Thought Leaders

VOICES of the Future

DR. MARK ESPOSITO

BEYOND THE HORIZON

Dr. Mark Esposito is a luminary at the intersection of economics, strategy, and the future. In our conversation, he unfolds our future, offering an insightful exploration into the themes of technological transformation, human-centric systems, and the architecture of tomorrow’s global systems. As a distinguished figure in the discourse of the...

INNOVATE™ Bristol & Bath

Natasha Swinscoe

Chief Executive, West Of England Academic Health Science Network (AHSN)

With over 20 years’ experience in the NHS, Natasha Swinscoe joined the West of England AHSN in 2015 and became Chief Executive Officer in 2018. Under her leadership, the AHSN has earned a reputation for its ambitious, system-wide vision for healthcare innovation and transformation, improving patient care and driving economic...

INNOVATE® Gaming & Esports

JOHN CASH, FOUNDER

JOHN CASH

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND PROFESSOR JCSU ESPORTS INITIATIVE

ServiceAt its essence is selflessly giving/providing necessities to others with no intent to benefit. Wow, this is how it resonated with me prior to my commissioning as a United States Air Force (USAF) Officer the Friday before a Mother’s Day graduation at Howard University. “I will support and defend the...

INNOVATE® South Florida

MELISSA MEDINA

CEO & PRESIDENT, eMERGE AMERICAS

Innovation has been a foundational principle I’ve seen throughout my life. As the first-generation daughter of immigrant parents from Cuba, I learned early on from my parents and grandparents how creative, innovative thinking can help me navigate everyday obstacles and unpredictable circumstances. This drive to continuously innovate and think bigger...

INNOVATE® Nashville

Deborah German

Deborah German

M.D. - University of Central Florida

Deborah German was appointed founding dean of the University of Central Florida College of Medicine in December 2006 following a distinguished career at Duke University, Vanderbilt University, and St. Thomas Hospital in Nashville, Tennessee. She has overseen the construction of UCF’s 375,000-square-foot medical school at Lake Nona and is now...

INNOVATE™ Estonia

KIRKE MAAR

HEAD OF AIRE CENTRE

Global competition is rapidly changing, requiring swift adaptation while simultaneously testing and implementing new solutions and smart cooperation models. To maintain and grow competitiveness in both European and global markets, we need a radical shift in mindset and the integration of innovation into everyday industrial operations. Innovation can no longer...

INNOVATE™ Bengaluru

Dana Kursh

Israel Partners in Innovative Progress - Innovation Hub India

Partners In Innovative Progress

Israel prides itself in being an Innovative Nation, and has long term diplomatic presence in New Delhi and Mumbai. It chose Bengaluru, with its futuristic ethos, as its third destination to reinforce its economic connection with India. “The bigger economic diplomacy is in creating the right ecosystem involving the best...

INNOVATE™ Oeiras

Pedro Rodrigues

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® Utah

Ivy V. Estabrooke

Ivy V. Estabrooke

Phd, Vice President For Government And Community Programs - PolarityTE

The United States has long depended on innovation, technology, and small businesses to maintain economic prosperity and a national security advantage. While much of this economic growth has come out of hubs on the East and West Coasts, Utah has managed to create a non-traditional innovation ecosystem that has resulted...

INNOVATE® Jacksonville

Craig Mandeville

Craig Mandeville

Founder and CEO, Forcura

Craig Mandeville Founder and CEO That’s it. And if everything we do in between that leads to that, then we’re providing true value. My wife used to work for a home health agency, facilitating patients discharged from the Mayo Clinic who were going into post-acute care. She was faxing things...

INNOVATE™ Vancouver Vol.2

ALEX KROOGMAN

ALEX KROOGMAN

CEO | PRESSREADER GROUP OF COMPANIES

ALEX KROOGMAN CEO | PRESSREADER GROUP OF COMPANIES To this day, I look forward to each Monday when Spotify releases my new Discover Weekly playlist. Why, because it’s built entirely for me. It’s personalized with the music I know, plus lots of music I haven’t even heard of before but...

