Thought Leaders
INNOVATE® New Jersey Vol.2
Michele N. Siekerka
President And CEO- New Jersey Business & Industry Association
Our vision statement ensures we will never lose sight of our innovation goal: “New Jersey will reclaim its stature as the Innovation State.” To be sure, New Jersey has a rich history of innovation dating back to our glory days of the 19th and 20th centuries when discoveries made in...
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...
INNOVATE™ Toronto
SUNIL SHARMA
MANAGING DIRECTOR, TECHSTARS TORONTO
The modern entrepreneur is truly global and the desire to move across the world in pursuit of creating the next billion-dollar tech startup has never been more real. With the onset of remote work, global mobility has become more desirable. The onus is on countries to make themselves more attractive...
INNOVATE® Georgia
DR. FORREST SHRIVER
SENTINEL DEVICES - CEO & FOUNDER
We are on the precipice of major change – change that will define both America and the world for generations to come. Economically, politically, and technologically, the next ten years will be a trend-setter for the next hundred years. Wars and rumors of wars, worries over the future of work...
INNOVATE® Tampa Bay Vol.3
Lakshmi Shenoy
Embarc Collective
As a newcomer to the Tampa Bay region, I’ve had the opportunity to spend the past year immersing myself in the entrepreneurial community that has been growing here. Locals understand that Tampa Bay is a great place to live and get to experience that life each day. However, beyond the...
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...
INNOVATION Quebec
FRANTZ SAINTELLEMY
PRESIDENT AND CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER, CHANCELLOR AND CHAIR OF THE BOARD, UNIVERSITÉ DE MONTRÉAL
Quebec is a fertile ground for deep tech entrepreneurship, which relies on knowledge and cutting-edge research, opening up new perspectives in several high-tech fields. These companies push the boundaries of innovation and create innovative solutions that have a profound impact on our society. Quebec’s universities and public research centers play...
INNOVATE™ Logistics
KRIS NEYENS
MANAGER INTERNATIONALIZATION AT VIL FLANDERS INNOVATION CLUSTER FOR LOGISTICS
Global logistics is facing strong growth, even in uncertain times, and an ever-increasing demand for quality and speed of service, and to do so in a way that does not strain our overall quality of life. The focus here must be on sustainability. The aim is to make the best...
INNOVATE® Philadelphia
LYNETTE SUTTON
MANAGING PARTNER, GIRL CONCRETE INC.
America’s infrastructure is increasingly digital—and scaling at an extraordinary pace. Artificial Intelligence (AI) and cloud computing are reshaping how we work and connect, yet we often talk about this infrastructure as if it exists in code—weightless, instant, everywhere at once. But the cloud is not floating. It is physical. It...
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® Utah
Shauna Smith
President - Four Foods Group/Savory
Shauna Smith, President – Four Foods Group/Savory I still remember opening day in our very first restaurant like it was yesterday. Except it wasn’t yesterday… it was 11 years ago. We had just moved into a newly developed area in Utah that was starved for eating establishments. We asked...
INNOVATE™ Adelaide
GILLIAN ALDRIDGE OAM
MAYOR, CITY OF SALISBURY
Our City is the fourth largest economy in the State with a Gross Regional Product of 8.65 billion and more than 8,700 businesses calling Salisbury home, including a host of international firms and flourishing entrepreneurs. We are an important area for the State’s economic growth for population, small business, innovation...
INNOVATE® Tampa Bay Vol.3
Gregg Ross-Munro
Herding Cats & Coders
COMMUNICATING WITH TECHIES What to Look for in a Digital Agency Whether you want to augment an in-house team or bring an entirely new product to life, odds are, you’re going to entertain the idea of hiring an agency. By an “agency”, I mean everything from advertising companies offering digital...
INNOVATE™ Adelaide
TAMMY BARTON
FOUNDER & DIRECTOR, MYBUDGET
It’s about solving real world problems. It’s about inventing, reinventing and trying new things. Having a solid business plan is one thing, but you won’t necessarily know what people want until you start getting out there and testing the market. To me, innovation is really about coming up with a...
INNOVATE™ Adelaide
TOM HAJDU
CEO, DISRUPTER
A little over five years ago, I had the privilege of serving as the Chief Innovator of South Australia, a position through which I could catalyze change. During that time, I spearheaded a pivotal initiative, transforming Adelaide into Australia’s first gigabit city and the first city outside the United States...
INNOVATE® South Carolina
Andrew Hsu
President of the College of Charleston
Both society and technology are changing ever more rapidly. Higher education is historically designed to be steady and slow in changing. The conflict caused between slow-moving institutions and a rapidly changing world has become ever more obvious – to the point, for many, that it has reached a definitive inflection...
