Thought Leaders
INNOVATIONS in Pharmaceutical Development®
Karen Roy
Chief Strategic Officer - Phlexglobal
On joining Phlexglobal in 2007, and becoming immersed in the trial master file (TMF) space, I didn’t imagine that something that seemed to get so little focus (a TMF was really just a paper archive) could turn into such an innovative space. When I started, an eTMF was broadly an...
INNOVATE™ South Africa
WRENELLE STANDER
CEO, WESGRO
As Wesgro CEO (Wesgro is the official Trade and Investment Promotion Agency for Cape Town and the Western Cape), I am committed to doing my part in making the Western Cape one of the world’s leading regional economies. We recognise that to succeed in a changing world, we will be...
INNOVATE® Phoenix
Clate Mask, CEO & Co-Founder
KEAP
Back when our software was just an idea, my co-founders Scott and Eric Martineau wanted me to join them, and I was really hesitant. I had a business and a law degree, along with a mountain of debt, and just wanted to have a paycheck I could rely on. But...
INNOVATE™ South Africa
PADDY UPTON
LEADERSHIP COACH
Paddy brings over 25-years of experience working with high-performing teams in business and sport, across multiple industries and on five continents. Imagine you’re a team leader and you overhear one of your team speaking to their friends at a party. They’re saying something like, ‘‘I love the place I work....
INNOVATE® Tampa Bay Vol.3
MARLENE SPALTEN
PRESIDENT & CEO OF THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF TAMPA BAY
The COVID-19 pandemic affirmed what I’ve long believed: Crisis brings out the best in those who truly care about their community – and philanthropy is the place to turn both for immediate help and long-term resiliency. Philanthropy creates hope for those in need, and it creates a stronger connection between...
INNOVATE® South Florida
TERRY J. INGRAM
CEO - INGRAM ADVISORY GROUP
WHERE INNOVATION FEELS LIKE HOME Innovation isn’t just about creating something new, it’s about fostering an ecosystem where transformative ideas can thrive and scale. Over three decades, I’ve watched South Florida evolve into that ecosystem, where talent, capital, and global vision converge to shape the future of technology. For 30...
INNOVATE® Chicago Vol.1
Christine Schyvinck
President And CEO, Shure Incorporated
Business leaders choose different paths that eventually lead them to their present positions. Each individual journey can provide unique perspectives for unlocking success at their organizations. I’m proud of the path I chose, because it enabled me to immerse myself in the vision established by our Company’s founder, S.N. Shure,...
INNOVATE™ Oeiras
Luis Rocha Antunes
Managing Director, Acacia Point Capital Advisors - Portugal
The expansion of the world economy in the pre-pandemic period heightened efforts from companies looking to attract the best talent to provide an appealing workspace environment. Design, service, sustainability and experience became core requirements for the most successful and ambitious companies.The real estate industry responded and is evolving from simply...
INNOVATE® Detroit
LAURA L. CHAVEZ-WAZEERUD-DIN
PRESIDENT AND CEO, SOUTHWEST DETROIT BUSINESS ASSOCIATION
Innovation isn’t just about technology or groundbreaking inventions; it’s about fostering environments where communities thrive, cultures converge, and everyone has a seat at the table. As President and CEO of the Southwest Detroit Business Association (SDBA), I have the privilege of leading an organization that has been a cornerstone of...
INNOVATE™ Oeiras
Carlos Guillén Gestoso
President And Professor Of Atlântica - Instituto Universitário
It requires an effective link between the university and the business sector, which encourages higher education institutions to train professionals and what the labour market demands, in order to encourage companies to invest in research and development as a strategic activity to incorporate knowledge and progress. We understand that the...
INNOVATE® Tampa Bay Vol.3
JR Griggs
Founder & President Of Red Wall Marketing
I’ve had a passion for startups and innovation for a very long time. Actually, ever since I was just a little kid I’ve had that entrepreneurial spirit. I was the kid selling candy at school and mowing lawns on weekends and during summers. I always knew I would own a...