INNOVATE™ Adelaide

MAYOR MOIRA WERE AM

MAYOR, CITY OF ONKAPARINGA

In fact, one former recipient of our Young Citizen of the Year Award – in which we recognise young people who have made exceptional contributions by leading through generosity and enterprise – has just been elected to Council. We recognise and acclaim community-led events – festivals; sporting, arts and cultural...

INNOVATE® Gaming & Esports

KAROL SEVERIN

SENIOR ANALYST AND CO-FOUNDER AT MIDIA RESEARCH

For an activity (like playing video games) to turn into a publicly-observed competition (like esports), first there needs to be a demand to know who is best. Then, for the competition to grow a mainstream appeal and audiences to expand beyond the initial enthusiasts, it needs to have entertainment value....

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™ South Africa

DR. DOUG MATTHEUS

DOUG M. CONSULTANCY

Innovation will not take place without some sort of Reinvention – a changing state,...

INNOVATE® Chicago Vol.1

STEVEN COLLENS

STEVEN COLLENS

CEO, MATTER

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...

INNOVATE® Philadelphia

Christopher M Wolfington

Christopher M Wolfington - Automating Peace Of Mind For The Modern Healthcare Consumer

Automating Peace Of Mind For The Modern Healthcare Consumer

Many people think that the healthcare system is broken because hospitals & insurance companies charge too much. The fact is, the market has seen a massive shift in financial responsibility for healthcare costs to the consumer. Combined with increased compliance burdens, the result is a massive spike in consumer out-of-pocket...

INNOVATE™ South Africa

PIETER DE VILLIERS

PIETER DE VILLIERS

CO-FOUNDER & CEO, CLICKATELL AND CHAIRMAN OF SIMODISA

Whilst the majority of public sector efforts and incentives are aimed at job creation within South Africa, high growth technology entrepreneurs will be quick to point out that the skills gap is a bigger issue than the jobs gap. As a result, several high growth entrepreneurs and technology leaders across...

INNOVATE™ Montréal

Carl Baillargeon

Carl Baillargeon

Communications and Marketing Director - Technoparc Montréal

  English: It’s a park. It’s techno. The Technoparc is relaxed and peaceful. The site is also green. Very green. With a huge proportion of green space and protected zones, located between areas of concrete omnipresence, the feel of nature is flagrant and fragrant. A perfect setting for companies and...

INNOVATE™ Montréal

Benoit-Antoine Bacon

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™ Botswana Vol.1

Thapelo Letsholo

Publishing Partner, Africa & Middle East | Bolden

Publishing Partner, Global Village Publishing Thapelo Letsholo is a Botswana entrepreneur, publisher and former legislator. He leads Global Village Publishing partnerships and initiatives across Africa and the Middle East, advancing a growing portfolio of flagship series, regional editions, bespoke publications and commissioned editorial projects. His work centres on developing publishing platforms...

INNOVATE™ Stockholm

GUSTAV BUDER

FINTECH FOUNDER, BOARD-LEVEL ADVISOR AND ACTIVE INVESTOR - REGION PARTNER, BYBIT NORDIC

Most people don’t reject new ideas because they’re irrational. They reject them because they’re using the wrong frame. I learned this the hard way. Coming from the payment’s world, I initially looked at Bitcoin like a payment network and asked, “Why is it so slow?” That’s the classic mistake: judging...

INNOVATE® Nashville

DAVID OWENS

DAVID OWENS

EVANS FAMILY EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE WOND’RY, VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY’S CENTER FOR INNOVATION

Nashville has always been a great place for members of the creative class. It has more than its fair share of the spirit of innovation and, as I was told when I moved here, more recording studios than bars and more microphones than people. And while the artistic creativity is...

