Thought Leaders
INNOVATE™ Adelaide
MR. OSCAR FIORINOTTO
FOUNDER & CEO, SUPASHOCK ADVANCED TECHNOLOGIES
FOSTERING A CULTURE OF LEADERS AND INNOVATIONI was fortunate to have an ambitious father who embedded leadership heavily into my life. I feel it is important for any leader to have a mentor, and this is the reason we focus so heavily on mentorship at Supashock. A mentor is someone...
INNOVATE® Phoenix
Adham Ghazali
CEO and Co-Founder - Imagry
Introduction With offices in both the U.S. and Israel, Imagry is an autonomous vehicle platform developer that is dedicated to pioneering the future of this technology. By pushing the limits of artificial intelligence and computer vision, Imagry’s mapless autonomous driving platform eliminates the need for the time-consuming HD mapping process....
INNOVATE™ Estonia
ALEXANDER STOROZHUK
FOUNDER - PRNEWS.IO AND MEDIALISTER
Starting out in Ukraine in 2004, I saw an opportunity: smaller businesses needed a way to share their stories, yet few platforms catered to them. As a university student, I built a basic news distribution system, and over the years, that idea grew into PRNEWS.IO — a platform that today...
INNOVATE® South Carolina
Andrew Hsu
President of the College of Charleston
Both society and technology are changing ever more rapidly. Higher education is historically designed to be steady and slow in changing. The conflict caused between slow-moving institutions and a rapidly changing world has become ever more obvious – to the point, for many, that it has reached a definitive inflection...
INNOVATE® Tampa Bay Vol.3
DR. RICHARD M. SMITH
FOUNDER & CHAIR, STOCKSAVVY
One of the greatest wealth-building tools available, the stock market has long been out of reach for most people. I believe that no one benefits in the long run when we have to depend on other people to invest our money and wealth is increasingly concentrated into fewer and fewer...
INNOVATE™ Alberta
DR. ELIZABETH CANNON
OC, AOE, FRSC, FCAE, PRESIDENT EMERITA, UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY
The energy of our community and the focus not on who you are, but what you can do – and how you can contribute – provided a platform where I knew that hard work would be rewarded. I was not disappointed. I was fortunate to be exposed to the Global...
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...
INNOVATION Quebec
FRANTZ SAINTELLEMY
PRÉSIDENT ET CHEF DE L’EXPLOITATION, LEDDARTECH, CHANCELIER ET PRÉSIDENT DU CA
Le Québec est un terreau fertile pour l’entrepreneuriat deeptech, qui repose sur le savoir et la recherche de pointe, et ouvre de nouvelles perspectives dans plusieurs domaines de haute technologie. Ces entreprises repoussent les limites de l’innovation et créent des solutions novatrices ayant un impact profond sur notre société. Les...
INNOVATE® Orlando
David Brim
Marketing Strategist, Entrepreneur, Investor & Founder - Orlando Entrepreneurs
David Brim is a marketing strategist, entrepreneur and investor living in Orlando, Florida. He is a founding partner of Orlando Opportunity Fund (OrlandoOpportunityFund.com), and the founder of Orlando Entrepreneurs (OrlandoEntrepreneurs.org), a network, podcast, and resource center created to connect, cultivate & celebrate Central Florida entrepreneurs. His primary professional focus areas...
INNOVATE™ Vancouver Vol.2
SAMANTHA MATHEWS
FOUNDER @LEARNBYLOCI
The technology industry is so broad-reaching and established that “innovation” has become the status quo. The problem that comes along with this entrenched approach to technological development is that we’ve also codified what the people who innovate look like; where they went to school, who they know, and what kind...
INNOVATE® South Carolina
Andrew Strickland
Co-Founder & CEO, Code/+/Trust
At Code and Trust, we partner with founders, corporations, and government teams to challenge assumptions, move fast, and build software that drives real impact. My career has centered around one core belief: great ideas don’t fail because they aren’t good, they fail because they aren’t executed well. To me, innovation...
INNOVATE® Austin Volume 2
Martin Martinez
Founder - A-Player Media | Managing Director, Founder - Institute Texas
As a Native Texan, my family has stretched back either 5 or 7 generations (depending on which parent I ask). While the early years of my life were split between San Antonio and Dallas, it wasn’t until I moved to the Texas Capital of Austin where I discovered the meaning...
INNOVATE® Milwaukee
BEN KERFORD
STRATEGIC EXECUTIVE AT 7RIVERS
Innovation is often misunderstood as a pursuit of the latest technology, but in reality, it’s about solving meaningful problems in new ways. It’s about leveraging data, AI, and strategic thinking to drive real business value. Throughout my career, from consulting to leading 7Rivers, I’ve focused on not just embracing change...
INNOVATE® Gaming & Esports
SEAN MENDEZ CATLIN
MANAGING PARTNER, MC & J LAW
Sean Méndez-Catlin is the 1Up Lawyer, giving you a 1Up on the competition and an extra life. He has been playing games since he was a Kid. He started with the N64 and has continued to play as he went through school and now as an attorney. Listening to his...
