Thought Leaders

INNOVATE® Minnesota

Dan Atkins

Dan Atkins

President - MinneAnalytics - Chief Community Entanglement Particle, Optum

Dan Atkins President, MinneAnalytics – Chief Community Entanglement Particle, Optum I can’t explain the principle of quantum entanglement as well as a physicist could, but I believe in its application to the concept of community engagement nevertheless. There’s a way that two particles, separated by immense distance, can become entangled...

INNOVATE™ Antwerp Vol.2

LUC LUWEL

CEO, VOKA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE ANTWERP-WAASLAND

To me, social impact is the reason for our organisation’s existence. A chamber of commerce is not there to serve the private interests of a few individual companies, but to help an entire region grow. I have always been a firm believer that you can only achieve prosperity through entrepreneurship,...

INNOVATE™ Vancouver Vol.2

Michael Volker

Michael Volker- CEO WUTIF CAPITAL

CEO WUTIF CAPITAL, ANGEL INVESTOR, WEST VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA

  I’ve been doing angel investing since the early 1980s after I took my first venture, a computer terminals manufacturer in Waterloo, public on the Toronto Stock Exchange. Since then, I’ve invested in well over 200 startup ventures. I often hear entrepreneurs complain about the lack of funding. One of...

INNOVATE™ Adelaide

FLAVIA TATA NARDINI

CEO AND CO-FOUNDER, FLEET SPACE TECHNOLOGIES

TRANSFORMING INDUSTRIES. CHANGING THE WORLD.Australia’s vast natural resources have made it a global economic powerhouse. But with worldwide demand for minerals soaring, and finding new sources is becoming ever more complex and costly, our nation’s biggest industry urgently needs a radical new approach. One potential solution is seismic imaging. The...

VOICES of the Future

KIARA KAUR

A YOUNG VISIONARY’S MESSAGE FOR TOMORROW

As I engage in conversation with Kiara Kaur, the air fills with an electrifying sense of the future. At just seven years old, Kiara, a prodigious talent and a beacon of hope, articulates her vision with the clarity and passion of a seasoned leader. Her achievements are staggering: the world’s...

INNOVATE™ Adelaide

HITAF RASHEED

EVENTS SOUTH AUSTRALIA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, SOUTH AUSTRALIAN TOURISM COMMISSION

South Australia loves a party. We are the festival state – one proud to break new ground. Innovation is crucial when delivering major events, and so too is fostering a culture in which they continue to thrive. Our place as host of the best, brightest celebrations is directly linked to...

INNOVATE™ Bristol & Bath

Natasha Swinscoe

Chief Executive, West Of England Academic Health Science Network (AHSN)

With over 20 years’ experience in the NHS, Natasha Swinscoe joined the West of England AHSN in 2015 and became Chief Executive Officer in 2018. Under her leadership, the AHSN has earned a reputation for its ambitious, system-wide vision for healthcare innovation and transformation, improving patient care and driving economic...

INNOVATE® Austin Volume 2

Erin Mays & Kalyn Rozanski

Erin Mays & Kalyn Rozanski

CO-CEOs - Ebco

Thought leaders in the truest sense, Erin Mays and Kalyn Rozanski of Ebco are completely reenvisioning and disrupting the trend and innovation research space with unique and differentiated products and services that support global Fortune 1000 companies. Coming from design thinking and qualitative research backgrounds, Mays shares “we no longer...

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® Philadelphia

Lance Bachmann

Lance Bachmann: Thought Leader Of 1SEO

Thought Leader Of 1SEO

For a city with a wealth of history behind it, it continues to propel itself forward and arrive at the forefront of innovation. The transformation of both Philadelphia and digital marketing within the 21st century alone is exhilarating, and it shows no signs of slowing down. The ecosystem made up...

INNOVATE™ Estonia

JANA KRIMPE

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER AND CO-FOUNDER, B.EST SOLUTIONS

Digital transformation is often viewed in terms of platforms, applications, or the latest disruptive technology. But these are only surface layers. The true foundation of a digital society is trust and trust begins with secure digital identity. Without it, governments cannot serve effectively, businesses cannot scale confidently, and citizens are...

