Thought Leaders
INNOVATE™ South Africa
STEVE PINTO
CEO, NEW REALITY & CTRL ROBOTICS
Jobs are changing and evolving faster than anyone expected and humanity needs to embrace technology to accelerate for the better. People need more tools to upskill themselves out of poverty and away from the jobs robots will take. My vision is to create the tools to upskill humanity faster and...
INNOVATE® Washington DMV Edition
JEAN C. ACCIUS
PHD, PRESIDENT & CEO, CHC: CREATING HEALTHIER COMMUNITIES
Time is our most valuable asset. Once you lose it, you never get it back. Yet, millions of people across our country are robbed of priceless time. A Tale of Two CitiesIn the United States, there’s a strong likelihood that a person in one city might live 20 years longer...
INNOVATE® Tampa Bay Vol.3
Alex Sink
Tampa Bay WaVe
What we see in our startup community is so inspiring. There are so many entrepreneurs building companies with exciting technology and creative thinking. Problems are being solved and doors being opened. Tampa Bay is a community of great opportunities and wonderful people. It is the community that I have called...
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® Detroit
Fr. Tim McCabe, SJ
President & CEO, Pope Francis Center
When I arrived at the Pope Francis Center in downtown Detroit in 2015, our focus was on providing food and a space for respite for our friends experiencing homelessness. I quickly realized that while providing immediate relief is critical to staying alive, we were not doing enough to make a...
INNOVATE® Washington DMV Edition
RACHEL KORETSKY
FOUNDER & CEO UPACE, CO-FOUNDER & DIRECTOR OF DC STARTUP & TECH WEEK
Embracing Community: A Founder’s Journey Through Entrepreneurship Entrepreneurship often carries an aura of glamour and excitement, but beneath the surface lies a challenging journey demanding resilience, creativity, and—perhaps most importantly—a strong community of support. As the Founder & CEO of Upace and Co-Founder & Director of DC Startup Week, I’ve...
INNOVATE™ Stockholm
ROBERT FALCK
FOUNDER, EINRIDE
The road freight industry stands at a defining moment. Once constrained by the limits of diesel and incremental change, the $4.6 trillion global market is now poised for disruption at unprecedented scale. The catalyst is clear: artificial intelligence is rapidly redrawing the boundaries of what is possible in logistics, and...
INNOVATE® Chicago Vol.1
LESLIE J. ANDERSON
GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY EXPERIENCE AND U.S. CHIEF TECHNOLOGY RESILIENCY AND EXPERIENCE OPERATIONS OFFICER
Leslie J. Anderson is BMO’s Global Technology Experience and U.S. Chief Technology Resiliency and Experience Operations Officer. She is at the center of BMO’s Digital First strategy where she innovates and finds new ways to strengthen the employee experience. Like it or not, one can’t simply dissociate my experience in...
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™ Stockholm
Ann Molin
Hack for Earth - Founder & CEO
What if the next big breakthrough didn’t come from a boardroom or a lab, but from a team of global citizens with bold ideas? This is the essence of citizen-driven innovation—the foundation of the Hack for Earth movement that taps into the collective creativity of people from all around the...
INNOVATE® San Diego Vol.1
Jenn Foster
CEO - Elite Online Publishing
We often hear about the groundbreaking moment that inspires people, but for me, it was a series of moments that guided me. I’ve always had an entrepreneurial spirit; it runs in my blood. My grandfather and father were wonderful examples of leadership and the freedom that owning a company brings....
INNOVATE™ Bristol & Bath
Professor Hugh Brady
Vice-Chancellor And President, University Of Bristol
Innovation is the application of creative solutions to real-world problems – a basic maxim, and one that perhaps obscures the more complex processes that underpin its subject. In reality, innovation can require patient investment in both fundamental and applied research, cross-discipline and cross-sector collaboration, risk-taking, iteration, trust, vision and civic...
VOICES of the Future
CARA DE LANGE
THE FUTURE IS SOFTER
In the evolving corporate world, Cara de Lange stands out as a change-maker, TEDx speaker, author of ‘Softer Success,’ host of the Work Reset Revolution podcast, and a burnout researcher, advocating a shift from traditional corporate success to prioritizing employee well being. As the founder of Softer Success, Cara developed...
INNOVATE™ Vancouver Vol.2
VERN BICCUM
PRESIDENT, IRIDIA MEDICAL
In my experience, innovation is often misunderstood. It is frequently seen as relating only to what a business takes to market. Of equal importance is the application of how a business is run. Tapping into innovation can be a crucial process for improving the internal workings of enterprises. As entrepreneurs,...
INNOVATE™ Vancouver Vol.2
MATTHEW UNGER
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
Have you ever experienced the sinking feeling of discovering that your identity or credit card information has been stolen? I have. As a technologist, this experience led me on a personal journey to create new standards of trust, security, accountability, and privacy for every individual, every business, every transaction. While...
