Thought Leaders
INNOVATE™ Antwerp Vol.2
WOUTER BLEUKX
HYDROGEN ACTIVITIES, INEOS
Young people are concerned about the impact of climate change. I think it is our job to address their concerns about the future. This is the reason why I took the job in INEOS’ hydrogen activities. It’s important that we can tell our children that the industrial sector is leading...
INNOVATE™ Alberta
JILL DE GROOD
DIRECTOR, DEVELOPMENT AND PARTNERSHIPS, W21C
Health and health care is something that impacts every single one of us, whether we want it to or not. In Alberta, we have seen tremendous developments in how health care is delivered and in the availability of innovative solutions to better manage care. At the same time, it feels...
INNOVATE™ Alberta
TRAVIS OBERG
DIRECTOR OF DESIGN, UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY PROPERTIES GROUP
In a rapidly changing world, where the boundaries of what is possible continue to expand, the essence of innovation lies at the heart of progress. It is not confined to sterile laboratories or academic institutions; rather, it thrives in vibrant communities where collaboration, creativity, and a sense of place converge....
INNOVATION Quebec
GILLES DÉRY
PRÉSIDENT-DIRECTOR GENERAL, CQRDA
The idea of contributing to Quebec’s development is why I’m involved in the fast-paced world of innovation. It’s also the way to ensure an essential approach to our collective ambitions, in order to become a hub in several cutting-edge innovation sectors, notably aluminum. To this end, I am a fierce...
INNOVATE™ Stockholm
JENS DOLK
CEO, AN INNOVATOR OF THE RESTAURANT INDUSTRY, K-MÄRKT AB
I’ve never been afraid of weird ideas. In fact, that’s kind of the point with K-märkt. When we started, we didn’t just want to run a great restaurant – we wanted to challenge the entire way restaurants operate. Why? Because if we’re going to make food more sustainable, we can’t...
INNOVATE™ Alberta
GAIL POWLEY
PRESIDENT, TECHNOLOGY ALBERTA
That is what Technology Alberta does, and by saving their valuable time, we help Tech Entrepreneurs do more – faster, better and have more fun than when they go it alone. We know that tech entrepreneurs are on a race against time: as an innovator they need their product to...
INNOVATE™ Antwerp Vol.2
WALTER EEVERS
VITO - DIRECTOR RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT
WALTER EEVERS DIRECTOR RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT, VITO And when we speak of sustainability, VITO is the key player in this arena. With about 1,000 employees, VITO is an independent Flemish research organization with top researchers working on cleantech and sustainable development. Antwerp is a place where innovation is also massively...
INNOVATE® Gaming & Esports
RICHARD BUTLER
FOUNDER, RAGE WORKS
There is truly no one size fits all approach when it comes to podcasting and running a business, especially in New York City. However, this flexibility has allowed me to remain passionate about podcasting and do what I can to help the space grow and thrive, either by adding my...
INNOVATE® New Jersey Vol.2
MICHAEL ROSE
FOUNDER OF VIGNETIC, PERMEVO AND TKTKONNECT
The global talent market is a pressing concern that affects organizations and economies worldwide. According to a survey conducted by ManpowerGroup, 69% of employers reported difficulty in finding skilled workers in 2022. This shortage has been attributed to various factors, including demographic shifts, skills gaps, and the rapid pace of...
INNOVATE® Minnesota
Amy Fisher
Vice president - Padilla
BUILDING THOUGHT LEADERS, ONE BRAND AT A TIME Innovation has been described as a business strategy, a brand value, even an organizational characteristic. It implies continuous ideation, creativity, and execution based on an ability to understand and meet the needs of customers, employees, investors, and other key stakeholders. Innovation is...
AI Québec
PROF. ANDREA LODI
EST PROFESSEUR TITULAIRE EN OPTIMISATION MATHÉMATIQUE À POLYTECHNIQUE MONTRÉAL
À mon arrivée à Montréal en 2015, j’ai trouvé au Québec un environnement des plus stimulants, où la collaboration entre les grands établissements universitaires est non seulement encouragée, mais aussi reconnue comme un moyen de parvenir à une carrière fructueuse. Cela a sans aucun doute été un facteur déterminant dans...
INNOVATE™ Oeiras
DR. FRANCISCO PINTO BALSEMÃO
FOUNDER OF IMPRESA
If we go back in History the invention of the wheel was a tremendous innovation. If we think about the future the spaceship that will transport human beings to a planet outside of the solar system will be a new unbelievable innovation. There are of course innovations of a smaller...
