Thought Leaders
INNOVATE® Washington DMV Edition
Troy LeMaile-Stovall
CEO OF TEDCO
CEO OF TEDCO From Southeast Houston to the boardrooms of the tech world, my journey has been anything but ordinary. Guided by a principle instilled in me by my mother, I’ve always believed that our primary purpose is to make a difference. This belief has not only shaped my personal...
INNOVATE™ Antwerp Vol.2
DEEPAK MEHTA
ECOSYSTEM DEVELOPER, MCA – MARITIME CAMPUS ANTWERP
Deepak Mehta is the Ecosystem Developer for MCA, believing that we are solving the easily solvable problems and are left with the wicked problems that have no single solution and require cooperation to solve. Building an ecosystem helps strengthen the maritime sector by increasing its innovation readiness, but also attracts...
INNOVATE™ Adelaide
JOHN HARRY
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, CITY OF SALISBURY
Key benefits of locating in the City of Salisbury include: In Salisbury new thinking is being applied to the transformation of individual firms and whole industry sectors. Adopting this entrepreneurial mindset within our organisation has underpinned the establishment of several commercial opportunities unique in the local government sector: An innovative...
INNOVATE® Seattle
FRANÇOIS BANEYX
COMOTION - DIRECTOR AND VICE PROVOST FOR INNOVATION
For over 150 years, the University of Washington (UW) has nurtured scholarly endeavors that have yielded discoveries and inventions with profound effects on people’s lives. From medical devices and vaccines to deep-sea mapping and natural language processing, our researchers have uncovered bold new insights that have pushed the boundaries of...
INNOVATE® Georgia
JEFF UPHUES
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER AT DC BLOX INC.
My journey in the technology and data center industry has been shaped by a relentless commitment to tenacity, teamwork, and trust. At DC BLOX, these principles are the driving force behind our approach to the industry. Tenacity has been the cornerstone of our success at DC BLOX. We started as...
INNOVATE™ Stockholm
ROBERT FALCK
FOUNDER, EINRIDE
The road freight industry stands at a defining moment. Once constrained by the limits of diesel and incremental change, the $4.6 trillion global market is now poised for disruption at unprecedented scale. The catalyst is clear: artificial intelligence is rapidly redrawing the boundaries of what is possible in logistics, and...
INNOVATE™ South Africa
JOHN SANEI
FOUNDER, JOHN SANEI INC.
I’m a futures strategist who combines human behaviour and future studies to create keynotes, masterclasses and books that help people, businesses and brands build the courage and clarity they need to forge the future they want. Driven by the real world, by humanity and ‘the now’, as a Futures Strategist...
INNOVATE™ Bristol & Bath
PROFESSOR IAN WHITE
VICE-CHANCELLOR AND PRESIDENT, UNIVERSITY OF BATH
Innovation and collaboration will always be essential to power progress in our societies and I think are a crucial part of what universities in particular can offer in partnership with others. This is especially important now as we begin to recover from Covid-19, and I have been pleased to play...
INNOVATE™ Adelaide
HON. CHRIS PICTON
MP, MINISTER FOR HEALTH AND WELLBEING
Taking hold of the opportunities derived from research excellence and innovation will help us to build a resilient, efficient, and informed health system that supports the future health and wellbeing of all South Australians. Research excellence and innovation will also play a vital role in our ability to proactively respond...
INNOVATE® Orlando
Pat Geraghty
GuideWell
GuideWell is driven by our mission to help people and communities achieve better health, which is why our enterprise is not content that today’s health care industry will serve the needs of people tomorrow. Better health demands better interactions with consumers, deeper knowledge of what health needs are, and...
INNOVATE® Nashville
SILAS DEANE
VICE PRESIDENT, COURTS AND JUSTICE, TYLER TECHNOLOGIES
I started my company, VendEngine, with zero outside investment, credit, or employees – nothing but an idea. Ten tough years later, managing the business on cash flow management, I sold it to an S&P 500 business for $89 million. It was an atypical entrepreneur’s journey. I’d do it all again....
INNOVATION Manitoba
JEFF FRANZ-LIEN, FOUNDER, IDEA MINERS INNOVATION SOLUTIONS INC.
