Thought Leaders

INNOVATE™ Bristol & Bath

Paul O’Collins

Paul O’Collins

Head Of Innovation, Business West

Innovation means different things to different people. For me it’s not about petri dishes and lab coats, it’s about the process through which great ideas are turned into tangible, measurable value. It’s an iterative process. It’s not just about having the idea, but about taking the necessary practical steps to...

INNOVATE™ Toronto

DR. LASZLO RADVANYI

PRESIDENT AND SCIENTIFIC DIRECTOR, ONTARIO INSTITUTE FOR CANCER RESEARCH

The most powerful way to stop people from dying of cancer is to stop cancer from taking hold in the first place. That’s why researchers across Ontario are studying why and how cancer develops, looking back to the days before the first cancer cell divides to drive life-saving advancements in...

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™ Oeiras

DR. FRANCISCO PINTO BALSEMÃO

DR. FRANCISCO PINTO BALSEMÃO

FOUNDER OF IMPRESA

If we go back in History the invention of the wheel was a tremendous innovation. If we think about the future the spaceship that will transport human beings to a planet outside of the solar system will be a new unbelievable innovation. There are of course innovations of a smaller...

INNOVATE™ Adelaide

MR. OSCAR FIORINOTTO

FOUNDER & CEO, SUPASHOCK ADVANCED TECHNOLOGIES

FOSTERING A CULTURE OF LEADERS AND INNOVATIONI was fortunate to have an ambitious father who embedded leadership heavily into my life. I feel it is important for any leader to have a mentor, and this is the reason we focus so heavily on mentorship at Supashock. A mentor is someone...

AI Québec

ALEXANDRE LE BOUTHILLIER

ALEXANDRE LE BOUTHILLIER

CO-FOUNDER AND CHIEF CORPORATE OFFICER, IMAGIA

We sometimes forget the purpose of our work. In healthcare, the goal to make a positive impact on patients is present every day. This was the goal of the introduction of the first AI system in breast cancer screening… in 1998. Over the past 20 years, and especially with the...

INNOVATE® St. Louis

Emily Lohse Busch

Emily Lohse - Busch

Executive Director – Arch Grants

ST. LOUIS : A PLACE FOR SOLUTIONISTS. St. Louis is a community with deep civic pride. We’re aware of our challenges, but more importantly, we’re aware of our potential. As a person who has spent most of my career in the social sector, I am acutely aware of the role...

INNOVATE® San Diego Vol.1

Jim Filanc

Jim Filanc - Intelligent Cities Associates

Intelligent Cities Associates, LLC

Jim Filanc Intelligent Cities Associates, LLC Back in 2012, I wrote a White Paper entitled EnLighten San Diego when I had an insight into the strategic value of “power and perch,” two unique characteristics of streetlights. Streetlights are everywhere in most cities, but in San Diego, we envisioned attaching Small...

INNOVATION Quebec

CHRISTIAN AGBOBLI

Vice-Recteur à la Recherche, à la création et à la diffusion

This recognition of Quebec’s distinctive character in various fields is the outcome of a committed effort involving university research and innovation. Universities have spearheaded innovation through their large-scale research structures. Innovation is a process, an approach and a result that provides a new and different character to our ways of...

INNOVATIONS in Pharmaceutical Development®

Cristina Campos

Cristina Campos - Country President

Country President, Novartis Portugal & Head Integrated Access Programs & Markets Novartis Global Hea

Healthcare is a top priority of an aging society, this industry is key in the development of innovative treatments to address society’s needs and to foster better health, for longer and healthier lives. COVID-19 only made this clearer. With a global scale and deep understanding of healthcare needs, the pharma...

INNOVATE® Tampa Bay Vol.3

Lakshmi Shenoy

Embarc Collective-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® San Diego Vol.1

Mitchell Kronenberg

Mitchell Kronenberg

PHD, President & Chief Scientific Officer

As a top-ranked research institute, innovation is at the heart of what we do. Naturally, I think a lot about how to create an environment where ideas flow freely and scientists can do their best work. For most of us, novel and useful ideas don’t just spontaneously spring to life,...