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® Austin Volume 2
Joshua Baer
Founder - Capital Factory
Joshua Baer is the founder of Capital Factory, a coworking community and mentorship-based accelerator designed to help startups find their first investors, customers, and employees. Joshua founded his first startup in 1996 in his college dormitory at Carnegie Mellon University and now teaches a class at the University of Texas...
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® Philadelphia
Manik Arora
Arora Engineers, inc
Philadelphia is the birthplace of our country and home to an eclectic mix of historical and modern infrastructure. However, with its rapid development over the years, the number of users is quickly exceeding the original capacity of its built environment. In response to this roadblock, two of our major transportation...
INNOVATE™ Montréal
Catherine Mounier
Vice-Rectrice à la Recherche, à la Création et à la Diffusion | Vice-President Research - UNIVERSITÉ
English: UQAM joined the university landscape in 1969 and quickly distinguished itself through its commitment to serving society. Fostering entrepreneurship and social impact innovation, the University believes in the concerted ability of social actors to bring about change in response to issues as they arise. Building knowledge together Like many...
INNOVATE® San Diego Vol.1
Jim Filanc
Intelligent Cities Associates, LLC
Jim Filanc Intelligent Cities Associates, LLC Back in 2012, I wrote a White Paper entitled EnLighten San Diego when I had an insight into the strategic value of “power and perch,” two unique characteristics of streetlights. Streetlights are everywhere in most cities, but in San Diego, we envisioned attaching Small...
INNOVATE™ South Africa
THULANI HEADMAN AKA FOSTA
FOUNDING MEMBER AND OPERATIONS MANAGER, BRIDGES FOR MUSIC
I grew up in a family of musicians and in a township like Langa that has been home to many legendary artists, but unfortunately for most of them, life was challenging and didn´t bring the rewards one would expect from a successful career. When I was in my late teens...
INNOVATE® Orlando
Clayton Louis Ferrara
Biologist and Executive Director of IDEAS For Us
The 21st Century is destined to be a watershed moment in human history. Our lack of timely action to thwart Global Warming will push us to the paramount of our human ingenuity. Will we rise to the challenge and preserve our institutions, global markets, and industries as we know them?...
INNOVATE® Miami
Johanna Mikkola
Founder & CEO - Wyncode
Johanna Mikkola, Founder & CEO, Wyncode No product, service, or experience can be built, marketed, or executed without the use of technology. Today, every industry is a technology industry. Even Domino’s Pizza calls itself “a tech company that sells pizza.” Our opportunities for employment reflect this fact. At the...
INNOVATE® Washington DMV Edition
MARGOT MACHOL BISNOW
AUTHOR, RAISING AN ENTREPRENEUR
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...
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™ Estonia
KÄDI RISTKOK
CEO, ESTONIAN CLEANTECH ASSOCIATION
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...
WOUTER BLEUKX
HYDROGEN ACTIVITIES, INEOS
Young people are concerned about the impact of climate change. I think it is our job to address their concerns about the future. This is the reason why I took the job in INEOS’ hydrogen activities. It’s important that we can tell our children that the industrial sector is leading...
JILL DE GROOD
DIRECTOR, DEVELOPMENT AND PARTNERSHIPS, W21C
Health and health care is something that impacts every single one of us, whether we want it to or not. In Alberta, we have seen tremendous developments in how health care is delivered and in the availability of innovative solutions to better manage care. At the same time, it feels...
TRAVIS OBERG
DIRECTOR OF DESIGN, UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY PROPERTIES GROUP
In a rapidly changing world, where the boundaries of what is possible continue to expand, the essence of innovation lies at the heart of progress. It is not confined to sterile laboratories or academic institutions; rather, it thrives in vibrant communities where collaboration, creativity, and a sense of place converge....
GILLES DÉRY
PRÉSIDENT-DIRECTOR GENERAL, CQRDA
The idea of contributing to Quebec’s development is why I’m involved in the fast-paced world of innovation. It’s also the way to ensure an essential approach to our collective ambitions, in order to become a hub in several cutting-edge innovation sectors, notably aluminum. To this end, I am a fierce...
JENS DOLK
CEO, AN INNOVATOR OF THE RESTAURANT INDUSTRY, K-MÄRKT AB
I’ve never been afraid of weird ideas. In fact, that’s kind of the point with K-märkt. When we started, we didn’t just want to run a great restaurant – we wanted to challenge the entire way restaurants operate. Why? Because if we’re going to make food more sustainable, we can’t...
GAIL POWLEY
PRESIDENT, TECHNOLOGY ALBERTA
That is what Technology Alberta does, and by saving their valuable time, we help Tech Entrepreneurs do more – faster, better and have more fun than when they go it alone. We know that tech entrepreneurs are on a race against time: as an innovator they need their product to...