People assume that innovation is about brilliant ideas. The truth is ideas are abundant. What’s rare and hard is transforming an idea into something real that creates value for others. That realization led to the creation of Idea Miners. After an IT career spanning tech, development, management, and enterprise architecture,...
INNOVATE™ Adelaide
CRAIG ARNOLD
PHOTOGRAPHIC DIRECTOR, SHE CREATIVE
A SHIFT OF THINKINGA seismic shift is looming in business and society as new technologies, cultural evolution and climate change present humanity with some of the biggest challenges in our history. As imperative as it is that we invest in innovation, the word itself is bandied around frequently- almost like...
AI Québec
MME DESMARAIS
COPRSSIDENTE DU CONSEIL D’ADMINISTRATION
Dans les années à venir, l’industrie de l’intelligence artificielle connaîtra une croissance exponentielle au Canada, comparable à celle du multimédia dans les années 2010. Grâce à son immense bassin de talents et à des leviers qui soutiennent le développement de son écosystème, comme Scale AI, le Canada se distingue comme...
INNOVATE™ South Africa
KGOMOTSO LEKOLA
FOUNDER & GROUP MANAGING DIRECTOR, BT INDUSTRIAL GROUP
We have to rethink our national strategy for growth, meaningful economic participation of blacks and job creation; it’s not just about funding and quality of education. I argue that South Africa is a sleeping giant ready to take on the world; we may just be waiting for the right moment...
Global Innovation Spotlight
LAUREN S MOORES
PHD DIGITAL INNOVATION LEADER, TEACHING FELLOW AT HARVARD BUSINESS ANALYTICS PROGRAM, USA FOR UNHCR
Digital transformation is a 20th century phenomena. As an early adopter of new technologies – and the digital age – I quickly embraced digital data structures and tend to think in data matrices, looking for the data keys to join data and discover new patterns. When I look to create...
INNOVATE™ Adelaide
NICK ADDISON
CEO, ADELAIDE OVAL STADIUM MANAGEMENT AUTHORITY
Whether in technology, the cost of goods and wages, contracts, regulatory variations, social and environmental change – the list is endless. However, in my opinion, changes in expectations is the most important dynamic. A business staying abreast of things on paper but deaf to a shift in mood from its...
Dr Harry Destecroix
CEO, Unit DX
When Novo Nordisk acquired our company, Ziylo, in a deal potentially worth $800 million, it exceeded our wildest expectations. Four years earlier, in 2014, I was finishing my Ph.D. in Professor Davis’ lab at the University of Bristol. We’d designed a set of molecular ‘sugar switches’ that sense how much...
INNOVATE® New Jersey Vol.2
MICHELLE SHOGREN
CEO, INNOVATE IN WHAT YOU DO! LLC
With 25+ years in clinical research, Michelle Shogren, CEO of Innovate In What You Do! LLC, started as a patient participant, then journeyed through nursing, clinical trial monitoring, and a significant role at Bayer Pharmaceuticals. Her innovation-focused path culminated in founding her own company in 2022. Michelle is dedicated to...
INNOVATE® Washington DMV Edition
SHADMAN HOSSAIN
MANAGER OF EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES PRACTICE, CGI FEDERAL
At its core, blockchain technology is about giving people control over their own data and assets, and enabling them to transact with one another in a transparent and secure way. By giving people control over their own data, we can create a more fair and just society where individuals have...
INNOVATE™ Alberta
SINMI ADEOYE-ESENE
FOUNDER, CEO, DANIOLA & CO-FOUNDER, BIPOC FOUNDATION
As an entrepreneur and innovator, I have embarked on a transformative journey to reshape the mining and tech industry with a bold vision and unwavering determination. It is my firm belief that we have the power to create a future that goes beyond profit margins and embraces the principles of...
INNOVATE™ Antwerp Vol.2
BARBARA VERANNEMAN
Never before in history, have our economy and society had to transform so radically so quickly. The industrial and societal transition we are experiencing is definitely about bits and bytes, but mostly about molecules: such as CO2 and H2 carbon dioxide and hydrogen. Therefore, chemistry, as a science and as...