INNOVATE™ Montréal
Benoit-Antoine Bacon
President And Vice-Chancellor - Carleton University
Benoit-Antoine Bacon is President and Vice-Chancellor of Carleton University, an innovative and socially minded institution that is at the forefront of technological and social change for a better future. A Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience, he previously served as Vice-President, Academic, at Queen’s University and at Concordia University in his...
INNOVATE™ Flanders
YIN OEI
LIVING TOMORROW GROUP - CEO
In the ever-evolving landscape of technology and innovation, our greatest responsibility as leaders is to ensure that the advancements we champion do more than just enhance efficiency—they must also contribute to a sustainable and equitable world. My vision for the industry is centered around the seamless integration of technology into...
INNOVATE™ South Africa
JAYSHREE NAIDOO
CEO, YIEDI
Just over two decades ago I sat in a university lecture hall while pursuing an E Commerce course and we were introduced to our guest speaker for the day, she worked at a large bank, just like me, but her title fascinated me, she was called a “futurist”. Her main...
INNOVATE™ Oeiras
Pedro Rodrigues
Director-General, Desafio Global – Events And Activation Experience And Go Live – Digital Events
This “Life of Events” that I chose and am very proud of is in no way a normal life. A professional in this area is not just a service provider. I sincerely believe that most of us view each event as nothing less than a mission that transcends schedules, other...
INNOVATE® St. Louis
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™ Kitchener Waterloo
AMIN YAZDANI
PHD. CSP EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, CANADIAN INSTITUTE FOR SAFETY, WELLNESS, AND PERFORMANCE (CISWP)
For example, skilled trades are the backbone of our economy, yet the individuals who build our homes, roads, hospitals, and infrastructure often face preventable risks every day. How can we prolong working lives of our workforce in critical sectors? What if safety solutions were designed for everyone, not just the...
INNOVATE® Philadelphia
Jane Scaccetti
Co-Founder & CEO
In Philadelphia, we know a thing or two about innovation. Among my favorite Philly innovations are the country’s first hospital, university, postal service, zoo and computer. Likewise, over time, we have seen our great City of Brotherly and Sisterly Love grow and emerge as a leading professional destination for millennials....
INNOVATE® Georgia
BRIAN KEMP, GOVERNOR OF GEORGIA, ANDRE DICKENS, MAYOR OF ATLANTA
Andre Dickens, Mayor of Atlanta, Brian Kemp, Governor of Georgia, presenting at TAG’s GeorgiaTechnology Summit There is no doubt that Georgia is the leader of technology and innovation in the South. We’re very proud to say Georgia is the #1 state for business in the nation, which we’ve maintained for...
VOICES of the Future
AMNAH AJMAL
LEADING WITH HEART
Amnah Ajmal’s ascent to global corporate leadership is nothing short of riveting. She shines as Mastercard’s Executive Vice President, Market Development, Eastern Europe, Middle East, and Africa, covering 80 countries, and embodies the essence of inspiration. This conversation unveils her remarkable path through the ranks, highlighting a relentless pursuit of...
STEVE PINTO
CEO, NEW REALITY & CTRL ROBOTICS
Jobs are changing and evolving faster than anyone expected and humanity needs to embrace technology to accelerate for the better. People need more tools to upskill themselves out of poverty and away from the jobs robots will take. My vision is to create the tools to upskill humanity faster and...
JEAN C. ACCIUS
PHD, PRESIDENT & CEO, CHC: CREATING HEALTHIER COMMUNITIES
Time is our most valuable asset. Once you lose it, you never get it back. Yet, millions of people across our country are robbed of priceless time. A Tale of Two CitiesIn the United States, there’s a strong likelihood that a person in one city might live 20 years longer...
Alex Sink
Tampa Bay WaVe
What we see in our startup community is so inspiring. There are so many entrepreneurs building companies with exciting technology and creative thinking. Problems are being solved and doors being opened. Tampa Bay is a community of great opportunities and wonderful people. It is the community that I have called...
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...
Fr. Tim McCabe, SJ
President & CEO, Pope Francis Center
When I arrived at the Pope Francis Center in downtown Detroit in 2015, our focus was on providing food and a space for respite for our friends experiencing homelessness. I quickly realized that while providing immediate relief is critical to staying alive, we were not doing enough to make a...
RACHEL KORETSKY
FOUNDER & CEO UPACE, CO-FOUNDER & DIRECTOR OF DC STARTUP & TECH WEEK
Embracing Community: A Founder’s Journey Through Entrepreneurship Entrepreneurship often carries an aura of glamour and excitement, but beneath the surface lies a challenging journey demanding resilience, creativity, and—perhaps most importantly—a strong community of support. As the Founder & CEO of Upace and Co-Founder & Director of DC Startup Week, I’ve...
ROBERT FALCK
FOUNDER, EINRIDE
The road freight industry stands at a defining moment. Once constrained by the limits of diesel and incremental change, the $4.6 trillion global market is now poised for disruption at unprecedented scale. The catalyst is clear: artificial intelligence is rapidly redrawing the boundaries of what is possible in logistics, and...
