Thought Leaders

INNOVATE™ Adelaide

DAVID MALLETT

FOUNDER AND MANAGING DIRECTOR, YANUN PROJECT SERVICES

My people have been innovating on South Australian Country for more than 60,000 years. As a proud Ngarrindjeri man from South Australia’s South-East, my ancestors developed smart solutions to support their day to-day survival within the harsh Australian environment. For example, we would salvage small intricate bird bones to make...

INNOVATE™ Alberta

THERESA TAYLER

OWNER AND FOUNDER, START ME UP PR

A renowned tech magnate once said, “If I were down to my last dollar, I would spend it on public relations.” Not to talk myself out of a job, but one rarely needs to spend their LAST dollar on PR if they just “keep it real” from day one. Growing...

INNOVATE™ South Africa

DR. DOUG MATTHEUS

DOUG M. CONSULTANCY

Innovation will not take place without some sort of Reinvention – a changing state,...

INNOVATE™ Atlantic Canada

DOUG ROBERTSON

PRESIDENT & CEO, VENN INNOVATION INC.

ATLANTIC CANADA IS GROWING, OUR PEOPLE ARE HIGHLY SKILLED, MOST CERTAINLY INNOVATIVE AND INCREASINGLY DIVERSE. WE HAVE WORLD CLASS TECHNOLOGIES, INSPIRING TECH SUCCESS STORIES, AND A CONFIDENT, GLOBALLY FOCUSED TECH INDUSTRY. It has always given me a great sense of pride to welcome visitors to our region, “come from aways”...

Andrew Rae

Andrew Rae

Woodgreen Ventures - Encouraging Trend Line is in Great Opposition to a Historical Strug

Encouraging Trend Line is in Great Opposition to a Historical Struggle this City and Country has Faced at Multiple Levels Andrew is a former biotechnology equities analyst and a serial entrepreneur. Mr. Rae has partnered with many leading biopharmaceutical companies globally, including Ionis, Alexion and AstraZeneca, and has invested in...

INNOVATE™ Stockholm

AMIR ELION

THINK BIG LEADERS - CEO, INNOVATION AND AI ADVISOR, SPEAKER

Many years ago, when I was facilitating internal innovation workshops at Motorola, word got out, and executives would ask me to run “The Innovation Workshop” for their teams. I told them that I don’t have an innovation workshop, and that they should tell me what they aiming to achieve, and...

INNOVATE™ Vancouver Vol.2

John Spence

John Spence

Founder and Chairman - Karma Group

John Spence Founder and Chairman – Karma Group For nearly 30 years I’ve traveled all over the world to help businesses and people be more successful. I’ve worked for top tech companies such as Microsoft, IBM, Motorola, and Apple and have traveled to Palo Alto, Seattle, New York, Boston, Amsterdam,...

VOICES of the Future

MARIA DA CONCEICAO

CLIMBING NEW HEIGHTS FOR HUMANITY

Maria Da Conceicao’s eyes sparkle with an intensity that reflects a life of profound challenges and extraordinary achievements. Born in Portugal, Maria’s story began with adversity. At just two years old, her mother fell ill, and an African immigrant cleaner, Maria Cristina Matos, took her under her wing. This new...

VOICES of the Future

DR. RISA RYGER

EMBRACING CHANGE FOR A VIBRANT FUTURE

In an era where change is our only constant, one woman has taken it upon herself to guide us through the shifting sands of time: Dr. Risa Ryger, a distinguished clinical psychologist, international speaker, and entrepreneur. She has dedicated her life to helping individuals and organizations navigate the often turbulent...

INNOVATE™ Bristol & Bath

Dr. Markas Gilmartin

I started as a scientist, moving through the ranks: BSc, Ph.D., postdoc, and writing peer-reviewed papers. Commerce called, and I began writing patent, grant, and funding propositions for a biotech firm before moving into personal financial planning in 1997. Science and finance are the same thing to me—both aiming to...

INNOVATE™ Ottawa

Claude Brulé

President - Algonquin College

  Claude Brulé, President – Algonquin College When Claude Brulé was appointed Algonquin College’s ninth president in mid-2019 he quickly embarked on an innovation agenda to establish experiential, personalized learning as the institution’s guiding educational principle for the future. “We know the people who walk through our doors, both physically...