INNOVATE® South Florida

DR. KEVIN COX

PROFESSOR - FAU TECH RUNWAY®

Reflection on the Evolution of South Florida’s Innovation Ecosystem For more than a decade, it’s been my honor and privilege to be deeply immersed within the South Florida entrepreneurial and innovation ecosystem. As the Director of Florida Atlantic University’s Adams Center for Entrepreneurship, a member of Tech Runway’s Board, a...

INNOVATE® Georgia

RT EVANS

PRESIDENT & CEO, EVANS GENERAL CONTRACTORS

Evans was founded on the mindset that execution of complex design-build projects is achieved through team synergy, a focus on client needs, and innovative problem solving. While design-build is an essential part of our business, Evans’ approach to all projects, regardless of the delivery method, is created with the same...

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...

INNOVATE® Austin Volume 2

Ashland Viscosi

Founder - Creatives Meet Business (CMB)

Austin has long been known as a hub of and for creativity. Monikers like the “Live Music Capital of the  World” and “Keep Austin Weird” are known by those far outside of Austin’s City Limits. While it might have been music that initially landed Austin on the map, it’s our...

INNOVATE® Phoenix

Justin Gray

Justin Gray

CEO - LeadMD

Introduction Justin Gray is a serial entrepreneur, who has launched four multi-million dollar companies, become a recognized speaker and been published over 350 times throughout his career. Justin is the CEO and founder of LeadMD, a role he’s held for the past ten years. He also co-founded PaidSuite, a SaaS...

INNOVATE® Maryland

DR. ELIZABETH CLAYBORNE

CEO & CO-FOUNDER AT NASACLIP

I am an ER doctor, a mom, a Black woman, and the CEO of a medical device company. These roles are not separate – they intertwine and fuel my vision for impact. My journey into entrepreneurship started in the chaos of the emergency room, where I treated countless patients for...

INNOVATE™ Stockholm

PATRIK STRÖMBERG

PHD MBA, CEO AT ANACARDIO

I have spent my entire career in Stockholm’s vibrant Life Science innovation space, with renowned universities, great scientists, and companies. After attaining a PhD in Biochemistry from Karolinska Institutet, I have held various positions within R&D and corporate development at Astra Zeneca and Swedish Orphan Biovitrum (Sobi), such as Vice...

INNOVATE® Orlando

David Brim

David Brim

Marketing Strategist, Entrepreneur, Investor & Founder - Orlando Entrepreneurs

David Brim is a marketing strategist, entrepreneur and investor living in Orlando, Florida. He is a founding partner of Orlando Opportunity Fund (OrlandoOpportunityFund.com), and the founder of Orlando Entrepreneurs (OrlandoEntrepreneurs.org), a network, podcast, and resource center created to connect, cultivate & celebrate Central Florida entrepreneurs. His primary professional focus areas...

INNOVATE™ Stockholm

OMID EKHLASI

FOUNDER & CEO, TECHARENA

The Power of Gathering Over ten years ago, Techarena began in a small movie theater in southern Sweden. A group of founders stood on stage to pitch their ideas, full of hope and determination. Only eight people came to watch. It would have been easy to feel discouraged, but something...

INNOVATE® Washington DMV Edition

PROFESSOR TOMMY WHITE

DIRECTOR, VELORIC CENTER FOR ENTREPRENEURSHIP; SENIOR PROFESSORIAL LECTURER

PROFESSOR TOMMY WHITE, DIRECTOR, VELORIC CENTER FOR ENTREPRENEURSHIP; SENIOR PROFESSORIAL LECTURER, KOGOD SCHOOL OF BUSINESS; AMERICAN UNIVERSITY (AU)AU/KSB MBA ’95, BA HISTORY & ECONOMICS, UNC-CH ‘86 I often encounter bright minds shackled by a crippling anxiety: the fear of failure. It’s a common thread woven through the fabric of the...

