Thought Leaders

INNOVATE™ South Africa

BRONWYN RUTH WILLIAMS

TREND TRANSLATOR: FUTURE FINANCE SPECIALIST, FLUX TRENDS

From my perspective, one of the biggest challenges facing South Africa is a double-edged sword: our ability to cope, even in the midst of crisis and chaos. South Africans are good at dealing with crises. We’ve had practice. For as long as anyone alive can remember, South Africa has leapt...

INNOVATE™ Bristol & Bath

William Britton

AutonoMe-Getting The Right Levels Of Support For People With Learning Disabilities

AutonoMe - Founder

Prior to Founding AutonoMe William was a local lecturer teaching adults with Learning Disabilities and Autism for a number of years. It was here that he established his passion and began to see the world through the eyes of people with Learning Disabilities. This helped William see how his skills...

INNOVATE® New Jersey Vol.2

Rick Diana - Trinitas Talent Management

The Digital World is a contemporary expression to communicate the importance of digital technology, services and tools to communicate on the Internet, smart devices, the Internet of Things and other digital sources. We are barely entering the early stages of the so-called Digital Revolution and its impact on business is...

INNOVATE™ Antwerp Vol.2

ALEXANDER SAVERYS

ALEXANDER SAVERYS

CEO, CMB

My name is Alexander Saverys, I’m the CEO of CMB, a diversified shipping company owning 135 ships active in dry bulk shipping, container transport, chemical tankers and offshore wind support. Our cleantech division, CMB.TECH, is a market leader in the development of hydrogen applications for the marine and other industries....

INNOVATE™ Vancouver Vol.2

John Spence

John Spence

Founder and Chairman - Karma Group

John Spence Founder and Chairman – Karma Group For nearly 30 years I’ve traveled all over the world to help businesses and people be more successful. I’ve worked for top tech companies such as Microsoft, IBM, Motorola, and Apple and have traveled to Palo Alto, Seattle, New York, Boston, Amsterdam,...

INNOVATE™ Adelaide

GILLIAN ALDRIDGE OAM

MAYOR, CITY OF SALISBURY

Our City is the fourth largest economy in the State with a Gross Regional Product of 8.65 billion and more than 8,700 businesses calling Salisbury home, including a host of international firms and flourishing entrepreneurs. We are an important area for the State’s economic growth for population, small business, innovation...

INNOVATE® Tampa Bay Vol.3

Lakshmi Shenoy

Embarc Collective-Lakshmi Shenoy

Embarc Collective

As a newcomer to the Tampa Bay region, I’ve had the opportunity to spend the past year immersing myself in the entrepreneurial community that has been growing here. Locals understand that Tampa Bay is a great place to live and get to experience that life each day. However, beyond the...

INNOVATE® South Florida

MELISSA MEDINA

CEO & PRESIDENT, eMERGE AMERICAS

Innovation has been a foundational principle I’ve seen throughout my life. As the first-generation daughter of immigrant parents from Cuba, I learned early on from my parents and grandparents how creative, innovative thinking can help me navigate everyday obstacles and unpredictable circumstances. This drive to continuously innovate and think bigger...

INNOVATE™ Adelaide

JO CLOSE

DIRECTOR OF THE ADELAIDE INTERMEDIARY PROGRAM, MTPCONNECT

Innovation – turning a great idea into a new, accessible product or service – never occurs in isolation. It needs collaboration which is sparked by connection. In health and medical innovation, we talk about the globally connected ecosystem because ours is a global endeavour that requires collegial bright minds, significant...

INNOVATE™ Alberta

DR. RYAN COMEAU

CEO & CO-FOUNDER, KINETISENSE.

ALBERTA – A PLACE OF OPPORTUNITYAPEX Alberta has had the opportunity to meet with stakeholders from across the province and ask them about their perspectives on the RPAS industry and the potential for the technology to change how we think and work. Here’s a cross-section of their thoughts on the...

