Thought Leaders

INNOVATE™ Vancouver Vol.2

NJERI WATKINS

BUSINESS LEADER, DATA ANALYST & EDUCATOR

As a Vancouver based Business Leader, Data Analyst and Educator, I am an active contributor in the digital technology ecosystem cultivated by our beautiful global metropolis. In this community rooted in collaborative cross pollination between industry, academia, the public sector and entrepreneurs, the galvanizing force is the desire to build,...

INNOVATE® Philadelphia

Fran Griesing

Fran Griesing

Managing Member - Griesing Law

As data has shown, disadvantaged groups are notably underrepresented and underpaid across all industries. The educational and professional opportunities for women, people of color, members of the LGBTQ community, and persons with disabilities, are still not where they need to be in order to even the playing field. Further, those...

INNOVATE® Minnesota

Shaye Mandle

Shaye Mandle

President & CEO - The Medical Alley Association

You might say modern healthcare was invented in Medical Alley more than 150 years ago when the Mayo Clinic set the standard for care delivery. The medical device industry was born here with Medtronic’s founding in 1949. When the relationship between payers and providers needed to change, HMOs were invented...

INNOVATE® Nashville

RUSS BLATTNER

CHAIRMAN & CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER AT SUPERWISE®

“Innovation in AI is not just about technology—it’s about trust. Without transparency, there is no adoption. Forrester, Gartner, and IDC emphasize that AI governance and accountability are now enterprise imperatives. Companies that ignore explainability will face declining adoption and increased regulatory scrutiny.” Innovation in AI is happening at a breakneck...

INNOVATE® Maryland

CYNTHIA RIVARDE

CEO OF ROCKVILLE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, INC. (REDI).

In an era where uncertainty is the new normal, the greatest asset a community can cultivate is not just data or infrastructure – it is creativity. And creativity does not emerge from a vacuum. It is nurtured in spaces where art, culture, and innovation intersect. Rockville is one of those...

INNOVATE™ Stockholm

LARS-GÖRAN FRÖJD

FOUNDER & CEO, VIRTUAL MANAGEMENT

An innovative culture is shifting but it must define areas of curiosity that mixes with experience and then you could open your eyes and find the intangible assets that all individuals and organizations have. When we established Virtual Management back in 1995 the knowledge of “virtual” was very limited and...

INNOVATE® New Jersey Vol.2

Chaya Pamula

Chaya Pamula

President & Ceo - Pamten

I’ve always believed that, with anything you do in life, it’s important to find your passion. Once you find that passion and set short- and long-term goals, you can transform your dream into a reality. Today’s technology gives us the unique opportunity to find and follow our path in more...

INNOVATION Quebec

RÉMI QUIRION

SCIENTIFIQUE EN CHEF DU QUÉBEC

RÉMI QUIRION, SCIENTIFIQUE EN CHEF DU QUÉBEC, LUC SIROIS, INNOVATEUR EN CHEF DU QUÉBEC, SYLVIE PINSONNAULT, PREMIÈRE VICE-PRÉSIDENTE, STRATÉGIES, INNOVATION ET DÉVELOPPEMENT DURABLE. At the opening of the Sommet des accélérateurs, organized by the Mouvement des accélérateurs d’innovation du Québec, Rémi Quirion, Quebec’s Chief Scientist, Luc Sirois, Quebec’s Chief Innovator,...

INNOVATE™ Antwerp Vol.2

BART EMBRECHTS

GUMPTION - FOUNDER

You don’t differentiate yourself with technology alone. Our companies make the difference with their experience in the sector, their business insight, and their expertise in proven technologies. Here are a few examples: TheValueChainis known at SAP for their focus on innovation and creativity. They implement a step-by-step plan with online...

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™ Toronto

Atlee Clark

I moved from San Francisco to Ottawa to pursue a tech career. Yes, you read that right. I grew up north of Toronto, but my curiosity took me all over North America. I moved to Calgaryat the height of the oil boom in Alberta. I chased the energy of Barack...

