrive, either by adding my...

INNOVATE® Gaming & Esports

SARAH DETOMA

AQUATIK ESPORTS - DIRECTOR OF GROWTH

Just over a year ago, I started my journey in the esports industry as an intern. Fast forward to today, and I am the director of an esports/media company while also leading our newest endeavor – Aquatik Studios. Interestingly, Aquatik is my first job post-college. I made sure to take...

INNOVATE® Chicago Vol.1

GARY CONKRIGHT

GARY CONKRIGHT

CO-FOUNDER, CHAIRMAN AND CEO

A visionary serial entrepreneur, physIQ co-founder, Chairman and CEO Gary Conkright has a passion for taking game-changing technology from the laboratory to the commercial marketplace to solve important problems. A University of Chicago MBA and Purdue Aeronautical Engineer, Gary previously served as the founding CEO and Chairman of SmartSignal (acquired...

INNOVATE® New Jersey Vol.2

Doug Klinger

Doug Klinger

Founding CEO and a Member of the Board of Directors - Zelis

On a MissionAt Zelis, we are passionate about working to reduce the rising cost of healthcare in America. We are on a mission to help make healthcare more affordable and more understandable for all of us. We partner with healthcare payers and providers to connect consumers with providers; to ensure...

INNOVATE® Tampa Bay Vol.3

Terri Willingham

Terri Willingham

Executive Director of the Foundation for Community Driven Innovation

I think the word “innovation” is overused. Not that I don’t appreciate or value interesting ideas, but I think many things touted as innovative today are simply refurbished old ideas or mid-to-late 20th century concepts clothed in the early21st century parlance of so-called influencers. I think we need to be...

INNOVATE® South Carolina

GARRETT STERN

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, FURMAN UNIVERSITY CENTER FOR INNOVATIVE LEADERSHIP

For well over a century, higher education has treated its primary role as preparing young adults for their first job. In today’s world, where skills expire faster than degrees can be completed and technology reshapes industries overnight, that model needs to evolve. If we’re serious about our mission to foster...

INNOVATE® Blockchain

NICOLAS GILOT

NICOLAS GILOT

FOUNDER & CEO, ULTRA

Taking gaming and flipping it on its head with the use of blockchain technology was no small feat. Luckily, Nicolas Gilot and David Hanson, CO-CEOs of Ultra, have a strong background in the games industry and the innovative spark that made dreams come true for gamers and game developers around...

INNOVATE® Georgia

RAVI VENKATESAN

CEO, CANTALOUPE, INC.

Ravi Venkatesan was appointed CEO of Cantaloupe in September 2022, previously holding roles as COO and CTO. With 20+ years in the tech world, he also led innovations at Bakkt and Bridge2 Solutions and held leadership positions at Accenture and Cbeyond. He received his B.S. in electronics from Bangalore University...

INNOVATE™ Atlantic Canada

SEAN FAHEY

CEO AT VIDCRUITER

The Future of HR: Embracing Technology Without Losing the Human Touch In today’s rapidly evolving business landscape, HR stands at a crossroads. The integration of advanced technologies into our processes is no longer optional—it’s essential for attracting, retaining, and nurturing top talent. As leaders, we have an opportunity to shape...

INNOVATE™ Oeiras

Pedro Rodrigues

Pedro Rodrigues

Director-General, Desafio Global – Events And Activation Experience And Go Live – Digital Events

This “Life of Events” that I chose and am very proud of is in no way a normal life. A professional in this area is not just a service provider. I sincerely believe that most of us view each event as nothing less than a mission that transcends schedules, other...

INNOVATE® Nashville

LAURIE OSWALD

CEO, INTERAWORKS AND CO-FOUNDER, BEST YEAR YET FOUNDATION

LEADING THE NEXT WAVE IN BUSINESSWe are in a huge change moment equal to the Renaissance and the Industrial revolution. The way we have always done business cannot continue to work in this new environment. The focus must move away from expecting employees to serve the company with no reciprocity...

INNOVATE™ Montréal

Lidia Divry

Lidia Divry

Chief Executive Director, CPA-CMA, MBA - TechnoMontréal

English: Greater Montréal, Québec’s economic heartland, definitely beats in tune with digital innovation. We have one of the richest tech ecosystems in terms of knowledge, know-how, and creativity. A source of great pride for Québec and Canada. We stand out on the global scene with our world-class academic institutions and...

