Thought Leaders
INNOVATE® Chicago Vol.1
DEAN DEBIASE
REBOOT PARTNERS
CEOs constantly hear noise about competitive “disruption” in their sectors, fueling concerns about their organization’s ability to innovate in an increasingly competitive and agile global market. This creates natural pressure to grow and meet earnings targets—but growth can be slow and expensive. With Open-Innovation and Co-Creation platforms, it doesn’t have...
INNOVATE® Puerto Rico
GIOVANNI MENDEZ
CEO, GEO
“PUERTO RICO IS BLOOMING AS A GLOBAL HUB FOR INNOVATION WITH COMPETITIVE TAX INCENTIVES, AND A HIGHLY SKILLED WORKFORCE… THE OPPORTUNITIES ARE ENDLESS.”– GIOVANNI MENDEZ, CEO, GEO Giovanni Méndez Feliciano has a bachelor’s degree in accounting and a Juris Doctor. Upon completion of the law degree, Giovanni took the Puerto Rico...
INNOVATE® New Jersey Vol.2
C. PARKHILL MAYS III
CEO, STOPIT SOLUTIONS
I was born and raised in Central Florida and grew up with loving and caring parents to whom I attribute much of my success in life. After a good education at a small liberal arts university in western Virginia, I spent my first few years of adulthood working as an...
INNOVATE™ Vancouver Vol.2
SHELLY BARDAI
DIRECTOR, BANKING, RBCx
As a young woman, I had dreams, aspirations and a relentless drive to make my dreams a reality. I landed a job at a startup in my early twenties, and over the next two decades, I witnessed a massive revolution in everything from AI, social media to autonomous vehicles and...
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...
VOICES of the Future
DR. ROD BERGER
NARRATIVES AT THE NEXUS
Dr. Rod Berger is the consummate storyteller. As a narrative mad scientist myself, I am but an amateur in the presence of Dr. Berger’s awe-inspiring talent. His views illuminate the corridors of tomorrow through the prism of today’s stories with foresight and wisdom. “My passion for storytelling began many years...
AI Québec
ANNE-MARIE HUBERT
EAST MARKET LEADER, EY CANADA
Québec is renowned for its vibrant artificial intelligence (AI) innovation ecosystem for three primary reasons: a phenomenal talent pool, collaborative partnerships and a strong commitment to building ethics into design. In fact, the region is home to the Montreal Declaration for a Responsible Development of Artificial Intelligence, which is globally...
INNOVATE® Georgia
AARON HARRIS
GLOBAL CTO AT SAGE
In countless ways, small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) are the often-unsung heroes on the frontlines of the U.S. economy by providing jobs, uplifting communities, and facing the future with optimism and resilience. That’s why I’m so proud that Sage has made such strong commitments on behalf of SMBs to deliver...
INNOVATE™ Oeiras
MÓNICA BETTENCOURT-DIAS
CEO, INSTITUTO GULBENKIAN DE CIÊNCIA
“I truly believe science is the most important tool to build a fair and sustainable world. To move in that direction, science needs to be democratized, and become accessible everywhere, to people of all origins and educational backgrounds.” In 2020, like no year before, science stood out in many different...
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™ Vancouver Vol.2
DR. SARAH LUBIK
CHARLES CHANG INSTITUTE FOR ENTREPRENEURSHIP @ SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY
Innovation policy around the world puts massive emphasis on the importance of increasing entrepreneurship for economic, and more recently, social impact. In many cases, there is a fairly narrow focus on digital tech-based startups, “tech”- style entrepreneurs, and programming to increase the number of people who act like them. This...
INNOVATE® Philadelphia
Lance Bachmann
Thought Leader Of 1SEO
For a city with a wealth of history behind it, it continues to propel itself forward and arrive at the forefront of innovation. The transformation of both Philadelphia and digital marketing within the 21st century alone is exhilarating, and it shows no signs of slowing down. The ecosystem made up...
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™ Vancouver Vol.2
Kookai Chaimahawong
Associate
Kookai Chaimahawong Associate “IT TAKES A VILLAGE TO BUILD GREAT COMPANIES, ESPECIALLY IN HARD TECH. VANCOUVER IS THE VILLAGE WITH A WORLD-CLASS PARTNER ECOSYSTEM THAT ARE HUNGRY TO SEE FOUNDERS AND STARTUP COMPANIES SUCCEED”. – KOOKAI CHAIMAHAWONG, ASSOCIATE I moved to Vancouver in 2017 to pursue my Master of Business...