LESLIE J. ANDERSON
GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY EXPERIENCE AND U.S. CHIEF TECHNOLOGY RESILIENCY AND EXPERIENCE OPERATIONS OFFICER
Leslie J. Anderson is BMO’s Global Technology Experience and U.S. Chief Technology Resiliency and Experience Operations Officer. She is at the center of BMO’s Digital First strategy where she innovates and finds new ways to strengthen the employee experience. Like it or not, one can’t simply dissociate my experience in...
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...
Ann Molin
Hack for Earth - Founder & CEO
What if the next big breakthrough didn’t come from a boardroom or a lab, but from a team of global citizens with bold ideas? This is the essence of citizen-driven innovation—the foundation of the Hack for Earth movement that taps into the collective creativity of people from all around the...
Jenn Foster
CEO - Elite Online Publishing
We often hear about the groundbreaking moment that inspires people, but for me, it was a series of moments that guided me. I’ve always had an entrepreneurial spirit; it runs in my blood. My grandfather and father were wonderful examples of leadership and the freedom that owning a company brings....
Professor Hugh Brady
Vice-Chancellor And President, University Of Bristol
Innovation is the application of creative solutions to real-world problems – a basic maxim, and one that perhaps obscures the more complex processes that underpin its subject. In reality, innovation can require patient investment in both fundamental and applied research, cross-discipline and cross-sector collaboration, risk-taking, iteration, trust, vision and civic...
CARA DE LANGE
THE FUTURE IS SOFTER
In the evolving corporate world, Cara de Lange stands out as a change-maker, TEDx speaker, author of ‘Softer Success,’ host of the Work Reset Revolution podcast, and a burnout researcher, advocating a shift from traditional corporate success to prioritizing employee well being. As the founder of Softer Success, Cara developed...
VERN BICCUM
PRESIDENT, IRIDIA MEDICAL
In my experience, innovation is often misunderstood. It is frequently seen as relating only to what a business takes to market. Of equal importance is the application of how a business is run. Tapping into innovation can be a crucial process for improving the internal workings of enterprises. As entrepreneurs,...
MATTHEW UNGER
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
Have you ever experienced the sinking feeling of discovering that your identity or credit card information has been stolen? I have. As a technologist, this experience led me on a personal journey to create new standards of trust, security, accountability, and privacy for every individual, every business, every transaction. While...
Benoit-Antoine Bacon
President And Vice-Chancellor - Carleton University
Benoit-Antoine Bacon is President and Vice-Chancellor of Carleton University, an innovative and socially minded institution that is at the forefront of technological and social change for a better future. A Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience, he previously served as Vice-President, Academic, at Queen’s University and at Concordia University in his...
YIN OEI
LIVING TOMORROW GROUP - CEO
In the ever-evolving landscape of technology and innovation, our greatest responsibility as leaders is to ensure that the advancements we champion do more than just enhance efficiency—they must also contribute to a sustainable and equitable world. My vision for the industry is centered around the seamless integration of technology into...
Pedro Rodrigues
Director-General, Desafio Global – Events And Activation Experience And Go Live – Digital Events
This “Life of Events” that I chose and am very proud of is in no way a normal life. A professional in this area is not just a service provider. I sincerely believe that most of us view each event as nothing less than a mission that transcends schedules, other...
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...
AMIN YAZDANI
PHD. CSP EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, CANADIAN INSTITUTE FOR SAFETY, WELLNESS, AND PERFORMANCE (CISWP)
For example, skilled trades are the backbone of our economy, yet the individuals who build our homes, roads, hospitals, and infrastructure often face preventable risks every day. How can we prolong working lives of our workforce in critical sectors? What if safety solutions were designed for everyone, not just the...
Jane Scaccetti
Co-Founder & CEO
In Philadelphia, we know a thing or two about innovation. Among my favorite Philly innovations are the country’s first hospital, university, postal service, zoo and computer. Likewise, over time, we have seen our great City of Brotherly and Sisterly Love grow and emerge as a leading professional destination for millennials....
BRIAN KEMP, GOVERNOR OF GEORGIA, ANDRE DICKENS, MAYOR OF ATLANTA
Andre Dickens, Mayor of Atlanta, Brian Kemp, Governor of Georgia, presenting at TAG’s GeorgiaTechnology Summit There is no doubt that Georgia is the leader of technology and innovation in the South. We’re very proud to say Georgia is the #1 state for business in the nation, which we’ve maintained for...
AMNAH AJMAL
LEADING WITH HEART
Amnah Ajmal’s ascent to global corporate leadership is nothing short of riveting. She shines as Mastercard’s Executive Vice President, Market Development, Eastern Europe, Middle East, and Africa, covering 80 countries, and embodies the essence of inspiration. This conversation unveils her remarkable path through the ranks, highlighting a relentless pursuit of...