INNOVATE® Austin Volume 2
Eric Simone
CEO and CO-FOUNDER
EARLY INTERNET – SAN FRANCISCO, CA (1994 – 2003)As a kid in the early 80’s when I was obsessed with my Apple computer, my eyes were opened to the power of software. After an early start at IBM, I became an entrepreneur and moved to San Francisco. While my first...
VOICES of the Future
MARISA PEER
THE POWER OF ENOUGH
As I sit with Marisa Peer, I feel a sense of awe. Her groundbreaking work in Rapid Transformational Therapy (RTT) not only transforms lives but also reshapes the narrative around mental health and well-being for the future. My conversation with Marisa is a profound privilege. An award-winning therapist with a...
INNOVATION Quebec
MARIE CLAUDE LAGACÉ
DIRECTRICE PRINCIPALE, INNOVATION ET TRANSFORMATION SOCIALE
Plus jeune, j’adorais tous les jeux, du hockey bottine avec mon frère jusqu’au jeu d’échecs avec mon père. J’avais une certaine aversion pour l’ennuyant Monopoly, qui prenait invariablement fin lorsqu’une personne (habituellement ma sœur) provoquait la faillite des autres. Pas de tueur à démasquer, pas d’épique bataille navale, de dessins...
INNOVATE® Tampa Bay Vol.3
Jim Barnish
Jr. Thought Leader Of Morgan Hill Partners
Jim Barnish is a strategic change leader with over 15 years of leadership experience in global and integrated operations, M&A, and strategic go-to-market planning. Over the course of his career, Jim has successfully worked with companies undergoing roll-up mergers and acquisitions, accelerated business development, process improvement, change management, and operational...
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™ Vancouver Vol.2
DR. NIMA ZIRAKNEJAD – FOUNDER AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, NZ TECHNOLOGIES
DR. NIMA ZIRAKNEJAD – FOUNDER AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, NZ TECHNOLOGIES
Can we convert high-touch surfaces in such public spaces into safer and more hygienic areas? Research has shown that elevator buttons have caused the spread of COVID-19. COVID-19 taught us that we need to eliminate high-touch surfaces. Through the pandemic, we developed an awareness to remain as hygienic as possible...
INNOVATE® Nashville
ROD MCDANIEL
CEO, S3 RECYCLING SOLUTIONS
My career in the electronics recycling industry is a vehicle to fund my passion. Yes, it excites me to have a profession that reduces e-waste and creates a more sustainable planet. But my true passion is giving back to my community and putting technology in the hands of people who...
INNOVATE® Georgia
PAIGE NEEDLING
CEO, NEEDLING WORLDWIDE
As organizations look to innovate and stay ahead of the competition, it’s becoming increasingly clear that building a nurturing team and environment is key to driving innovation. A nurturing team is one that feels supported, encouraged, and empowered to take risks and try new things. A nurturing environment is one...
INNOVATE™ Vancouver Vol.2
CYBELE NEGRIS
CEO - WEBNAMES.CA
CYBELE NEGRIS Life is so fast-paced that we take too much for granted, whether it is the Internet which has now practically become a basic right or the growing role of women in positions of power, which is an outcome that has not come easily. All these giant leaps...
INNOVATE® Jacksonville
Brian Kornfield
Synapse - Building The Community, One Connection At A Time
Over the last year, I have been asked time and time again about my story: where I came from and why nobody knew my name. While the long answer involves transitioning from life as a rocket scientist to the President of Synapse (a 501c3 working to connect and organize the...
INNOVATE® Austin Volume 2
MARK MCCLAIN
CEO & CO-FOUNDER, SAILPOINT TECHNOLOGIES
A Perspective on InnovationInnovation can take many forms. For the tech industry, innovation is abusiness tool. This entails engineering new solutions to old problems,designing different approaches and different processes, and creating newstrategies and products to keep the company competitive. Austin hasnurtured a culture of innovation and groomed its tech industry...