INNOVATE™ Stockholm
STEFAN MORITZ
HEAD OF INNOVATION AT MAX MATTHIESSEN, KEYNOTE SPEAKER & PROFESSOR
Having worked around the globe, I choose Stockholm every time. Close to nature, stunning water all around, super digital, wellbeing and family focused. Also, I believe Stockholm is best placed to lead a united Europe in human-centric innovation. In a world grappling with profound shifts — from volatile stocks, climate,...
INNOVATE™ Vancouver Vol.2
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™ Antwerp Vol.2
DR MARC-ALAIN WIDDOWSON
DIRECTOR, INSTITUTE OF TROPICAL MEDICINE
In August 2019, I was appointed as the director of The Institute of Tropical Medicine (ITM) in Antwerp. I studied Anthropology and Veterinary Medicine at Cambridge University before specialising in epidemiology of infectious diseases. I have lived and worked in eight different countries and on projects around the world, with...
INNOVATE™ Stockholm
FERNANDA TORRE
NEXT AGENTS - CEO & FOUNDING PARTNER
In my journey as a sustainability expert and innovation leader, I’ve come to see a powerful synergy between these two fields. Working across both sustainability and innovation allows us to turn today’s challenges into opportunities, creating solutions that benefit people, communities, and ecosystems alike. Above all, innovation and sustainability must...
INNOVATE™ Alberta
ANKUR D. MAHAJAN
CO-FOUNDER, PULP SHRED
My wife inscribed this quote on a plaque for me as a gift. The profundity, yet the simplicity, of the message hits home for me. It also puts into perspective my priorities in life. We all have our fears and blinders. Sometimes we may get swayed by things that are...
INNOVATE® Phoenix
Deborah Helitzer
Dean and Professor - College Of Health Solutions, Arizona State University
IntroductionThe College of Health Solutions at Arizona State University was formed in 2012 to offer students an education in ten health disciplines. In 2017, the college began a major transformation to better align with its mission to address the nation’s most pressing health challenges, eliminating disciplinary divisions and better positioning...
INNOVATE® Jacksonville
Marc Blumenthal
Co-Founder - Synapse Florida Partner
Marc Blumenthal Co-Founder, Synapse Florida Partner, Florida Funders It is hard to believe that it’s been two years since the launch of Synapse. Every day since then has been a validation of our mission: to connect Florida’s innovation communities in a meaningful, purposeful way. As I’ve traveled the state I’ve...
INNOVATE® Nashville
TYSON BICKLEY
HOLLAND & KNIGHT LLP
I’ve spent the better part of two decades as a partner at a large law firm, advising founders, boards and investors on mergers and acquisitions, growth equity financings, joint ventures and other strategic transactions. My practice centers on innovation – helping companies that are building for the future navigate the...
Michele N. Siekerka
President And CEO- New Jersey Business & Industry Association
Our vision statement ensures we will never lose sight of our innovation goal: “New Jersey will reclaim its stature as the Innovation State.” To be sure, New Jersey has a rich history of innovation dating back to our glory days of the 19th and 20th centuries when discoveries made in...
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...
SUNIL SHARMA
MANAGING DIRECTOR, TECHSTARS TORONTO
The modern entrepreneur is truly global and the desire to move across the world in pursuit of creating the next billion-dollar tech startup has never been more real. With the onset of remote work, global mobility has become more desirable. The onus is on countries to make themselves more attractive...
DR. FORREST SHRIVER
SENTINEL DEVICES - CEO & FOUNDER
We are on the precipice of major change – change that will define both America and the world for generations to come. Economically, politically, and technologically, the next ten years will be a trend-setter for the next hundred years. Wars and rumors of wars, worries over the future of work...
Lakshmi Shenoy
Embarc Collective
As a newcomer to the Tampa Bay region, I’ve had the opportunity to spend the past year immersing myself in the entrepreneurial community that has been growing here. Locals understand that Tampa Bay is a great place to live and get to experience that life each day. However, beyond the...
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...
FRANTZ SAINTELLEMY
PRESIDENT AND CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER, CHANCELLOR AND CHAIR OF THE BOARD, UNIVERSITÉ DE MONTRÉAL
Quebec is a fertile ground for deep tech entrepreneurship, which relies on knowledge and cutting-edge research, opening up new perspectives in several high-tech fields. These companies push the boundaries of innovation and create innovative solutions that have a profound impact on our society. Quebec’s universities and public research centers play...
KRIS NEYENS
MANAGER INTERNATIONALIZATION AT VIL FLANDERS INNOVATION CLUSTER FOR LOGISTICS
Global logistics is facing strong growth, even in uncertain times, and an ever-increasing demand for quality and speed of service, and to do so in a way that does not strain our overall quality of life. The focus here must be on sustainability. The aim is to make the best...
