Thought Leaders

INNOVATE™ Estonia

INDREK TULP

BOARD MEMBER AND HEAD OF THE COMPANY’S APPLIED RESEARCH CENTER, METROSERT.

If I had to distil my years in science, innovation and entrepreneurship into a single lesson, it would be this: real progress happens at the intersection of curiosity and practical need. My journey — from analysing heavy metals in water samples as a young chemist to establishing Estonia’s Applied Research...

INNOVATE™ Bengaluru

Dana Kursh

Israel Partners in Innovative Progress - Innovation Hub India

Partners In Innovative Progress

Israel prides itself in being an Innovative Nation, and has long term diplomatic presence in New Delhi and Mumbai. It chose Bengaluru, with its futuristic ethos, as its third destination to reinforce its economic connection with India. “The bigger economic diplomacy is in creating the right ecosystem involving the best...

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™ Antwerp Vol.2

WALTER EEVERS

WALTER EEVERS

VITO - DIRECTOR RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT

WALTER EEVERS DIRECTOR RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT, VITO And when we speak of sustainability, VITO is the key player in this arena. With about 1,000 employees, VITO is an independent Flemish research organization with top researchers working on cleantech and sustainable development. Antwerp is a place where innovation is also massively...

INNOVATE™ South Africa

CHRIS BOTHA

CHRIS BOTHA

GROUP MANAGING DIRECTOR, PARK ADVERTISING

Is it possible to put a price on innovation? Not really. I mean, how do you put a price on something that is in essence non-tangible? And how do we know what the real value of innovation is? It is sadly something that is all too often underappreciated because innovation...

INNOVATE® Miami

Johanna Mikkola

Johanna Mikkola

Founder & CEO - Wyncode

  Johanna Mikkola, Founder & CEO, Wyncode No product, service, or experience can be built, marketed, or executed without the use of technology. Today, every industry is a technology industry. Even Domino’s Pizza calls itself “a tech company that sells pizza.” Our opportunities for employment reflect this fact. At 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® Phoenix

Adham Ghazali

Adham Ghazali

CEO and Co-Founder - Imagry

Introduction With offices in both the U.S. and Israel, Imagry is an autonomous vehicle platform developer that is dedicated to pioneering the future of this technology. By pushing the limits of artificial intelligence and computer vision, Imagry’s mapless autonomous driving platform eliminates the need for the time-consuming HD mapping process....

INNOVATE™ Alberta

ARLEIGH VASCONCELLOS

MANAGING DIRECTOR, THE AGENCY

“When I started The Agency in 2009 as a boutique firm servicing the tech sector in Calgary, I heard the same thing over and over: What tech sector?” Arleigh Vasconcellos, CEO/Founder, The Agency Communications Inc. And they had a point – the tech sector here was small. But the city...

INNOVATE™ Oeiras

ROGÉRIO COLAÇO

ROGÉRIO COLAÇO

DEAN, INSTITUTO SUPERIOR TÉCNICO

At Instituto Superior Técnico we believe that although we cannot do more than the bigger ones, although we cannot do better than the best ones, we could be at least as big as the bigger ones and as best as the best ones. And we also believe that we can...

INNOVATION Quebec

JESSE VINCENT HERSCOVICI

PDG, AXELYS

Qu’elles soient petites ou grandes, elles doivent faire face à une concurrence féroce dans un environnement instable. Dans ce contexte, l’élaboration d’une stratégie de PI permet de tracer une trajectoire vers le marché. Bien que cette dernière soit un sujet d’actualité dans le monde des affaires, elle reste trop souvent...

INNOVATE™ Antwerp Vol.2

STIJN COENEN

STIJN COENEN

CEO, THOMAS MORE UNIVERSITY OF APPLIED SCIENCES

“The sky is not the limit anymore.” Quite a bold statement, likely to provoke more than a few raised eyebrows or some smug laughter. It is, however, the proud motto and goal of the students that enroll annually in Thomas More’s ICE honours programme, tailored for those students who want...

INNOVATE® Milwaukee

Mara Lord

Chief Strategy and Growth Officer at MCW

Innovation is more than a buzzword—it’s a mindset, a movement; in Milwaukee, it’s a way of life. At the Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW), we’re not just imagining a healthier future—we’re building it. And we’re doing it with purpose, collaboration, and the grit that defines Wisconsin. Leading Through Collaboration Wisconsin...

INNOVATE® Tampa Bay Vol.3

ED BUCKLEY

ED BUCKLEY

PhD, CHAIRMAN AND CEO, PEERFIT

I grew up as a military kid and was taught the value of discipline and structure really early on in life. I went to the University of Florida on a scholarship from the Navy ROTC program (#gogators) and went on to earn my Master’s in Public Health and a Ph.D....