INNOVATE™ Adelaide

HON. CHRIS PICTON

MP, MINISTER FOR HEALTH AND WELLBEING

Taking hold of the opportunities derived from research excellence and innovation will help us to build a resilient, efficient, and informed health system that supports the future health and wellbeing of all South Australians. Research excellence and innovation will also play a vital role in our ability to proactively respond...

INNOVATE™ Estonia

MIKE SOUTHON

CHIEF EDITOR, STARTUPMAFIA

Many people are fascinated by Unicorns, mythical horse-like animals with a spiralling horn on its forehead, who symbolise purity, rarity and magic. In Estonia you can meet real unicorns, companies who have achieved billion-dollar valuations. There are more of these per head of population than anywhere else on earth. Here...

INNOVATE™ Atlantic Canada

TIA UPSHAW

CEO, ADVOCATE FOR BLACK WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS, BWIE

The Power of Disruptive Thinking: Creating Space for Black Women Entrepreneurs. As a Black woman in business, I’ve learned that waiting for permission is a losing game. The barriers we face—from systemic inequities to limited funding opportunities—are not new. But what is new is our approach. Instead of knocking on...

INNOVATE™ Bristol & Bath

CHARLES RADCLYFFE

PARTNER, ETHICS GRADE

“WE ARE CONCERNED FOR ALL THE PEOPLE WHO WILL LOSE JOBS AS A RESULT OF AUTOMATION”.– CHARLES RADCLYFFE, PARTNER We are worried. Some of the things we worry about are the same as everyone else who is trying to imagine the impact of technology on our lives. We worry about how...

INNOVATE® Nashville

AAMIR PAUL

PRESIDENT OF NORTH AMERICA OPERATIONS, SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC

The next industrial revolution is here, but it’s not about steam, mechanization, or electronics. It’s about software, data, and interconnected, electrified systems. It’s going to force us to rethink everything we know about manufacturing and about humans’ role in it. Schneider Electric has operated in the United States for 135...

INNOVATE® Nashville

KEVIN JONES

KEVIN JONES

CEO, CELERO

Historically, electronic payments solutions have been delivered by most banks as a secondary offering – often living in the bowels of the bank’s basements or tucked away into treasury as a secondary offering. Frankly, the early evolution of the payments landscape caused such posturing. Electronic payments and deposits were miniscule...

INNOVATE™ Botswana Vol.1

MRS. TSHOGANETSO CARL-PONOESELE

ACTING CEO, BOTSWANA TOURISM

What does innovation mean to you? Tourism is an extremely vast field for innovation as a complex cross-cutting socio-economic system. Creating a tourist product, tourist services, booking of air – and train tickets – all these processes have reached a new level with the introduction of the latest developments in...

INNOVATE® Nashville

DAVID OWENS

DAVID OWENS

EVANS FAMILY EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE WOND’RY, VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY’S CENTER FOR INNOVATION

Nashville has always been a great place for members of the creative class. It has more than its fair share of the spirit of innovation and, as I was told when I moved here, more recording studios than bars and more microphones than people. And while the artistic creativity is...

INNOVATE® San Diego Vol.1

Jim Filanc

Jim Filanc - Intelligent Cities Associates

Intelligent Cities Associates, LLC

Jim Filanc Intelligent Cities Associates, LLC Back in 2012, I wrote a White Paper entitled EnLighten San Diego when I had an insight into the strategic value of “power and perch,” two unique characteristics of streetlights. Streetlights are everywhere in most cities, but in San Diego, we envisioned attaching Small...

VOICES of the Future

ALEXANDER ALEGRIA-SEIF

THE INTENTIONAL INVESTOR

Alexander Alegria-Seif stands at the crossroads of passion, purpose, and impact, embodying what it means to dream and act with intention. “I’m an impact investor and passionate about creating impact in the world,” he states, heralding a dialogue transcending the mundane. As friends and Harvard Business School alums, our connection...