INNOVATE™ Stockholm

SARA NOŽKOVÁ

CEO & CO-FOUNDER, FLOX INTELLIGENCE

I’ve always believed that the next frontier of artificial intelligence isn’t about replacing humans — it’s about reconnecting us with the natural world. At Flox, we’re building systems that use AI not to dominate nature, but to protect it. We train intelligent devices to detect, understand, and respond to wild...

INNOVATE® Washington DMV Edition

RACHEL KORETSKY

FOUNDER & CEO UPACE, CO-FOUNDER & DIRECTOR OF DC STARTUP & TECH WEEK

Embracing Community: A Founder’s Journey Through Entrepreneurship Entrepreneurship often carries an aura of glamour and excitement, but beneath the surface lies a challenging journey demanding resilience, creativity, and—perhaps most importantly—a strong community of support. As the Founder & CEO of Upace and Co-Founder & Director of DC Startup Week, I’ve...

INNOVATE™ Vancouver Vol.2

DAN GAMBLE

FOUNDER AND PRINCIPAL, DGPR

Something I’ve found to be increasingly true in the communications profession is that there’s a wealth of untapped potential sitting under the surface. It’s why we’re seeing more and more chief communications officers join the ranks of executives at big tech organizations — and why progressive CEOs are investing more...

INNOVATE® St. Louis

Jennah Purk

Jennah Purk

Founder & CEO - Purk Associates

Talking about innovation in accounting is sort of like talking about water and oil. They aren’t exactly synonymous, and while it’s not like we’re using an abacus, we’re not far off. It’s also not as boring as people think it is. But the two things that obstruct the industry are...

INNOVATE® Gaming & Esports

JESSICA MEDEIROS & SUZANNE DUNCAN

FEMME GAMING

As women representing a mosaic of cultural diversity in the esports and the traditional sport industry, both Jessica Medeiros & Suzanne Duncan are no strangers to the heavy lifts asked of female leadership at executive tables in the gaming space. As the founders of Femme Gaming, we are both passionate...

INNOVATE® Seattle

KIRBY WINFIELD

ASCEND VC - GENERAL PARTNER

Much like the adoption of electricity, however, the integration of AI into the core of the world’s companies will occur in phases. Initially, vertical (or “applied”) AI point solutions will arise and plug into existing workflows and frameworks. “Copilots” are one great example here; natural language programming and custom LLMs...

INNOVATE™ Antwerp Vol.2

FABIENNE VERBEEK

FABIENNE VERBEEK

CEO, GLOBAL NEW AUTOMATION (GNA)

If you had said this to me 10 years ago, I might have laughed it off. But today, I am upgrading my company, watching it grow, and taking on new challenges. There is a passion in me that may not have been there before, which is why I’m giving back...

INNOVATE® Washington DMV Edition

WILLIAM CHERNICOFF

PH.D.- TOYOTA MOBILITY FOUNDATION

Innovation has long been the buzzword in the tech world, a concept intertwined with progress, growth, and the future. But through my years of experience, I’ve realized there’s a distinct difference between mere innovation and social innovation. It’s like planting a tree without considering the forest. In contrast, social innovation...

INNOVATE™ Adelaide

DR. FIONA KERR

CEO AND FOUNDER, THE NEUROTECH INSTITUTE

With expertise in engineering, the cognitive sciences, and anthropology, I delight in looking at innovation from both a technological and a human perspective, and am fascinated by the intricacies of the process, and  how two aspects greatly impact its scope and quality. One is the benefit of deeply understanding the...

INNOVATE® Nashville

DAVID OWENS

DAVID OWENS

EVANS FAMILY EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE WOND’RY, VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY’S CENTER FOR INNOVATION

Nashville has always been a great place for members of the creative class. It has more than its fair share of the spirit of innovation and, as I was told when I moved here, more recording studios than bars and more microphones than people. And while the artistic creativity is...

INNOVATE® New Jersey Vol.2

Dr. Wayne Tamarelli, President - AWT Private Investments

Dr. Wayne Tamarelli

President - AWT Private Investments

As a CEO, entrepreneur, private company owner, and public company officer, Dr. Wayne Tamarelli’s 40+ years of experience have encompassed general management, entrepreneurship, new ventures, mergers and acquisitions, and many more. He also has investments in several wine industry businesses. His primary business activity is as a professional venture capital...