INNOVATE® Washington DMV Edition
KRISTINA NOELL
ANACOSTIA BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT - EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Progress isn’t just a metric; it’s a mindset. I envision a world where art is at the heart of innovation, powering inclusive economic growth and nurturing a vibrant, diverse, and connected society. My journey has been fueled by a lifelong commitment to learning—both through formal education and the invaluable experiences...
INNOVATE® Gainesville
Collin Austin
Founder - New Scooters 4 Less
Collin Austin Founder – New Scooters 4 Less Collin Austin founded New Scooters 4 Less at the age of 21, which has gone on to become one of the top scooter dealerships in the country. In the last two years he’s also founded Repaint The Wall, a digital media “un-agency,”...
INNOVATE™ Stockholm
CARIN ERIKSON
FOUNDER OF CUREVO HEALTH
In an age where it’s never been easier to build something flashy, the real challenge is building something useful. Purpose is the anchor in that process. It keeps you honest, focused, and resilient. And surprisingly often, it becomes your unfair advantage. I’ve seen this firsthand at Curevo Health, the company...
INNOVATE™ Bristol & Bath
POKU OSEI
FOUNDER AND CEO, BABBASA
Bristol has a reputation for the high-tech industry, innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship. However, the city is marked as the 7th worst of 348 districts in England & Wales for black and ethnic minority communities to live and thrive. The issue has been further exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. So what...
INNOVATIONS in Pharmaceutical Development®
Ping Yeh
CO-Founder and CEO - Stemonix
Coming back from the brink of death sounds so dramatic, but that’s truly how I feel. In 2012, I was literally dying. I had been diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma and, a few months into my treatment, I learned that my cancer was resistant to the drugs. My only treatment option...
INNOVATE™ Estonia
REIN LEMBERPUU
.CONTRIBER
Having a background in physics and engineering, I have approached leadership challenges for many years from the angle of building the best possible team and environment where people can bring out their best talent. Like in engineering where every next iteration is slightly improved and closer to perfection. Today, 20...
INNOVATE® Puerto Rico
LAURA CANTERO
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, GRUPO GUAYACÁN, INC
One aspect I can highlight about doing business in Puerto Rico is the vibrant and growing community of entrepreneurs committed to transforming the local economy. This community of entrepreneurs is navigating a complex scenario under the shadow of an economic crisis that forced the local government to overhaul public finances....
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® Gainesville
Rich Blaser
Co-Founder & CO-CEO - Infinite Energy
I can’t think of a better place to start a business than Gainesville. When my business partner and I started here more than 25 years ago, it was the location that drew us. Geographically we’re at the hub of a wheel–just two hours from Tallahassee, Jacksonville, Orlando and Tampa–so we...
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...
DEAN DEBIASE
REBOOT PARTNERS
CEOs constantly hear noise about competitive “disruption” in their sectors, fueling concerns about their organization’s ability to innovate in an increasingly competitive and agile global market. This creates natural pressure to grow and meet earnings targets—but growth can be slow and expensive. With Open-Innovation and Co-Creation platforms, it doesn’t have...
GIOVANNI MENDEZ
CEO, GEO
“PUERTO RICO IS BLOOMING AS A GLOBAL HUB FOR INNOVATION WITH COMPETITIVE TAX INCENTIVES, AND A HIGHLY SKILLED WORKFORCE… THE OPPORTUNITIES ARE ENDLESS.”– GIOVANNI MENDEZ, CEO, GEO Giovanni Méndez Feliciano has a bachelor’s degree in accounting and a Juris Doctor. Upon completion of the law degree, Giovanni took the Puerto Rico...
C. PARKHILL MAYS III
CEO, STOPIT SOLUTIONS
I was born and raised in Central Florida and grew up with loving and caring parents to whom I attribute much of my success in life. After a good education at a small liberal arts university in western Virginia, I spent my first few years of adulthood working as an...
SHELLY BARDAI
DIRECTOR, BANKING, RBCx
As a young woman, I had dreams, aspirations and a relentless drive to make my dreams a reality. I landed a job at a startup in my early twenties, and over the next two decades, I witnessed a massive revolution in everything from AI, social media to autonomous vehicles and...
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...
DR. ROD BERGER
NARRATIVES AT THE NEXUS
Dr. Rod Berger is the consummate storyteller. As a narrative mad scientist myself, I am but an amateur in the presence of Dr. Berger’s awe-inspiring talent. His views illuminate the corridors of tomorrow through the prism of today’s stories with foresight and wisdom. “My passion for storytelling began many years...
