Thought Leaders

French: ÊTRE PREMIER DANS LE CŒUR DES GENS. DEVENIR UN LEADER SOCIO-ÉCONOMIQUE. ENRICHIR LA VIE DES PERSONNES ET DES COMMUNAUTÉS. VOILÀ, TOUT À LA FOIS, UNE MISSION NOBLE, HUMAINE ET AMBITIEUSE. OUI, NOUS VISONS HAUT. NOUS L’AVONS TOUJOURS FAIT. ET NOUS LE FERONS TOUJOURS PUISQUE NOTRE HISTOIRE EST MARQUÉE DE...

I used to live out of my car. When things got worse, I slept on gas station bathroom floors, behind buildings, constantly watching my back. I made a series of bad decisions that caused a lot of pain, and left me with a criminal record (now pardoned). But it wasn’t...

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...

South Australia loves a party. We are the festival state – one proud to break new ground. Innovation is crucial when delivering major events, and so too is fostering a culture in which they continue to thrive. Our place as host of the best, brightest celebrations is directly linked to...

As a Native Texan, my family has stretched back either 5 or 7 generations (depending on which parent I ask). While the early years of my life were split between San Antonio and Dallas, it wasn’t until I moved to the Texas Capital of Austin where I discovered the meaning...

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...

I was born in 1980, I’m married and a proud father of three young children. I joined Impresa in 2009 and became CEO in 2016. My background is in Law (Lisbon and Oxford) and I undertook several international post-grad management courses. I also had a brief spell at the Portuguese...

As Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development, I have the privilege of witnessing firsthand the remarkable evolution of our city into a hub of innovation and opportunity. Innovation, to me, means leveraging our unique assets and positioning Washington, D.C., at the forefront of America’s economic future. As the nation’s...

Zigy was born out of the simple yet often overlooked truth that a business’s success lives or dies at the frontline. While executives may set the strategy, it’s the employees at the counter, on the floor, or behind the wheel who determine whether customers return, sales grow, and brands thrive....

Adelaide has a decades-long history with games. Ratbag Games opened a studio in the 1990s and had success with its Powerslide games before it was acquired by Midway Games in the mid-2000s, and then closed quite suddenly. Krome, an Australian based game developer picked up where Midway left off, lasting...

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....

Welcome to Alberta. I am writing this note today from Calgary, or Mohkinstsis, a place where peoples have gathered for centuries to share and to learn, and I am honored to continue this tradition. Since 1986, Innovate Calgary has been the commercialization arm of the University of Calgary. In 2024,...

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...

Embracing the fast-paced technological transformation before us, we know that innovation is not just about having the brightest ideas or the most advanced technology. It is about cultivating an ecosystem where transformative ideas can flourish and where technology meets skilled hands and minds prepared to wield it. Fairfax County is...

Mobility or the ability to move around freely is at the heart of personal liberty. As Director of the City of Tampa’s Mobility department I have the privilege of overseeing many aspects of this essential function of civilization. In the context of mobility the challenges of our times manifest themselves...

EARLY INTERNET – SAN FRANCISCO, CA (1994 – 2003)As a kid in the early 80’s when I was obsessed with my Apple computer, my eyes were opened to the power of software. After an early start at IBM, I became an entrepreneur and moved to San Francisco. While my first...

I am the CEO and Founder of the Indigenomics Institute and the Global Center of Indigenomics. I am of Nuu chah nulth descent from the Hesquiaht Nation on Vancouver Island. In leading the establishment of a line of thought called #indigenomics- growing from a single word to an entire movement...

The region’s world-class universities, research institutions, and life sciences industry have a long history of groundbreaking discoveries that have saved lives across the globe, including several companies working around the clock right now in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.As Mayor, I have pushed to make the City of San...

By day, I build distributed systems as a backend engineer, but in my spare time, I learn and teach about game development using open-source technology. Generally speaking, open-source software is computer software released with a license that allows users to freely use, modify, and distribute it. My career in software...

Providing a growing global population with abundant, safe, affordable and sustainable food and energy are among the defining challenges of this decade. The Global population is expected to grow from just under 8 billion in 2022 to over 8.5 billion in 2030 and 9.7 billion in 2050. Given the scale...

As parents, we want what is best for our children. Or, at least, what we think is best for them. And what we almost always want for them is success. But wanting success for our children, even when our desire for their success comes from love and our concern for...

The past decade has seen a lot of shifts in the world and this is also inherent in the cleantech sector. Cleantech is no longer defined solely by its sustainability goals; it is positioning itself as a foundational driver of resilience, autonomy, and transformation across industries. Clean technologies emerging in...

In an era where change is our only constant, one woman has taken it upon herself to guide us through the shifting sands of time: Dr. Risa Ryger, a distinguished clinical psychologist, international speaker, and entrepreneur. She has dedicated her life to helping individuals and organizations navigate the often turbulent...

I’ve always believed that, with anything you do in life, it’s important to find your passion. Once you find that passion and set short- and long-term goals, you can transform your dream into a reality. Today’s technology gives us the unique opportunity to find and follow our path in more...