Thought Leaders
INNOVATE™ South Africa
CHRIS BOTHA
GROUP MANAGING DIRECTOR, PARK ADVERTISING
Is it possible to put a price on innovation? Not really. I mean, how do you put a price on something that is in essence non-tangible? And how do we know what the real value of innovation is? It is sadly something that is all too often underappreciated because innovation...
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® Puerto Rico
GIOVANNI MENDEZ
CEO, GEO
“PUERTO RICO IS BLOOMING AS A GLOBAL HUB FOR INNOVATION WITH COMPETITIVE TAX INCENTIVES, AND A HIGHLY SKILLED WORKFORCE… THE OPPORTUNITIES ARE ENDLESS.”– GIOVANNI MENDEZ, CEO, GEO Giovanni Méndez Feliciano has a bachelor’s degree in accounting and a Juris Doctor. Upon completion of the law degree, Giovanni took the Puerto Rico...
INNOVATE® Washington DMV Edition
MARCY EWALD
Most entrepreneurs we work with, including ourselves, have been building businesses for over a decade. Most are not working on the first business they started either. Even if the concept you’re currently working on doesn’t shake out, the lessons, the networks, and how you respond to success and failure will...
INNOVATE® Blockchain
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® Nashville
KEVIN JONES
CEO, CELERO
Historically, electronic payments solutions have been delivered by most banks as a secondary offering – often living in the bowels of the bank’s basements or tucked away into treasury as a secondary offering. Frankly, the early evolution of the payments landscape caused such posturing. Electronic payments and deposits were miniscule...
INNOVATE™ Atlantic Canada
ANDY FISHER
DIRECTOR, BOUNCE HEALTH INNOVATION
Are you a driven entrepreneur who’s passionate about improving the world around you? Then take a look at these two charts: One shows the growing prevalence of chronic disease at every age. The other shows how much we’re spending per person just to keep up. We are getting sicker earlier,...
INNOVATE® Austin Volume 2
John Oberg
DSW, is a Founder, CEO, Board Director, Advisor, and Investor
John Oberg, DSW, is a Founder, CEO, Board Director, Advisor, and Investor who is trusted by organizations to navigate growth, conflict, and change. He founded two Austin-based healthcare innovators, Sedera, a community-based medical cost-sharing organization, and Precina, a chronic care virtual medical practice. John serves on the board of directors...
INNOVATE® Milwaukee
Chris Carrillo
CEO of MetroMLS
Milwaukee is rapidly emerging as a technology hub, with real estate tech playing a key role. Leading the way is Metro Multiple Listing Service,which has transformed from a traditional listing database into a tech-driven powerhouse, reshaping how homes are bought and sold in Wisconsin. Founded in 1962 as a printed...
INNOVATE® Minnesota
Angelina Lawton
Founder - Sportsdigita
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...
INNOVATE™ Vancouver Vol.2
John Spence
Founder and Chairman - Karma Group
John Spence Founder and Chairman – Karma Group For nearly 30 years I’ve traveled all over the world to help businesses and people be more successful. I’ve worked for top tech companies such as Microsoft, IBM, Motorola, and Apple and have traveled to Palo Alto, Seattle, New York, Boston, Amsterdam,...
INNOVATE® Minnesota
Amy Fisher
Vice president - Padilla
BUILDING THOUGHT LEADERS, ONE BRAND AT A TIME Innovation has been described as a business strategy, a brand value, even an organizational characteristic. It implies continuous ideation, creativity, and execution based on an ability to understand and meet the needs of customers, employees, investors, and other key stakeholders. Innovation is...
INNOVATE® Gainesville
Eric Godet, SR
President/CEO - Greater Gainesville Chamber of Commerce
It has been about a year since I joined the Greater Gainesville Chamber of Commerce as President/CEO. Having served both business and the Chamber in various capacities over the years, I have the professional experience for this job, but what I really bring to the table is passion—we can be...
INNOVATE® Minnesota
Mouli Venkatesan
Senior Vice President & CIO - Optumhealth & Enterprise Clinical Technology
Innovation means constantly learning from experiences of the past and using those as guideposts and insights to invent a better future—in this case, to make the health care system serve everyone better. Innovation can mean many things. I look at Innovation using a lens of small “i” and BIG “I”...
INNOVATE™ South Africa
BRONWYN RUTH WILLIAMS
TREND TRANSLATOR: FUTURE FINANCE SPECIALIST, FLUX TRENDS
From my perspective, one of the biggest challenges facing South Africa is a double-edged sword: our ability to cope, even in the midst of crisis and chaos. South Africans are good at dealing with crises. We’ve had practice. For as long as anyone alive can remember, South Africa has leapt...
VOICES of the Future
DAVID SHRIER
THE HARMONY OF HUMAN INGENUITY AND AI
David Shrier, a notable professor at Imperial College London and co-director of the Trusted AI Institute, stands at the intersection of technology and humanity. His work, transcending academia, delves into the commercialization of AI and digital assets, influencing top tier corporations and governments alike. Through our conversation, it is clear...