INNOVATE® Orlando

Clayton Louis Ferrara

Clayton Louis Ferrara

Biologist and Executive Director of IDEAS For Us

The 21st Century is destined to be a watershed moment in human history. Our lack of timely action to thwart Global Warming will push us to the paramount of our human ingenuity. Will we rise to the challenge and preserve our institutions, global markets, and industries as we know them?...

INNOVATE™ Oeiras

WYGROUP

WYGROUP - Shaped by curiosity

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...

Paul O’Collins

Paul O’Collins

Head Of Innovation, Business West

Innovation means different things to different people. For me it’s not about petri dishes and lab coats, it’s about the process through which great ideas are turned into tangible, measurable value. It’s an iterative process. It’s not just about having the idea, but about taking the necessary practical steps to...

DR. LASZLO RADVANYI

PRESIDENT AND SCIENTIFIC DIRECTOR, ONTARIO INSTITUTE FOR CANCER RESEARCH

The most powerful way to stop people from dying of cancer is to stop cancer from taking hold in the first place. That’s why researchers across Ontario are studying why and how cancer develops, looking back to the days before the first cancer cell divides to drive life-saving advancements in...

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. FRANCISCO PINTO BALSEMÃO

DR. FRANCISCO PINTO BALSEMÃO

FOUNDER OF IMPRESA

If we go back in History the invention of the wheel was a tremendous innovation. If we think about the future the spaceship that will transport human beings to a planet outside of the solar system will be a new unbelievable innovation. There are of course innovations of a smaller...

MR. OSCAR FIORINOTTO

FOUNDER & CEO, SUPASHOCK ADVANCED TECHNOLOGIES

FOSTERING A CULTURE OF LEADERS AND INNOVATIONI was fortunate to have an ambitious father who embedded leadership heavily into my life. I feel it is important for any leader to have a mentor, and this is the reason we focus so heavily on mentorship at Supashock. A mentor is someone...

ALEXANDRE LE BOUTHILLIER

ALEXANDRE LE BOUTHILLIER

CO-FOUNDER AND CHIEF CORPORATE OFFICER, IMAGIA

We sometimes forget the purpose of our work. In healthcare, the goal to make a positive impact on patients is present every day. This was the goal of the introduction of the first AI system in breast cancer screening… in 1998. Over the past 20 years, and especially with the...

Emily Lohse Busch

Emily Lohse - Busch

Executive Director – Arch Grants

ST. LOUIS : A PLACE FOR SOLUTIONISTS. St. Louis is a community with deep civic pride. We’re aware of our challenges, but more importantly, we’re aware of our potential. As a person who has spent most of my career in the social sector, I am acutely aware of the role...

Jim Filanc

Jim Filanc - Intelligent Cities Associates

Intelligent Cities Associates, LLC

Jim Filanc Intelligent Cities Associates, LLC Back in 2012, I wrote a White Paper entitled EnLighten San Diego when I had an insight into the strategic value of “power and perch,” two unique characteristics of streetlights. Streetlights are everywhere in most cities, but in San Diego, we envisioned attaching Small...

CHRISTIAN AGBOBLI

Vice-Recteur à la Recherche, à la création et à la diffusion

This recognition of Quebec’s distinctive character in various fields is the outcome of a committed effort involving university research and innovation. Universities have spearheaded innovation through their large-scale research structures. Innovation is a process, an approach and a result that provides a new and different character to our ways of...

Cristina Campos

Cristina Campos - Country President

Country President, Novartis Portugal & Head Integrated Access Programs & Markets Novartis Global Hea

Healthcare is a top priority of an aging society, this industry is key in the development of innovative treatments to address society’s needs and to foster better health, for longer and healthier lives. COVID-19 only made this clearer. With a global scale and deep understanding of healthcare needs, the pharma...

Lakshmi Shenoy

Embarc Collective-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...

Mitchell Kronenberg

Mitchell Kronenberg

PHD, President & Chief Scientific Officer

As a top-ranked research institute, innovation is at the heart of what we do. Naturally, I think a lot about how to create an environment where ideas flow freely and scientists can do their best work. For most of us, novel and useful ideas don’t just spontaneously spring to life,...

