Thought Leaders
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”...
INNOVATE® Puerto Rico
ALBERTO LUGO
PRESIDENT, INVID LLC
When I first learned to code, I never imagined its profound impact on my life. I was 15 years old when I first learned to discovered software development, and I remember the awe of seeing the computer do what I instructed it to do. I still maintain that same...
INNOVATE® Georgia
DAN AMOS
CHAIRMAN AND CEO, AFLAC INCORPORATED
Several years ago, a member of my team asked me a question. “Dan, when is the last time you had a day when you did absolutely nothing that involved Aflac?” Without missing a beat, I said, “When was the pager invented?” The responsibility of my job means I must be...
INNOVATE® Minnesota
Mouli Venkatesan
Senior Vice President & CIO - Optumhealth & Enterprise Clinical Technology
Innovation means constantly learning from experiences of the past and using those as guideposts and insights to invent a better future—in this case, to make the health care system serve everyone better. Innovation can mean many things. I look at Innovation using a lens of small “i” and BIG “I”...
INNOVATE® Utah
Shauna Smith
President - Four Foods Group/Savory
Shauna Smith, President – Four Foods Group/Savory I still remember opening day in our very first restaurant like it was yesterday. Except it wasn’t yesterday… it was 11 years ago. We had just moved into a newly developed area in Utah that was starved for eating establishments. We asked...
INNOVATE® Maryland
TAMMI THOMAS
PRESIDENT, TEDCO
Innovation does not begin with disruption. It begins with perspective. It asks us to re-examine what we think we know, remain open to alternative paths, and create space for collaboration across disciplines, industries, and lived experiences. True innovation happens when ideas are not only imagined – but supported, challenged, and...
INNOVATE™ Alberta
TONY WEEKS
PRESIDENT AND CEO, THE BRENDA STRAFFORD FOUNDATION
Artificial intelligence (AI) is a wide-ranging tool that is rapidly changing how we live our lives and evolving at a very fast pace. Beyond the convenience benefits, AI offers significant potential in support of healthy aging, including predicting health risks and adverse events. By 2040, projections suggest that 10.8 million...
INNOVATE™ Adelaide
BEN BAKER
FOUNDER, BEN BAKER STUDIOS
“Mr. President, it’s great to see you today; here is the plan.” Those are words I have spoken to the past five American Presidents and many other world leaders as a photographer trusted to create iconic images that will stand the test of time. How did a kid from a...
Sylvain Coulombe
Associate Vice-Principal, Innovation And Partnerships - McGill University
English: At a time when local and global challenges demand discoveries at the intersections of diverse disciplines, fostering an adaptable, agile and multi-sectorial innovation ecosystem enables universities to lead as social and economic accelerators. To set this vision in motion, McGill has established a dedicated unit, Innovation, and Partnerships (I+P),...
INNOVATE™ Alberta
SINMI ADEOYE-ESENE
FOUNDER, CEO, DANIOLA & CO-FOUNDER, BIPOC FOUNDATION
As an entrepreneur and innovator, I have embarked on a transformative journey to reshape the mining and tech industry with a bold vision and unwavering determination. It is my firm belief that we have the power to create a future that goes beyond profit margins and embraces the principles of...
INNOVATE™ Stockholm
JENS DOLK
CEO, AN INNOVATOR OF THE RESTAURANT INDUSTRY, K-MÄRKT AB
I’ve never been afraid of weird ideas. In fact, that’s kind of the point with K-märkt. When we started, we didn’t just want to run a great restaurant – we wanted to challenge the entire way restaurants operate. Why? Because if we’re going to make food more sustainable, we can’t...
INNOVATE® Blockchain
ANDREW KIGUEL
CO-FOUNDER,CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, TOKENS.COM
If the latest slew of cryptocurrency commercials at the Superbowl is any indicator, crypto is officially mainstream. Advertisements featuring stars like LeBron James and comedians like Larry David show that everyone is getting in on crypto. But most of this excitement isn’t focused on bitcoin. Last year, over $33 billion...
INNOVATE™ Estonia
SANDRA SÄRAV-TAMMUS
DEPUTY SECRETARY GENERAL FOR ECONOMY AND INNOVATION, REPUBLIC OF ESTONIA
When people around the world hear of Estonia today, they think of a nation where nearly every government service is accessible online, where starting a company can take just minutes, and where seamless digital interactions are simply the way of life. But this transformation did not happen overnight. It is...
INNOVATE® Nashville
ANTON BUSUTTIL
PLANT EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
If there’s one leadership skill that’s quietly shaped every success I’ve had, it’s flexibility. Not intelligence. Not experience. The ability to adapt and lead change is what matters most. That mindset has carried me from blue-collar beginnings in Michigan to manufacturing plants in Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, and now Tennessee. I’m...
