Thought Leaders
INNOVATE® Phoenix
Deborah Helitzer
Dean and Professor - College Of Health Solutions, Arizona State University
IntroductionThe College of Health Solutions at Arizona State University was formed in 2012 to offer students an education in ten health disciplines. In 2017, the college began a major transformation to better align with its mission to address the nation’s most pressing health challenges, eliminating disciplinary divisions and better positioning...
INNOVATE® Georgia
DR. HANK CAPPS
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, CHIEF INFORMATION AND DIGITAL OFFICER AT WELLSTAR HEALTH SYSTEM, PRESIDENT AT CATALYST BY WELLSTAR
Healthcare is personal. We are all one diagnosis away from being a patient. To a doctor, the relationship with a patient is one of the most sacred connections. To the patient, it is almost always a moment of anxiety and fear. As a family doctor, I’ve seen this moment of...
INNOVATE™ Adelaide
TONY LAWRENCE
CHIEF REVENUE OFFICER (CRO), MIGHTY KINGDOM
Adelaide has a decades-long history with games. Ratbag Games opened a studio in the 1990s and had success with its Powerslide games before it was acquired by Midway Games in the mid-2000s, and then closed quite suddenly. Krome, an Australian based game developer picked up where Midway left off, lasting...
INNOVATE™ Toronto
ABDULLAH SNOBAR
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE DMZ AND CEO OF DMZ VENTURES
Let’s be real: Toronto tech has been hitting it out of the park lately. The ecosystem has soared to new highs. Venture funding deals are crushing new records. The GTA is rich with leading innovation hubs. Merger and acquisition activity is revving up. We’re now rated as North America’s fastest-growing...
INNOVATE™ Adelaide
LOUISE NOBES
CEO, 42 ADELAIDE
n I discovered 42 in France it was my ‘eureka” moment! A school that had mastered the way to disrupt learning, so it could serve a more authentic purpose. A belief that ‘everyone can be great’ and ‘someone’s social status should not hinder them from learning’. With this belief at...
INNOVATE® Washington DMV Edition
SEEMA ALEXANDER
PRESIDENT & CO-FOUNDER, VIRGENT AI
We are amid society’s most unprecedented era of technological innovation – the next industrial revolution driven by the mainstream adoption of artificial intelligence (AI). For CEOs, founders, and organization leaders, this period surpasses the advent and rise of the internet. New business categories will emerge, while many companies that resist...
INNOVATE™ Botswana Vol.1
Thapelo Letsholo
Publishing Partner, Africa & Middle East | Bolden
Publishing Partner, Global Village Publishing Thapelo Letsholo is a Botswana entrepreneur, publisher and former legislator. He leads Global Village Publishing partnerships and initiatives across Africa and the Middle East, advancing a growing portfolio of flagship series, regional editions, bespoke publications and commissioned editorial projects. His work centres on developing publishing platforms...
INNOVATE™ Alberta
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...
INNOVATION Quebec
GRAHAM CARR
PRESIDENT & VICE-CHANCELLOR, CONCORDIA UNIVERSITY
Montreal is the city with the largest concentration of university students per capita in North America. It has a completely unique mix of French and English and attracts students from more than 155 countries worldwide. Montreal is not just Canada’s leading centre for university research, it’s a world leader in...
INNOVATE™ Vancouver Vol.2
Jeanette Jackson
CEO, Foresight CAC: Canada’s Future Economy is Innovative, Green and Cleantech Dri
The Economy is Transforming As the world shifts into a zero-emission sustainable economy, there will be a transformation of the entire infrastructure of our society. Canada has a role to play in this shift, and I believe British Columbia should take a profound and pivotable leadership role in this transition....
INNOVATE™ Vancouver Vol.2
Michael Volker
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® Orlando
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™ Alberta
JAMES KEIRSTEAD
CO-CHAIR, EDMONTON REGIONAL INNOVATION NETWORK (ERIN)
INNOVATION, ENTREPRENEURSHIP, AND CREATIVITYExperience has taught me that innovation is not just about creating something new, it also includes making improvements to existing products or systems. It is about taking a creative approach to problem solving and producing solutions that are unique, interesting, and useful. Innovation and entrepreneurship go hand-in-hand...
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™ Adelaide
LITSA ADAMOU
HOUSE INSPECT AUSTRALIA WESTERN ADELAIDE
Building and construction are one of the largest industries in Australia, and women account for only 12.9% of its current workforce, with only 2.5% actively working in a trade. It is no secret that women are traditionally underrepresented in the construction industry, but in 2023, these percentages seem unacceptable. As...