INNOVATE® Jacksonville
Jim Stallings
CEO - PS27 Ventures
What is your vision for startup culture in Jacksonville? I believe Jax will become a first-tier city for entrepreneurs. We’re well on our way, there’s tremendous momentum and interest. We have all of the basics in place. We’ve been gifted a great natural environment that is a great place to...
VOICES of the Future
HASNAE TALEB
REDEFINING SUCCESS IN A CHANGING WORLD
It’s a rare privilege to connect – and connect so deeply – with someone like Hasnae Taleb, a remarkable embodiment of success and inspiration. As I sit down with her, I find myself in awe of her journey, achievements, and vision for the future. “At a young age, we all...
INNOVATE™ South Africa
MIKE JOUBERT
FOUNDER, BILLYBO GROUP
As a changemaker with over 35 years’ experience, I believe innovation is a critical tool to address a deeper human need to be better for a greater good. The culmination of a rewarding career has led me to creating the Billybo Group, a human-centred solutions collective. To help make a...
INNOVATE® New Jersey Vol.2
Chris Sugden
Managing Partner - Edison Partners
At Edison Partners, we believe that there’s no stronger relationship than the one an investor has with an entrepreneur and the management team. Trust and empathy are the foundations to a successful partnership. There’s a reason for that. Mutual understanding is the prerequisite for a great outcome. You each must...
INNOVATE® Tampa Bay Vol.3
DR. MIKE CARBERRY
COFOUNDER, OF ADVANCED MEDICAL INTEGRATION
Technological advances in medicine over the past 75 years have been the driving factor behind improved patient outcomes. However, one area of medicine, particularly in the outpatient setting which has lagged behind is a collaboration between independent providers. And this is one of the top complaints among patients who have...
INNOVATE™ South Africa
KIENO KAMMIES
CO-FOUNDER, INNOVATION CITY
I’m a capitalist with a social conscience. We should be trying to make a difference in other people’s lives so that they can also see the path ahead. Your future can only happen once you start living what you want to be. It is especially true in business as well....
Angela Renick
Owner - A`Vie Events
Angela Renick Owner – A`Vie Events Angela Renick has been planning events in Gainesville for 30 years. She began in 1996 with a part-time wedding coordination business, which has continued to expand over the years. She has planned many events along the way during these years. In 2005, she opened...
INNOVATE® South Carolina
Andrew Strickland
Co-Founder & CEO, Code/+/Trust
At Code and Trust, we partner with founders, corporations, and government teams to challenge assumptions, move fast, and build software that drives real impact. My career has centered around one core belief: great ideas don’t fail because they aren’t good, they fail because they aren’t executed well. To me, innovation...
CHRIS BOTHA
GROUP MANAGING DIRECTOR, PARK ADVERTISING
Is it possible to put a price on innovation? Not really. I mean, how do you put a price on something that is in essence non-tangible? And how do we know what the real value of innovation is? It is sadly something that is all too often underappreciated because innovation...
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...
GIOVANNI MENDEZ
CEO, GEO
“PUERTO RICO IS BLOOMING AS A GLOBAL HUB FOR INNOVATION WITH COMPETITIVE TAX INCENTIVES, AND A HIGHLY SKILLED WORKFORCE… THE OPPORTUNITIES ARE ENDLESS.”– GIOVANNI MENDEZ, CEO, GEO Giovanni Méndez Feliciano has a bachelor’s degree in accounting and a Juris Doctor. Upon completion of the law degree, Giovanni took the Puerto Rico...
MARCY EWALD
Most entrepreneurs we work with, including ourselves, have been building businesses for over a decade. Most are not working on the first business they started either. Even if the concept you’re currently working on doesn’t shake out, the lessons, the networks, and how you respond to success and failure will...
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...
KEVIN JONES
CEO, CELERO
Historically, electronic payments solutions have been delivered by most banks as a secondary offering – often living in the bowels of the bank’s basements or tucked away into treasury as a secondary offering. Frankly, the early evolution of the payments landscape caused such posturing. Electronic payments and deposits were miniscule...
ANDY FISHER
DIRECTOR, BOUNCE HEALTH INNOVATION
Are you a driven entrepreneur who’s passionate about improving the world around you? Then take a look at these two charts: One shows the growing prevalence of chronic disease at every age. The other shows how much we’re spending per person just to keep up. We are getting sicker earlier,...
John Oberg
DSW, is a Founder, CEO, Board Director, Advisor, and Investor
John Oberg, DSW, is a Founder, CEO, Board Director, Advisor, and Investor who is trusted by organizations to navigate growth, conflict, and change. He founded two Austin-based healthcare innovators, Sedera, a community-based medical cost-sharing organization, and Precina, a chronic care virtual medical practice. John serves on the board of directors...