INNOVATE™ Oeiras
Jose Rui Marcelino
CEO - Almadesign
From an early age, I was fascinated with the possibility of materializing, through images or objects, what is created by our imagination and which, without the proper communication tools, exists only in our heads: whether to satisfy a need, solve a problem or just because its beauty inspires us. It...
INNOVATE™ Oeiras
WYGROUP
SHAPED BY CURIOSITY
For the last 20 years, WYgroup has been one of the top leading players in digital marketing, technology, and creativity services in Portugal. We are currently the largest independent group for Marketing and Customer Experience Services in Portugal, with a collaborative framework of 7 companies that – together – can...
INNOVATE® Washington DMV Edition
MARCY EWALD
Most entrepreneurs we work with, including ourselves, have been building businesses for over a decade. Most are not working on the first business they started either. Even if the concept you’re currently working on doesn’t shake out, the lessons, the networks, and how you respond to success and failure will...
VOICES of the Future
DR. CORRIE BLOCK
COACHING SUCCESS
In a world yearning for guidance, Dr. Corrie Block emerges as a lighthouse of hope and transformation. Our conversation, steeped in the urgency of our era, unveils a brilliant mind and a visionary heart. As we delve into his insights, it becomes clear that Dr. Block doesn’t just see the...
INNOVATE™ Adelaide
CRAIG ARNOLD
PHOTOGRAPHIC DIRECTOR, SHE CREATIVE
A SHIFT OF THINKINGA seismic shift is looming in business and society as new technologies, cultural evolution and climate change present humanity with some of the biggest challenges in our history. As imperative as it is that we invest in innovation, the word itself is bandied around frequently- almost like...
INNOVATE™ Vancouver Vol.2
Kookai Chaimahawong
Associate
Kookai Chaimahawong Associate “IT TAKES A VILLAGE TO BUILD GREAT COMPANIES, ESPECIALLY IN HARD TECH. VANCOUVER IS THE VILLAGE WITH A WORLD-CLASS PARTNER ECOSYSTEM THAT ARE HUNGRY TO SEE FOUNDERS AND STARTUP COMPANIES SUCCEED”. – KOOKAI CHAIMAHAWONG, ASSOCIATE I moved to Vancouver in 2017 to pursue my Master of Business...
INNOVATE™ Antwerp Vol.2
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® Philadelphia
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® Washington DMV Edition
SHADMAN HOSSAIN
MANAGER OF EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES PRACTICE, CGI FEDERAL
At its core, blockchain technology is about giving people control over their own data and assets, and enabling them to transact with one another in a transparent and secure way. By giving people control over their own data, we can create a more fair and just society where individuals have...
INNOVATE™ South Africa
STEPHEN OEHLEY
FOUNDER, XTENDEVENT.COM
I’m just a boy from Benoni inspired by a loving family and good friends that put values first. My proudest contribution to this world will always be my son Nicholas, who inspires everyone around him. My career has primarily been B2B focused and spanned trade publishing, trade exhibitions, running a...
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”...
DAN AMOS
CHAIRMAN AND CEO, AFLAC INCORPORATED
Several years ago, a member of my team asked me a question. “Dan, when is the last time you had a day when you did absolutely nothing that involved Aflac?” Without missing a beat, I said, “When was the pager invented?” The responsibility of my job means I must be...
Mouli Venkatesan
Senior Vice President & CIO - Optumhealth & Enterprise Clinical Technology
Innovation means constantly learning from experiences of the past and using those as guideposts and insights to invent a better future—in this case, to make the health care system serve everyone better. Innovation can mean many things. I look at Innovation using a lens of small “i” and BIG “I”...
Shauna Smith
President - Four Foods Group/Savory
Shauna Smith, President – Four Foods Group/Savory I still remember opening day in our very first restaurant like it was yesterday. Except it wasn’t yesterday… it was 11 years ago. We had just moved into a newly developed area in Utah that was starved for eating establishments. We asked...
TAMMI THOMAS
PRESIDENT, TEDCO
Innovation does not begin with disruption. It begins with perspective. It asks us to re-examine what we think we know, remain open to alternative paths, and create space for collaboration across disciplines, industries, and lived experiences. True innovation happens when ideas are not only imagined – but supported, challenged, and...
TONY WEEKS
PRESIDENT AND CEO, THE BRENDA STRAFFORD FOUNDATION
Artificial intelligence (AI) is a wide-ranging tool that is rapidly changing how we live our lives and evolving at a very fast pace. Beyond the convenience benefits, AI offers significant potential in support of healthy aging, including predicting health risks and adverse events. By 2040, projections suggest that 10.8 million...
BEN BAKER
FOUNDER, BEN BAKER STUDIOS
“Mr. President, it’s great to see you today; here is the plan.” Those are words I have spoken to the past five American Presidents and many other world leaders as a photographer trusted to create iconic images that will stand the test of time. How did a kid from a...