INNOVATE™ Alberta
WAYNE KARPOFF
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER AND PRESIDENT, WILLOWGLEN SYSTEMS
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...
INNOVATE™ Stockholm
ROLAND WILLIAMS
INNOVATION PIONEERS
When people talk about innovation, it’s often described as a breakthrough moment — the spark that changes everything. In practice, it usually looks very different. Progress tends to come from the smaller steps: listening carefully, sharing experiences openly, and being willing to test something, learn from it, and try again....
INNOVATE™ Adelaide
DAVID RYAN
CHIEF EXECUTIVE, SA WATER
At its heart, innovation is a simple concept: to bring to life new ideas that deliver value and benefits. We all live in the realm of ideas, and from small ideas can come big changes. In my experience, people working on the frontline play a leading role in generating ideas...
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...
INNOVATIONS in Pharmaceutical Development®
Cristina Campos
Country President, Novartis Portugal & Head Integrated Access Programs & Markets Novartis Global Hea
Healthcare is a top priority of an aging society, this industry is key in the development of innovative treatments to address society’s needs and to foster better health, for longer and healthier lives. COVID-19 only made this clearer. With a global scale and deep understanding of healthcare needs, the pharma...
INNOVATE™ Alberta
STUART CULLUM
PRESIDENT, RED DEER POLYTECHNIC
Over the course of my career, I have been a teacher, a farmer, a business analyst, an investor, and an applied research and academic leader. I’ve come to understand that the problems and opportunities in our world are highly complex; they are multi-faceted and require multi-disciplinary responses. No single expert,...
INNOVATE™ Antwerp Vol.2
CLAUDE MARINOWER
ALDERMAN FOR ECONOMY, INNOVATION AND DIGITALISATION
In 1906, riots broke out in Verviers, Liège, caused by lamplighters protesting the electrification of city lighting. Today, Antwerp is experimenting with smart street lighting using software and smart sensors. This is just one example of how a twenty-first century city is in full digital transition. As alderman for the...
VOICES of the Future
DR. V. FRANCIS JOHN
THE STARTUP SUPREMO
From the moment I sat down with Dr. V. Francis John, my neighbor and the luminary behind Ztartup.com and Kube VC, it was clear that I was in the presence of a true visionary. His journey is a testament to the transformative power of technology and innovation. Chief Enablement Officer...
INNOVATE™ Stockholm
CAROLINA LAHDO & FARIDEH WALLQVIST
CO-FOUNDERS, WIB CAPITAL
WiB Capital is a Stockholm-based ecosystem and platform designed to strengthen how early-stage founders and investors meet—through community, visibility, and clearer decision-making. It began with a small observation in a coworking office: people shared space, but rarely spoke. So we made a rule, say hi to everyone new who walks...
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...
MR. OSCAR FIORINOTTO
FOUNDER & CEO, SUPASHOCK ADVANCED TECHNOLOGIES
FOSTERING A CULTURE OF LEADERS AND INNOVATIONI was fortunate to have an ambitious father who embedded leadership heavily into my life. I feel it is important for any leader to have a mentor, and this is the reason we focus so heavily on mentorship at Supashock. A mentor is someone...
Adham Ghazali
CEO and Co-Founder - Imagry
Introduction With offices in both the U.S. and Israel, Imagry is an autonomous vehicle platform developer that is dedicated to pioneering the future of this technology. By pushing the limits of artificial intelligence and computer vision, Imagry’s mapless autonomous driving platform eliminates the need for the time-consuming HD mapping process....
ALEXANDER STOROZHUK
FOUNDER - PRNEWS.IO AND MEDIALISTER
Starting out in Ukraine in 2004, I saw an opportunity: smaller businesses needed a way to share their stories, yet few platforms catered to them. As a university student, I built a basic news distribution system, and over the years, that idea grew into PRNEWS.IO — a platform that today...
Andrew Hsu
President of the College of Charleston
Both society and technology are changing ever more rapidly. Higher education is historically designed to be steady and slow in changing. The conflict caused between slow-moving institutions and a rapidly changing world has become ever more obvious – to the point, for many, that it has reached a definitive inflection...
DR. RICHARD M. SMITH
FOUNDER & CHAIR, STOCKSAVVY
One of the greatest wealth-building tools available, the stock market has long been out of reach for most people. I believe that no one benefits in the long run when we have to depend on other people to invest our money and wealth is increasingly concentrated into fewer and fewer...
DR. ELIZABETH CANNON
OC, AOE, FRSC, FCAE, PRESIDENT EMERITA, UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY
The energy of our community and the focus not on who you are, but what you can do – and how you can contribute – provided a platform where I knew that hard work would be rewarded. I was not disappointed. I was fortunate to be exposed to the Global...
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...