Chris Carrillo
CEO of MetroMLS
Milwaukee is rapidly emerging as a technology hub, with real estate tech playing a key role. Leading the way is Metro Multiple Listing Service,which has transformed from a traditional listing database into a tech-driven powerhouse, reshaping how homes are bought and sold in Wisconsin. Founded in 1962 as a printed...
Angelina Lawton
Founder - Sportsdigita
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...
John Spence
Founder and Chairman - Karma Group
John Spence Founder and Chairman – Karma Group For nearly 30 years I’ve traveled all over the world to help businesses and people be more successful. I’ve worked for top tech companies such as Microsoft, IBM, Motorola, and Apple and have traveled to Palo Alto, Seattle, New York, Boston, Amsterdam,...
Amy Fisher
Vice president - Padilla
BUILDING THOUGHT LEADERS, ONE BRAND AT A TIME Innovation has been described as a business strategy, a brand value, even an organizational characteristic. It implies continuous ideation, creativity, and execution based on an ability to understand and meet the needs of customers, employees, investors, and other key stakeholders. Innovation is...
Eric Godet, SR
President/CEO - Greater Gainesville Chamber of Commerce
It has been about a year since I joined the Greater Gainesville Chamber of Commerce as President/CEO. Having served both business and the Chamber in various capacities over the years, I have the professional experience for this job, but what I really bring to the table is passion—we can be...
Mouli Venkatesan
Senior Vice President & CIO - Optumhealth & Enterprise Clinical Technology
Innovation means constantly learning from experiences of the past and using those as guideposts and insights to invent a better future—in this case, to make the health care system serve everyone better. Innovation can mean many things. I look at Innovation using a lens of small “i” and BIG “I”...
BRONWYN RUTH WILLIAMS
TREND TRANSLATOR: FUTURE FINANCE SPECIALIST, FLUX TRENDS
From my perspective, one of the biggest challenges facing South Africa is a double-edged sword: our ability to cope, even in the midst of crisis and chaos. South Africans are good at dealing with crises. We’ve had practice. For as long as anyone alive can remember, South Africa has leapt...
DAVID SHRIER
THE HARMONY OF HUMAN INGENUITY AND AI
David Shrier, a notable professor at Imperial College London and co-director of the Trusted AI Institute, stands at the intersection of technology and humanity. His work, transcending academia, delves into the commercialization of AI and digital assets, influencing top tier corporations and governments alike. Through our conversation, it is clear...
Jim Stallings
CEO - PS27 Ventures
What is your vision for startup culture in Jacksonville? I believe Jax will become a first-tier city for entrepreneurs. We’re well on our way, there’s tremendous momentum and interest. We have all of the basics in place. We’ve been gifted a great natural environment that is a great place to...
HASNAE TALEB
REDEFINING SUCCESS IN A CHANGING WORLD
It’s a rare privilege to connect – and connect so deeply – with someone like Hasnae Taleb, a remarkable embodiment of success and inspiration. As I sit down with her, I find myself in awe of her journey, achievements, and vision for the future. “At a young age, we all...
MIKE JOUBERT
FOUNDER, BILLYBO GROUP
As a changemaker with over 35 years’ experience, I believe innovation is a critical tool to address a deeper human need to be better for a greater good. The culmination of a rewarding career has led me to creating the Billybo Group, a human-centred solutions collective. To help make a...
Chris Sugden
Managing Partner - Edison Partners
At Edison Partners, we believe that there’s no stronger relationship than the one an investor has with an entrepreneur and the management team. Trust and empathy are the foundations to a successful partnership. There’s a reason for that. Mutual understanding is the prerequisite for a great outcome. You each must...
DR. MIKE CARBERRY
COFOUNDER, OF ADVANCED MEDICAL INTEGRATION
Technological advances in medicine over the past 75 years have been the driving factor behind improved patient outcomes. However, one area of medicine, particularly in the outpatient setting which has lagged behind is a collaboration between independent providers. And this is one of the top complaints among patients who have...
KIENO KAMMIES
CO-FOUNDER, INNOVATION CITY
I’m a capitalist with a social conscience. We should be trying to make a difference in other people’s lives so that they can also see the path ahead. Your future can only happen once you start living what you want to be. It is especially true in business as well....
Angela Renick
Owner - A`Vie Events
Angela Renick Owner – A`Vie Events Angela Renick has been planning events in Gainesville for 30 years. She began in 1996 with a part-time wedding coordination business, which has continued to expand over the years. She has planned many events along the way during these years. In 2005, she opened...
Andrew Strickland
Co-Founder & CEO, Code/+/Trust
At Code and Trust, we partner with founders, corporations, and government teams to challenge assumptions, move fast, and build software that drives real impact. My career has centered around one core belief: great ideas don’t fail because they aren’t good, they fail because they aren’t executed well. To me, innovation...