INNOVATE® Blockchain
JASON ENGLISH
CHIEF ECOSYSTEM OFFICER, CG TECH
Governments worldwide are stepping up and playing a crucial role in enabling innovation in their parts of the world. Our leaders can and should do as much as possible to help small businesses, start ups and innovators succeed. These entrepreneurs are the life blood of our future economy. South Africa...
Troy LeMaile-Stovall
CEO OF TEDCO
CEO OF TEDCO From Southeast Houston to the boardrooms of the tech world, my journey has been anything but ordinary. Guided by a principle instilled in me by my mother, I’ve always believed that our primary purpose is to make a difference. This belief has not only shaped my personal...
DEEPAK MEHTA
ECOSYSTEM DEVELOPER, MCA – MARITIME CAMPUS ANTWERP
Deepak Mehta is the Ecosystem Developer for MCA, believing that we are solving the easily solvable problems and are left with the wicked problems that have no single solution and require cooperation to solve. Building an ecosystem helps strengthen the maritime sector by increasing its innovation readiness, but also attracts...
JOHN HARRY
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, CITY OF SALISBURY
Key benefits of locating in the City of Salisbury include: In Salisbury new thinking is being applied to the transformation of individual firms and whole industry sectors. Adopting this entrepreneurial mindset within our organisation has underpinned the establishment of several commercial opportunities unique in the local government sector: An innovative...
FRANÇOIS BANEYX
COMOTION - DIRECTOR AND VICE PROVOST FOR INNOVATION
For over 150 years, the University of Washington (UW) has nurtured scholarly endeavors that have yielded discoveries and inventions with profound effects on people’s lives. From medical devices and vaccines to deep-sea mapping and natural language processing, our researchers have uncovered bold new insights that have pushed the boundaries of...
JEFF UPHUES
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER AT DC BLOX INC.
My journey in the technology and data center industry has been shaped by a relentless commitment to tenacity, teamwork, and trust. At DC BLOX, these principles are the driving force behind our approach to the industry. Tenacity has been the cornerstone of our success at DC BLOX. We started as...
ROBERT FALCK
FOUNDER, EINRIDE
The road freight industry stands at a defining moment. Once constrained by the limits of diesel and incremental change, the $4.6 trillion global market is now poised for disruption at unprecedented scale. The catalyst is clear: artificial intelligence is rapidly redrawing the boundaries of what is possible in logistics, and...
JOHN SANEI
FOUNDER, JOHN SANEI INC.
I’m a futures strategist who combines human behaviour and future studies to create keynotes, masterclasses and books that help people, businesses and brands build the courage and clarity they need to forge the future they want. Driven by the real world, by humanity and ‘the now’, as a Futures Strategist...
PROFESSOR IAN WHITE
VICE-CHANCELLOR AND PRESIDENT, UNIVERSITY OF BATH
Innovation and collaboration will always be essential to power progress in our societies and I think are a crucial part of what universities in particular can offer in partnership with others. This is especially important now as we begin to recover from Covid-19, and I have been pleased to play...
HON. CHRIS PICTON
MP, MINISTER FOR HEALTH AND WELLBEING
Taking hold of the opportunities derived from research excellence and innovation will help us to build a resilient, efficient, and informed health system that supports the future health and wellbeing of all South Australians. Research excellence and innovation will also play a vital role in our ability to proactively respond...
Pat Geraghty
GuideWell
GuideWell is driven by our mission to help people and communities achieve better health, which is why our enterprise is not content that today’s health care industry will serve the needs of people tomorrow. Better health demands better interactions with consumers, deeper knowledge of what health needs are, and...
SILAS DEANE
VICE PRESIDENT, COURTS AND JUSTICE, TYLER TECHNOLOGIES
I started my company, VendEngine, with zero outside investment, credit, or employees – nothing but an idea. Ten tough years later, managing the business on cash flow management, I sold it to an S&P 500 business for $89 million. It was an atypical entrepreneur’s journey. I’d do it all again....
JEFF FRANZ-LIEN, FOUNDER, IDEA MINERS INNOVATION SOLUTIONS INC.
