Thought Leaders

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...

INNOVATE™ South Africa

JOHN SANEI

JOHN SANEI INC. Building Your Personal Brand: Your Bridge To The Future

FOUNDER, JOHN SANEI INC.

I’m a futures strategist who combines human behaviour and future studies to create keynotes, masterclasses and books that help people, businesses and brands build the courage and clarity they need to forge the future they want. Driven by the real world, by humanity and ‘the now’, as a Futures Strategist...

INNOVATE™ Bristol & Bath

MAX BROWN

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...

INNOVATE™ Bristol & Bath

Sado Jirde

Sado Jirde

Director at BSWN

The West of England’s economy is worth £33 billion a year. Bristol alone, as the economic and innovative hub of the region, is worth £13.6 billion, and it is forecast to remain one of the UK’s fastest-growing economies for years to come. However, research undertaken by the Centre on the...

INNOVATE™ Bengaluru

Sunil Padmanabh

Sunil Padmanabh; Sunil Padmanabh-Imitation Is Not Innovation - Innovations Of The World

Enterprise applications consulting, digital transformation, cloud adoption strategies and innovation

How can startups scale up? What are the key drivers of innovation? On the flip side, what are the pitfalls? For answers to these questions, we spoke to an expert in the vibrant ecosystem. Sunil Padmanabh works with startups in Bengaluru and Indian cities at various stages of growth, from founders...

INNOVATE® Chicago Vol.1

JOAN M. STELTMANN

JOAN M. STELTMANN

FOUNDER AND CEO, BOUNCE CHILDREN’S FOUNDATION

FOUNDER AND CEO, BOUNCE CHILDREN’S FOUNDATION CHANGING OUR MINDSET WILL MOVE THE PRIVATE AND SOCIAL SECTORS CLOSER TOGETHER – ENHANCING BOTH. If you still say “Non-Profit”, it’s time to upgrade your thinking to “Not for-Profit”. Why? It conveys purpose and intention, without placing limitations on outcomes. For social service organizations,...

INNOVATE™ Vancouver Vol.2

RYAN PERNIA

RYAN PERNIA

PRESIDENT, ENTAX

Everyday I’m inspired by the innovators and their dreams to change the world. Our clients are building everything; from next-generation AI models, advanced robotics, creative and award-winning games, lifesaving medical devices, end-to-end software platforms, to environment saving industrial processes. As the founder of ENTAX, one of Canada’s preeminent Government Funding...

Global Innovation Spotlight

DR. JOE PEREZ

SENIOR SYSTEMS ANALYST, CHIEF TECHNOLOGY OFFICER, INTERNATIONAL KEYNOTE SPEAKER

BALANCING ART AND SCIENCE: THE POWER OF DATA STORYTELLING IN BUSINESS INTELLIGENCEAs a seasoned thought leader in the realm of data analytics and business intelligence, I am passionate about communicating the innovative role of data storytelling in effectively communicating data-driven insights. While different perspectives exist on its nature, some viewing...

INNOVATE™ Atlantic Canada

ALICIA ROISMAN ISMACH

HEAD OF FINTECH, ATLANTIC FINTECH

Looking back on Atlantic Canada’s fintech sector, I remember being impressed by the stark resilience of the entrepreneurs in the region. Incredible innovation was happening across the four provinces to revolutionize and digitalize under-developed technologies, particularly in back-end solutions of all industries—from banking and aviation to communications and human resources....

INNOVATE® Philadelphia: 250 Years of Innovation

PAUL LIEBERMAN, PH.D.

FOUNDING DIRECTOR, CENTER FOR ADVANCED THERAPEUTICS, THE WISTAR INSTITUTE

“The goal of Wistar’s Center for Advanced Therapeutics is to identify and support academic champions—scientists conducting foundational research—and surround them with the expertise needed to advance their discoveries toward clinical impact,” said Paul Lieberman, Ph.D., founding director of the Center for Advanced Therapeutics (CAT) at The Wistar Institute. “Ultimately, the...

