Thought Leaders
INNOVATE® Minnesota
Henry Hintermeister
Publishing Partner - INNOVATE® Minnesota
Henry Hintermeister Publishing Partner – INNOVATE® Minnesota A century ago, my father and his Minnesota peers were making the switch from using horses to farm their land to new-fangled contraptions called tractors. Many of these Minnesota natives rarely left the state to travel, their lifestyle centered on dutiful labor that...
INNOVATE® Maryland
CYNTHIA RIVARDE
CEO OF ROCKVILLE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, INC. (REDI).
In an era where uncertainty is the new normal, the greatest asset a community can cultivate is not just data or infrastructure – it is creativity. And creativity does not emerge from a vacuum. It is nurtured in spaces where art, culture, and innovation intersect. Rockville is one of those...
INNOVATE™ South Africa
MIKE SHARMAN
RETROVIRAL
Every brand has its genesis as a challenger. Forbes details how a business lifecycle evolves from startup, to growth; it then progresses to its maturity phase, and finally, is faced with the crossroads labeled ‘renewal’ or ‘decline’. B R A N D A L I S M is a phrase...
INNOVATE™ Adelaide
DR. FIONA KERR
CEO AND FOUNDER, THE NEUROTECH INSTITUTE
With expertise in engineering, the cognitive sciences, and anthropology, I delight in looking at innovation from both a technological and a human perspective, and am fascinated by the intricacies of the process, and how two aspects greatly impact its scope and quality. One is the benefit of deeply understanding the...
INNOVATE® Milwaukee
The Water Council
Dean Amhaus, President & CEO
Fifteen years ago, when I became the founding CEO of The Water Council, I brought with me a background in government and nonprofit management. I faced a steep learning curve in understanding water technology and environmental issues. I’m still very much a novice, but over time I’ve learned a thing...
INNOVATION Quebec
FRANÇOIS BERTRAND
VICE-PRESIDENT, RESEARCH AND INNOVATION, POLYTECHNIQUE MONTRÉAL
Research conducted at Polytechnique, especially our collaborative research, is a fundamental lever for innovation. For more than 50 years, we have been carrying out the majority of technology transfer activities through our many research partnerships with companies of all sizes, and with universities and other organizations worldwide. Through these collaborations,...
INNOVATE™ Vancouver Vol.2
CYBELE NEGRIS
CEO - WEBNAMES.CA
CYBELE NEGRIS Life is so fast-paced that we take too much for granted, whether it is the Internet which has now practically become a basic right or the growing role of women in positions of power, which is an outcome that has not come easily. All these giant leaps...
VOICES of the Future
GAUTAM GANGLANI
NAVIGATING NEW HORIZONS
Sitting down with Gautam Ganglani, you can’t help but feel a sense of awe. This CEO of Right Selection Global Thought Leaders is a man who has actively shaped the evolving landscape of thought leadership and personal development over decades. Our conversation unfolds like a map to the future, punctuated...
INNOVATE™ Estonia
MARKUS VILLIG
CEO & FOUNDER, BOLT
At 19, Markus Villig founded Bolt with a €5,000 family loan, turning a small taxi app into a global mobility platform spanning ride-hailing, scooters, and deliveries – while championing sustainability and lean growth from Estonia to 50+ countries. Markus Villig launched Bolt (then Taxify), turning it into one of the...
INNOVATE™ Alberta
JAMES KEIRSTEAD
CO-CHAIR, EDMONTON REGIONAL INNOVATION NETWORK (ERIN)
INNOVATION, ENTREPRENEURSHIP, AND CREATIVITYExperience has taught me that innovation is not just about creating something new, it also includes making improvements to existing products or systems. It is about taking a creative approach to problem solving and producing solutions that are unique, interesting, and useful. Innovation and entrepreneurship go hand-in-hand...
