Thought Leaders

Duncan J Wardle ID8 & INNOV8 In this brave new world, four of the traits we are all born with will rise to the top if we are to compete and find solutions to challenges big and small. We are all born creative, with an amazing imagination. We were once...

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...

We have worked with both the Portuguese and British Government, local municipalities and several institutions to find solutions and seek out opportunities to local, regional and global challenges and to support the private sector. Our primary mission is to promote bilateral trade and business opportunities between Portugal and the UK...

Taking hold of the opportunities derived from research excellence and innovation will help us to build a resilient, efficient, and informed health system that supports the future health and wellbeing of all South Australians. Research excellence and innovation will also play a vital role in our ability to proactively respond...

I’ve been the chief executive officer at MATTER — the global healthcare innovation hub headquartered in Chicago — since it was founded in 2015. Over the last five years, one of the most interesting dynamics we’ve observed — coming both from entrepreneurs developing novel technologies, as well as from large...

“We have little evidence that we are achieving success in one of the core challenges in Australia and internationally – breaking intergenerational cycles of disadvantage in all its forms.”(BetterStart, 2023) The quote above is from a submission by Dr. Rhiannon Pilkington and Professor John Lynch to our Royal Commission into...

“The sky is not the limit anymore.” Quite a bold statement, likely to provoke more than a few raised eyebrows or some smug laughter. It is, however, the proud motto and goal of the students that enroll annually in Thomas More’s ICE honours programme, tailored for those students who want...

Lord Brian Wilkie’s vision transcends the ordinary. He is positioned at the nexus of sustainability, climate change, and technological evolution, passionately weaving the future to serve humanity better. Since 1976, Brian (as he prefers) has called Dubai his home, emerging as a distinguished entrepreneur with landmark ventures like Wilkie’s Wine...

CEOs constantly hear noise about competitive “disruption” in their sectors, fueling concerns about their organization’s ability to innovate in an increasingly competitive and agile global market. This creates natural pressure to grow and meet earnings targets—but growth can be slow and expensive. With Open-Innovation and Co-Creation platforms, it doesn’t have...

There is no question that Mohandas Pai holds strong opinions on an impressive variety of subjects. He walks the talk too, playing key roles in financial governance,  democratic processes, civic issues, education, philanthropy and important in the context of this article, as an angel investor and a mentor. “What guides...

REIMAGINING HIGHER EDUCATION: UNG’s Bold Vision for the Future In an era of unprecedented change, higher education stands at a pivotal crossroads. As thought leaders in this space, we at the University of North Georgia (UNG) are not just adapting to this new landscape—we’re actively shaping it. Our vision is...

When you’re part of a family business with over 100 years of history, the questions often asked are: How do you stay relevant? What is the formula to successfully operate a business for that long? For us, the answer has always been about three things: resiliency, people, and leadership. Be...

How often have you heard something like this: “Australia makes up only 1.3% of global emissions, and therefore why is it so important for Australia to do anything in relation to renewable energy targets and lowering emissions as we are not going to make any difference?” Make no mistake, sitting...

Why do we pursue innovation in health care? The population is aging, and patients are entering the health-care system with more complex health needs. As a leader in world-first health-care research and as a part of the Ottawa community, The Ottawa Hospital pursues health-care innovation to support healthier populations while...

The most consequential economic development decisions a city makes are not about what gets built, but about the ecosystems those choices set in motion. When success isn’t defined by buildings alone, it is measured by whether developments create places where people can build skills, sustain meaningful careers, and put down...

Mieke Verstraeten is a Managing Director at induver, the sixth-largest independent broker on the Belgian insurance market. She, along with her husband Sjarel De Bondt, is also a second-generation shareholder in the company. induver’s vision for insurance is straightforward: individuals or companies should only take insurance for risks they are...

Some of the most meaningful innovations don’t begin with a grand plan. They begin when you hit a wall. A few years ago, we were developing a new therapeutic antibody. To really understand it, we had to figure out where it grabbed onto its target molecule—and what happened to that...

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...

Over two and half decades ago, I remember first picking up a mouse and keyboard to play Quake on a University lab computer for over eight hours straight. Fast forward to today, and that 3dfx Voodoo graphics card has been replaced with racks of memory laden GPU cards chained to...

In the media landscape, technology has been the ultimate disruptor—creating several inflection points that have changed the scope of reach for content and business models. To put the evolution of our industry and its future roadmap into perspective, we can take a closer look at the three waves of media....

To me, innovation is more than process and action – it’s a mindset. Innovation exists to break limits and barriers and turn new ideas and concepts into everyday activities. It’s the engine that will address the needs and gaps in our city to drive economic diversification and growth. Innovation is...

Experience Selling Is Here To StayWith the creativity of design professionals combined with the power of web-based analytics, we’ve been able to give leaders in organizations across the spectrum unparalleled opportunities to make presentations come alive. How? By transforming information and design into experiences that viewers can hear, see, and...

Deepak Mehta is the Ecosystem Developer for MCA, believing that we are solving the easily solvable problems and are left with the wicked problems that have no single solution and require cooperation to solve. Building an ecosystem helps strengthen the maritime sector by increasing its innovation readiness, but also attracts...

In early 2016, Instructure launched its Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DIB) Council to “make Instructure an awesome place to work for everyone.” Those were our words for the mission of the Council at the time, and building a workplace where people can thrive and develop in their careers remains a...