INNOVATE® Nashville

HARRY ALLEN

HARRY ALLEN

CO-FOUNDER & CHIEF RELATIONSHIP OFFICER, STUDIO BANK

A NATIVE’S PERSPECTIVEI love Nashville. As a fifth-generation native, Nashville is the only place I’ve ever called home. And while it’s not the town I grew up in, today’s Nashville has certainly kept me engaged and excited. So I’ve continued to choose Nashville as the place to build my family,...

INNOVATE® Tampa Bay Vol.3

David Robinson

David Robinson - CEO - DSM Technology Consultants

CEO - DSM Technology Consultants

People say there’s nothing new under the sun, and I completely disagree. If you look at things from a macro- or micro-perspective, cloud computing is merging with mobile computing and that’s going to form what I call “Ubiquitous Computing”—meaning your computing is everywhere. If you think about your business, your...

INNOVATE™ Adelaide

ANDREW DOWNS

FOUNDER AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, SAGE AUTOMATION

While Australia finds itself in a critical skills shortage, young people who embrace a career in the trades, are finding endless opportunities. When we ask our children what they want to be when they grow up, we hope they will dream big, and pursue a career of enjoyment and meaning....

INNOVATE® New Jersey Vol.2

Dr. Gregory Olsen

GHO Ventures - “Angel” Investor

GHO Ventures

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...

INNOVATE® Blockchain

MAJA VUJINOVIC

MAJA VUJINOVIC

FOUNDER, OGROUP LLC

I am moved by technology’s capability to impact people’s lives. I saw this power first-hand in Africa and Latin America after recognizing the potential of mobile money systems in the early 2000’s and moving to Africa to help develop these technologies. Mobile payments and mobile money systems changed people’s lives....

INNOVATE® Tampa Bay Vol.3

ERIC R. POLINS

ERIC R. POLINS

MANAGING PARTNER

Businesses have focused on traditional methods of communications and marketing to spread their message to their customers. But those models have shifted and the pace at which communications is now delivered has accelerated to break-neck speeds. It’s easy for a company’s message to get lost amid all the chatter that...

INNOVATE™ Oeiras

JOAO ARAUJO

JOÃO ARAÚJO

COUNTRY DIRECTOR, THALES

Railways has been my constant obsession in the last 30 years, after I assumed the role of developing the Railway business in Portugal. As a fresh Engineer from IST, I started my career at Alcatel as telecoms engineer. Soon my commercial attitude and aptitude drove me to new challenges with...

INNOVATE™ South Africa

MPUME NGOBESE

MPUME NGOBESE

CO-MANAGING DIRECTOR, JOE PUBLIC JOHANNESBURG

With digital media usage higher than ever, more than 38 million people in South Africa are active on the internet, and 27-million consume social media content by liking, sharing, posting and commenting on everything from politics and the pandemic, to funnies and pictures of ‘fur babies’. Consumers have so many...

INNOVATE® Puerto Rico

IGNACIO ALVAREZ

PRESIDENT AND CEO OF POPULAR INC.

Technological advances, changing customer expectations and a rapidly evolving competitive landscape have made innovation not a choice, but a requirement to remain competitive at every level. Countries, companies and individuals must constantly question the present and aspire to make the future better. Because innovation is not an end in itself;...

INNOVATE™ South Africa

KIENO KAMMIES

KIENO KAMMIES

CO-FOUNDER, INNOVATION CITY

I’m a capitalist with a social conscience. We should be trying to make a difference in other people’s lives so that they can also see the path ahead. Your future can only happen once you start living what you want to be. It is especially true in business as well....

INNOVATE® Austin Volume 2

John Oberg

DR. JOHN OBERG

DSW, is a Founder, CEO, Board Director, Advisor, and Investor

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...

INNOVATE™ Ottawa

Jim Stackhouse

Jim Stackhouse

Founder & CEO - Neolore Networks Inc.

AN EXERCISE IN INNOVATION AND DEMONSTRATING VALUE. The digital landscape of IT Support is forever changing. Just five years ago, the ways IT Managed Service Providers (MSPs) supported their clients is totally different than today. As more companies turn to MSPs for outsourced IT Support and Cloud services, the value...