INNOVATE™ Botswana Vol.1
MARTIN MOKGWARE
CHIEF EXECUTIVE, BOTSWANA COMMUNICATIONS REGULATORY AUTHORITY
What does innovation mean to you?Innovation simply means new ways of doing things and bringing in new ideas or improving what already exists to solve challenges brought about by new ways of living. Overtime, the word Innovation is commonly associated with technology for the simple reason that modern life is...
INNOVATE™ Bristol & Bath
MAX BROWN
Vice President Horizon 3 Technology
Although the aerospace industry finds itself in unprecedented times, at GKN Aerospace we have much to be excited about. Over the past 12 months we have maintained an important balance, with a firm focus on our short-term priorities in response to the corona virus pandemic, alongside continued support for our...
Karen Roy
Chief Strategic Officer - Phlexglobal
On joining Phlexglobal in 2007, and becoming immersed in the trial master file (TMF) space, I didn’t imagine that something that seemed to get so little focus (a TMF was really just a paper archive) could turn into such an innovative space. When I started, an eTMF was broadly an...
WRENELLE STANDER
CEO, WESGRO
As Wesgro CEO (Wesgro is the official Trade and Investment Promotion Agency for Cape Town and the Western Cape), I am committed to doing my part in making the Western Cape one of the world’s leading regional economies. We recognise that to succeed in a changing world, we will be...
PADDY UPTON
LEADERSHIP COACH
Paddy brings over 25-years of experience working with high-performing teams in business and sport, across multiple industries and on five continents. Imagine you’re a team leader and you overhear one of your team speaking to their friends at a party. They’re saying something like, ‘‘I love the place I work....
MARLENE SPALTEN
PRESIDENT & CEO OF THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF TAMPA BAY
The COVID-19 pandemic affirmed what I’ve long believed: Crisis brings out the best in those who truly care about their community – and philanthropy is the place to turn both for immediate help and long-term resiliency. Philanthropy creates hope for those in need, and it creates a stronger connection between...
TERRY J. INGRAM
CEO - INGRAM ADVISORY GROUP
WHERE INNOVATION FEELS LIKE HOME Innovation isn’t just about creating something new, it’s about fostering an ecosystem where transformative ideas can thrive and scale. Over three decades, I’ve watched South Florida evolve into that ecosystem, where talent, capital, and global vision converge to shape the future of technology. For 30...
Christine Schyvinck
President And CEO, Shure Incorporated
Business leaders choose different paths that eventually lead them to their present positions. Each individual journey can provide unique perspectives for unlocking success at their organizations. I’m proud of the path I chose, because it enabled me to immerse myself in the vision established by our Company’s founder, S.N. Shure,...
Luis Rocha Antunes
Managing Director, Acacia Point Capital Advisors - Portugal
The expansion of the world economy in the pre-pandemic period heightened efforts from companies looking to attract the best talent to provide an appealing workspace environment. Design, service, sustainability and experience became core requirements for the most successful and ambitious companies.The real estate industry responded and is evolving from simply...
LAURA L. CHAVEZ-WAZEERUD-DIN
PRESIDENT AND CEO, SOUTHWEST DETROIT BUSINESS ASSOCIATION
Innovation isn’t just about technology or groundbreaking inventions; it’s about fostering environments where communities thrive, cultures converge, and everyone has a seat at the table. As President and CEO of the Southwest Detroit Business Association (SDBA), I have the privilege of leading an organization that has been a cornerstone of...
Carlos Guillén Gestoso
President And Professor Of Atlântica - Instituto Universitário
It requires an effective link between the university and the business sector, which encourages higher education institutions to train professionals and what the labour market demands, in order to encourage companies to invest in research and development as a strategic activity to incorporate knowledge and progress. We understand that the...