INNOVATE® Puerto Rico

MARIA LUISA FERRÉ RANGEL

CEO GRUPO FERRÉ RANGEL (GFR)

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...

INNOVATE® Detroit

MICHAEL HEALANDER

AIRSPACE LINK, INC - PRESIDENT AND CEO

As we look to the skies, we’re witnessing a revolution in mobility that will transform our communities for the better. Drones are no longer just cool gadgets or military tools – they’re becoming powerful forces for good that can make our lives safer, easier, and more eco-friendly. At Airspace Link,...

INNOVATE® San Diego Vol.1

Kristin Gaspar

San Diego County Supervisor

The government is famous for operating under the philosophy – “If it ain’t broke, fix it till it is”. That may be why we throw millions, even billions of dollars at the same problem every year and get the same results. After being elected to the San Diego County Board...

INNOVATE® St. Louis

Jay King

Jay King

CEO - Simploy

St. Louis was born of innovation, and the city has always been shaped by the pioneer mentality. Since its founding in 1764 by Pierre Laclede as an outpost on the Mississippi River, St. Louis has been a place where entrepreneurs and thinkers gather. Innovation in the city began with Laclede’s...

INNOVATE® St. Louis

Josh Turner

Josh Turner

CEO - LinkedSelling

Founded by Wall Street Journal–bestselling author and CEO Josh Turner, LinkedSelling is the world’s foremost B2B marketing and lead generation company. One of the nation’s fastest-growing companies, we’ve made the Inc. 5000 list three years running and, most recently, have been listed as one of Entrepreneur’s 360 top entrepreneurial companies...

INNOVATE® Blockchain

CLAIRE CAWTHORN

CLAIRE CAWTHORN

CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER, HELICONNFT

NFTS AND GAMING: THE PERFECT MATCH?Hello, I’m Claire Cawthorn, Chief Marketing Officer of HeliconNFT, a play-to-earn NFT ecosystem that gives gamers the power to monetize their in-game assets by tokenizing them into NFTs and allowing them to play with these NFTs in amazing blockchain games on our platform. Throughout my...

INNOVATE™ Adelaide

RICHARD TURNER

FOUNDER ZEN ENERGY & DEPUTY CHAIR SA PREMIER’S CLIMATE CHANGE COUNCIL AUTHOR OF “THE ESSENTIAL ENTRE

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...

INNOVATE® Blockchain

WADE PEERY

WADE PEERY

CHIEF INNOVATIONS OFFICER, FIRSTBANK

INFLECTION POINTS AND NEW POSSIBILITIES As a career banker with over 30 years’ experience, I’ve seen a fair amount of change along the way. In retrospect, major inflection points, no matter how disruptive to traditional banking methods have been positive in terms of making the banking experience better for everyone....

INNOVATE® Tampa Bay Vol.3

Shane Needham

Shane Needham - The Engagement Economy I'm Talking About is Where Value is Created When Value is Given

In marketing, the Engagement Economy is defined as the competition for the valuable attention and cognitive bandwidth of a target audience. It’s a very real and valuable asset that is becoming more complex and harder to attain with each passing year. But, this is not the Engagement Economy I’m talking...

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® Philadelphia: 250 Years of Innovation

DAN RHOADS

CEO, RHOADS INDUSTRIES

At Rhoads Industries, innovation does not start with a product. It begins with a vision. As a 130-year-old, family-owned manufacturer, we don’t develop our own products; what we build is driven by our customers’ designs. Our role is to translate those ideas into reality through large-scale fabrication, welding, and assembly,...

INNOVATE® Orlando

MEGHAN WOLFGRAM

MEGHAN WOLFGRAM

CEO OF SWIFTPAWS

Any founder can recall times when they’ve been faced with seemingly insurmountable challenges, and know the experience of truly questioning themselves and their idea. In these moments, I’ve found two things in my personal startup journey that keeps me pushing forward. The first is an unwavering belief in my business....