DR. KEVIN COX

PROFESSOR - FAU TECH RUNWAY®

Reflection on the Evolution of South Florida’s Innovation Ecosystem For more than a decade, it’s been my honor and privilege to be deeply immersed within the South Florida entrepreneurial and innovation ecosystem. As the Director of Florida Atlantic University’s Adams Center for Entrepreneurship, a member of Tech Runway’s Board, a...

RT EVANS

PRESIDENT & CEO, EVANS GENERAL CONTRACTORS

Evans was founded on the mindset that execution of complex design-build projects is achieved through team synergy, a focus on client needs, and innovative problem solving. While design-build is an essential part of our business, Evans’ approach to all projects, regardless of the delivery method, is created with the same...

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...

Ashland Viscosi

Founder - Creatives Meet Business (CMB)

Austin has long been known as a hub of and for creativity. Monikers like the “Live Music Capital of the  World” and “Keep Austin Weird” are known by those far outside of Austin’s City Limits. While it might have been music that initially landed Austin on the map, it’s our...

Justin Gray

Justin Gray

CEO - LeadMD

Introduction Justin Gray is a serial entrepreneur, who has launched four multi-million dollar companies, become a recognized speaker and been published over 350 times throughout his career. Justin is the CEO and founder of LeadMD, a role he’s held for the past ten years. He also co-founded PaidSuite, a SaaS...

DR. ELIZABETH CLAYBORNE

CEO & CO-FOUNDER AT NASACLIP

I am an ER doctor, a mom, a Black woman, and the CEO of a medical device company. These roles are not separate – they intertwine and fuel my vision for impact. My journey into entrepreneurship started in the chaos of the emergency room, where I treated countless patients for...

PATRIK STRÖMBERG

PHD MBA, CEO AT ANACARDIO

I have spent my entire career in Stockholm’s vibrant Life Science innovation space, with renowned universities, great scientists, and companies. After attaining a PhD in Biochemistry from Karolinska Institutet, I have held various positions within R&D and corporate development at Astra Zeneca and Swedish Orphan Biovitrum (Sobi), such as Vice...

David Brim

David Brim

Marketing Strategist, Entrepreneur, Investor & Founder - Orlando Entrepreneurs

David Brim is a marketing strategist, entrepreneur and investor living in Orlando, Florida. He is a founding partner of Orlando Opportunity Fund (OrlandoOpportunityFund.com), and the founder of Orlando Entrepreneurs (OrlandoEntrepreneurs.org), a network, podcast, and resource center created to connect, cultivate & celebrate Central Florida entrepreneurs. His primary professional focus areas...

OMID EKHLASI

FOUNDER & CEO, TECHARENA

The Power of Gathering Over ten years ago, Techarena began in a small movie theater in southern Sweden. A group of founders stood on stage to pitch their ideas, full of hope and determination. Only eight people came to watch. It would have been easy to feel discouraged, but something...

PROFESSOR TOMMY WHITE

DIRECTOR, VELORIC CENTER FOR ENTREPRENEURSHIP; SENIOR PROFESSORIAL LECTURER

PROFESSOR TOMMY WHITE, DIRECTOR, VELORIC CENTER FOR ENTREPRENEURSHIP; SENIOR PROFESSORIAL LECTURER, KOGOD SCHOOL OF BUSINESS; AMERICAN UNIVERSITY (AU)AU/KSB MBA ’95, BA HISTORY & ECONOMICS, UNC-CH ‘86 I often encounter bright minds shackled by a crippling anxiety: the fear of failure. It’s a common thread woven through the fabric of the...

Clayton Louis Ferrara

Clayton Louis Ferrara

Biologist and Executive Director of IDEAS For Us

The 21st Century is destined to be a watershed moment in human history. Our lack of timely action to thwart Global Warming will push us to the paramount of our human ingenuity. Will we rise to the challenge and preserve our institutions, global markets, and industries as we know them?...

WYGROUP

WYGROUP - Shaped by curiosity

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® Ecosystems