Thought Leaders

My wife inscribed this quote on a plaque for me as a gift. The profundity, yet the simplicity, of the message hits home for me. It also puts into perspective my priorities in life. We all have our fears and blinders. Sometimes we may get swayed by things that are...

Looking back on Atlantic Canada’s fintech sector, I remember being impressed by the stark resilience of the entrepreneurs in the region. Incredible innovation was happening across the four provinces to revolutionize and digitalize under-developed technologies, particularly in back-end solutions of all industries—from banking and aviation to communications and human resources....

Henry Hintermeister Publishing Partner – INNOVATE® Minnesota A century ago, my father and his Minnesota peers were making the switch from using horses to farm their land to new-fangled contraptions called tractors. Many of these Minnesota natives rarely left the state to travel, their lifestyle centered on dutiful labor that...

My first passion will always remain understanding intelligence. This includes the artificial intelligences we are currently developing, but the natural ones as well. In recent years, my thinking about artificial and human intelligence has hinged on AI for social good. How can we ensure that what we do will benefit...

To me, social impact is the reason for our organisation’s existence. A chamber of commerce is not there to serve the private interests of a few individual companies, but to help an entire region grow. I have always been a firm believer that you can only achieve prosperity through entrepreneurship,...

As a leader, people and culture need to be a priority. You need to tangibly demonstrate what a culture of excellence looks like. I believe that attitude and outlook are everything. What you bring to the table (or zoom meeting) directly impacts those around you — personally and professionally. True...

It’s an exciting time to be in Detroit. In 2024 alone, we’ve seen the restoration of Michigan Central, a century-old train station turned mobility innovation hub; hosted the NFL Draft with record-breaking attendance; and attracted billions of dollars in commercial and public space development. At TechTown, we celebrate all the...

In order to understand what GHO Ventures is, we need to talk about Dr. Gregory Olsen. Greg started the company EPITAXX, a fiber-optic detector manufacturer in 1984 together with Vladimir Ban. It was sold in 1990 for $12 million. He then founded Sensors Unlimited, a near-infrared camera manufacturer in 1992...

In countless ways, small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) are the often-unsung heroes on the frontlines of the U.S. economy by providing jobs, uplifting communities, and facing the future with optimism and resilience. That’s why I’m so proud that Sage has made such strong commitments on behalf of SMBs to deliver...

When people around the world hear of Estonia today, they think of a nation where nearly every government service is accessible online, where starting a company can take just minutes, and where seamless digital interactions are simply the way of life. But this transformation did not happen overnight. It is...

Chef Satish Arora’s five decades at the Taj Group bring not just a legacy of culinary excellence but a treasure trove of wisdom, encapsulating the essence of a life devoted to passion, perseverance, and innovation. During our conversation, it becomes evident that his words serve as a compass for younger...

Next stop: Mars. That’s the mindset that drives me. I’m scaling Retail Tech from MENA to the world with Satocci and our Scan & Pay revolution. I’ve spent fifteen years moving between banking, finance, sales and telecom, and here’s what I’ve learned: money always moves faster than the systems built...

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...

One of the most important jobs of any leader is to create a vision for what they want to accomplish and to implement a realistic plan to realize that vision. It was fundamentally important to me in executing my vision to identify what voices were not being heard and to...

Many of the early conversations around artificial intelligence have focused on whether this nascent technology is friend or foe. But as a lawyer whose passion is AI and technology, I find that dialogue to be quite complex. As with all technologies, AI poses risks as well as rewards. Some of...

As Interim President, Vice President for Partnerships and Chief Innovation Officer at UCF, Thad Seymour is helping to implement an aggressive 20-year plan for the university, including overseeing the new UCF Downtown campus at Creative Village in the heart of Orlando. In addition to his multiple entrepreneurial ventures, Seymour helped...

One HeartCreating an NFT movie masterpiece to document inspiring stories made through NFT technology requires a shared vision, goal, and a dedicated team. Blockchain technology may be new to the world, but proven leadership and purpose-driven teams remain the driving heart of success in this novel industry and space. As...

“We have little evidence that we are achieving success in one of the core challenges in Australia and internationally – breaking intergenerational cycles of disadvantage in all its forms.”(BetterStart, 2023) The quote above is from a submission by Dr. Rhiannon Pilkington and Professor John Lynch to our Royal Commission into...

Angela Renick Owner – A`Vie Events Angela Renick has been planning events in Gainesville for 30 years. She began in 1996 with a part-time wedding coordination business, which has continued to expand over the years. She has planned many events along the way during these years. In 2005, she opened...

ESPORTS ISN’T A SPORT, IT’S THE IDEA OF SPORTSSince the birth of video games, we’ve played to win. It began with high scores and simple 1v1 games, progressed through games with an objective of story completion and now, finally, an online free-for-all where a kid in Japan and an adult...

THE NORDIC’S LEADING STARTUP HUB! I believe that SSE Business Lab’s success in fostering unicorns and groundbreaking companies isn’t coincidental. It’s the result of a carefully designed ecosystem where ambition meets mentorship and capital is intertwined with experience. At the core is a powerful alumni network. Unlike many ecosystems where...

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...

Over the last year, I have been asked time and time again about my story: where I came from and why nobody knew my name. While the long answer involves transitioning from life as a rocket scientist to the President of Synapse (a 501c3 working to connect and organize the...

I grew up in the north of Sweden dreaming of becoming a fashion designer. Like many young creatives, I believed in the magic of making clothes, their power to express, connect, and transform. I worked hard to realize that dream and eventually found myself inside the industry I had once...