People assume that innovation is about brilliant ideas. The truth is ideas are abundant. What’s rare and hard is transforming an idea into something real that creates value for others. That realization led to the creation of Idea Miners. After an IT career spanning tech, development, management, and enterprise architecture,...
CRAIG ARNOLD
PHOTOGRAPHIC DIRECTOR, SHE CREATIVE
A SHIFT OF THINKINGA seismic shift is looming in business and society as new technologies, cultural evolution and climate change present humanity with some of the biggest challenges in our history. As imperative as it is that we invest in innovation, the word itself is bandied around frequently- almost like...
MME DESMARAIS
COPRSSIDENTE DU CONSEIL D’ADMINISTRATION
Dans les années à venir, l’industrie de l’intelligence artificielle connaîtra une croissance exponentielle au Canada, comparable à celle du multimédia dans les années 2010. Grâce à son immense bassin de talents et à des leviers qui soutiennent le développement de son écosystème, comme Scale AI, le Canada se distingue comme...
KGOMOTSO LEKOLA
FOUNDER & GROUP MANAGING DIRECTOR, BT INDUSTRIAL GROUP
We have to rethink our national strategy for growth, meaningful economic participation of blacks and job creation; it’s not just about funding and quality of education. I argue that South Africa is a sleeping giant ready to take on the world; we may just be waiting for the right moment...
LAUREN S MOORES
PHD DIGITAL INNOVATION LEADER, TEACHING FELLOW AT HARVARD BUSINESS ANALYTICS PROGRAM, USA FOR UNHCR
Digital transformation is a 20th century phenomena. As an early adopter of new technologies – and the digital age – I quickly embraced digital data structures and tend to think in data matrices, looking for the data keys to join data and discover new patterns. When I look to create...
NICK ADDISON
CEO, ADELAIDE OVAL STADIUM MANAGEMENT AUTHORITY
Whether in technology, the cost of goods and wages, contracts, regulatory variations, social and environmental change – the list is endless. However, in my opinion, changes in expectations is the most important dynamic. A business staying abreast of things on paper but deaf to a shift in mood from its...
Dr Harry Destecroix
CEO, Unit DX
When Novo Nordisk acquired our company, Ziylo, in a deal potentially worth $800 million, it exceeded our wildest expectations. Four years earlier, in 2014, I was finishing my Ph.D. in Professor Davis’ lab at the University of Bristol. We’d designed a set of molecular ‘sugar switches’ that sense how much...
MICHELLE SHOGREN
CEO, INNOVATE IN WHAT YOU DO! LLC
With 25+ years in clinical research, Michelle Shogren, CEO of Innovate In What You Do! LLC, started as a patient participant, then journeyed through nursing, clinical trial monitoring, and a significant role at Bayer Pharmaceuticals. Her innovation-focused path culminated in founding her own company in 2022. Michelle is dedicated to...
SHADMAN HOSSAIN
MANAGER OF EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES PRACTICE, CGI FEDERAL
At its core, blockchain technology is about giving people control over their own data and assets, and enabling them to transact with one another in a transparent and secure way. By giving people control over their own data, we can create a more fair and just society where individuals have...
SINMI ADEOYE-ESENE
FOUNDER, CEO, DANIOLA & CO-FOUNDER, BIPOC FOUNDATION
As an entrepreneur and innovator, I have embarked on a transformative journey to reshape the mining and tech industry with a bold vision and unwavering determination. It is my firm belief that we have the power to create a future that goes beyond profit margins and embraces the principles of...
BARBARA VERANNEMAN
Never before in history, have our economy and society had to transform so radically so quickly. The industrial and societal transition we are experiencing is definitely about bits and bytes, but mostly about molecules: such as CO2 and H2 carbon dioxide and hydrogen. Therefore, chemistry, as a science and as...
JASON ENGLISH
CHIEF ECOSYSTEM OFFICER, CG TECH
Governments worldwide are stepping up and playing a crucial role in enabling innovation in their parts of the world. Our leaders can and should do as much as possible to help small businesses, start ups and innovators succeed. These entrepreneurs are the life blood of our future economy. South Africa...