Thought Leaders

INNOVATE™ Ottawa

Franco Varriano

Franco Varriano

Technologist & Entrepreneur

Franco Varriano Technologist & Entrepreneur, Head Of Product Discovery & Innovation At Workshopx & Executive Director – Fresh Founders It’s a powerful, attractive and evocative concept. We all have ideas and conceptions on what innovation is all about; usually centering around new products, novel technologies, or advanced patents. But innovation...

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™ Antwerp Vol.2

TOM BLOMMAERT

TOM BLOMMAERT

CEO, BLOMMAERT ALUMINIUM CONSTRUCTIONS

I was born in Antwerp, having lived my life in the northern Antwerp suburbs, and still do, now together with my wife and two teenagers. After secondary school, I wanted to pursue a career as a pilot. I therefore studied Mathematics and Science at the University of Brussels, followed by...

INNOVATE™ Toronto

YUNG WU

CEO, MaRS

It’s invaluable to work at a place that never stops innovating — especially in the face of a generational pandemic. From the outset of the emergency, MaRS has remained open at reduced capacity to help in the fight. Public health workers testing COVID-19 cases day and night; hospitals using our...

INNOVATE™ Flanders

JACQUES VANDERMEIREN /ANNICK DE RIDDER

CEO/ PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS, PORT OF ANTWERP-BRUGES

In a rapidly changing world, with long-term disruptive evolutions, innovation is a powerful response. The ambition of Port of Antwerp-Bruges is to be the world’s first port that reconciles economy, people and climate. We believe in innovation as a lever towards a sustainable future. That is why the focus on...

VOICES of the Future

BEATA MOŃKA

THE POWER OF PASSION

Beata Mońka is a visionary entrepreneur whose experiences and opinions, explores the nuances life’s work has been a beacon of creativity, connectivity, and transformative leadership. Our conversation, set against the backdrop of a series celebrating the most influential minds of our time, unfolds as a symphony of ideas and insights...

INNOVATION Quebec

MARIE CLAUDE LAGACÉ

DIRECTOR, INNOVATION AND SOCIAL CHANGE, CONSEIL DE I’NNOVATION DU QUEBEC

Growing up, I used to play a lot, from hockey with my brother to chess with my dad. The only game that truly bored me to death was Monopoly, which inevitably ended with one of us (usually my sister) bankrupting others. No uncovering of a killer, no epic naval battle,...

INNOVATE™ Alberta

JAMES KEIRSTEAD

CO-CHAIR, EDMONTON REGIONAL INNOVATION NETWORK (ERIN)

INNOVATION, ENTREPRENEURSHIP, AND CREATIVITYExperience has taught me that innovation is not just about creating something new, it also includes making improvements to existing products or systems. It is about taking a creative approach to problem solving and producing solutions that are unique, interesting, and useful. Innovation and entrepreneurship go hand-in-hand...

INNOVATE™ Atlantic Canada

MEAGAN KAY-FOWLOW

CO. INNOVATION CENTRE, PRESIDENT

LEADERS BY DESIGN: The Innovation Mindset of Newfoundland and Labrador Meagan Kay-Fowlow, President, Co. Innovation Centre As a proud Newfoundlander and Labradorian, I’ve always believed that innovation isn’t just something we do— it’s embedded in who we are. Our history and culture have been shaped by the challenges of living...

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™ Adelaide

MARCO SALINAS

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER & CO-FOUNDER, HUBBLE

I envision a world where “energy efficiency” is a familiar concept to every single mum and dad. I want transparency in every stage of the construction process, and energy efficiency used as a feature in every property transaction. We want a world where everyone knows the benefits of better energy...

INNOVATE® Georgia

RAMTIN MOTAHAR

JOULEA - FOUNDER

The built environment is responsible for nearly 40% of global carbon emissions, yet it often goes unnoticed in discussions about energy consumption. While people tend to focus on transportation or industrial sectors (with 20% and 25% global carbon emissions, respectively), buildings quietly consume vast amounts of energy, day and night,...

INNOVATION Quebec

FRANÇOIS BERTRAND

DIRECTEUR DE LA RECHERCHE ET DE L’INNOVATION

Notre recherche, en particulier notre recherche collaborative, constitue un levier fondamental de l’innovation. Depuis plus de 50 ans, nous réalisons la majeure partie du transfert technologique à travers nos nombreux partenariats de recherche établis avec des entreprises de toutes tailles, ainsi qu’avec des universités et autres organisations de partout dans...