INNOVATE™ South Africa

MIKE ABEL

MIKE ABEL

FOUNDING PARTNER: CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, M&C SAATCHI GROUP SOUTH AFRICA

Innovation for innovation sake has absolutely no purpose. It requires direction. It needs to convey a message, inspire curiosity, drive real change, shape the future, and influence action. It must have meaning. Combine this with entrepreneurship, and suddenly the world moves forward. Innovation thrives when curious and imaginative people ask...

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...

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...

JOHN SANEI

JOHN SANEI INC. Building Your Personal Brand: Your Bridge To The Future

FOUNDER, JOHN SANEI INC.

I’m a futures strategist who combines human behaviour and future studies to create keynotes, masterclasses and books that help people, businesses and brands build the courage and clarity they need to forge the future they want. Driven by the real world, by humanity and ‘the now’, as a Futures Strategist...

MAX BROWN

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...

Sado Jirde

Sado Jirde

Director at BSWN

The West of England’s economy is worth £33 billion a year. Bristol alone, as the economic and innovative hub of the region, is worth £13.6 billion, and it is forecast to remain one of the UK’s fastest-growing economies for years to come. However, research undertaken by the Centre on the...

Sunil Padmanabh

Sunil Padmanabh; Sunil Padmanabh-Imitation Is Not Innovation - Innovations Of The World

Enterprise applications consulting, digital transformation, cloud adoption strategies and innovation

How can startups scale up? What are the key drivers of innovation? On the flip side, what are the pitfalls? For answers to these questions, we spoke to an expert in the vibrant ecosystem. Sunil Padmanabh works with startups in Bengaluru and Indian cities at various stages of growth, from founders...

JOAN M. STELTMANN

JOAN M. STELTMANN

FOUNDER AND CEO, BOUNCE CHILDREN’S FOUNDATION

FOUNDER AND CEO, BOUNCE CHILDREN’S FOUNDATION CHANGING OUR MINDSET WILL MOVE THE PRIVATE AND SOCIAL SECTORS CLOSER TOGETHER – ENHANCING BOTH. If you still say “Non-Profit”, it’s time to upgrade your thinking to “Not for-Profit”. Why? It conveys purpose and intention, without placing limitations on outcomes. For social service organizations,...

RYAN PERNIA

RYAN PERNIA

PRESIDENT, ENTAX

Everyday I’m inspired by the innovators and their dreams to change the world. Our clients are building everything; from next-generation AI models, advanced robotics, creative and award-winning games, lifesaving medical devices, end-to-end software platforms, to environment saving industrial processes. As the founder of ENTAX, one of Canada’s preeminent Government Funding...

DR. JOE PEREZ

SENIOR SYSTEMS ANALYST, CHIEF TECHNOLOGY OFFICER, INTERNATIONAL KEYNOTE SPEAKER

BALANCING ART AND SCIENCE: THE POWER OF DATA STORYTELLING IN BUSINESS INTELLIGENCEAs a seasoned thought leader in the realm of data analytics and business intelligence, I am passionate about communicating the innovative role of data storytelling in effectively communicating data-driven insights. While different perspectives exist on its nature, some viewing...

ALICIA ROISMAN ISMACH

HEAD OF FINTECH, ATLANTIC FINTECH

Looking back on Atlantic Canada’s fintech sector, I remember being impressed by the stark resilience of the entrepreneurs in the region. Incredible innovation was happening across the four provinces to revolutionize and digitalize under-developed technologies, particularly in back-end solutions of all industries—from banking and aviation to communications and human resources....

PAUL LIEBERMAN, PH.D.

FOUNDING DIRECTOR, CENTER FOR ADVANCED THERAPEUTICS, THE WISTAR INSTITUTE

“The goal of Wistar’s Center for Advanced Therapeutics is to identify and support academic champions—scientists conducting foundational research—and surround them with the expertise needed to advance their discoveries toward clinical impact,” said Paul Lieberman, Ph.D., founding director of the Center for Advanced Therapeutics (CAT) at The Wistar Institute. “Ultimately, the...

