Thought Leaders
INNOVATE® South Florida
MICHAEL FOWLER
SOUTH FLORIDA TECH HUB - CURRENT EXECUTIVE BOARD MEMBER
WHERE GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE MEETS LOCAL INNOVATION: A SOUTH FLORIDA TECH JOURNEY Just as my camera lens has captured moments across 120 countries, my journey in technology has taught me to see innovation through multiple frames. After nearly four decades in the utility industry, including my role as Business Unit CIO...
INNOVATE® Gainesville
DR. W. Kent Fuchs
The 12th President - The University Of Florida
The University of Florida is one of the nation’s very best public universities. Our home of Gainesville is a beautiful, thriving university city. Yet what truly sets us apart is our shared promise for the future.We have the opportunity over the next decade to become a center for innovation, a...
INNOVATE® Georgia
PAIGE NEEDLING
CEO, NEEDLING WORLDWIDE
As organizations look to innovate and stay ahead of the competition, it’s becoming increasingly clear that building a nurturing team and environment is key to driving innovation. A nurturing team is one that feels supported, encouraged, and empowered to take risks and try new things. A nurturing environment is one...
INNOVATE™ Adelaide
SAJAN PETER
MANAGING DIRECTOR, OPTUS BUSINESS CENTRE – ADELAIDE NORTH
In today’s rapidly evolving business landscape defined by innovation and disruption, a growing number of seasoned corporate executives are embracing a paradigm shift, leaving behind the comfort of their executive roles to embark on the exhilarating journey of entrepreneurship. This transition represents more than a mere career change; it embodies...
INNOVATE™ Adelaide
GREG JOHANSEN
MANAGING DIRECTOR & CEO, AUSHEALTH
Since our formation, I have been constantly motivated by the impact that medical research can have on our community. It’s a challenging field, and it requires a lot of hard work, dedication, and perseverance – sometimes years in the making – but the positive results we see makes it all...
INNOVATE™ Adelaide
HON NAT COOK MP
MINISTER FOR HUMAN SERVICES
“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...
INNOVATE™ Adelaide
JASMINE VREUGDENBURG
DEPUTY DIRECTOR: INCUBATION, UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA ENTERPRISE HUB
In 2018, I founded one of Australia’s first space-related incubator programs, (Venture Catalyst Space) with the state’s huge focus on the growing space sector. With the Australian Space Agency HQ in Adelaide, a growing number of new space companies, and the proposed new Space Park, Adelaide is fast becoming Australia’s...
INNOVATE™ Adelaide
THE HON. STEVEN MARSHALL MP
MEMBER FOR DUNSTAN
My father was less than impressed with Andy Warhol’s art but as a furniture manufacturer competing against international businesses with much lower input costs he knew his business lived or died on its ability to continually innovate, to improve, to change. I took that lesson to heart and into government...
INNOVATE™ Stockholm
GUSTAV BUDER
FINTECH FOUNDER, BOARD-LEVEL ADVISOR AND ACTIVE INVESTOR - REGION PARTNER, BYBIT NORDIC
Most people don’t reject new ideas because they’re irrational. They reject them because they’re using the wrong frame. I learned this the hard way. Coming from the payment’s world, I initially looked at Bitcoin like a payment network and asked, “Why is it so slow?” That’s the classic mistake: judging...
INNOVATE® Milwaukee
Gordon Nameni, PhD
Managing Partner at August Brown
Innovation alone does not guarantee market success. Many promising technologies fail to gain traction because companies struggle to translate technical breakthroughs into commercially viable products. This is where Tech Translation—a structured framework for bridging the gap between technology development and market adoption—becomes essential. The Tech Translation Framework Tech Translation integrates...
AI Québec
ANNE-MARIE HUBERT
LEADER, MARCHÉ DE L’EST
La notoriété de l’écosystème d’innovation en intelligence artificielle (IA) du Québec repose sur trois grandes raisons : un bassin de talents phénoménal, des partenariats collaboratifs et un engagement marqué à l’égard du design éthique. En fait, c’est ici qu’a été lancée la déclaration de Montréal pour un développement responsable de...
INNOVATE® Seattle
MARIA COLACURCIO,
CEO, SYNDIO
Winning in the Transparency Era Workplace equity has taken on new urgency in today’s era of public salary ranges, pay gap reporting laws, voluntary disclosures by leading global companies, and investor scorecards. Every measure of how you value your people is now on display. This includes pay, performance, promotions, and...
INNOVATE™ Vancouver Vol.2
Riaz Meghji
Author, Keynote Speaker, Television Broadcaster
OUR FUTURE IS HUMAN In 2020, everything changed, except for who we are. When social distancing became our next normal, so did our deep desire to stay connected in isolation. No, I’m not just talking about Zoom happy hours. Virtual workouts, weddings, and graduations are just a few examples of...
INNOVATE® Tampa Bay Vol.3
Alex Sink
Tampa Bay WaVe
What we see in our startup community is so inspiring. There are so many entrepreneurs building companies with exciting technology and creative thinking. Problems are being solved and doors being opened. Tampa Bay is a community of great opportunities and wonderful people. It is the community that I have called...