Sylvain Coulombe
Associate Vice-Principal, Innovation And Partnerships - McGill University
English: At a time when local and global challenges demand discoveries at the intersections of diverse disciplines, fostering an adaptable, agile and multi-sectorial innovation ecosystem enables universities to lead as social and economic accelerators. To set this vision in motion, McGill has established a dedicated unit, Innovation, and Partnerships (I+P),...
SINMI ADEOYE-ESENE
FOUNDER, CEO, DANIOLA & CO-FOUNDER, BIPOC FOUNDATION
As an entrepreneur and innovator, I have embarked on a transformative journey to reshape the mining and tech industry with a bold vision and unwavering determination. It is my firm belief that we have the power to create a future that goes beyond profit margins and embraces the principles of...
JENS DOLK
CEO, AN INNOVATOR OF THE RESTAURANT INDUSTRY, K-MÄRKT AB
I’ve never been afraid of weird ideas. In fact, that’s kind of the point with K-märkt. When we started, we didn’t just want to run a great restaurant – we wanted to challenge the entire way restaurants operate. Why? Because if we’re going to make food more sustainable, we can’t...
ANDREW KIGUEL
CO-FOUNDER,CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, TOKENS.COM
If the latest slew of cryptocurrency commercials at the Superbowl is any indicator, crypto is officially mainstream. Advertisements featuring stars like LeBron James and comedians like Larry David show that everyone is getting in on crypto. But most of this excitement isn’t focused on bitcoin. Last year, over $33 billion...
SANDRA SÄRAV-TAMMUS
DEPUTY SECRETARY GENERAL FOR ECONOMY AND INNOVATION, REPUBLIC OF ESTONIA
When people around the world hear of Estonia today, they think of a nation where nearly every government service is accessible online, where starting a company can take just minutes, and where seamless digital interactions are simply the way of life. But this transformation did not happen overnight. It is...
ANTON BUSUTTIL
PLANT EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
If there’s one leadership skill that’s quietly shaped every success I’ve had, it’s flexibility. Not intelligence. Not experience. The ability to adapt and lead change is what matters most. That mindset has carried me from blue-collar beginnings in Michigan to manufacturing plants in Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, and now Tennessee. I’m...
Jose Rui Marcelino
CEO - Almadesign
From an early age, I was fascinated with the possibility of materializing, through images or objects, what is created by our imagination and which, without the proper communication tools, exists only in our heads: whether to satisfy a need, solve a problem or just because its beauty inspires us. It...
WYGROUP
SHAPED BY CURIOSITY
For the last 20 years, WYgroup has been one of the top leading players in digital marketing, technology, and creativity services in Portugal. We are currently the largest independent group for Marketing and Customer Experience Services in Portugal, with a collaborative framework of 7 companies that – together – can...
MARCY EWALD
Most entrepreneurs we work with, including ourselves, have been building businesses for over a decade. Most are not working on the first business they started either. Even if the concept you’re currently working on doesn’t shake out, the lessons, the networks, and how you respond to success and failure will...
DR. CORRIE BLOCK
COACHING SUCCESS
In a world yearning for guidance, Dr. Corrie Block emerges as a lighthouse of hope and transformation. Our conversation, steeped in the urgency of our era, unveils a brilliant mind and a visionary heart. As we delve into his insights, it becomes clear that Dr. Block doesn’t just see the...
CRAIG ARNOLD
PHOTOGRAPHIC DIRECTOR, SHE CREATIVE
A SHIFT OF THINKINGA seismic shift is looming in business and society as new technologies, cultural evolution and climate change present humanity with some of the biggest challenges in our history. As imperative as it is that we invest in innovation, the word itself is bandied around frequently- almost like...
Kookai Chaimahawong
Associate
Kookai Chaimahawong Associate “IT TAKES A VILLAGE TO BUILD GREAT COMPANIES, ESPECIALLY IN HARD TECH. VANCOUVER IS THE VILLAGE WITH A WORLD-CLASS PARTNER ECOSYSTEM THAT ARE HUNGRY TO SEE FOUNDERS AND STARTUP COMPANIES SUCCEED”. – KOOKAI CHAIMAHAWONG, ASSOCIATE I moved to Vancouver in 2017 to pursue my Master of Business...
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....
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...
SHADMAN HOSSAIN
MANAGER OF EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES PRACTICE, CGI FEDERAL
At its core, blockchain technology is about giving people control over their own data and assets, and enabling them to transact with one another in a transparent and secure way. By giving people control over their own data, we can create a more fair and just society where individuals have...
STEPHEN OEHLEY
FOUNDER, XTENDEVENT.COM
I’m just a boy from Benoni inspired by a loving family and good friends that put values first. My proudest contribution to this world will always be my son Nicholas, who inspires everyone around him. My career has primarily been B2B focused and spanned trade publishing, trade exhibitions, running a...