INNOVATE™ Oeiras

Carlos Guillén Gestoso

Carlos Guillén Gestoso

President And Professor Of Atlântica - Instituto Universitário

It requires an effective link between the university and the business sector, which encourages higher education institutions to train professionals and what the labour market demands, in order to encourage companies to invest in research and development as a strategic activity to incorporate knowledge and progress. We understand that the...

INNOVATE® New Jersey Vol.2

ALI A. HOUSHMAND

ALI A. HOUSHMAND

PRESIDENT, ROWAN UNIVERSITY

WORDS OF WISDOMI’m a dreamer. I dream big. The ability to imagine a better reality helped transform my own life and, later, an entire institution. Yet, it requires a willingness to do something different, perhaps even radical. From my own experience, I can say that everything starts with education, whether...

INNOVATE™ Stockholm

ISABEL KEULEN

CEO, SSE VENTURES & SSE BUSINESS LAB

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...

INNOVATE® Minnesota

Dr. Bhabani Misra

Dr. Bhabani Misra

Associate Dean - University of St. Thomas School of Engineering

Dr. Bhabani Misra Associate Dean – University of St. Thomas School of Engineering Not long ago, students could simply complete a college degree and find work for the rest of their lives. But today, industry is evolving rapidly—especially engineering and technology. Today, every one of us needs to retool and...

INNOVATE™ Atlantic Canada

ALEXANDRA FENTON CAAL

SUPERNOVA AT DALHOUSIE UNIVERSITY - EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

SuperNOVA: Empowering Youth Through STEM Education At SuperNOVA, our mission is empowering youth through educational experiences in STEM that cultivate curiosity and an attitude for lifelong learning. We are committed to ensuring that youth—regardless of their geographic location, socio-economic situation, ability, or gender—can be inspired through STEM. For youth from...

INNOVATION Quebec

LAYLA NASR

CEO, MAKILA AI

In both North America and Europe, collaboration between the communities of scientific research and professional practice plays a pivotal role in the advancement of knowledge that benefits society at large. When it comes to technologies, especially artificial intelligence, the diversity of skills and the wealth of knowledge from research communities...

INNOVATE® Nashville

CHIP CRUNK

CEO OF RJ YOUNG

My journey with RJ Young began while I was still a student at Ole Miss, working alongside my father and learning the business from the ground up. Back then, Nashville was a very different city – still rooted in tradition, but the seeds of change were beginning to sprout. Today,...

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...

INNOVATIONS in Pharmaceutical Development®

ROBERT SALCEDO

FOUNDER AND CEO, OCYONBIO GENE AND CELL THERAPY

Robert Salcedo was born in the Dominican Republic on August 26,1964. When he was ten years old, his family decided to immigrate to the United States in search of better opportunities. At an early age Robert understood the need of medicine accessibility for everyone regardless of social status or race....

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,...

INDREK TULP

BOARD MEMBER AND HEAD OF THE COMPANY’S APPLIED RESEARCH CENTER, METROSERT.

If I had to distil my years in science, innovation and entrepreneurship into a single lesson, it would be this: real progress happens at the intersection of curiosity and practical need. My journey — from analysing heavy metals in water samples as a young chemist to establishing Estonia’s Applied Research...

Dana Kursh

Israel Partners in Innovative Progress - Innovation Hub India

Partners In Innovative Progress

Israel prides itself in being an Innovative Nation, and has long term diplomatic presence in New Delhi and Mumbai. It chose Bengaluru, with its futuristic ethos, as its third destination to reinforce its economic connection with India. “The bigger economic diplomacy is in creating the right ecosystem involving the best...

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...

WALTER EEVERS

WALTER EEVERS

VITO - DIRECTOR RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT

WALTER EEVERS DIRECTOR RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT, VITO And when we speak of sustainability, VITO is the key player in this arena. With about 1,000 employees, VITO is an independent Flemish research organization with top researchers working on cleantech and sustainable development. Antwerp is a place where innovation is also massively...

CHRIS BOTHA

CHRIS BOTHA

GROUP MANAGING DIRECTOR, PARK ADVERTISING

Is it possible to put a price on innovation? Not really. I mean, how do you put a price on something that is in essence non-tangible? And how do we know what the real value of innovation is? It is sadly something that is all too often underappreciated because innovation...

Johanna Mikkola

Johanna Mikkola

Founder & CEO - Wyncode

  Johanna Mikkola, Founder & CEO, Wyncode No product, service, or experience can be built, marketed, or executed without the use of technology. Today, every industry is a technology industry. Even Domino’s Pizza calls itself “a tech company that sells pizza.” Our opportunities for employment reflect this fact. At 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 &...

Adham Ghazali

Adham Ghazali

CEO and Co-Founder - Imagry

Introduction With offices in both the U.S. and Israel, Imagry is an autonomous vehicle platform developer that is dedicated to pioneering the future of this technology. By pushing the limits of artificial intelligence and computer vision, Imagry’s mapless autonomous driving platform eliminates the need for the time-consuming HD mapping process....