WALTER EEVERS
VITO - DIRECTOR RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT
WALTER EEVERS DIRECTOR RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT, VITO And when we speak of sustainability, VITO is the key player in this arena. With about 1,000 employees, VITO is an independent Flemish research organization with top researchers working on cleantech and sustainable development. Antwerp is a place where innovation is also massively...
RICHARD BUTLER
FOUNDER, RAGE WORKS
There is truly no one size fits all approach when it comes to podcasting and running a business, especially in New York City. However, this flexibility has allowed me to remain passionate about podcasting and do what I can to help the space grow and thrive, either by adding my...
MICHAEL ROSE
FOUNDER OF VIGNETIC, PERMEVO AND TKTKONNECT
The global talent market is a pressing concern that affects organizations and economies worldwide. According to a survey conducted by ManpowerGroup, 69% of employers reported difficulty in finding skilled workers in 2022. This shortage has been attributed to various factors, including demographic shifts, skills gaps, and the rapid pace of...
Amy Fisher
Vice president - Padilla
BUILDING THOUGHT LEADERS, ONE BRAND AT A TIME Innovation has been described as a business strategy, a brand value, even an organizational characteristic. It implies continuous ideation, creativity, and execution based on an ability to understand and meet the needs of customers, employees, investors, and other key stakeholders. Innovation is...
PROF. ANDREA LODI
EST PROFESSEUR TITULAIRE EN OPTIMISATION MATHÉMATIQUE À POLYTECHNIQUE MONTRÉAL
À mon arrivée à Montréal en 2015, j’ai trouvé au Québec un environnement des plus stimulants, où la collaboration entre les grands établissements universitaires est non seulement encouragée, mais aussi reconnue comme un moyen de parvenir à une carrière fructueuse. Cela a sans aucun doute été un facteur déterminant dans...
DR. FRANCISCO PINTO BALSEMÃO
FOUNDER OF IMPRESA
If we go back in History the invention of the wheel was a tremendous innovation. If we think about the future the spaceship that will transport human beings to a planet outside of the solar system will be a new unbelievable innovation. There are of course innovations of a smaller...
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...
Joshua Baer
Founder - Capital Factory
Joshua Baer is the founder of Capital Factory, a coworking community and mentorship-based accelerator designed to help startups find their first investors, customers, and employees. Joshua founded his first startup in 1996 in his college dormitory at Carnegie Mellon University and now teaches a class at the University of Texas...
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...
Manik Arora
Arora Engineers, inc
Philadelphia is the birthplace of our country and home to an eclectic mix of historical and modern infrastructure. However, with its rapid development over the years, the number of users is quickly exceeding the original capacity of its built environment. In response to this roadblock, two of our major transportation...
Catherine Mounier
Vice-Rectrice à la Recherche, à la Création et à la Diffusion | Vice-President Research - UNIVERSITÉ
English: UQAM joined the university landscape in 1969 and quickly distinguished itself through its commitment to serving society. Fostering entrepreneurship and social impact innovation, the University believes in the concerted ability of social actors to bring about change in response to issues as they arise. Building knowledge together Like many...
Jim Filanc
Intelligent Cities Associates, LLC
Jim Filanc Intelligent Cities Associates, LLC Back in 2012, I wrote a White Paper entitled EnLighten San Diego when I had an insight into the strategic value of “power and perch,” two unique characteristics of streetlights. Streetlights are everywhere in most cities, but in San Diego, we envisioned attaching Small...
THULANI HEADMAN AKA FOSTA
FOUNDING MEMBER AND OPERATIONS MANAGER, BRIDGES FOR MUSIC
I grew up in a family of musicians and in a township like Langa that has been home to many legendary artists, but unfortunately for most of them, life was challenging and didn´t bring the rewards one would expect from a successful career. When I was in my late teens...
Clayton Louis Ferrara
Biologist and Executive Director of IDEAS For Us
The 21st Century is destined to be a watershed moment in human history. Our lack of timely action to thwart Global Warming will push us to the paramount of our human ingenuity. Will we rise to the challenge and preserve our institutions, global markets, and industries as we know them?...
Johanna Mikkola
Founder & CEO - Wyncode
Johanna Mikkola, Founder & CEO, Wyncode No product, service, or experience can be built, marketed, or executed without the use of technology. Today, every industry is a technology industry. Even Domino’s Pizza calls itself “a tech company that sells pizza.” Our opportunities for employment reflect this fact. At the...
MARGOT MACHOL BISNOW
AUTHOR, RAISING AN ENTREPRENEUR
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...
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...
KÄDI RISTKOK
CEO, ESTONIAN CLEANTECH ASSOCIATION
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...