INNOVATE® Utah

Prof./Dr. Susan R. Madsen

Prof./Dr. Susan R. Madsen

Founding Director - Orin r. Woodbury Professor of Leadership & Ethics

  Prof./Dr. Susan R. Madsen, Founding Director – Orin r. Woodbury Professor of Leadership & Ethics Dr. Susan R. Madsen is the Orin R. Woodbury Professor of Leadership & Ethics in the Woodbury School of Business at Utah Valley University and also the Founding Director of the Utah Women &...

INNOVATE® Detroit

LAURA L. CHAVEZ-WAZEERUD-DIN

PRESIDENT AND CEO, SOUTHWEST DETROIT BUSINESS ASSOCIATION

Innovation isn’t just about technology or groundbreaking inventions; it’s about fostering environments where communities thrive, cultures converge, and everyone has a seat at the table. As President and CEO of the Southwest Detroit Business Association (SDBA), I have the privilege of leading an organization that has been a cornerstone of...

VOICES of the Future

FADI GHANDOUR

THE POWER VISION

In the grand tapestry of influential leaders who have shaped our world, few threads are as vibrant and enduring as the story of Fadi Ghandour. As I sit down with Fadi for our conversation, I’m reminded of his monumental contributions to entrepreneurship and social empowerment. His journey encapsulates the spirit...

INNOVATE™ Botswana Vol.1

MARTIN MOKGWARE

MARTIN MOKGWARE

CHIEF EXECUTIVE, BOTSWANA COMMUNICATIONS REGULATORY AUTHORITY

What does innovation mean to you?Innovation simply means new ways of doing things and bringing in new ideas or improving what already exists to solve challenges brought about by new ways of living. Overtime, the word Innovation is commonly associated with technology for the simple reason that modern life is...

INNOVATE™ Estonia

DORIS PÕLD

CEO AT ITL ESTONIA

When I joined the Estonian technology sector, corporate strategy and digital strategy were still two different things. My main task was to create cooperation. Just as technology has become ubiquitous, Estonia,originally known for its use of digital services, has become a true pioneer of the digital society. I’m proud to...

INNOVATIONS in Pharmaceutical Development®

Karen Roy

Karen Roy

Chief Strategic Officer - Phlexglobal

On joining Phlexglobal in 2007, and becoming immersed in the trial master file (TMF) space, I didn’t imagine that something that seemed to get so little focus (a TMF was really just a paper archive) could turn into such an innovative space. When I started, an eTMF was broadly an...

INNOVATE™ Bristol & Bath

NatWest

Olly Reid

Olly Reid, Scale Acceleration Manager

THE INNOVATION MYTH – WHY OLD HABITS ARE STIFLING INNOVATION IN A NEW WORLD BY OLLY REID As John Holt once said, ‘’since we can’t know what knowledge will be most needed in the future, it is senseless to try to teach it in advance. Instead, we should try to...

INNOVATE® Gainesville

Rich Blaser

Rich Blaser

Co-Founder & CO-CEO - Infinite Energy

I can’t think of a better place to start a business than Gainesville. When my business partner and I started here more than 25 years ago, it was the location that drew us. Geographically we’re at the hub of a wheel–just two hours from Tallahassee, Jacksonville, Orlando and Tampa–so we...

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® San Diego Vol.1

Fred H. Gage

What Is the Next Game-Changing Scientific Idea? That’s the Salk Ethos, and It’s Why We Say That Salk Is Where Cures Begin. San Diego’s scientific leaders include at least a half-dozen world-renowned research institutes (J. Craig Venter Institute, La Jolla Institute for Immunology, Scripps Research and Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical...

INNOVATE® Nashville

JAMES CROWE

FOUNDER, VANDERBILT VACCINE CENTER

I am a physician and a scientist, and I study the human immune system. When I was a senior medical student training to be a physician, I worked for several months as a pediatrician in a rural hospital in East Africa. The work was challenging to me, because of the...

INNOVATION Quebec

GRAHAM CARR

PRESIDENT & VICE-CHANCELLOR, CONCORDIA UNIVERSITY

Montreal is the city with the largest concentration of university students per capita in North America. It has a completely unique mix of French and English and attracts students from more than 155 countries worldwide. Montreal is not just Canada’s leading centre for university research, it’s a world leader in...