INNOVATE® New Jersey Vol.2
Dr. Michael Avaltroni
Dean of the Fairleigh Dickinson University School of Pharmacy & Health Scien
A recent published study described how in 1950, medical knowledge was on pace to double every 50 years. In 2020, this rate is projected to be 73 days. Healthcare providers, then, have at once a huge set of challenges—and an even larger set of opportunities. Adapting to this new healthcare...
INNOVATE® Chicago Vol.1
DORRI MCWHORTER
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 Carolina
Wout de Backer
Assistant Professor at University of South Carolina
From South Carolina’s thriving aerospace and automotive hubs to its vibrant academic institutions, I see the ingredients of South Carolina’s transformative growth. We are establishing ourselves as leaders in composites,robotics, manufacturing, batteries, electric power, and autonomous systems. To realize this potential, we must prepare our workforce for a future as...
VOICES of the Future
KUSHAL SHAH
ETHICS, INNOVATION, AND IMPACT
When talking with Kushal Shah, the Managing Director of e& capital, I am struck by the depth and range of his experiences. Kushal, a man whose life journey began in the serenity of Nairobi, Kenya, opened our conversation with a profound reflection on his roots. “I was born and brought...
INNOVATE® Utah
In early 2016, Instructure launched its Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DIB) Council to “make Instructure an awesome place to work for everyone.” Those were our words for the mission of the Council at the time, and building a workplace where people can thrive and develop in their careers remains a...
INNOVATE™ Bristol & Bath
Andy Salmon
Professor, Pro-Vice- Chancellor External
‘THOUSANDS HAVE LIVED WITHOUT LOVE, NOT ONE WITHOUT WATER.’ (W.H. Auden, First Things First) As someone whose life has been spent on the innovative interface between education and the creative industries, I have always been fascinated by the relationships between what we need and what we want – ‘love’ or...
VOICES of the Future
CHANDRAN NAIR
THE FUTURE OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
Chandran Nair has devoted his life to challenging conventional wisdom and advocating for a future that balances economic progress with social and environmental responsibility. As the Founder and CEO of the Global Institute For Tomorrow (GIFT), a pan-Asian think tank, he is a guiding light of intellectual honesty and a...
INNOVATE® Chicago Vol.1
NAVEEN VENKATAPATHI
FOUNDER, WAVICLE DATA SOLUTIONS
LEARNING TO LISTEN WAS KEY TO WAVICLE DATA SOLUTION’SSUCCESS AND THEIR CUSTOMERSWhat we’ve learned as consultants, entrepreneurs, and leaders, is that listening and quickly learning from mistakes are two of the most important skills you can have. As consultants in the technology space, it’s very easy for our clients and...
INNOVATE™ Alberta
STUART CULLUM
PRESIDENT, RED DEER POLYTECHNIC
Over the course of my career, I have been a teacher, a farmer, a business analyst, an investor, and an applied research and academic leader. I’ve come to understand that the problems and opportunities in our world are highly complex; they are multi-faceted and require multi-disciplinary responses. No single expert,...
INNOVATE™ Stockholm
OMID EKHLASI
FOUNDER & CEO, TECHARENA
The Power of Gathering Over ten years ago, Techarena began in a small movie theater in southern Sweden. A group of founders stood on stage to pitch their ideas, full of hope and determination. Only eight people came to watch. It would have been easy to feel discouraged, but something...
INNOVATE™ Adelaide
ADRIAN TISATO
DIRECTOR, WRP LEGAL & ADVISORY
Adrian Tisato is a commercial lawyer with expertise in public administration and innovation, and decades of leadership in the arts, music, and film. When car manufacturing closed in Adelaide, he dedicated himself to working with the private sector and the State Government to open up new economic opportunities through innovation....
INNOVATE™ Vancouver Vol.2
AARON CHIN
CEO, ORGANIKA HEALTH PRODUCTS
What does that mean?Armed with a sincere drive to help people live healthier, Aaron took to innovation. He saw that the health and wellness industry catered to niche markets and specific demographics. “I wanted to disrupt the health industry. So, we invested in innovation to formulate health products that are...