FRANTZ SAINTELLEMY
PRÉSIDENT ET CHEF DE L’EXPLOITATION, LEDDARTECH, CHANCELIER ET PRÉSIDENT DU CA
Le Québec est un terreau fertile pour l’entrepreneuriat deeptech, qui repose sur le savoir et la recherche de pointe, et ouvre de nouvelles perspectives dans plusieurs domaines de haute technologie. Ces entreprises repoussent les limites de l’innovation et créent des solutions novatrices ayant un impact profond sur notre société. Les...
David Brim
Marketing Strategist, Entrepreneur, Investor & Founder - Orlando Entrepreneurs
David Brim is a marketing strategist, entrepreneur and investor living in Orlando, Florida. He is a founding partner of Orlando Opportunity Fund (OrlandoOpportunityFund.com), and the founder of Orlando Entrepreneurs (OrlandoEntrepreneurs.org), a network, podcast, and resource center created to connect, cultivate & celebrate Central Florida entrepreneurs. His primary professional focus areas...
SAMANTHA MATHEWS
FOUNDER @LEARNBYLOCI
The technology industry is so broad-reaching and established that “innovation” has become the status quo. The problem that comes along with this entrenched approach to technological development is that we’ve also codified what the people who innovate look like; where they went to school, who they know, and what kind...
Andrew Strickland
Co-Founder & CEO, Code/+/Trust
At Code and Trust, we partner with founders, corporations, and government teams to challenge assumptions, move fast, and build software that drives real impact. My career has centered around one core belief: great ideas don’t fail because they aren’t good, they fail because they aren’t executed well. To me, innovation...
Martin Martinez
Founder - A-Player Media | Managing Director, Founder - Institute Texas
As a Native Texan, my family has stretched back either 5 or 7 generations (depending on which parent I ask). While the early years of my life were split between San Antonio and Dallas, it wasn’t until I moved to the Texas Capital of Austin where I discovered the meaning...
BEN KERFORD
STRATEGIC EXECUTIVE AT 7RIVERS
Innovation is often misunderstood as a pursuit of the latest technology, but in reality, it’s about solving meaningful problems in new ways. It’s about leveraging data, AI, and strategic thinking to drive real business value. Throughout my career, from consulting to leading 7Rivers, I’ve focused on not just embracing change...
SEAN MENDEZ CATLIN
MANAGING PARTNER, MC & J LAW
Sean Méndez-Catlin is the 1Up Lawyer, giving you a 1Up on the competition and an extra life. He has been playing games since he was a Kid. He started with the N64 and has continued to play as he went through school and now as an attorney. Listening to his...
WAYNE KARPOFF
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER AND PRESIDENT, WILLOWGLEN SYSTEMS
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...
ROLAND WILLIAMS
INNOVATION PIONEERS
When people talk about innovation, it’s often described as a breakthrough moment — the spark that changes everything. In practice, it usually looks very different. Progress tends to come from the smaller steps: listening carefully, sharing experiences openly, and being willing to test something, learn from it, and try again....
DAVID RYAN
CHIEF EXECUTIVE, SA WATER
At its heart, innovation is a simple concept: to bring to life new ideas that deliver value and benefits. We all live in the realm of ideas, and from small ideas can come big changes. In my experience, people working on the frontline play a leading role in generating ideas...
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...
Cristina Campos
Country President, Novartis Portugal & Head Integrated Access Programs & Markets Novartis Global Hea
Healthcare is a top priority of an aging society, this industry is key in the development of innovative treatments to address society’s needs and to foster better health, for longer and healthier lives. COVID-19 only made this clearer. With a global scale and deep understanding of healthcare needs, the pharma...
STUART CULLUM
PRESIDENT, RED DEER POLYTECHNIC
Over the course of my career, I have been a teacher, a farmer, a business analyst, an investor, and an applied research and academic leader. I’ve come to understand that the problems and opportunities in our world are highly complex; they are multi-faceted and require multi-disciplinary responses. No single expert,...
CLAUDE MARINOWER
ALDERMAN FOR ECONOMY, INNOVATION AND DIGITALISATION
In 1906, riots broke out in Verviers, Liège, caused by lamplighters protesting the electrification of city lighting. Today, Antwerp is experimenting with smart street lighting using software and smart sensors. This is just one example of how a twenty-first century city is in full digital transition. As alderman for the...
DR. V. FRANCIS JOHN
THE STARTUP SUPREMO
From the moment I sat down with Dr. V. Francis John, my neighbor and the luminary behind Ztartup.com and Kube VC, it was clear that I was in the presence of a true visionary. His journey is a testament to the transformative power of technology and innovation. Chief Enablement Officer...
CAROLINA LAHDO & FARIDEH WALLQVIST
CO-FOUNDERS, WIB CAPITAL
WiB Capital is a Stockholm-based ecosystem and platform designed to strengthen how early-stage founders and investors meet—through community, visibility, and clearer decision-making. It began with a small observation in a coworking office: people shared space, but rarely spoke. So we made a rule, say hi to everyone new who walks...
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...