Thought Leaders
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® Nashville
LARISSA MARSHALL
DIRECTOR OF PRACTICE INNOVATION AT POLSINELLI
Innovation in the legal industry can often feel counter-intuitive. After all, law is built on precedent, on looking backward to go forward. A cornerstone of the profession is to manage risk and reduce uncertainty, adding additional tension to innovation and experimentation. And yet, the legal industry finds itself amid some...
INNOVATE™ Adelaide
HON NAT COOK MP
MINISTER FOR HUMAN SERVICES
“We have little evidence that we are achieving success in one of the core challenges in Australia and internationally – breaking intergenerational cycles of disadvantage in all its forms.” (BetterStart, 2023) The quote above is from a submission by Dr Rhiannon Pilkington and Professor John Lynch to our Royal Commission...
INNOVATE® New Jersey Vol.2
Dedicated to the Memory of Edward Cohen
Contributed by Mario M. Casabona, Commissioner Emeritus NJ CS&T
When pioneering educator and entrepreneurial advocate, Edward Cohen passed away in 2019, the State of New Jersey lost a veritable lion of education and technological entrepreneurship. Over 30 years ago, Cohen understood that to revitalize the State’s flagging economy, a fuse had to be lit forging the sectors of higher...
INNOVATE® Detroit
MICHAEL HEALANDER
AIRSPACE LINK, INC - PRESIDENT AND CEO
As we look to the skies, we’re witnessing a revolution in mobility that will transform our communities for the better. Drones are no longer just cool gadgets or military tools – they’re becoming powerful forces for good that can make our lives safer, easier, and more eco-friendly. At Airspace Link,...
INNOVATE® New Jersey Vol.2
JOSE ESPINOZA
FOUNDER OF MOVE THE NEEDLE, LLC
Daysi Gardenia Bernita, migrated to the USA in the pursuit of the American Dream with her six month old son in tote. Though a successful engineer in her native country of Ecuador, the language barrier and need to provide for her son and family back home, relegated her to being...
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™ Stockholm
ISABEL KEULEN
CEO, SSE VENTURES & SSE BUSINESS LAB
THE NORDIC’S LEADING STARTUP HUB! I believe that SSE Business Lab’s success in fostering unicorns and groundbreaking companies isn’t coincidental. It’s the result of a carefully designed ecosystem where ambition meets mentorship and capital is intertwined with experience. At the core is a powerful alumni network. Unlike many ecosystems where...
INNOVATE™ Stockholm
JOHAN HARTMAN & MATTIAS RANTALAINEN
CO-FOUNDERS, STRATIPATH
That’s what we, a pathologist and an AI researcher, discovered when ourresearch groups joined forces at Karolinska Institutet. Despite our differentscientific perspectives, we shared a common goal: to take research beyond theacademic setting and into clinical reality—where it can truly help patients. We began by tackling a major clinical gap...
INNOVATE™ Oeiras
JOAO ARAUJO
COUNTRY DIRECTOR, THALES
Railways has been my constant obsession in the last 30 years, after I assumed the role of developing the Railway business in Portugal. As a fresh Engineer from IST, I started my career at Alcatel as telecoms engineer. Soon my commercial attitude and aptitude drove me to new challenges with...
INNOVATE® St. Louis
Dena Ladd
Executive Director - Missouri Cures Education Foundation
Missouri has not one, but many, outstanding research institutions— Washington University in St. Louis, the University of Missouri, Saint Louis University, and Stowers Institute for Medical Research among them. As the Executive Director of the Missouri Cures Education Foundation, I cultivate and maintain relationships with key policymakers, business leaders, researchers,...
INNOVATE® San Diego Vol.1
It is no coincidence that Seqster was born in San Diego, a city with an underdog culture where small startups transform into large enterprises that address giant markets. Perfect weather drives innovation—always sunny, 72 degrees, and 70 miles of beaches. Perhaps the combination of unique culture and weather has drawn...
INNOVATE® Blockchain
JASON CASSIDY
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, GAME CREDITS
Living inside of the cryptocurrency sector for eight years gives one a unique perspective on innovation. Things move so quickly with blockchain technology that innovation tends to happen right in front of our very eyes. I grew up in the Caribbean when I was younger and there was virtually no...
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® New Jersey Vol.2
CHRISTOPHER J. PALADINO
PRESIDENT, DEVCO
Mr. Paladino has served as President of the New Brunswick Development Corporation (DEVCO) since 1994. Under his leadership, DEVCO has developed 8.3 million square feet in residential, commercial, academic, and institutional development projects valued at $3.5 billion. By establishing unique public-private partnerships, Mr. Paladino has successfully completed numerous projects to...