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® St. Louis

John G. Gatewood

CFP®, CLU®, President & Founder - Gatewood Wealth Management

When his military pension wasn’t enough to support our family, my father went into life insurance. He realized no one was coordinating all of the separate aspects of families’ financial planning. The Glass Steagall Act was still in effect, and it kept all financial companies separate; insurance was separate from...

INNOVATE® Tampa Bay Vol.3

Tom Wallace

Tom Wallace – Managing Partner for Florida Funders

Managing Partner for Florida Funders

Early-stage innovation and technology companies are one of the best investment opportunities available today. Florida is at the forefront of a blooming technology landscape and Florida Funders, a hybrid of a venture capital fund and crowd-funding platform that invests in emerging trends, has a passion for growing the next generation...

VOICES of the Future

LARA TABET

THE INFLUENTIAL PERSONALITY

In the glittering world of luxury and fashion, Lara Tabet emerges as a pioneering force, seamlessly bridging her Swiss-honed hospitality expertise with the dynamic UAE high-end restaurant industry. Her transformation into a media icon, marked by her roles with ‘Societe’ and ‘City Women,’ has seen her engage with global celebrities...

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® New Jersey Vol.2

JINPIN YING

PRESIDENT CYBERMED

The future of healthcare is undergoing a transformative revolution, driven by advancements in artificial intelligence, machine learning, and an increasing commitment to greater equity across patient populations. From the time that CyberMed was established, one of the prevailing issues that we are focusing on is how the technology can address...

INNOVATE® Washington DMV Edition

KEN POLOTAN

Leadership matters. That’s an undeniable truth — the quality and type of leadership we cultivate and practice are paramount. From my journey in big consulting fi rms to my own innovation advisory practice, from startups to Global 500 companies, the critical success factor remains: leadership is the foundation of open...

INNOVATE™ Alberta

JEFF LAFRENZ

JEFF LAFRENZ

CEO, VIZWORX

Innovation is a way of looking at the world around us. It has no geographic limits. It has no age, gender, race, sexual orientation, or culture limits. It applies to every industry, every profession. It is about being curious and not accepting the status quo. It is about asking why...

INNOVATE® Nashville

YESI SEVILLA

DIRECTOR, STRATEGIC ENGAGEMENT & ECOSYSTEM DEVELOPMENT

WORDS OF WISDOM:Innovation does not belong to just one industry, just one degree, or just one area of expertise – it belongs to everyone. Solving problems requires courage, creativity, and collaboration. All of us can be empowered to ideate, but our strength is in the collective. I have always thought...

INNOVATE® Washington DMV Edition

DAVID MARCHICK

DEAN, THE KOGOD SCHOOL OF BUSINESS AT AMERICAN UNIVERSITY; BA, UC SAN DIEGO (‘88)

DAVID MARCHICK; DEAN, THE KOGOD SCHOOL OF BUSINESS AT AMERICAN UNIVERSITY; BA, UC SAN DIEGO (‘88); MA, LBJ SCHOOL OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS, UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN (‘90);JD, GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY (‘05). When people ask me about the value of business school, I think about it like this: it’s about...

INNOVATE™ Antwerp Vol.2

ALEXANDER SAVERYS

ALEXANDER SAVERYS

CEO, CMB

My name is Alexander Saverys, I’m the CEO of CMB, a diversified shipping company owning 135 ships active in dry bulk shipping, container transport, chemical tankers and offshore wind support. Our cleantech division, CMB.TECH, is a market leader in the development of hydrogen applications for the marine and other industries....

INNOVATE® Jacksonville

Sara Frasca

Sara Frasca

Vice President, Innovation Enablement - Platypus Labs

The concept of innovation can be completely overwhelming. Images of Edison inventing the light bulb or Henry Ford revolutionizing manufacturing push the idea of innovation outside the reach of us mere mortals. If we define innovation as a gigantic, change-the-world, cure-cancer type breakthrough, the concept is relegated to a select...