INNOVATE™ Stockholm
JENNY RINGSÖ
FOUNDER & CREATIVE DIRECTOR, I AM YOUR SISTER (IAYS)
THE LIFESTYLE OF NOT GIVING UP Entrepreneurship isn’t a job, it’s a lifestyle. A way of living built on persistence, humility, and the willingness to reinvent yourself again and again. When you decide to follow an idea, you don’t just commit to a vision. You commit to setbacks, uncertainty, and...
INNOVATE™ Stockholm
LARS-GÖRAN FRÖJD
FOUNDER & CEO, VIRTUAL MANAGEMENT
An innovative culture is shifting but it must define areas of curiosity that mixes with experience and then you could open your eyes and find the intangible assets that all individuals and organizations have. When we established Virtual Management back in 1995 the knowledge of “virtual” was very limited and...
INNOVATE™ Adelaide
GREG JOHANSEN
MANAGING DIRECTOR & CEO, AUSHEALTH
Since our formation, I have been constantly motivated by the impact that medical research can have on our community. It’s a challenging field, and it requires a lot of hard work, dedication, and perseverance – sometimes years in the making – but the positive results we see makes it all...
INNOVATE™ Adelaide
HEATHER CROALL
DIRECTOR AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE, ADELAIDE FRINGE
Innovation is a core value at Adelaide Fringe. It’s something I’ve focused on since I took on the role as Director and Chief Executive in 2015, implementing an agile and inclusive model to help artists, producers and presenters thrive in South Australia’s arts industry. Adelaide is the ultimate city for...
INNOVATE® New Jersey Vol.2
THERESA A LYONS
FOUNDER, LYONS & ASSOCIATES, P.C.
A LEGACY IN THE MAKINGOur clients are the heartbeat of our existence. They remind us why we chose this path. They are the reason we fight, innovate, and care. We carry their battles as if they were our own because, in truth, they are. The discipline of law falls under...
INNOVATE® Detroit
TINA KOZAK
FRANCO - CEO
It’s an amazing time to be a Detroiter. Yes, the city has its fair share of challenges, but its reputation is on the rise. As noted in a recent PR News article about Detroit’s renaissance, “Behind every rehabbed reputation lies really hard work, dedicated individuals and, of course, some strategic...
INNOVATE™ Alberta
JADE ALBERTS
FOUNDER, PEER GUIDANCE
Being an entrepreneur can be very lonely at times, that is why I am such an advocate for mental wellness. I have talked to many entrepreneurs that had no one to turn to, and if they did, it would have made a difference. I am no expert in this mental...
INNOVATE® Chicago Vol.1
DORRI MCWHORTER
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...
Deborah Helitzer
Dean and Professor - College Of Health Solutions, Arizona State University
IntroductionThe College of Health Solutions at Arizona State University was formed in 2012 to offer students an education in ten health disciplines. In 2017, the college began a major transformation to better align with its mission to address the nation’s most pressing health challenges, eliminating disciplinary divisions and better positioning...
DR. HANK CAPPS
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, CHIEF INFORMATION AND DIGITAL OFFICER AT WELLSTAR HEALTH SYSTEM, PRESIDENT AT CATALYST BY WELLSTAR
Healthcare is personal. We are all one diagnosis away from being a patient. To a doctor, the relationship with a patient is one of the most sacred connections. To the patient, it is almost always a moment of anxiety and fear. As a family doctor, I’ve seen this moment of...
TONY LAWRENCE
CHIEF REVENUE OFFICER (CRO), MIGHTY KINGDOM
Adelaide has a decades-long history with games. Ratbag Games opened a studio in the 1990s and had success with its Powerslide games before it was acquired by Midway Games in the mid-2000s, and then closed quite suddenly. Krome, an Australian based game developer picked up where Midway left off, lasting...
ABDULLAH SNOBAR
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE DMZ AND CEO OF DMZ VENTURES
Let’s be real: Toronto tech has been hitting it out of the park lately. The ecosystem has soared to new highs. Venture funding deals are crushing new records. The GTA is rich with leading innovation hubs. Merger and acquisition activity is revving up. We’re now rated as North America’s fastest-growing...
LOUISE NOBES
CEO, 42 ADELAIDE
n I discovered 42 in France it was my ‘eureka” moment! A school that had mastered the way to disrupt learning, so it could serve a more authentic purpose. A belief that ‘everyone can be great’ and ‘someone’s social status should not hinder them from learning’. With this belief at...