INNOVATE® Gaming & Esports
KEISHA HOWARD
FOUNDER, SUGAR GAMERS
Pursuing your dreamsThe gaming industry faces a stumbling block. Playing (and making) games isn’t the only goal of the industry. The gaming industry is Big Business with entrenched systems, processes, and structures. Today’s gaming space inspires and connects people in more ways than ever before and has the power to...
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® Chicago Vol.1
NANCY GIANNI
GIGI'S PLAYHOUSE - FOUNDER AND CHIEF BELIEF OFFICER
It could happen with a simple fall off a bike, the birth of a new baby or grandbaby, or a debilitating illness. Differences do not discriminate. They do not care who you are. They do not care that you’re “low risk” or “not those kinds of people.” When you experience...
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....
INNOVATE™ Atlantic Canada
MICHAEL SANDERSON
DIRECTOR - ARTHUR L. IRVING ENTREPRENEURSHIP CENTRE, SAINT MARY’S UNIVERSITY
When talking about innovation and entrepreneurship, we conjure images of revolutionary products and world-changing ideas. What is often missed in the discussion is the impact that these concepts have on the student. To help illustrate and understand this, I think it is important that I share a little bit of...
INNOVATE™ Oeiras
ROGÉRIO COLAÇO
DEAN, INSTITUTO SUPERIOR TÉCNICO
At Instituto Superior Técnico we believe that although we cannot do more than the bigger ones, although we cannot do better than the best ones, we could be at least as big as the bigger ones and as best as the best ones. And we also believe that we can...
INNOVATE™ Adelaide
FLAVIA TATA NARDINI
CEO AND CO-FOUNDER, FLEET SPACE TECHNOLOGIES
TRANSFORMING INDUSTRIES. CHANGING THE WORLD.Australia’s vast natural resources have made it a global economic powerhouse. But with worldwide demand for minerals soaring, and finding new sources is becoming ever more complex and costly, our nation’s biggest industry urgently needs a radical new approach. One potential solution is seismic imaging. The...
INNOVATE™ Oeiras
PEDRO MATIAS
EXECUTIVE PRESIDENT, ISQ GROUP
Innovation, innovation, innovation… this has been the watchword over the past few decades, ever since manuals on the subjects of economics and management associated the word “innovation” with developed nations and dynamic, competitive economies. It is a fact that innovation has always existed, not only in modern societies but over...
INNOVATE® New Jersey Vol.2
WESLEY MATHEWS
PRESIDENT & CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER - CHOOSE NEW JERSEY
I’ve been lucky to call many places around the world my home. As a career diplomat, I gained an understanding of life in other countries by experiencing it firsthand. My experiences with different cultures around the globe have afforded me the perspective that guides my professional career and allows me...
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...
LARISSA MARSHALL
DIRECTOR OF PRACTICE INNOVATION AT POLSINELLI
Innovation in the legal industry can often feel counter-intuitive. After all, law is built on precedent, on looking backward to go forward. A cornerstone of the profession is to manage risk and reduce uncertainty, adding additional tension to innovation and experimentation. And yet, the legal industry finds itself amid some...
HON NAT COOK MP
MINISTER FOR HUMAN SERVICES
“We have little evidence that we are achieving success in one of the core challenges in Australia and internationally – breaking intergenerational cycles of disadvantage in all its forms.” (BetterStart, 2023) The quote above is from a submission by Dr Rhiannon Pilkington and Professor John Lynch to our Royal Commission...
Dedicated to the Memory of Edward Cohen
Contributed by Mario M. Casabona, Commissioner Emeritus NJ CS&T
When pioneering educator and entrepreneurial advocate, Edward Cohen passed away in 2019, the State of New Jersey lost a veritable lion of education and technological entrepreneurship. Over 30 years ago, Cohen understood that to revitalize the State’s flagging economy, a fuse had to be lit forging the sectors of higher...
MICHAEL HEALANDER
AIRSPACE LINK, INC - PRESIDENT AND CEO
As we look to the skies, we’re witnessing a revolution in mobility that will transform our communities for the better. Drones are no longer just cool gadgets or military tools – they’re becoming powerful forces for good that can make our lives safer, easier, and more eco-friendly. At Airspace Link,...
JOSE ESPINOZA
FOUNDER OF MOVE THE NEEDLE, LLC
Daysi Gardenia Bernita, migrated to the USA in the pursuit of the American Dream with her six month old son in tote. Though a successful engineer in her native country of Ecuador, the language barrier and need to provide for her son and family back home, relegated her to being...
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...
ISABEL KEULEN
CEO, SSE VENTURES & SSE BUSINESS LAB
THE NORDIC’S LEADING STARTUP HUB! I believe that SSE Business Lab’s success in fostering unicorns and groundbreaking companies isn’t coincidental. It’s the result of a carefully designed ecosystem where ambition meets mentorship and capital is intertwined with experience. At the core is a powerful alumni network. Unlike many ecosystems where...