INNOVATE™ Oeiras
DUARTE AIRES
CEO AND CO-FOUNDER, VECTOR MAIS
When we chose Oeiras to settle in 16 years ago, we aimed to keep up with the innovation and development that this municipality witnessed since the turn of the millennium with the creation of office parks until then never seen in Portugal. Besides offering the perfect conditions for Portuguese and...
INNOVATE™ Bristol & Bath
JOEL GIBBARD AND SAMANTHA PAYNE
MBE CEO & MBE COO, OPEN BIONICS
Here at Open Bionics we build medical devices that enhance the human body. Our goal is to democratise the prosthetics industry and make it accessible so that every individual can feel empowered to reach their goals. It’s critical that the future of robotics evolves with purpose. I believe companies who...
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,...
INNOVATE® Orlando
Duncan J Wardle
ID8 & INNOV8
Duncan J Wardle ID8 & INNOV8 In this brave new world, four of the traits we are all born with will rise to the top if we are to compete and find solutions to challenges big and small. We are all born creative, with an amazing imagination. We were once...
INNOVATE® Gaming & Esports
KAROL SEVERIN
SENIOR ANALYST AND CO-FOUNDER AT MIDIA RESEARCH
For an activity (like playing video games) to turn into a publicly-observed competition (like esports), first there needs to be a demand to know who is best. Then, for the competition to grow a mainstream appeal and audiences to expand beyond the initial enthusiasts, it needs to have entertainment value....
INNOVATE® Chicago Vol.1
WILL BEOGLIN
CEO, TIMEDOC HEALTH
The healthcare sector is renowned for breathtaking innovations and technological advancement. We receive news of breakthroughs thought impossible a handful of years ago every day. The reality on the ground is slightly different. Roughly 10,000 new patients age into Medicare each day, drastically outnumbering the staff capable of serving their...
INNOVATION Quebec
FRANÇOIS BERTRAND
VICE-PRESIDENT, RESEARCH AND INNOVATION, POLYTECHNIQUE MONTRÉAL
Research conducted at Polytechnique, especially our collaborative research, is a fundamental lever for innovation. For more than 50 years, we have been carrying out the majority of technology transfer activities through our many research partnerships with companies of all sizes, and with universities and other organizations worldwide. Through these collaborations,...
INNOVATE® Tampa Bay Vol.3
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® Puerto Rico
CARLOS MELÉNDEZ
COO AND CO-FOUNDER WOVENWARE
AI has the power to change people’s lives, so it must be trained to be unbiased and ethical. At Wovenware and across the island we have always embraced diversity. We belong to a country that is a patchwork of different cultures, yet we also hold fast to our Latin American...
INNOVATE™ Stockholm
KATARINA GOSPIC
CO-FOUNDER, EDSVÄRD
FROM STRAWBERRIES TO THE STATES One of my first memories from when I was about 4-years old is about strawberries. I used to close my eyes and imagined one, then another. This little thought experiment was something I became obsessed with. I wanted to be like Lucky Luke, faster than...
MICHAEL FOWLER
SOUTH FLORIDA TECH HUB - CURRENT EXECUTIVE BOARD MEMBER
WHERE GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE MEETS LOCAL INNOVATION: A SOUTH FLORIDA TECH JOURNEY Just as my camera lens has captured moments across 120 countries, my journey in technology has taught me to see innovation through multiple frames. After nearly four decades in the utility industry, including my role as Business Unit CIO...
DR. W. Kent Fuchs
The 12th President - The University Of Florida
The University of Florida is one of the nation’s very best public universities. Our home of Gainesville is a beautiful, thriving university city. Yet what truly sets us apart is our shared promise for the future.We have the opportunity over the next decade to become a center for innovation, a...
PAIGE NEEDLING
CEO, NEEDLING WORLDWIDE
As organizations look to innovate and stay ahead of the competition, it’s becoming increasingly clear that building a nurturing team and environment is key to driving innovation. A nurturing team is one that feels supported, encouraged, and empowered to take risks and try new things. A nurturing environment is one...
SAJAN PETER
MANAGING DIRECTOR, OPTUS BUSINESS CENTRE – ADELAIDE NORTH
In today’s rapidly evolving business landscape defined by innovation and disruption, a growing number of seasoned corporate executives are embracing a paradigm shift, leaving behind the comfort of their executive roles to embark on the exhilarating journey of entrepreneurship. This transition represents more than a mere career change; it embodies...
GREG JOHANSEN
MANAGING DIRECTOR & CEO, AUSHEALTH
Since our formation, I have been constantly motivated by the impact that medical research can have on our community. It’s a challenging field, and it requires a lot of hard work, dedication, and perseverance – sometimes years in the making – but the positive results we see makes it all...
HON NAT COOK MP
MINISTER FOR HUMAN SERVICES
“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...