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® Chicago Vol.1

DORRI MCWHORTER

DORRI MCWHORTER-PRESIDENT & CEO OF YMCA OF METROPOLITAN CHICAGO

PRESIDENT & CEO OF YMCA OF METROPOLITAN CHICAGO

  People will be studying the global pandemic’s effects on the workplace for decades to come. The trends it accelerated. The inequality it exposed. The countless challenges and opportunities it created. However, there is one thing that is already perfectly clear, and business leaders in every industry across the country...

Dan Atkins

Dan Atkins

President - MinneAnalytics - Chief Community Entanglement Particle, Optum

Dan Atkins President, MinneAnalytics – Chief Community Entanglement Particle, Optum I can’t explain the principle of quantum entanglement as well as a physicist could, but I believe in its application to the concept of community engagement nevertheless. There’s a way that two particles, separated by immense distance, can become entangled...

LUC LUWEL

CEO, VOKA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE ANTWERP-WAASLAND

To me, social impact is the reason for our organisation’s existence. A chamber of commerce is not there to serve the private interests of a few individual companies, but to help an entire region grow. I have always been a firm believer that you can only achieve prosperity through entrepreneurship,...

Michael Volker

Michael Volker- CEO WUTIF CAPITAL

CEO WUTIF CAPITAL, ANGEL INVESTOR, WEST VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA

  I’ve been doing angel investing since the early 1980s after I took my first venture, a computer terminals manufacturer in Waterloo, public on the Toronto Stock Exchange. Since then, I’ve invested in well over 200 startup ventures. I often hear entrepreneurs complain about the lack of funding. One of...

FLAVIA TATA NARDINI

CEO AND CO-FOUNDER, FLEET SPACE TECHNOLOGIES

TRANSFORMING INDUSTRIES. CHANGING THE WORLD.Australia’s vast natural resources have made it a global economic powerhouse. But with worldwide demand for minerals soaring, and finding new sources is becoming ever more complex and costly, our nation’s biggest industry urgently needs a radical new approach. One potential solution is seismic imaging. The...

KIARA KAUR

A YOUNG VISIONARY’S MESSAGE FOR TOMORROW

As I engage in conversation with Kiara Kaur, the air fills with an electrifying sense of the future. At just seven years old, Kiara, a prodigious talent and a beacon of hope, articulates her vision with the clarity and passion of a seasoned leader. Her achievements are staggering: the world’s...

HITAF RASHEED

EVENTS SOUTH AUSTRALIA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, SOUTH AUSTRALIAN TOURISM COMMISSION

South Australia loves a party. We are the festival state – one proud to break new ground. Innovation is crucial when delivering major events, and so too is fostering a culture in which they continue to thrive. Our place as host of the best, brightest celebrations is directly linked to...

Natasha Swinscoe

Chief Executive, West Of England Academic Health Science Network (AHSN)

With over 20 years’ experience in the NHS, Natasha Swinscoe joined the West of England AHSN in 2015 and became Chief Executive Officer in 2018. Under her leadership, the AHSN has earned a reputation for its ambitious, system-wide vision for healthcare innovation and transformation, improving patient care and driving economic...

Erin Mays & Kalyn Rozanski

Erin Mays & Kalyn Rozanski

CO-CEOs - Ebco

Thought leaders in the truest sense, Erin Mays and Kalyn Rozanski of Ebco are completely reenvisioning and disrupting the trend and innovation research space with unique and differentiated products and services that support global Fortune 1000 companies. Coming from design thinking and qualitative research backgrounds, Mays shares “we no longer...

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...

Lance Bachmann

Lance Bachmann: Thought Leader Of 1SEO

Thought Leader Of 1SEO

For a city with a wealth of history behind it, it continues to propel itself forward and arrive at the forefront of innovation. The transformation of both Philadelphia and digital marketing within the 21st century alone is exhilarating, and it shows no signs of slowing down. The ecosystem made up...

JANA KRIMPE

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER AND CO-FOUNDER, B.EST SOLUTIONS

Digital transformation is often viewed in terms of platforms, applications, or the latest disruptive technology. But these are only surface layers. The true foundation of a digital society is trust and trust begins with secure digital identity. Without it, governments cannot serve effectively, businesses cannot scale confidently, and citizens are...