ARLEIGH VASCONCELLOS

MANAGING DIRECTOR, THE AGENCY

“When I started The Agency in 2009 as a boutique firm servicing the tech sector in Calgary, I heard the same thing over and over: What tech sector?” Arleigh Vasconcellos, CEO/Founder, The Agency Communications Inc. And they had a point – the tech sector here was small. But the city...

ROGÉRIO COLAÇO

ROGÉRIO COLAÇO

DEAN, INSTITUTO SUPERIOR TÉCNICO

At Instituto Superior Técnico we believe that although we cannot do more than the bigger ones, although we cannot do better than the best ones, we could be at least as big as the bigger ones and as best as the best ones. And we also believe that we can...

JESSE VINCENT HERSCOVICI

PDG, AXELYS

Qu’elles soient petites ou grandes, elles doivent faire face à une concurrence féroce dans un environnement instable. Dans ce contexte, l’élaboration d’une stratégie de PI permet de tracer une trajectoire vers le marché. Bien que cette dernière soit un sujet d’actualité dans le monde des affaires, elle reste trop souvent...

STIJN COENEN

STIJN COENEN

CEO, THOMAS MORE UNIVERSITY OF APPLIED SCIENCES

“The sky is not the limit anymore.” Quite a bold statement, likely to provoke more than a few raised eyebrows or some smug laughter. It is, however, the proud motto and goal of the students that enroll annually in Thomas More’s ICE honours programme, tailored for those students who want...

Mara Lord

Chief Strategy and Growth Officer at MCW

Innovation is more than a buzzword—it’s a mindset, a movement; in Milwaukee, it’s a way of life. At the Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW), we’re not just imagining a healthier future—we’re building it. And we’re doing it with purpose, collaboration, and the grit that defines Wisconsin. Leading Through Collaboration Wisconsin...

ED BUCKLEY

ED BUCKLEY

PhD, CHAIRMAN AND CEO, PEERFIT

I grew up as a military kid and was taught the value of discipline and structure really early on in life. I went to the University of Florida on a scholarship from the Navy ROTC program (#gogators) and went on to earn my Master’s in Public Health and a Ph.D....

Carlos Guillén Gestoso

Carlos Guillén Gestoso

President And Professor Of Atlântica - Instituto Universitário

It requires an effective link between the university and the business sector, which encourages higher education institutions to train professionals and what the labour market demands, in order to encourage companies to invest in research and development as a strategic activity to incorporate knowledge and progress. We understand that the...

ALI A. HOUSHMAND

ALI A. HOUSHMAND

PRESIDENT, ROWAN UNIVERSITY

WORDS OF WISDOMI’m a dreamer. I dream big. The ability to imagine a better reality helped transform my own life and, later, an entire institution. Yet, it requires a willingness to do something different, perhaps even radical. From my own experience, I can say that everything starts with education, whether...

ISABEL KEULEN

CEO, SSE VENTURES & SSE BUSINESS LAB

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...

Dr. Bhabani Misra

Dr. Bhabani Misra

Associate Dean - University of St. Thomas School of Engineering

Dr. Bhabani Misra Associate Dean – University of St. Thomas School of Engineering Not long ago, students could simply complete a college degree and find work for the rest of their lives. But today, industry is evolving rapidly—especially engineering and technology. Today, every one of us needs to retool and...

ALEXANDRA FENTON CAAL

SUPERNOVA AT DALHOUSIE UNIVERSITY - EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

SuperNOVA: Empowering Youth Through STEM Education At SuperNOVA, our mission is empowering youth through educational experiences in STEM that cultivate curiosity and an attitude for lifelong learning. We are committed to ensuring that youth—regardless of their geographic location, socio-economic situation, ability, or gender—can be inspired through STEM. For youth from...

LAYLA NASR

CEO, MAKILA AI

In both North America and Europe, collaboration between the communities of scientific research and professional practice plays a pivotal role in the advancement of knowledge that benefits society at large. When it comes to technologies, especially artificial intelligence, the diversity of skills and the wealth of knowledge from research communities...

CHIP CRUNK

CEO OF RJ YOUNG

My journey with RJ Young began while I was still a student at Ole Miss, working alongside my father and learning the business from the ground up. Back then, Nashville was a very different city – still rooted in tradition, but the seeds of change were beginning to sprout. Today,...

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...

ROBERT SALCEDO

FOUNDER AND CEO, OCYONBIO GENE AND CELL THERAPY

Robert Salcedo was born in the Dominican Republic on August 26,1964. When he was ten years old, his family decided to immigrate to the United States in search of better opportunities. At an early age Robert understood the need of medicine accessibility for everyone regardless of social status or race....

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® Ecosystems