MARIA LUISA FERRÉ RANGEL

CEO GRUPO FERRÉ RANGEL (GFR)

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...

MICHAEL HEALANDER

AIRSPACE LINK, INC - PRESIDENT AND CEO

As we look to the skies, we’re witnessing a revolution in mobility that will transform our communities for the better. Drones are no longer just cool gadgets or military tools – they’re becoming powerful forces for good that can make our lives safer, easier, and more eco-friendly. At Airspace Link,...

Kristin Gaspar

San Diego County Supervisor

The government is famous for operating under the philosophy – “If it ain’t broke, fix it till it is”. That may be why we throw millions, even billions of dollars at the same problem every year and get the same results. After being elected to the San Diego County Board...

Jay King

Jay King

CEO - Simploy

St. Louis was born of innovation, and the city has always been shaped by the pioneer mentality. Since its founding in 1764 by Pierre Laclede as an outpost on the Mississippi River, St. Louis has been a place where entrepreneurs and thinkers gather. Innovation in the city began with Laclede’s...

Josh Turner

Josh Turner

CEO - LinkedSelling

Founded by Wall Street Journal–bestselling author and CEO Josh Turner, LinkedSelling is the world’s foremost B2B marketing and lead generation company. One of the nation’s fastest-growing companies, we’ve made the Inc. 5000 list three years running and, most recently, have been listed as one of Entrepreneur’s 360 top entrepreneurial companies...

CLAIRE CAWTHORN

CLAIRE CAWTHORN

CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER, HELICONNFT

NFTS AND GAMING: THE PERFECT MATCH?Hello, I’m Claire Cawthorn, Chief Marketing Officer of HeliconNFT, a play-to-earn NFT ecosystem that gives gamers the power to monetize their in-game assets by tokenizing them into NFTs and allowing them to play with these NFTs in amazing blockchain games on our platform. Throughout my...

RICHARD TURNER

FOUNDER ZEN ENERGY & DEPUTY CHAIR SA PREMIER’S CLIMATE CHANGE COUNCIL AUTHOR OF “THE ESSENTIAL ENTRE

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...

WADE PEERY

WADE PEERY

CHIEF INNOVATIONS OFFICER, FIRSTBANK

INFLECTION POINTS AND NEW POSSIBILITIES As a career banker with over 30 years’ experience, I’ve seen a fair amount of change along the way. In retrospect, major inflection points, no matter how disruptive to traditional banking methods have been positive in terms of making the banking experience better for everyone....

Shane Needham

Shane Needham - The Engagement Economy I'm Talking About is Where Value is Created When Value is Given

In marketing, the Engagement Economy is defined as the competition for the valuable attention and cognitive bandwidth of a target audience. It’s a very real and valuable asset that is becoming more complex and harder to attain with each passing year. But, this is not the Engagement Economy I’m talking...

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?...

DAN RHOADS

CEO, RHOADS INDUSTRIES

At Rhoads Industries, innovation does not start with a product. It begins with a vision. As a 130-year-old, family-owned manufacturer, we don’t develop our own products; what we build is driven by our customers’ designs. Our role is to translate those ideas into reality through large-scale fabrication, welding, and assembly,...

MEGHAN WOLFGRAM

MEGHAN WOLFGRAM

CEO OF SWIFTPAWS

Any founder can recall times when they’ve been faced with seemingly insurmountable challenges, and know the experience of truly questioning themselves and their idea. In these moments, I’ve found two things in my personal startup journey that keeps me pushing forward. The first is an unwavering belief in my business....

MIKE ABEL

MIKE ABEL

FOUNDING PARTNER: CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, M&C SAATCHI GROUP SOUTH AFRICA

Innovation for innovation sake has absolutely no purpose. It requires direction. It needs to convey a message, inspire curiosity, drive real change, shape the future, and influence action. It must have meaning. Combine this with entrepreneurship, and suddenly the world moves forward. Innovation thrives when curious and imaginative people ask...

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® Ecosystems