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™ Ottawa

Gérard Métrailler

Gérard Métrailler

Executive Vice President Of Global Products - Corel Corporation

WELCOME TO THE FUTURE OF USER-FOCUSED SOFTWARE  Gérard Métrailler has made Ottawa his home since moving from Europe in 2006. Today he is Corel Corporation’s Executive Vice President of Global Products, where he is responsible for developing and maintaining worldwide product strategy, management, and marketing across major software brands such...

BRONWYN RUTH WILLIAMS

TREND TRANSLATOR: FUTURE FINANCE SPECIALIST, FLUX TRENDS

From my perspective, one of the biggest challenges facing South Africa is a double-edged sword: our ability to cope, even in the midst of crisis and chaos. South Africans are good at dealing with crises. We’ve had practice. For as long as anyone alive can remember, South Africa has leapt...

William Britton

AutonoMe-Getting The Right Levels Of Support For People With Learning Disabilities

AutonoMe - Founder

Prior to Founding AutonoMe William was a local lecturer teaching adults with Learning Disabilities and Autism for a number of years. It was here that he established his passion and began to see the world through the eyes of people with Learning Disabilities. This helped William see how his skills...

Rick Diana - Trinitas Talent Management

The Digital World is a contemporary expression to communicate the importance of digital technology, services and tools to communicate on the Internet, smart devices, the Internet of Things and other digital sources. We are barely entering the early stages of the so-called Digital Revolution and its impact on business is...

ALEXANDER SAVERYS

ALEXANDER SAVERYS

CEO, CMB

My name is Alexander Saverys, I’m the CEO of CMB, a diversified shipping company owning 135 ships active in dry bulk shipping, container transport, chemical tankers and offshore wind support. Our cleantech division, CMB.TECH, is a market leader in the development of hydrogen applications for the marine and other industries....

John Spence

John Spence

Founder and Chairman - Karma Group

John Spence Founder and Chairman – Karma Group For nearly 30 years I’ve traveled all over the world to help businesses and people be more successful. I’ve worked for top tech companies such as Microsoft, IBM, Motorola, and Apple and have traveled to Palo Alto, Seattle, New York, Boston, Amsterdam,...

GILLIAN ALDRIDGE OAM

MAYOR, CITY OF SALISBURY

Our City is the fourth largest economy in the State with a Gross Regional Product of 8.65 billion and more than 8,700 businesses calling Salisbury home, including a host of international firms and flourishing entrepreneurs. We are an important area for the State’s economic growth for population, small business, innovation...

Lakshmi Shenoy

Embarc Collective-Lakshmi Shenoy

Embarc Collective

As a newcomer to the Tampa Bay region, I’ve had the opportunity to spend the past year immersing myself in the entrepreneurial community that has been growing here. Locals understand that Tampa Bay is a great place to live and get to experience that life each day. However, beyond the...

MELISSA MEDINA

CEO & PRESIDENT, eMERGE AMERICAS

Innovation has been a foundational principle I’ve seen throughout my life. As the first-generation daughter of immigrant parents from Cuba, I learned early on from my parents and grandparents how creative, innovative thinking can help me navigate everyday obstacles and unpredictable circumstances. This drive to continuously innovate and think bigger...

JO CLOSE

DIRECTOR OF THE ADELAIDE INTERMEDIARY PROGRAM, MTPCONNECT

Innovation – turning a great idea into a new, accessible product or service – never occurs in isolation. It needs collaboration which is sparked by connection. In health and medical innovation, we talk about the globally connected ecosystem because ours is a global endeavour that requires collegial bright minds, significant...

DR. RYAN COMEAU

CEO & CO-FOUNDER, KINETISENSE.

ALBERTA – A PLACE OF OPPORTUNITYAPEX Alberta has had the opportunity to meet with stakeholders from across the province and ask them about their perspectives on the RPAS industry and the potential for the technology to change how we think and work. Here’s a cross-section of their thoughts on the...

Prof./Dr. Susan R. Madsen

Prof./Dr. Susan R. Madsen

Founding Director - Orin r. Woodbury Professor of Leadership & Ethics

  Prof./Dr. Susan R. Madsen, Founding Director – Orin r. Woodbury Professor of Leadership & Ethics Dr. Susan R. Madsen is the Orin R. Woodbury Professor of Leadership & Ethics in the Woodbury School of Business at Utah Valley University and also the Founding Director of the Utah Women &...