SEEMA ALEXANDER
PRESIDENT & CO-FOUNDER, VIRGENT AI
We are amid society’s most unprecedented era of technological innovation – the next industrial revolution driven by the mainstream adoption of artificial intelligence (AI). For CEOs, founders, and organization leaders, this period surpasses the advent and rise of the internet. New business categories will emerge, while many companies that resist...
Thapelo Letsholo
Publishing Partner, Africa & Middle East | Bolden
Publishing Partner, Global Village Publishing Thapelo Letsholo is a Botswana entrepreneur, publisher and former legislator. He leads Global Village Publishing partnerships and initiatives across Africa and the Middle East, advancing a growing portfolio of flagship series, regional editions, bespoke publications and commissioned editorial projects. His work centres on developing publishing platforms...
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...
GRAHAM CARR
PRESIDENT & VICE-CHANCELLOR, CONCORDIA UNIVERSITY
Montreal is the city with the largest concentration of university students per capita in North America. It has a completely unique mix of French and English and attracts students from more than 155 countries worldwide. Montreal is not just Canada’s leading centre for university research, it’s a world leader in...
Jeanette Jackson
CEO, Foresight CAC: Canada’s Future Economy is Innovative, Green and Cleantech Dri
The Economy is Transforming As the world shifts into a zero-emission sustainable economy, there will be a transformation of the entire infrastructure of our society. Canada has a role to play in this shift, and I believe British Columbia should take a profound and pivotable leadership role in this transition....
Michael Volker
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...
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?...
JAMES KEIRSTEAD
CO-CHAIR, EDMONTON REGIONAL INNOVATION NETWORK (ERIN)
INNOVATION, ENTREPRENEURSHIP, AND CREATIVITYExperience has taught me that innovation is not just about creating something new, it also includes making improvements to existing products or systems. It is about taking a creative approach to problem solving and producing solutions that are unique, interesting, and useful. Innovation and entrepreneurship go hand-in-hand...
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...
LITSA ADAMOU
HOUSE INSPECT AUSTRALIA WESTERN ADELAIDE
Building and construction are one of the largest industries in Australia, and women account for only 12.9% of its current workforce, with only 2.5% actively working in a trade. It is no secret that women are traditionally underrepresented in the construction industry, but in 2023, these percentages seem unacceptable. As...
JENNY RINGSÖ
FOUNDER & CREATIVE DIRECTOR, I AM YOUR SISTER (IAYS)
THE LIFESTYLE OF NOT GIVING UP Entrepreneurship isn’t a job, it’s a lifestyle. A way of living built on persistence, humility, and the willingness to reinvent yourself again and again. When you decide to follow an idea, you don’t just commit to a vision. You commit to setbacks, uncertainty, and...
LARS-GÖRAN FRÖJD
FOUNDER & CEO, VIRTUAL MANAGEMENT
An innovative culture is shifting but it must define areas of curiosity that mixes with experience and then you could open your eyes and find the intangible assets that all individuals and organizations have. When we established Virtual Management back in 1995 the knowledge of “virtual” was very limited and...
GREG JOHANSEN
MANAGING DIRECTOR & CEO, AUSHEALTH
Since our formation, I have been constantly motivated by the impact that medical research can have on our community. It’s a challenging field, and it requires a lot of hard work, dedication, and perseverance – sometimes years in the making – but the positive results we see makes it all...
HEATHER CROALL
DIRECTOR AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE, ADELAIDE FRINGE
Innovation is a core value at Adelaide Fringe. It’s something I’ve focused on since I took on the role as Director and Chief Executive in 2015, implementing an agile and inclusive model to help artists, producers and presenters thrive in South Australia’s arts industry. Adelaide is the ultimate city for...
THERESA A LYONS
FOUNDER, LYONS & ASSOCIATES, P.C.
A LEGACY IN THE MAKINGOur clients are the heartbeat of our existence. They remind us why we chose this path. They are the reason we fight, innovate, and care. We carry their battles as if they were our own because, in truth, they are. The discipline of law falls under...
TINA KOZAK
FRANCO - CEO
It’s an amazing time to be a Detroiter. Yes, the city has its fair share of challenges, but its reputation is on the rise. As noted in a recent PR News article about Detroit’s renaissance, “Behind every rehabbed reputation lies really hard work, dedicated individuals and, of course, some strategic...
DORRI MCWHORTER
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...