INNOVATE™ Adelaide

DAVID WILSON

CEO & FOUNDER,GREEN FROG SYSTEMS

Solar Lighting: A Path to Sustainability and Improved Road SafetySolar lighting technology has made significant strides, revolutionising smart city development, enhancing road safety in areas without access or limited power and enabling governments to offset its emissions in conjunction with Net-Zero polices. Driving Uptake of Sustainable TechnologiesA larger initiative is...

INNOVATE™ Alberta

CREATIVE DESTRUCTION LAB-ROCKIES

PERSPECTIVES FROM CDL-ROCKIES’ MENTORS

Providing a growing global population with abundant, safe, affordable and sustainable food and energy are among the defining challenges of this decade. The Global population is expected to grow from just under 8 billion in 2022 to over 8.5 billion in 2030 and 9.7 billion in 2050. Given the scale...

INNOVATE™ Estonia

PRIIT ALAMÄE

NORTAL, CEO

CHALLENGING THE “BUT” IN DIGITALIZATION Nortal’s story began at the same time the second government of prime minister Mart Laar decided to go all in on digital transformation in 1999, followed by the accession to the European Union in 2004. There was an unwritten societal and political understanding that a...

INNOVATE® Miami

Felecia Hatcher

Felecia Hatcher-Pearson

Pearson, Co-Founder, Tribe Co-Work & Urban Innovation Lab + Blacktech Week; Founder, Code Fever

The huge influences of the Caribbean, of South America, and Central America that we have here in Miami makes the entrepreneurial ecosystem unique across the States and arguably across the globe. So many people start a business out of necessity, which forces them to be really creative with limited resources—again,...

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™ Adelaide

MAYOR MOIRA WERE AM

MAYOR, CITY OF ONKAPARINGA

In fact, one former recipient of our Young Citizen of the Year Award – in which we recognise young people who have made exceptional contributions by leading through generosity and enterprise – has just been elected to Council. We recognise and acclaim community-led events – festivals; sporting, arts and cultural...

INNOVATE® Minnesota

Jeanne Glass

Jeanne Glass

Founder & CEO, VirtualZ Computing

Jeanne Glass Founder & CEO, Virtualz Computing StartUp Draws on Minnesota’s Legacy of Tech InnovationAlthough several of my family members and friends worked at Honeywell, Sperry-Univac, Unisys, and Control Data, until founding VirtualZ, I didn’t have a full appreciation for the contributions of Minnesotans in creating the computer industry. Now...

INNOVATION Quebec

CHRISTIAN BLANCHETTE

RECTOR AT UQTR - UNIVERSITÉ DU QUÉBEC À TROIS-RIVIÈRES / PRESIDENT OF UQTR

Since its creation in 1969, the Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières (UQTR) has been active in several cities of the surrounding regions of Mauricie, Centredu-Québec and Lanaudière. More than fifty years of regional presence have enabled the University to establish ongoing relationships with various social, economic and cultural sectors. The...

INNOVATE® Blockchain

SHAUN M. ROWLES

Author, The Money revolution

GOLD RUSHOn January 24th, 1848, Swiss-born Johann Sutter was dismayed by the news that his chief mechanic delivered: Gold had been discovered on the site of Sutter’s sawmill. Most readers are aware that this discovery kicked off the “California Gold Rush,” but few ever hear of Sutter’s immediate reaction: “From...

INNOVATE® San Diego Vol.1

Kevin L. Faulconer

Kevin L. Faulconer

Mayor - City Of San Diego

The region’s world-class universities, research institutions, and life sciences industry have a long history of groundbreaking discoveries that have saved lives across the globe, including several companies working around the clock right now in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.As Mayor, I have pushed to make the City of San...

INNOVATE™ Montréal

Federico Puebla

Desjardin - Become Everyone’s #1 Choice. Be A Socio-Economic Leader. Enrich The Lives Of People And Communities

Directeur Innovation Ouverte - Open Innovation Manager - Mouvement Desjardins

French: ÊTRE PREMIER DANS LE CŒUR DES GENS. DEVENIR UN LEADER SOCIO-ÉCONOMIQUE. ENRICHIR LA VIE DES PERSONNES ET DES COMMUNAUTÉS. VOILÀ, TOUT À LA FOIS, UNE MISSION NOBLE, HUMAINE ET AMBITIEUSE. OUI, NOUS VISONS HAUT. NOUS L’AVONS TOUJOURS FAIT. ET NOUS LE FERONS TOUJOURS PUISQUE NOTRE HISTOIRE EST MARQUÉE DE...