ANNE-MARIE HUBERT
EAST MARKET LEADER, EY CANADA
Québec is renowned for its vibrant artificial intelligence (AI) innovation ecosystem for three primary reasons: a phenomenal talent pool, collaborative partnerships and a strong commitment to building ethics into design. In fact, the region is home to the Montreal Declaration for a Responsible Development of Artificial Intelligence, which is globally...
AARON HARRIS
GLOBAL CTO AT SAGE
In countless ways, small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) are the often-unsung heroes on the frontlines of the U.S. economy by providing jobs, uplifting communities, and facing the future with optimism and resilience. That’s why I’m so proud that Sage has made such strong commitments on behalf of SMBs to deliver...
MÓNICA BETTENCOURT-DIAS
CEO, INSTITUTO GULBENKIAN DE CIÊNCIA
“I truly believe science is the most important tool to build a fair and sustainable world. To move in that direction, science needs to be democratized, and become accessible everywhere, to people of all origins and educational backgrounds.” In 2020, like no year before, science stood out in many different...
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...
DR. SARAH LUBIK
CHARLES CHANG INSTITUTE FOR ENTREPRENEURSHIP @ SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY
Innovation policy around the world puts massive emphasis on the importance of increasing entrepreneurship for economic, and more recently, social impact. In many cases, there is a fairly narrow focus on digital tech-based startups, “tech”- style entrepreneurs, and programming to increase the number of people who act like them. This...
Lance Bachmann
Thought Leader Of 1SEO
For a city with a wealth of history behind it, it continues to propel itself forward and arrive at the forefront of innovation. The transformation of both Philadelphia and digital marketing within the 21st century alone is exhilarating, and it shows no signs of slowing down. The ecosystem made up...
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...
Kookai Chaimahawong
Associate
Kookai Chaimahawong Associate “IT TAKES A VILLAGE TO BUILD GREAT COMPANIES, ESPECIALLY IN HARD TECH. VANCOUVER IS THE VILLAGE WITH A WORLD-CLASS PARTNER ECOSYSTEM THAT ARE HUNGRY TO SEE FOUNDERS AND STARTUP COMPANIES SUCCEED”. – KOOKAI CHAIMAHAWONG, ASSOCIATE I moved to Vancouver in 2017 to pursue my Master of Business...
KRISTINA NOELL
ANACOSTIA BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT - EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Progress isn’t just a metric; it’s a mindset. I envision a world where art is at the heart of innovation, powering inclusive economic growth and nurturing a vibrant, diverse, and connected society. My journey has been fueled by a lifelong commitment to learning—both through formal education and the invaluable experiences...
Collin Austin
Founder - New Scooters 4 Less
Collin Austin Founder – New Scooters 4 Less Collin Austin founded New Scooters 4 Less at the age of 21, which has gone on to become one of the top scooter dealerships in the country. In the last two years he’s also founded Repaint The Wall, a digital media “un-agency,”...
CARIN ERIKSON
FOUNDER OF CUREVO HEALTH
In an age where it’s never been easier to build something flashy, the real challenge is building something useful. Purpose is the anchor in that process. It keeps you honest, focused, and resilient. And surprisingly often, it becomes your unfair advantage. I’ve seen this firsthand at Curevo Health, the company...
POKU OSEI
FOUNDER AND CEO, BABBASA
Bristol has a reputation for the high-tech industry, innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship. However, the city is marked as the 7th worst of 348 districts in England & Wales for black and ethnic minority communities to live and thrive. The issue has been further exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. So what...
Ping Yeh
CO-Founder and CEO - Stemonix
Coming back from the brink of death sounds so dramatic, but that’s truly how I feel. In 2012, I was literally dying. I had been diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma and, a few months into my treatment, I learned that my cancer was resistant to the drugs. My only treatment option...
REIN LEMBERPUU
.CONTRIBER
Having a background in physics and engineering, I have approached leadership challenges for many years from the angle of building the best possible team and environment where people can bring out their best talent. Like in engineering where every next iteration is slightly improved and closer to perfection. Today, 20...
LAURA CANTERO
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, GRUPO GUAYACÁN, INC
One aspect I can highlight about doing business in Puerto Rico is the vibrant and growing community of entrepreneurs committed to transforming the local economy. This community of entrepreneurs is navigating a complex scenario under the shadow of an economic crisis that forced the local government to overhaul public finances....
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...
Rich Blaser
Co-Founder & CO-CEO - Infinite Energy
I can’t think of a better place to start a business than Gainesville. When my business partner and I started here more than 25 years ago, it was the location that drew us. Geographically we’re at the hub of a wheel–just two hours from Tallahassee, Jacksonville, Orlando and Tampa–so we...
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...