DEEPAK ARORA

FOUNDER, PRESIDENT & CEO OF WEAR-TECH

I was born to be an entrepreneur. But I didn’t feel the urgency to step into that role until tragedy struck. In that moment, everything changed. Technology is in my DNA, and I want to use it to make the planet a better place. I realized that technology isn’t just...

KADI PÄRNITS

CHAIRMAN OF THE MANAGEMENT BOARD, MAINOR AS, ÜLEMISTE CITY.

When I joined Ülemiste City the vision of a smart city for smart people was already in place. Today, the vision has grown into a future-focused urban environment with 18 000 talents from more than 73 countries and 400 companies. Based on the labor tax from business ventures, the contribution...

RICHARD BUTLER

RICHARD BUTLER

FOUNDER, RAGE WORKS

There is truly no one size fits all approach when it comes to podcasting and running a business, especially in New York City. However, this flexibility has allowed me to remain passionate about podcasting and do what I can to help the space grow and thrive, either by adding my...

SARAH DETOMA

AQUATIK ESPORTS - DIRECTOR OF GROWTH

Just over a year ago, I started my journey in the esports industry as an intern. Fast forward to today, and I am the director of an esports/media company while also leading our newest endeavor – Aquatik Studios. Interestingly, Aquatik is my first job post-college. I made sure to take...

GARY CONKRIGHT

GARY CONKRIGHT

CO-FOUNDER, CHAIRMAN AND CEO

A visionary serial entrepreneur, physIQ co-founder, Chairman and CEO Gary Conkright has a passion for taking game-changing technology from the laboratory to the commercial marketplace to solve important problems. A University of Chicago MBA and Purdue Aeronautical Engineer, Gary previously served as the founding CEO and Chairman of SmartSignal (acquired...

Doug Klinger

Doug Klinger

Founding CEO and a Member of the Board of Directors - Zelis

On a MissionAt Zelis, we are passionate about working to reduce the rising cost of healthcare in America. We are on a mission to help make healthcare more affordable and more understandable for all of us. We partner with healthcare payers and providers to connect consumers with providers; to ensure...

Terri Willingham

Terri Willingham

Executive Director of the Foundation for Community Driven Innovation

I think the word “innovation” is overused. Not that I don’t appreciate or value interesting ideas, but I think many things touted as innovative today are simply refurbished old ideas or mid-to-late 20th century concepts clothed in the early21st century parlance of so-called influencers. I think we need to be...

GARRETT STERN

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, FURMAN UNIVERSITY CENTER FOR INNOVATIVE LEADERSHIP

For well over a century, higher education has treated its primary role as preparing young adults for their first job. In today’s world, where skills expire faster than degrees can be completed and technology reshapes industries overnight, that model needs to evolve. If we’re serious about our mission to foster...

NICOLAS GILOT

NICOLAS GILOT

FOUNDER & CEO, ULTRA

Taking gaming and flipping it on its head with the use of blockchain technology was no small feat. Luckily, Nicolas Gilot and David Hanson, CO-CEOs of Ultra, have a strong background in the games industry and the innovative spark that made dreams come true for gamers and game developers around...

RAVI VENKATESAN

CEO, CANTALOUPE, INC.

Ravi Venkatesan was appointed CEO of Cantaloupe in September 2022, previously holding roles as COO and CTO. With 20+ years in the tech world, he also led innovations at Bakkt and Bridge2 Solutions and held leadership positions at Accenture and Cbeyond. He received his B.S. in electronics from Bangalore University...

SEAN FAHEY

CEO AT VIDCRUITER

The Future of HR: Embracing Technology Without Losing the Human Touch In today’s rapidly evolving business landscape, HR stands at a crossroads. The integration of advanced technologies into our processes is no longer optional—it’s essential for attracting, retaining, and nurturing top talent. As leaders, we have an opportunity to shape...

Pedro Rodrigues

Pedro Rodrigues

Director-General, Desafio Global – Events And Activation Experience And Go Live – Digital Events

This “Life of Events” that I chose and am very proud of is in no way a normal life. A professional in this area is not just a service provider. I sincerely believe that most of us view each event as nothing less than a mission that transcends schedules, other...