Franco Varriano

Franco Varriano

Technologist & Entrepreneur

Franco Varriano Technologist & Entrepreneur, Head Of Product Discovery & Innovation At Workshopx & Executive Director – Fresh Founders It’s a powerful, attractive and evocative concept. We all have ideas and conceptions on what innovation is all about; usually centering around new products, novel technologies, or advanced patents. But innovation...

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...

TOM BLOMMAERT

TOM BLOMMAERT

CEO, BLOMMAERT ALUMINIUM CONSTRUCTIONS

I was born in Antwerp, having lived my life in the northern Antwerp suburbs, and still do, now together with my wife and two teenagers. After secondary school, I wanted to pursue a career as a pilot. I therefore studied Mathematics and Science at the University of Brussels, followed by...

YUNG WU

CEO, MaRS

It’s invaluable to work at a place that never stops innovating — especially in the face of a generational pandemic. From the outset of the emergency, MaRS has remained open at reduced capacity to help in the fight. Public health workers testing COVID-19 cases day and night; hospitals using our...

JACQUES VANDERMEIREN /ANNICK DE RIDDER

CEO/ PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS, PORT OF ANTWERP-BRUGES

In a rapidly changing world, with long-term disruptive evolutions, innovation is a powerful response. The ambition of Port of Antwerp-Bruges is to be the world’s first port that reconciles economy, people and climate. We believe in innovation as a lever towards a sustainable future. That is why the focus on...

BEATA MOŃKA

THE POWER OF PASSION

Beata Mońka is a visionary entrepreneur whose experiences and opinions, explores the nuances life’s work has been a beacon of creativity, connectivity, and transformative leadership. Our conversation, set against the backdrop of a series celebrating the most influential minds of our time, unfolds as a symphony of ideas and insights...

MARIE CLAUDE LAGACÉ

DIRECTOR, INNOVATION AND SOCIAL CHANGE, CONSEIL DE I’NNOVATION DU QUEBEC

Growing up, I used to play a lot, from hockey with my brother to chess with my dad. The only game that truly bored me to death was Monopoly, which inevitably ended with one of us (usually my sister) bankrupting others. No uncovering of a killer, no epic naval battle,...

JAMES KEIRSTEAD

CO-CHAIR, EDMONTON REGIONAL INNOVATION NETWORK (ERIN)

INNOVATION, ENTREPRENEURSHIP, AND CREATIVITYExperience has taught me that innovation is not just about creating something new, it also includes making improvements to existing products or systems. It is about taking a creative approach to problem solving and producing solutions that are unique, interesting, and useful. Innovation and entrepreneurship go hand-in-hand...

MEAGAN KAY-FOWLOW

CO. INNOVATION CENTRE, PRESIDENT

LEADERS BY DESIGN: The Innovation Mindset of Newfoundland and Labrador Meagan Kay-Fowlow, President, Co. Innovation Centre As a proud Newfoundlander and Labradorian, I’ve always believed that innovation isn’t just something we do— it’s embedded in who we are. Our history and culture have been shaped by the challenges of living...

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...

MARCO SALINAS

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER & CO-FOUNDER, HUBBLE

I envision a world where “energy efficiency” is a familiar concept to every single mum and dad. I want transparency in every stage of the construction process, and energy efficiency used as a feature in every property transaction. We want a world where everyone knows the benefits of better energy...

RAMTIN MOTAHAR

JOULEA - FOUNDER

The built environment is responsible for nearly 40% of global carbon emissions, yet it often goes unnoticed in discussions about energy consumption. While people tend to focus on transportation or industrial sectors (with 20% and 25% global carbon emissions, respectively), buildings quietly consume vast amounts of energy, day and night,...

FRANÇOIS BERTRAND

DIRECTEUR DE LA RECHERCHE ET DE L’INNOVATION

Notre recherche, en particulier notre recherche collaborative, constitue un levier fondamental de l’innovation. Depuis plus de 50 ans, nous réalisons la majeure partie du transfert technologique à travers nos nombreux partenariats de recherche établis avec des entreprises de toutes tailles, ainsi qu’avec des universités et autres organisations de partout dans...