INNOVATE® Gaming & Esports

CLEMENT TSANG

CLEMENT TSANG

MANAGING DIRECTOR, AUSTRALIA

As of the writing of this article in October 2021, the Twitch Influencer payment hack was making its way through the metaverse, enabling a comparison between the compensation that influencers and broadcast anchors enjoy, and the relative engagement they have with theiraudiences and the business models that underpin their ecosystems...

DAVID MALLETT

FOUNDER AND MANAGING DIRECTOR, YANUN PROJECT SERVICES

My people have been innovating on South Australian Country for more than 60,000 years. As a proud Ngarrindjeri man from South Australia’s South-East, my ancestors developed smart solutions to support their day to-day survival within the harsh Australian environment. For example, we would salvage small intricate bird bones to make...

THERESA TAYLER

OWNER AND FOUNDER, START ME UP PR

A renowned tech magnate once said, “If I were down to my last dollar, I would spend it on public relations.” Not to talk myself out of a job, but one rarely needs to spend their LAST dollar on PR if they just “keep it real” from day one. Growing...

DR. DOUG MATTHEUS

DOUG M. CONSULTANCY

Innovation will not take place without some sort of Reinvention – a changing state,...

DOUG ROBERTSON

PRESIDENT & CEO, VENN INNOVATION INC.

ATLANTIC CANADA IS GROWING, OUR PEOPLE ARE HIGHLY SKILLED, MOST CERTAINLY INNOVATIVE AND INCREASINGLY DIVERSE. WE HAVE WORLD CLASS TECHNOLOGIES, INSPIRING TECH SUCCESS STORIES, AND A CONFIDENT, GLOBALLY FOCUSED TECH INDUSTRY. It has always given me a great sense of pride to welcome visitors to our region, “come from aways”...

Andrew Rae

Andrew Rae

Woodgreen Ventures - Encouraging Trend Line is in Great Opposition to a Historical Strug

Encouraging Trend Line is in Great Opposition to a Historical Struggle this City and Country has Faced at Multiple Levels Andrew is a former biotechnology equities analyst and a serial entrepreneur. Mr. Rae has partnered with many leading biopharmaceutical companies globally, including Ionis, Alexion and AstraZeneca, and has invested in...

AMIR ELION

THINK BIG LEADERS - CEO, INNOVATION AND AI ADVISOR, SPEAKER

Many years ago, when I was facilitating internal innovation workshops at Motorola, word got out, and executives would ask me to run “The Innovation Workshop” for their teams. I told them that I don’t have an innovation workshop, and that they should tell me what they aiming to achieve, and...

John Spence

John Spence

Founder and Chairman - Karma Group

John Spence Founder and Chairman – Karma Group For nearly 30 years I’ve traveled all over the world to help businesses and people be more successful. I’ve worked for top tech companies such as Microsoft, IBM, Motorola, and Apple and have traveled to Palo Alto, Seattle, New York, Boston, Amsterdam,...

MARIA DA CONCEICAO

CLIMBING NEW HEIGHTS FOR HUMANITY

Maria Da Conceicao’s eyes sparkle with an intensity that reflects a life of profound challenges and extraordinary achievements. Born in Portugal, Maria’s story began with adversity. At just two years old, her mother fell ill, and an African immigrant cleaner, Maria Cristina Matos, took her under her wing. This new...

DR. RISA RYGER

EMBRACING CHANGE FOR A VIBRANT FUTURE

In an era where change is our only constant, one woman has taken it upon herself to guide us through the shifting sands of time: Dr. Risa Ryger, a distinguished clinical psychologist, international speaker, and entrepreneur. She has dedicated her life to helping individuals and organizations navigate the often turbulent...

Dr. Markas Gilmartin

I started as a scientist, moving through the ranks: BSc, Ph.D., postdoc, and writing peer-reviewed papers. Commerce called, and I began writing patent, grant, and funding propositions for a biotech firm before moving into personal financial planning in 1997. Science and finance are the same thing to me—both aiming to...

Claude Brulé

President - Algonquin College

  Claude Brulé, President – Algonquin College When Claude Brulé was appointed Algonquin College’s ninth president in mid-2019 he quickly embarked on an innovation agenda to establish experiential, personalized learning as the institution’s guiding educational principle for the future. “We know the people who walk through our doors, both physically...