INNOVATE™ Bristol & Bath
Ben Shorrock
TechSPARK – Managing Director
TechSPARK Ben Shorrock – Managing Director , At TechSPARK I spend a lot of time speaking to people from across Bristol’s tech cluster. I hear lots of great news stories from people creating companies or products which solve problems and, often, make the world a better place. However, whether speaking...
INNOVATE™ South Africa
MPUME NGOBESE
CO-MANAGING DIRECTOR, JOE PUBLIC JOHANNESBURG
With digital media usage higher than ever, more than 38 million people in South Africa are active on the internet, and 27-million consume social media content by liking, sharing, posting and commenting on everything from politics and the pandemic, to funnies and pictures of ‘fur babies’. Consumers have so many...
Henry Hintermeister
Publishing Partner - INNOVATE® Minnesota
Henry Hintermeister Publishing Partner – INNOVATE® Minnesota A century ago, my father and his Minnesota peers were making the switch from using horses to farm their land to new-fangled contraptions called tractors. Many of these Minnesota natives rarely left the state to travel, their lifestyle centered on dutiful labor that...
CYNTHIA RIVARDE
CEO OF ROCKVILLE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, INC. (REDI).
In an era where uncertainty is the new normal, the greatest asset a community can cultivate is not just data or infrastructure – it is creativity. And creativity does not emerge from a vacuum. It is nurtured in spaces where art, culture, and innovation intersect. Rockville is one of those...
DR. FIONA KERR
CEO AND FOUNDER, THE NEUROTECH INSTITUTE
With expertise in engineering, the cognitive sciences, and anthropology, I delight in looking at innovation from both a technological and a human perspective, and am fascinated by the intricacies of the process, and how two aspects greatly impact its scope and quality. One is the benefit of deeply understanding the...
The Water Council
Dean Amhaus, President & CEO
Fifteen years ago, when I became the founding CEO of The Water Council, I brought with me a background in government and nonprofit management. I faced a steep learning curve in understanding water technology and environmental issues. I’m still very much a novice, but over time I’ve learned a thing...
FRANÇOIS BERTRAND
VICE-PRESIDENT, RESEARCH AND INNOVATION, POLYTECHNIQUE MONTRÉAL
Research conducted at Polytechnique, especially our collaborative research, is a fundamental lever for innovation. For more than 50 years, we have been carrying out the majority of technology transfer activities through our many research partnerships with companies of all sizes, and with universities and other organizations worldwide. Through these collaborations,...
GAUTAM GANGLANI
NAVIGATING NEW HORIZONS
Sitting down with Gautam Ganglani, you can’t help but feel a sense of awe. This CEO of Right Selection Global Thought Leaders is a man who has actively shaped the evolving landscape of thought leadership and personal development over decades. Our conversation unfolds like a map to the future, punctuated...
MARKUS VILLIG
CEO & FOUNDER, BOLT
At 19, Markus Villig founded Bolt with a €5,000 family loan, turning a small taxi app into a global mobility platform spanning ride-hailing, scooters, and deliveries – while championing sustainability and lean growth from Estonia to 50+ countries. Markus Villig launched Bolt (then Taxify), turning it into one of the...
JAMES KEIRSTEAD
CO-CHAIR, EDMONTON REGIONAL INNOVATION NETWORK (ERIN)
INNOVATION, ENTREPRENEURSHIP, AND CREATIVITYExperience has taught me that innovation is not just about creating something new, it also includes making improvements to existing products or systems. It is about taking a creative approach to problem solving and producing solutions that are unique, interesting, and useful. Innovation and entrepreneurship go hand-in-hand...
Dr. Michael Avaltroni
Dean of the Fairleigh Dickinson University School of Pharmacy & Health Scien
A recent published study described how in 1950, medical knowledge was on pace to double every 50 years. In 2020, this rate is projected to be 73 days. Healthcare providers, then, have at once a huge set of challenges—and an even larger set of opportunities. Adapting to this new healthcare...
DORRI MCWHORTER
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...