JOHAN HARTMAN & MATTIAS RANTALAINEN
CO-FOUNDERS, STRATIPATH
That’s what we, a pathologist and an AI researcher, discovered when ourresearch groups joined forces at Karolinska Institutet. Despite our differentscientific perspectives, we shared a common goal: to take research beyond theacademic setting and into clinical reality—where it can truly help patients. We began by tackling a major clinical gap...
JOAO ARAUJO
COUNTRY DIRECTOR, THALES
Railways has been my constant obsession in the last 30 years, after I assumed the role of developing the Railway business in Portugal. As a fresh Engineer from IST, I started my career at Alcatel as telecoms engineer. Soon my commercial attitude and aptitude drove me to new challenges with...
Dena Ladd
Executive Director - Missouri Cures Education Foundation
Missouri has not one, but many, outstanding research institutions— Washington University in St. Louis, the University of Missouri, Saint Louis University, and Stowers Institute for Medical Research among them. As the Executive Director of the Missouri Cures Education Foundation, I cultivate and maintain relationships with key policymakers, business leaders, researchers,...
It is no coincidence that Seqster was born in San Diego, a city with an underdog culture where small startups transform into large enterprises that address giant markets. Perfect weather drives innovation—always sunny, 72 degrees, and 70 miles of beaches. Perhaps the combination of unique culture and weather has drawn...
JASON CASSIDY
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, GAME CREDITS
Living inside of the cryptocurrency sector for eight years gives one a unique perspective on innovation. Things move so quickly with blockchain technology that innovation tends to happen right in front of our very eyes. I grew up in the Caribbean when I was younger and there was virtually no...
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...
CHRISTOPHER J. PALADINO
PRESIDENT, DEVCO
Mr. Paladino has served as President of the New Brunswick Development Corporation (DEVCO) since 1994. Under his leadership, DEVCO has developed 8.3 million square feet in residential, commercial, academic, and institutional development projects valued at $3.5 billion. By establishing unique public-private partnerships, Mr. Paladino has successfully completed numerous projects to...
KEISHA HOWARD
FOUNDER, SUGAR GAMERS
Pursuing your dreamsThe gaming industry faces a stumbling block. Playing (and making) games isn’t the only goal of the industry. The gaming industry is Big Business with entrenched systems, processes, and structures. Today’s gaming space inspires and connects people in more ways than ever before and has the power to...
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...
NANCY GIANNI
GIGI'S PLAYHOUSE - FOUNDER AND CHIEF BELIEF OFFICER
It could happen with a simple fall off a bike, the birth of a new baby or grandbaby, or a debilitating illness. Differences do not discriminate. They do not care who you are. They do not care that you’re “low risk” or “not those kinds of people.” When you experience...
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....
MICHAEL SANDERSON
DIRECTOR - ARTHUR L. IRVING ENTREPRENEURSHIP CENTRE, SAINT MARY’S UNIVERSITY
When talking about innovation and entrepreneurship, we conjure images of revolutionary products and world-changing ideas. What is often missed in the discussion is the impact that these concepts have on the student. To help illustrate and understand this, I think it is important that I share a little bit of...
ROGÉRIO COLAÇO
DEAN, INSTITUTO SUPERIOR TÉCNICO
At Instituto Superior Técnico we believe that although we cannot do more than the bigger ones, although we cannot do better than the best ones, we could be at least as big as the bigger ones and as best as the best ones. And we also believe that we can...
FLAVIA TATA NARDINI
CEO AND CO-FOUNDER, FLEET SPACE TECHNOLOGIES
TRANSFORMING INDUSTRIES. CHANGING THE WORLD.Australia’s vast natural resources have made it a global economic powerhouse. But with worldwide demand for minerals soaring, and finding new sources is becoming ever more complex and costly, our nation’s biggest industry urgently needs a radical new approach. One potential solution is seismic imaging. The...
PEDRO MATIAS
EXECUTIVE PRESIDENT, ISQ GROUP
Innovation, innovation, innovation… this has been the watchword over the past few decades, ever since manuals on the subjects of economics and management associated the word “innovation” with developed nations and dynamic, competitive economies. It is a fact that innovation has always existed, not only in modern societies but over...
WESLEY MATHEWS
PRESIDENT & CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER - CHOOSE NEW JERSEY
I’ve been lucky to call many places around the world my home. As a career diplomat, I gained an understanding of life in other countries by experiencing it firsthand. My experiences with different cultures around the globe have afforded me the perspective that guides my professional career and allows me...