INNOVATE® Gaming & Esports

GIANNI MAIORANO

GIANNI MAIORANO

CONSULTANT-ONLINE BRAND PROTECTION & DOMAIN NAME SECURITY

Gaming to this point has been a profoundly positive experience that has helped shape my life and who I am today. Providing me community, challenges, identity, entertainment and more, I can safely say I would not be the person I am today without gaming and its continued evolution. Currently, I...

DR. MARK ESPOSITO

BEYOND THE HORIZON

Dr. Mark Esposito is a luminary at the intersection of economics, strategy, and the future. In our conversation, he unfolds our future, offering an insightful exploration into the themes of technological transformation, human-centric systems, and the architecture of tomorrow’s global systems. As a distinguished figure in the discourse of the...

Natasha Swinscoe

Chief Executive, West Of England Academic Health Science Network (AHSN)

With over 20 years’ experience in the NHS, Natasha Swinscoe joined the West of England AHSN in 2015 and became Chief Executive Officer in 2018. Under her leadership, the AHSN has earned a reputation for its ambitious, system-wide vision for healthcare innovation and transformation, improving patient care and driving economic...

JOHN CASH, FOUNDER

JOHN CASH

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND PROFESSOR JCSU ESPORTS INITIATIVE

ServiceAt its essence is selflessly giving/providing necessities to others with no intent to benefit. Wow, this is how it resonated with me prior to my commissioning as a United States Air Force (USAF) Officer the Friday before a Mother’s Day graduation at Howard University. “I will support and defend the...

MELISSA MEDINA

CEO & PRESIDENT, eMERGE AMERICAS

Innovation has been a foundational principle I’ve seen throughout my life. As the first-generation daughter of immigrant parents from Cuba, I learned early on from my parents and grandparents how creative, innovative thinking can help me navigate everyday obstacles and unpredictable circumstances. This drive to continuously innovate and think bigger...

Deborah German

Deborah German

M.D. - University of Central Florida

Deborah German was appointed founding dean of the University of Central Florida College of Medicine in December 2006 following a distinguished career at Duke University, Vanderbilt University, and St. Thomas Hospital in Nashville, Tennessee. She has overseen the construction of UCF’s 375,000-square-foot medical school at Lake Nona and is now...

KIRKE MAAR

HEAD OF AIRE CENTRE

Global competition is rapidly changing, requiring swift adaptation while simultaneously testing and implementing new solutions and smart cooperation models. To maintain and grow competitiveness in both European and global markets, we need a radical shift in mindset and the integration of innovation into everyday industrial operations. Innovation can no longer...

Dana Kursh

Israel Partners in Innovative Progress - Innovation Hub India

Partners In Innovative Progress

Israel prides itself in being an Innovative Nation, and has long term diplomatic presence in New Delhi and Mumbai. It chose Bengaluru, with its futuristic ethos, as its third destination to reinforce its economic connection with India. “The bigger economic diplomacy is in creating the right ecosystem involving the best...

Pedro Rodrigues

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...

Ivy V. Estabrooke

Ivy V. Estabrooke

Phd, Vice President For Government And Community Programs - PolarityTE

The United States has long depended on innovation, technology, and small businesses to maintain economic prosperity and a national security advantage. While much of this economic growth has come out of hubs on the East and West Coasts, Utah has managed to create a non-traditional innovation ecosystem that has resulted...

Craig Mandeville

Craig Mandeville

Founder and CEO, Forcura

Craig Mandeville Founder and CEO That’s it. And if everything we do in between that leads to that, then we’re providing true value. My wife used to work for a home health agency, facilitating patients discharged from the Mayo Clinic who were going into post-acute care. She was faxing things...

ALEX KROOGMAN

ALEX KROOGMAN

CEO | PRESSREADER GROUP OF COMPANIES

ALEX KROOGMAN CEO | PRESSREADER GROUP OF COMPANIES To this day, I look forward to each Monday when Spotify releases my new Discover Weekly playlist. Why, because it’s built entirely for me. It’s personalized with the music I know, plus lots of music I haven’t even heard of before but...