SARA NOŽKOVÁ

CEO & CO-FOUNDER, FLOX INTELLIGENCE

I’ve always believed that the next frontier of artificial intelligence isn’t about replacing humans — it’s about reconnecting us with the natural world. At Flox, we’re building systems that use AI not to dominate nature, but to protect it. We train intelligent devices to detect, understand, and respond to wild...

RACHEL KORETSKY

FOUNDER & CEO UPACE, CO-FOUNDER & DIRECTOR OF DC STARTUP & TECH WEEK

Embracing Community: A Founder’s Journey Through Entrepreneurship Entrepreneurship often carries an aura of glamour and excitement, but beneath the surface lies a challenging journey demanding resilience, creativity, and—perhaps most importantly—a strong community of support. As the Founder & CEO of Upace and Co-Founder & Director of DC Startup Week, I’ve...

DAN GAMBLE

FOUNDER AND PRINCIPAL, DGPR

Something I’ve found to be increasingly true in the communications profession is that there’s a wealth of untapped potential sitting under the surface. It’s why we’re seeing more and more chief communications officers join the ranks of executives at big tech organizations — and why progressive CEOs are investing more...

Jennah Purk

Jennah Purk

Founder & CEO - Purk Associates

Talking about innovation in accounting is sort of like talking about water and oil. They aren’t exactly synonymous, and while it’s not like we’re using an abacus, we’re not far off. It’s also not as boring as people think it is. But the two things that obstruct the industry are...

JESSICA MEDEIROS & SUZANNE DUNCAN

FEMME GAMING

As women representing a mosaic of cultural diversity in the esports and the traditional sport industry, both Jessica Medeiros & Suzanne Duncan are no strangers to the heavy lifts asked of female leadership at executive tables in the gaming space. As the founders of Femme Gaming, we are both passionate...

KIRBY WINFIELD

ASCEND VC - GENERAL PARTNER

Much like the adoption of electricity, however, the integration of AI into the core of the world’s companies will occur in phases. Initially, vertical (or “applied”) AI point solutions will arise and plug into existing workflows and frameworks. “Copilots” are one great example here; natural language programming and custom LLMs...

FABIENNE VERBEEK

FABIENNE VERBEEK

CEO, GLOBAL NEW AUTOMATION (GNA)

If you had said this to me 10 years ago, I might have laughed it off. But today, I am upgrading my company, watching it grow, and taking on new challenges. There is a passion in me that may not have been there before, which is why I’m giving back...

WILLIAM CHERNICOFF

PH.D.- TOYOTA MOBILITY FOUNDATION

Innovation has long been the buzzword in the tech world, a concept intertwined with progress, growth, and the future. But through my years of experience, I’ve realized there’s a distinct difference between mere innovation and social innovation. It’s like planting a tree without considering the forest. In contrast, social innovation...

DR. FIONA KERR

CEO AND FOUNDER, THE NEUROTECH INSTITUTE

With expertise in engineering, the cognitive sciences, and anthropology, I delight in looking at innovation from both a technological and a human perspective, and am fascinated by the intricacies of the process, and  how two aspects greatly impact its scope and quality. One is the benefit of deeply understanding the...

DAVID OWENS

DAVID OWENS

EVANS FAMILY EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE WOND’RY, VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY’S CENTER FOR INNOVATION

Nashville has always been a great place for members of the creative class. It has more than its fair share of the spirit of innovation and, as I was told when I moved here, more recording studios than bars and more microphones than people. And while the artistic creativity is...

Dr. Wayne Tamarelli, President - AWT Private Investments

Dr. Wayne Tamarelli

President - AWT Private Investments

As a CEO, entrepreneur, private company owner, and public company officer, Dr. Wayne Tamarelli’s 40+ years of experience have encompassed general management, entrepreneurship, new ventures, mergers and acquisitions, and many more. He also has investments in several wine industry businesses. His primary business activity is as a professional venture capital...

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...

DORRI MCWHORTER

DORRI MCWHORTER-PRESIDENT & CEO OF YMCA OF METROPOLITAN CHICAGO

PRESIDENT & CEO OF YMCA OF METROPOLITAN CHICAGO

  People will be studying the global pandemic’s effects on the workplace for decades to come. The trends it accelerated. The inequality it exposed. The countless challenges and opportunities it created. However, there is one thing that is already perfectly clear, and business leaders in every industry across the country...

INNOVATE® Ecosystems