LAURIE OSWALD

CEO, INTERAWORKS AND CO-FOUNDER, BEST YEAR YET FOUNDATION

LEADING THE NEXT WAVE IN BUSINESSWe are in a huge change moment equal to the Renaissance and the Industrial revolution. The way we have always done business cannot continue to work in this new environment. The focus must move away from expecting employees to serve the company with no reciprocity...

Lidia Divry

Lidia Divry

Chief Executive Director, CPA-CMA, MBA - TechnoMontréal

English: Greater Montréal, Québec’s economic heartland, definitely beats in tune with digital innovation. We have one of the richest tech ecosystems in terms of knowledge, know-how, and creativity. A source of great pride for Québec and Canada. We stand out on the global scene with our world-class academic institutions and...

HON. CHRIS PICTON

MP, MINISTER FOR HEALTH AND WELLBEING

Taking hold of the opportunities derived from research excellence and innovation will help us to build a resilient, efficient, and informed health system that supports the future health and wellbeing of all South Australians. Research excellence and innovation will also play a vital role in our ability to proactively respond...

MIKE SOUTHON

CHIEF EDITOR, STARTUPMAFIA

Many people are fascinated by Unicorns, mythical horse-like animals with a spiralling horn on its forehead, who symbolise purity, rarity and magic. In Estonia you can meet real unicorns, companies who have achieved billion-dollar valuations. There are more of these per head of population than anywhere else on earth. Here...

TIA UPSHAW

CEO, ADVOCATE FOR BLACK WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS, BWIE

The Power of Disruptive Thinking: Creating Space for Black Women Entrepreneurs. As a Black woman in business, I’ve learned that waiting for permission is a losing game. The barriers we face—from systemic inequities to limited funding opportunities—are not new. But what is new is our approach. Instead of knocking on...

CHARLES RADCLYFFE

PARTNER, ETHICS GRADE

“WE ARE CONCERNED FOR ALL THE PEOPLE WHO WILL LOSE JOBS AS A RESULT OF AUTOMATION”.– CHARLES RADCLYFFE, PARTNER We are worried. Some of the things we worry about are the same as everyone else who is trying to imagine the impact of technology on our lives. We worry about how...

AAMIR PAUL

PRESIDENT OF NORTH AMERICA OPERATIONS, SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC

The next industrial revolution is here, but it’s not about steam, mechanization, or electronics. It’s about software, data, and interconnected, electrified systems. It’s going to force us to rethink everything we know about manufacturing and about humans’ role in it. Schneider Electric has operated in the United States for 135...

KEVIN JONES

KEVIN JONES

CEO, CELERO

Historically, electronic payments solutions have been delivered by most banks as a secondary offering – often living in the bowels of the bank’s basements or tucked away into treasury as a secondary offering. Frankly, the early evolution of the payments landscape caused such posturing. Electronic payments and deposits were miniscule...

MRS. TSHOGANETSO CARL-PONOESELE

ACTING CEO, BOTSWANA TOURISM

What does innovation mean to you? Tourism is an extremely vast field for innovation as a complex cross-cutting socio-economic system. Creating a tourist product, tourist services, booking of air – and train tickets – all these processes have reached a new level with the introduction of the latest developments in...

DAVID OWENS

DAVID OWENS

EVANS FAMILY EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE WOND’RY, VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY’S CENTER FOR INNOVATION

Nashville has always been a great place for members of the creative class. It has more than its fair share of the spirit of innovation and, as I was told when I moved here, more recording studios than bars and more microphones than people. And while the artistic creativity is...

Jim Filanc

Jim Filanc - Intelligent Cities Associates

Intelligent Cities Associates, LLC

Jim Filanc Intelligent Cities Associates, LLC Back in 2012, I wrote a White Paper entitled EnLighten San Diego when I had an insight into the strategic value of “power and perch,” two unique characteristics of streetlights. Streetlights are everywhere in most cities, but in San Diego, we envisioned attaching Small...

ALEXANDER ALEGRIA-SEIF

THE INTENTIONAL INVESTOR

Alexander Alegria-Seif stands at the crossroads of passion, purpose, and impact, embodying what it means to dream and act with intention. “I’m an impact investor and passionate about creating impact in the world,” he states, heralding a dialogue transcending the mundane. As friends and Harvard Business School alums, our connection...

INNOVATE® Ecosystems