JASMINE VREUGDENBURG
DEPUTY DIRECTOR: INCUBATION, UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA ENTERPRISE HUB
In 2018, I founded one of Australia’s first space-related incubator programs, (Venture Catalyst Space) with the state’s huge focus on the growing space sector. With the Australian Space Agency HQ in Adelaide, a growing number of new space companies, and the proposed new Space Park, Adelaide is fast becoming Australia’s...
THE HON. STEVEN MARSHALL MP
MEMBER FOR DUNSTAN
My father was less than impressed with Andy Warhol’s art but as a furniture manufacturer competing against international businesses with much lower input costs he knew his business lived or died on its ability to continually innovate, to improve, to change. I took that lesson to heart and into government...
GUSTAV BUDER
FINTECH FOUNDER, BOARD-LEVEL ADVISOR AND ACTIVE INVESTOR - REGION PARTNER, BYBIT NORDIC
Most people don’t reject new ideas because they’re irrational. They reject them because they’re using the wrong frame. I learned this the hard way. Coming from the payment’s world, I initially looked at Bitcoin like a payment network and asked, “Why is it so slow?” That’s the classic mistake: judging...
Gordon Nameni, PhD
Managing Partner at August Brown
Innovation alone does not guarantee market success. Many promising technologies fail to gain traction because companies struggle to translate technical breakthroughs into commercially viable products. This is where Tech Translation—a structured framework for bridging the gap between technology development and market adoption—becomes essential. The Tech Translation Framework Tech Translation integrates...
ANNE-MARIE HUBERT
LEADER, MARCHÉ DE L’EST
La notoriété de l’écosystème d’innovation en intelligence artificielle (IA) du Québec repose sur trois grandes raisons : un bassin de talents phénoménal, des partenariats collaboratifs et un engagement marqué à l’égard du design éthique. En fait, c’est ici qu’a été lancée la déclaration de Montréal pour un développement responsable de...
MARIA COLACURCIO,
CEO, SYNDIO
Winning in the Transparency Era Workplace equity has taken on new urgency in today’s era of public salary ranges, pay gap reporting laws, voluntary disclosures by leading global companies, and investor scorecards. Every measure of how you value your people is now on display. This includes pay, performance, promotions, and...
Riaz Meghji
Author, Keynote Speaker, Television Broadcaster
OUR FUTURE IS HUMAN In 2020, everything changed, except for who we are. When social distancing became our next normal, so did our deep desire to stay connected in isolation. No, I’m not just talking about Zoom happy hours. Virtual workouts, weddings, and graduations are just a few examples of...
Alex Sink
Tampa Bay WaVe
What we see in our startup community is so inspiring. There are so many entrepreneurs building companies with exciting technology and creative thinking. Problems are being solved and doors being opened. Tampa Bay is a community of great opportunities and wonderful people. It is the community that I have called...
DUARTE AIRES
CEO AND CO-FOUNDER, VECTOR MAIS
When we chose Oeiras to settle in 16 years ago, we aimed to keep up with the innovation and development that this municipality witnessed since the turn of the millennium with the creation of office parks until then never seen in Portugal. Besides offering the perfect conditions for Portuguese and...
JOEL GIBBARD AND SAMANTHA PAYNE
MBE CEO & MBE COO, OPEN BIONICS
Here at Open Bionics we build medical devices that enhance the human body. Our goal is to democratise the prosthetics industry and make it accessible so that every individual can feel empowered to reach their goals. It’s critical that the future of robotics evolves with purpose. I believe companies who...
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,...
KAROL SEVERIN
SENIOR ANALYST AND CO-FOUNDER AT MIDIA RESEARCH
For an activity (like playing video games) to turn into a publicly-observed competition (like esports), first there needs to be a demand to know who is best. Then, for the competition to grow a mainstream appeal and audiences to expand beyond the initial enthusiasts, it needs to have entertainment value....
WILL BEOGLIN
CEO, TIMEDOC HEALTH
The healthcare sector is renowned for breathtaking innovations and technological advancement. We receive news of breakthroughs thought impossible a handful of years ago every day. The reality on the ground is slightly different. Roughly 10,000 new patients age into Medicare each day, drastically outnumbering the staff capable of serving their...
FRANÇOIS BERTRAND
VICE-PRESIDENT, RESEARCH AND INNOVATION, POLYTECHNIQUE MONTRÉAL
Research conducted at Polytechnique, especially our collaborative research, is a fundamental lever for innovation. For more than 50 years, we have been carrying out the majority of technology transfer activities through our many research partnerships with companies of all sizes, and with universities and other organizations worldwide. Through these collaborations,...
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...
CARLOS MELÉNDEZ
COO AND CO-FOUNDER WOVENWARE
AI has the power to change people’s lives, so it must be trained to be unbiased and ethical. At Wovenware and across the island we have always embraced diversity. We belong to a country that is a patchwork of different cultures, yet we also hold fast to our Latin American...
KATARINA GOSPIC
CO-FOUNDER, EDSVÄRD
FROM STRAWBERRIES TO THE STATES One of my first memories from when I was about 4-years old is about strawberries. I used to close my eyes and imagined one, then another. This little thought experiment was something I became obsessed with. I wanted to be like Lucky Luke, faster than...