LAURA L. CHAVEZ-WAZEERUD-DIN

PRESIDENT AND CEO, SOUTHWEST DETROIT BUSINESS ASSOCIATION

Innovation isn’t just about technology or groundbreaking inventions; it’s about fostering environments where communities thrive, cultures converge, and everyone has a seat at the table. As President and CEO of the Southwest Detroit Business Association (SDBA), I have the privilege of leading an organization that has been a cornerstone of...

FADI GHANDOUR

THE POWER VISION

In the grand tapestry of influential leaders who have shaped our world, few threads are as vibrant and enduring as the story of Fadi Ghandour. As I sit down with Fadi for our conversation, I’m reminded of his monumental contributions to entrepreneurship and social empowerment. His journey encapsulates the spirit...

MARTIN MOKGWARE

MARTIN MOKGWARE

CHIEF EXECUTIVE, BOTSWANA COMMUNICATIONS REGULATORY AUTHORITY

What does innovation mean to you?Innovation simply means new ways of doing things and bringing in new ideas or improving what already exists to solve challenges brought about by new ways of living. Overtime, the word Innovation is commonly associated with technology for the simple reason that modern life is...

DORIS PÕLD

CEO AT ITL ESTONIA

When I joined the Estonian technology sector, corporate strategy and digital strategy were still two different things. My main task was to create cooperation. Just as technology has become ubiquitous, Estonia,originally known for its use of digital services, has become a true pioneer of the digital society. I’m proud to...

Karen Roy

Karen Roy

Chief Strategic Officer - Phlexglobal

On joining Phlexglobal in 2007, and becoming immersed in the trial master file (TMF) space, I didn’t imagine that something that seemed to get so little focus (a TMF was really just a paper archive) could turn into such an innovative space. When I started, an eTMF was broadly an...

NatWest

Olly Reid

Olly Reid, Scale Acceleration Manager

THE INNOVATION MYTH – WHY OLD HABITS ARE STIFLING INNOVATION IN A NEW WORLD BY OLLY REID As John Holt once said, ‘’since we can’t know what knowledge will be most needed in the future, it is senseless to try to teach it in advance. Instead, we should try to...

Rich Blaser

Rich Blaser

Co-Founder & CO-CEO - Infinite Energy

I can’t think of a better place to start a business than Gainesville. When my business partner and I started here more than 25 years ago, it was the location that drew us. Geographically we’re at the hub of a wheel–just two hours from Tallahassee, Jacksonville, Orlando and Tampa–so we...

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...

Fred H. Gage

What Is the Next Game-Changing Scientific Idea? That’s the Salk Ethos, and It’s Why We Say That Salk Is Where Cures Begin. San Diego’s scientific leaders include at least a half-dozen world-renowned research institutes (J. Craig Venter Institute, La Jolla Institute for Immunology, Scripps Research and Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical...

JAMES CROWE

FOUNDER, VANDERBILT VACCINE CENTER

I am a physician and a scientist, and I study the human immune system. When I was a senior medical student training to be a physician, I worked for several months as a pediatrician in a rural hospital in East Africa. The work was challenging to me, because of the...

GRAHAM CARR

PRESIDENT & VICE-CHANCELLOR, CONCORDIA UNIVERSITY

Montreal is the city with the largest concentration of university students per capita in North America. It has a completely unique mix of French and English and attracts students from more than 155 countries worldwide. Montreal is not just Canada’s leading centre for university research, it’s a world leader in...

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...

Gérard Métrailler

Gérard Métrailler

Executive Vice President Of Global Products - Corel Corporation

WELCOME TO THE FUTURE OF USER-FOCUSED SOFTWARE  Gérard Métrailler has made Ottawa his home since moving from Europe in 2006. Today he is Corel Corporation’s Executive Vice President of Global Products, where he is responsible for developing and maintaining worldwide product strategy, management, and marketing across major software brands such...

INNOVATE® Ecosystems