INNOVATE™ Stockholm

MOHAMAD TAKWA

CEO & CO-FOUNDER, EPIGENICA

When I was a young researcher, I believed invention was the pinnacle of achievement. To discover something new and build something no one had built before – that felt like enough. But after launching several deep tech startups, I’ve learned a powerful lesson. Invention is just the beginning. Innovation is...

NJERI WATKINS

BUSINESS LEADER, DATA ANALYST & EDUCATOR

As a Vancouver based Business Leader, Data Analyst and Educator, I am an active contributor in the digital technology ecosystem cultivated by our beautiful global metropolis. In this community rooted in collaborative cross pollination between industry, academia, the public sector and entrepreneurs, the galvanizing force is the desire to build,...

Fran Griesing

Fran Griesing

Managing Member - Griesing Law

As data has shown, disadvantaged groups are notably underrepresented and underpaid across all industries. The educational and professional opportunities for women, people of color, members of the LGBTQ community, and persons with disabilities, are still not where they need to be in order to even the playing field. Further, those...

Shaye Mandle

Shaye Mandle

President & CEO - The Medical Alley Association

You might say modern healthcare was invented in Medical Alley more than 150 years ago when the Mayo Clinic set the standard for care delivery. The medical device industry was born here with Medtronic’s founding in 1949. When the relationship between payers and providers needed to change, HMOs were invented...

RUSS BLATTNER

CHAIRMAN & CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER AT SUPERWISE®

“Innovation in AI is not just about technology—it’s about trust. Without transparency, there is no adoption. Forrester, Gartner, and IDC emphasize that AI governance and accountability are now enterprise imperatives. Companies that ignore explainability will face declining adoption and increased regulatory scrutiny.” Innovation in AI is happening at a breakneck...

CYNTHIA RIVARDE

CEO OF ROCKVILLE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, INC. (REDI).

In an era where uncertainty is the new normal, the greatest asset a community can cultivate is not just data or infrastructure – it is creativity. And creativity does not emerge from a vacuum. It is nurtured in spaces where art, culture, and innovation intersect. Rockville is one of those...

LARS-GÖRAN FRÖJD

FOUNDER & CEO, VIRTUAL MANAGEMENT

An innovative culture is shifting but it must define areas of curiosity that mixes with experience and then you could open your eyes and find the intangible assets that all individuals and organizations have. When we established Virtual Management back in 1995 the knowledge of “virtual” was very limited and...

Chaya Pamula

Chaya Pamula

President & Ceo - Pamten

I’ve always believed that, with anything you do in life, it’s important to find your passion. Once you find that passion and set short- and long-term goals, you can transform your dream into a reality. Today’s technology gives us the unique opportunity to find and follow our path in more...

RÉMI QUIRION

SCIENTIFIQUE EN CHEF DU QUÉBEC

RÉMI QUIRION, SCIENTIFIQUE EN CHEF DU QUÉBEC, LUC SIROIS, INNOVATEUR EN CHEF DU QUÉBEC, SYLVIE PINSONNAULT, PREMIÈRE VICE-PRÉSIDENTE, STRATÉGIES, INNOVATION ET DÉVELOPPEMENT DURABLE. At the opening of the Sommet des accélérateurs, organized by the Mouvement des accélérateurs d’innovation du Québec, Rémi Quirion, Quebec’s Chief Scientist, Luc Sirois, Quebec’s Chief Innovator,...

BART EMBRECHTS

GUMPTION - FOUNDER

You don’t differentiate yourself with technology alone. Our companies make the difference with their experience in the sector, their business insight, and their expertise in proven technologies. Here are a few examples: TheValueChainis known at SAP for their focus on innovation and creativity. They implement a step-by-step plan with online...

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...

Atlee Clark

I moved from San Francisco to Ottawa to pursue a tech career. Yes, you read that right. I grew up north of Toronto, but my curiosity took me all over North America. I moved to Calgaryat the height of the oil boom in Alberta. I chased the energy of Barack...