DAVID WILSON

CEO & FOUNDER,GREEN FROG SYSTEMS

Solar Lighting: A Path to Sustainability and Improved Road SafetySolar lighting technology has made significant strides, revolutionising smart city development, enhancing road safety in areas without access or limited power and enabling governments to offset its emissions in conjunction with Net-Zero polices. Driving Uptake of Sustainable TechnologiesA larger initiative is...

CREATIVE DESTRUCTION LAB-ROCKIES

PERSPECTIVES FROM CDL-ROCKIES’ MENTORS

Providing a growing global population with abundant, safe, affordable and sustainable food and energy are among the defining challenges of this decade. The Global population is expected to grow from just under 8 billion in 2022 to over 8.5 billion in 2030 and 9.7 billion in 2050. Given the scale...

PRIIT ALAMÄE

NORTAL, CEO

CHALLENGING THE “BUT” IN DIGITALIZATION Nortal’s story began at the same time the second government of prime minister Mart Laar decided to go all in on digital transformation in 1999, followed by the accession to the European Union in 2004. There was an unwritten societal and political understanding that a...

Felecia Hatcher

Felecia Hatcher-Pearson

Pearson, Co-Founder, Tribe Co-Work & Urban Innovation Lab + Blacktech Week; Founder, Code Fever

The huge influences of the Caribbean, of South America, and Central America that we have here in Miami makes the entrepreneurial ecosystem unique across the States and arguably across the globe. So many people start a business out of necessity, which forces them to be really creative with limited resources—again,...

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...

MAYOR MOIRA WERE AM

MAYOR, CITY OF ONKAPARINGA

In fact, one former recipient of our Young Citizen of the Year Award – in which we recognise young people who have made exceptional contributions by leading through generosity and enterprise – has just been elected to Council. We recognise and acclaim community-led events – festivals; sporting, arts and cultural...

Jeanne Glass

Jeanne Glass

Founder & CEO, VirtualZ Computing

Jeanne Glass Founder & CEO, Virtualz Computing StartUp Draws on Minnesota’s Legacy of Tech InnovationAlthough several of my family members and friends worked at Honeywell, Sperry-Univac, Unisys, and Control Data, until founding VirtualZ, I didn’t have a full appreciation for the contributions of Minnesotans in creating the computer industry. Now...

CHRISTIAN BLANCHETTE

RECTOR AT UQTR - UNIVERSITÉ DU QUÉBEC À TROIS-RIVIÈRES / PRESIDENT OF UQTR

Since its creation in 1969, the Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières (UQTR) has been active in several cities of the surrounding regions of Mauricie, Centredu-Québec and Lanaudière. More than fifty years of regional presence have enabled the University to establish ongoing relationships with various social, economic and cultural sectors. The...

SHAUN M. ROWLES

Author, The Money revolution

GOLD RUSHOn January 24th, 1848, Swiss-born Johann Sutter was dismayed by the news that his chief mechanic delivered: Gold had been discovered on the site of Sutter’s sawmill. Most readers are aware that this discovery kicked off the “California Gold Rush,” but few ever hear of Sutter’s immediate reaction: “From...

Kevin L. Faulconer

Kevin L. Faulconer

Mayor - City Of San Diego

The region’s world-class universities, research institutions, and life sciences industry have a long history of groundbreaking discoveries that have saved lives across the globe, including several companies working around the clock right now in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.As Mayor, I have pushed to make the City of San...

Federico Puebla

Desjardin - Become Everyone’s #1 Choice. Be A Socio-Economic Leader. Enrich The Lives Of People And Communities

Directeur Innovation Ouverte - Open Innovation Manager - Mouvement Desjardins

French: ÊTRE PREMIER DANS LE CŒUR DES GENS. DEVENIR UN LEADER SOCIO-ÉCONOMIQUE. ENRICHIR LA VIE DES PERSONNES ET DES COMMUNAUTÉS. VOILÀ, TOUT À LA FOIS, UNE MISSION NOBLE, HUMAINE ET AMBITIEUSE. OUI, NOUS VISONS HAUT. NOUS L’AVONS TOUJOURS FAIT. ET NOUS LE FERONS TOUJOURS PUISQUE NOTRE HISTOIRE EST MARQUÉE DE...

INNOVATE® Ecosystems