Wout de Backer
Assistant Professor at University of South Carolina
From South Carolina’s thriving aerospace and automotive hubs to its vibrant academic institutions, I see the ingredients of South Carolina’s transformative growth. We are establishing ourselves as leaders in composites,robotics, manufacturing, batteries, electric power, and autonomous systems. To realize this potential, we must prepare our workforce for a future as...
KUSHAL SHAH
ETHICS, INNOVATION, AND IMPACT
When talking with Kushal Shah, the Managing Director of e& capital, I am struck by the depth and range of his experiences. Kushal, a man whose life journey began in the serenity of Nairobi, Kenya, opened our conversation with a profound reflection on his roots. “I was born and brought...
In early 2016, Instructure launched its Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DIB) Council to “make Instructure an awesome place to work for everyone.” Those were our words for the mission of the Council at the time, and building a workplace where people can thrive and develop in their careers remains a...
Andy Salmon
Professor, Pro-Vice- Chancellor External
‘THOUSANDS HAVE LIVED WITHOUT LOVE, NOT ONE WITHOUT WATER.’ (W.H. Auden, First Things First) As someone whose life has been spent on the innovative interface between education and the creative industries, I have always been fascinated by the relationships between what we need and what we want – ‘love’ or...
CHANDRAN NAIR
THE FUTURE OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
Chandran Nair has devoted his life to challenging conventional wisdom and advocating for a future that balances economic progress with social and environmental responsibility. As the Founder and CEO of the Global Institute For Tomorrow (GIFT), a pan-Asian think tank, he is a guiding light of intellectual honesty and a...
NAVEEN VENKATAPATHI
FOUNDER, WAVICLE DATA SOLUTIONS
LEARNING TO LISTEN WAS KEY TO WAVICLE DATA SOLUTION’SSUCCESS AND THEIR CUSTOMERSWhat we’ve learned as consultants, entrepreneurs, and leaders, is that listening and quickly learning from mistakes are two of the most important skills you can have. As consultants in the technology space, it’s very easy for our clients and...
STUART CULLUM
PRESIDENT, RED DEER POLYTECHNIC
Over the course of my career, I have been a teacher, a farmer, a business analyst, an investor, and an applied research and academic leader. I’ve come to understand that the problems and opportunities in our world are highly complex; they are multi-faceted and require multi-disciplinary responses. No single expert,...
OMID EKHLASI
FOUNDER & CEO, TECHARENA
The Power of Gathering Over ten years ago, Techarena began in a small movie theater in southern Sweden. A group of founders stood on stage to pitch their ideas, full of hope and determination. Only eight people came to watch. It would have been easy to feel discouraged, but something...
ADRIAN TISATO
DIRECTOR, WRP LEGAL & ADVISORY
Adrian Tisato is a commercial lawyer with expertise in public administration and innovation, and decades of leadership in the arts, music, and film. When car manufacturing closed in Adelaide, he dedicated himself to working with the private sector and the State Government to open up new economic opportunities through innovation....
AARON CHIN
CEO, ORGANIKA HEALTH PRODUCTS
What does that mean?Armed with a sincere drive to help people live healthier, Aaron took to innovation. He saw that the health and wellness industry catered to niche markets and specific demographics. “I wanted to disrupt the health industry. So, we invested in innovation to formulate health products that are...
Ben Shorrock
TechSPARK – Managing Director
TechSPARK Ben Shorrock – Managing Director , At TechSPARK I spend a lot of time speaking to people from across Bristol’s tech cluster. I hear lots of great news stories from people creating companies or products which solve problems and, often, make the world a better place. However, whether speaking...
MPUME NGOBESE
CO-MANAGING DIRECTOR, JOE PUBLIC JOHANNESBURG
With digital media usage higher than ever, more than 38 million people in South Africa are active on the internet, and 27-million consume social media content by liking, sharing, posting and commenting on everything from politics and the pandemic, to funnies and pictures of ‘fur babies’. Consumers have so many...