HARRY ALLEN

HARRY ALLEN

CO-FOUNDER & CHIEF RELATIONSHIP OFFICER, STUDIO BANK

A NATIVE’S PERSPECTIVEI love Nashville. As a fifth-generation native, Nashville is the only place I’ve ever called home. And while it’s not the town I grew up in, today’s Nashville has certainly kept me engaged and excited. So I’ve continued to choose Nashville as the place to build my family,...

David Robinson

David Robinson - CEO - DSM Technology Consultants

CEO - DSM Technology Consultants

People say there’s nothing new under the sun, and I completely disagree. If you look at things from a macro- or micro-perspective, cloud computing is merging with mobile computing and that’s going to form what I call “Ubiquitous Computing”—meaning your computing is everywhere. If you think about your business, your...

ANDREW DOWNS

FOUNDER AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, SAGE AUTOMATION

While Australia finds itself in a critical skills shortage, young people who embrace a career in the trades, are finding endless opportunities. When we ask our children what they want to be when they grow up, we hope they will dream big, and pursue a career of enjoyment and meaning....

Dr. Gregory Olsen

GHO Ventures - “Angel” Investor

GHO Ventures

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...

MAJA VUJINOVIC

MAJA VUJINOVIC

FOUNDER, OGROUP LLC

I am moved by technology’s capability to impact people’s lives. I saw this power first-hand in Africa and Latin America after recognizing the potential of mobile money systems in the early 2000’s and moving to Africa to help develop these technologies. Mobile payments and mobile money systems changed people’s lives....

ERIC R. POLINS

ERIC R. POLINS

MANAGING PARTNER

Businesses have focused on traditional methods of communications and marketing to spread their message to their customers. But those models have shifted and the pace at which communications is now delivered has accelerated to break-neck speeds. It’s easy for a company’s message to get lost amid all the chatter that...

JOAO ARAUJO

JOÃO ARAÚJO

COUNTRY DIRECTOR, THALES

Railways has been my constant obsession in the last 30 years, after I assumed the role of developing the Railway business in Portugal. As a fresh Engineer from IST, I started my career at Alcatel as telecoms engineer. Soon my commercial attitude and aptitude drove me to new challenges with...

MPUME NGOBESE

MPUME NGOBESE

CO-MANAGING DIRECTOR, JOE PUBLIC JOHANNESBURG

With digital media usage higher than ever, more than 38 million people in South Africa are active on the internet, and 27-million consume social media content by liking, sharing, posting and commenting on everything from politics and the pandemic, to funnies and pictures of ‘fur babies’. Consumers have so many...

IGNACIO ALVAREZ

PRESIDENT AND CEO OF POPULAR INC.

Technological advances, changing customer expectations and a rapidly evolving competitive landscape have made innovation not a choice, but a requirement to remain competitive at every level. Countries, companies and individuals must constantly question the present and aspire to make the future better. Because innovation is not an end in itself;...

KIENO KAMMIES

KIENO KAMMIES

CO-FOUNDER, INNOVATION CITY

I’m a capitalist with a social conscience. We should be trying to make a difference in other people’s lives so that they can also see the path ahead. Your future can only happen once you start living what you want to be. It is especially true in business as well....

John Oberg

DR. JOHN OBERG

DSW, is a Founder, CEO, Board Director, Advisor, and Investor

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...

Jim Stackhouse

Jim Stackhouse

Founder & CEO - Neolore Networks Inc.

AN EXERCISE IN INNOVATION AND DEMONSTRATING VALUE. The digital landscape of IT Support is forever changing. Just five years ago, the ways IT Managed Service Providers (MSPs) supported their clients is totally different than today. As more companies turn to MSPs for outsourced IT Support and Cloud services, the value...

MOHAMAD TAKWA

CEO & CO-FOUNDER, EPIGENICA

When I was a young researcher, I believed invention was the pinnacle of achievement. To discover something new and build something no one had built before – that felt like enough. But after launching several deep tech startups, I’ve learned a powerful lesson. Invention is just the beginning. Innovation is...

INNOVATE® Ecosystems