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...

John G. Gatewood

CFP®, CLU®, President & Founder - Gatewood Wealth Management

When his military pension wasn’t enough to support our family, my father went into life insurance. He realized no one was coordinating all of the separate aspects of families’ financial planning. The Glass Steagall Act was still in effect, and it kept all financial companies separate; insurance was separate from...

Tom Wallace

Tom Wallace – Managing Partner for Florida Funders

Managing Partner for Florida Funders

Early-stage innovation and technology companies are one of the best investment opportunities available today. Florida is at the forefront of a blooming technology landscape and Florida Funders, a hybrid of a venture capital fund and crowd-funding platform that invests in emerging trends, has a passion for growing the next generation...

LARA TABET

THE INFLUENTIAL PERSONALITY

In the glittering world of luxury and fashion, Lara Tabet emerges as a pioneering force, seamlessly bridging her Swiss-honed hospitality expertise with the dynamic UAE high-end restaurant industry. Her transformation into a media icon, marked by her roles with ‘Societe’ and ‘City Women,’ has seen her engage with global celebrities...

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....

JINPIN YING

PRESIDENT CYBERMED

The future of healthcare is undergoing a transformative revolution, driven by advancements in artificial intelligence, machine learning, and an increasing commitment to greater equity across patient populations. From the time that CyberMed was established, one of the prevailing issues that we are focusing on is how the technology can address...

KEN POLOTAN

Leadership matters. That’s an undeniable truth — the quality and type of leadership we cultivate and practice are paramount. From my journey in big consulting fi rms to my own innovation advisory practice, from startups to Global 500 companies, the critical success factor remains: leadership is the foundation of open...

JEFF LAFRENZ

JEFF LAFRENZ

CEO, VIZWORX

Innovation is a way of looking at the world around us. It has no geographic limits. It has no age, gender, race, sexual orientation, or culture limits. It applies to every industry, every profession. It is about being curious and not accepting the status quo. It is about asking why...

YESI SEVILLA

DIRECTOR, STRATEGIC ENGAGEMENT & ECOSYSTEM DEVELOPMENT

WORDS OF WISDOM:Innovation does not belong to just one industry, just one degree, or just one area of expertise – it belongs to everyone. Solving problems requires courage, creativity, and collaboration. All of us can be empowered to ideate, but our strength is in the collective. I have always thought...

DAVID MARCHICK

DEAN, THE KOGOD SCHOOL OF BUSINESS AT AMERICAN UNIVERSITY; BA, UC SAN DIEGO (‘88)

DAVID MARCHICK; DEAN, THE KOGOD SCHOOL OF BUSINESS AT AMERICAN UNIVERSITY; BA, UC SAN DIEGO (‘88); MA, LBJ SCHOOL OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS, UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN (‘90);JD, GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY (‘05). When people ask me about the value of business school, I think about it like this: it’s about...

ALEXANDER SAVERYS

ALEXANDER SAVERYS

CEO, CMB

My name is Alexander Saverys, I’m the CEO of CMB, a diversified shipping company owning 135 ships active in dry bulk shipping, container transport, chemical tankers and offshore wind support. Our cleantech division, CMB.TECH, is a market leader in the development of hydrogen applications for the marine and other industries....

Sara Frasca

Sara Frasca

Vice President, Innovation Enablement - Platypus Labs

The concept of innovation can be completely overwhelming. Images of Edison inventing the light bulb or Henry Ford revolutionizing manufacturing push the idea of innovation outside the reach of us mere mortals. If we define innovation as a gigantic, change-the-world, cure-cancer type breakthrough, the concept is relegated to a select...

CLEMENT TSANG

CLEMENT TSANG

MANAGING DIRECTOR, AUSTRALIA

As of the writing of this article in October 2021, the Twitch Influencer payment hack was making its way through the metaverse, enabling a comparison between the compensation that influencers and broadcast anchors enjoy, and the relative engagement they have with theiraudiences and the business models that underpin their ecosystems...

INNOVATE® Ecosystems