JR Griggs
Founder & President Of Red Wall Marketing
I’ve had a passion for startups and innovation for a very long time. Actually, ever since I was just a little kid I’ve had that entrepreneurial spirit. I was the kid selling candy at school and mowing lawns on weekends and during summers. I always knew I would own a...
MARISA PEER
THE POWER OF ENOUGH
As I sit with Marisa Peer, I feel a sense of awe. Her groundbreaking work in Rapid Transformational Therapy (RTT) not only transforms lives but also reshapes the narrative around mental health and well-being for the future. My conversation with Marisa is a profound privilege. An award-winning therapist with a...
MARIE CLAUDE LAGACÉ
DIRECTRICE PRINCIPALE, INNOVATION ET TRANSFORMATION SOCIALE
Plus jeune, j’adorais tous les jeux, du hockey bottine avec mon frère jusqu’au jeu d’échecs avec mon père. J’avais une certaine aversion pour l’ennuyant Monopoly, qui prenait invariablement fin lorsqu’une personne (habituellement ma sœur) provoquait la faillite des autres. Pas de tueur à démasquer, pas d’épique bataille navale, de dessins...
Jim Barnish
Jr. Thought Leader Of Morgan Hill Partners
Jim Barnish is a strategic change leader with over 15 years of leadership experience in global and integrated operations, M&A, and strategic go-to-market planning. Over the course of his career, Jim has successfully worked with companies undergoing roll-up mergers and acquisitions, accelerated business development, process improvement, change management, and operational...
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...
DR. NIMA ZIRAKNEJAD – FOUNDER AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, NZ TECHNOLOGIES
DR. NIMA ZIRAKNEJAD – FOUNDER AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, NZ TECHNOLOGIES
Can we convert high-touch surfaces in such public spaces into safer and more hygienic areas? Research has shown that elevator buttons have caused the spread of COVID-19. COVID-19 taught us that we need to eliminate high-touch surfaces. Through the pandemic, we developed an awareness to remain as hygienic as possible...
ROD MCDANIEL
CEO, S3 RECYCLING SOLUTIONS
My career in the electronics recycling industry is a vehicle to fund my passion. Yes, it excites me to have a profession that reduces e-waste and creates a more sustainable planet. But my true passion is giving back to my community and putting technology in the hands of people who...
PAIGE NEEDLING
CEO, NEEDLING WORLDWIDE
As organizations look to innovate and stay ahead of the competition, it’s becoming increasingly clear that building a nurturing team and environment is key to driving innovation. A nurturing team is one that feels supported, encouraged, and empowered to take risks and try new things. A nurturing environment is one...
Brian Kornfield
Synapse - Building The Community, One Connection At A Time
Over the last year, I have been asked time and time again about my story: where I came from and why nobody knew my name. While the long answer involves transitioning from life as a rocket scientist to the President of Synapse (a 501c3 working to connect and organize the...
MARK MCCLAIN
CEO & CO-FOUNDER, SAILPOINT TECHNOLOGIES
A Perspective on InnovationInnovation can take many forms. For the tech industry, innovation is abusiness tool. This entails engineering new solutions to old problems,designing different approaches and different processes, and creating newstrategies and products to keep the company competitive. Austin hasnurtured a culture of innovation and groomed its tech industry...
MARTIN MOKGWARE
CHIEF EXECUTIVE, BOTSWANA COMMUNICATIONS REGULATORY AUTHORITY
What does innovation mean to you?Innovation simply means new ways of doing things and bringing in new ideas or improving what already exists to solve challenges brought about by new ways of living. Overtime, the word Innovation is commonly associated with technology for the simple reason that modern life is...
MAX BROWN
Vice President Horizon 3 Technology
Although the aerospace industry finds itself in unprecedented times, at GKN Aerospace we have much to be excited about. Over the past 12 months we have maintained an important balance, with a firm focus on our short-term priorities in response to the corona virus pandemic, alongside continued support for our...