LYNETTE SUTTON
MANAGING PARTNER, GIRL CONCRETE INC.
America’s infrastructure is increasingly digital—and scaling at an extraordinary pace. Artificial Intelligence (AI) and cloud computing are reshaping how we work and connect, yet we often talk about this infrastructure as if it exists in code—weightless, instant, everywhere at once. But the cloud is not floating. It is physical. It...
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...
Shauna Smith
President - Four Foods Group/Savory
Shauna Smith, President – Four Foods Group/Savory I still remember opening day in our very first restaurant like it was yesterday. Except it wasn’t yesterday… it was 11 years ago. We had just moved into a newly developed area in Utah that was starved for eating establishments. We asked...
GILLIAN ALDRIDGE OAM
MAYOR, CITY OF SALISBURY
Our City is the fourth largest economy in the State with a Gross Regional Product of 8.65 billion and more than 8,700 businesses calling Salisbury home, including a host of international firms and flourishing entrepreneurs. We are an important area for the State’s economic growth for population, small business, innovation...
Gregg Ross-Munro
Herding Cats & Coders
COMMUNICATING WITH TECHIES What to Look for in a Digital Agency Whether you want to augment an in-house team or bring an entirely new product to life, odds are, you’re going to entertain the idea of hiring an agency. By an “agency”, I mean everything from advertising companies offering digital...
TAMMY BARTON
FOUNDER & DIRECTOR, MYBUDGET
It’s about solving real world problems. It’s about inventing, reinventing and trying new things. Having a solid business plan is one thing, but you won’t necessarily know what people want until you start getting out there and testing the market. To me, innovation is really about coming up with a...
TOM HAJDU
CEO, DISRUPTER
A little over five years ago, I had the privilege of serving as the Chief Innovator of South Australia, a position through which I could catalyze change. During that time, I spearheaded a pivotal initiative, transforming Adelaide into Australia’s first gigabit city and the first city outside the United States...
Andrew Hsu
President of the College of Charleston
Both society and technology are changing ever more rapidly. Higher education is historically designed to be steady and slow in changing. The conflict caused between slow-moving institutions and a rapidly changing world has become ever more obvious – to the point, for many, that it has reached a definitive inflection...
STEFAN MORITZ
HEAD OF INNOVATION AT MAX MATTHIESSEN, KEYNOTE SPEAKER & PROFESSOR
Having worked around the globe, I choose Stockholm every time. Close to nature, stunning water all around, super digital, wellbeing and family focused. Also, I believe Stockholm is best placed to lead a united Europe in human-centric innovation. In a world grappling with profound shifts — from volatile stocks, climate,...
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...
DR MARC-ALAIN WIDDOWSON
DIRECTOR, INSTITUTE OF TROPICAL MEDICINE
In August 2019, I was appointed as the director of The Institute of Tropical Medicine (ITM) in Antwerp. I studied Anthropology and Veterinary Medicine at Cambridge University before specialising in epidemiology of infectious diseases. I have lived and worked in eight different countries and on projects around the world, with...
FERNANDA TORRE
NEXT AGENTS - CEO & FOUNDING PARTNER
In my journey as a sustainability expert and innovation leader, I’ve come to see a powerful synergy between these two fields. Working across both sustainability and innovation allows us to turn today’s challenges into opportunities, creating solutions that benefit people, communities, and ecosystems alike. Above all, innovation and sustainability must...
ANKUR D. MAHAJAN
CO-FOUNDER, PULP SHRED
My wife inscribed this quote on a plaque for me as a gift. The profundity, yet the simplicity, of the message hits home for me. It also puts into perspective my priorities in life. We all have our fears and blinders. Sometimes we may get swayed by things that are...
Deborah Helitzer
Dean and Professor - College Of Health Solutions, Arizona State University
IntroductionThe College of Health Solutions at Arizona State University was formed in 2012 to offer students an education in ten health disciplines. In 2017, the college began a major transformation to better align with its mission to address the nation’s most pressing health challenges, eliminating disciplinary divisions and better positioning...
Marc Blumenthal
Co-Founder - Synapse Florida Partner
Marc Blumenthal Co-Founder, Synapse Florida Partner, Florida Funders It is hard to believe that it’s been two years since the launch of Synapse. Every day since then has been a validation of our mission: to connect Florida’s innovation communities in a meaningful, purposeful way. As I’ve traveled the state I’ve...
TYSON BICKLEY
HOLLAND & KNIGHT LLP
I’ve spent the better part of two decades as a partner at a large law firm, advising founders, boards and investors on mergers and acquisitions, growth equity financings, joint ventures and other strategic transactions. My practice centers on innovation – helping companies that are building for the future navigate the...