MAYOR MOIRA WERE AM

MAYOR, CITY OF ONKAPARINGA

In fact, one former recipient of our Young Citizen of the Year Award – in which we recognise young people who have made exceptional contributions by leading through generosity and enterprise – has just been elected to Council. We recognise and acclaim community-led events – festivals; sporting, arts and cultural...

KAROL SEVERIN

SENIOR ANALYST AND CO-FOUNDER AT MIDIA RESEARCH

For an activity (like playing video games) to turn into a publicly-observed competition (like esports), first there needs to be a demand to know who is best. Then, for the competition to grow a mainstream appeal and audiences to expand beyond the initial enthusiasts, it needs to have entertainment value....

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...

DR. DOUG MATTHEUS

DOUG M. CONSULTANCY

Innovation will not take place without some sort of Reinvention – a changing state,...

STEVEN COLLENS

STEVEN COLLENS

CEO, MATTER

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...

Christopher M Wolfington

Christopher M Wolfington - Automating Peace Of Mind For The Modern Healthcare Consumer

Automating Peace Of Mind For The Modern Healthcare Consumer

Many people think that the healthcare system is broken because hospitals & insurance companies charge too much. The fact is, the market has seen a massive shift in financial responsibility for healthcare costs to the consumer. Combined with increased compliance burdens, the result is a massive spike in consumer out-of-pocket...

PIETER DE VILLIERS

PIETER DE VILLIERS

CO-FOUNDER & CEO, CLICKATELL AND CHAIRMAN OF SIMODISA

Whilst the majority of public sector efforts and incentives are aimed at job creation within South Africa, high growth technology entrepreneurs will be quick to point out that the skills gap is a bigger issue than the jobs gap. As a result, several high growth entrepreneurs and technology leaders across...

Carl Baillargeon

Carl Baillargeon

Communications and Marketing Director - Technoparc Montréal

  English: It’s a park. It’s techno. The Technoparc is relaxed and peaceful. The site is also green. Very green. With a huge proportion of green space and protected zones, located between areas of concrete omnipresence, the feel of nature is flagrant and fragrant. A perfect setting for companies and...

Benoit-Antoine Bacon

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...

Thapelo Letsholo

Publishing Partner, Africa & Middle East | Bolden

Publishing Partner, Global Village Publishing Thapelo Letsholo is a Botswana entrepreneur, publisher and former legislator. He leads Global Village Publishing partnerships and initiatives across Africa and the Middle East, advancing a growing portfolio of flagship series, regional editions, bespoke publications and commissioned editorial projects. His work centres on developing publishing platforms...

GUSTAV BUDER

FINTECH FOUNDER, BOARD-LEVEL ADVISOR AND ACTIVE INVESTOR - REGION PARTNER, BYBIT NORDIC

Most people don’t reject new ideas because they’re irrational. They reject them because they’re using the wrong frame. I learned this the hard way. Coming from the payment’s world, I initially looked at Bitcoin like a payment network and asked, “Why is it so slow?” That’s the classic mistake: judging...

DAVID OWENS

DAVID OWENS

EVANS FAMILY EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE WOND’RY, VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY’S CENTER FOR INNOVATION

Nashville has always been a great place for members of the creative class. It has more than its fair share of the spirit of innovation and, as I was told when I moved here, more recording studios than bars and more microphones than people. And while the artistic creativity is...

GIANNI MAIORANO

GIANNI MAIORANO

CONSULTANT-ONLINE BRAND PROTECTION & DOMAIN NAME SECURITY

Gaming to this point has been a profoundly positive experience that has helped shape my life and who I am today. Providing me community, challenges, identity, entertainment and more, I can safely say I would not be the person I am today without gaming and its continued evolution. Currently, I...

INNOVATE® Ecosystems