Stories of Innovation

INNOVATE® Gaming & Esports

NEWZOO

NEWZOO-TWO CHILDHOOD FRIENDS WITH ONE BIG IDEA — THAT’S THE GIST OF NEWZOO’S BEGINNINGS

TWO CHILDHOOD FRIENDS WITH ONE BIG IDEA — THAT’S THE GIST OF NEWZOO’S BEGINNINGS

But Newzoo wasn’t its founder’s (Peter Warman and Thijs Hagoort) first venture into the world of business. Far from it. After becoming friends playing basketball in high school, the industrious duo sold custom-designed t-shirts. Those early days taught them a valuable lesson: custom production based on manuals does not scale...

INNOVATE™ Atlantic Canada

C-Therm

Thermal Conductivity Instrument

Established in 2007, C-Therm Technologies is the world leader in transient thermal conductivity instrumentation for the testing of a wide range of materials with applications ranging from Batteries and Electric vehicles to Textiles and Soft lines. C-Therm is led by the team of Adam Harris (CEO), Brandon Brown (VP Engineering)...

INNOVATE® Northern Virginia

OVHcloud

A wholly owned subsidiary of OVH Groupe, a publicly traded company on Euronext Paris and one of the world’s largest independent cloud providers.

OVH Groupe operates data centers across the United States, United Kingdom, Europe, India, Singapore, and Australia — a global infrastructure network built and managed end-to-end by OVHcloud. OVHcloud US is the US-focused entity within that global organization. It serves US-based customers and any customer that needs services delivered from US...

INNOVATE™ Vancouver Vol.2

DYNE

IS A B2B SAAS COMPANY THAT SPECIALISES IN PROVIDING CUTTING-EDGE ANALYTICS SOLUTIONS FOR THE RESTAURANT INDUSTRY

What Dyne DoesDyne is a B2B SaaS company that specialises in providing cutting-edge analytics for all types of restaurants. Its innovative software utilises AI and machine learning to help restaurants optimise their internal operations and ultimately increase profitability. Their platform’s current key features offer a wide range of functionality, from...

INNOVATE™ Atlantic Canada

NBIF

Established in 2003, NBIF continues to build on New Brunswick's history as a leading innovation hub

At the New Brunswick Innovation Foundation, we’re building on a remarkable history of ingenuity and entrepreneurial spirit in New Brunswick to propel the development of the next generation of global technology firms. Heading into our third decade of catapulting innovative ideas into thriving enterprises, our organization – better known by...

Global Innovation Spotlight

65% of Progressive Jackpots Are Now Won on Phones, Yet the Tech World Is Looking to Smart Glasses. Is the Timing Right?

The image was created by us with AI, specifically for this article. The next platform debate is already moving past the phone. In May 2025, Reuters reported that Apple was aiming for smart glasses by the end of 2026. Around the same time, Apple services chief Eddy Cue said, “You...

INNOVATE® Austin Volume 2

MOBILE LOAVES & FISHES

MOBILE LOAVES & FISHES-FOOD

FOOD, HOPE, DIGNITY … AND THE MOST TALKED ABOUT NEIGHBORHOOD IN AUSTIN, TEXAS

What started as five men in Austin, Texas answering God’s call to “love your neighbor” by serving meals out of the back of a green minivan has turned into one of the country’s most innovative approaches for mitigating homelessness. In 1998, the seed of the idea for Mobile Loaves &...

INNOVATE™ Curitiba

ABL GROUP

INNOVATION IS PART OF OUR DNA

For over two decades, Grupo ABL, a company from Curitiba, the capital of Paraná, has stood out for its expertise in creating innovative and personalized technological solutions for several sectors. Focusing on technologies, the Group seeks to predict future demands to develop tools that solve the needs of organizations and...

INNOVATION Quebec

CÉPROCQ

Since 2000, CÉPROCQ has positioned itself as a technological showcase on a pilot scale for extraction and separation processes in the fields of bio-industrial and environmental technologies

Thus, the CÉPROCQ, early on, based its strategic priorities on green chemistry and sustainable development, which have now become essential to the growth of the industry. The CÉPROCQ is one of the few centers in Quebec, or even in Canada, to offer a research infrastructure on a pilot scale, thereby...

INNOVATE® Georgia

DAUGHERTY BUSINESS SOLUTIONS

WE PROVIDE EXCEPTIONAL VALUE TO OUR CLIENTS, AN INCREDIBLE WORK ENVIRONMENT FOR OUR EMPLOYEES, AND UNWAVERING SUPPORT TO THE COMMUNITY.

Ranked 5th in the nation by USA Today’s Top Workplaces USA, Daugherty Business Solutions is a leading advisory services and technology consulting firm. Founded by Ron and Jan Daugherty, the company currently employs over 1,500 consultants worldwide with a focus on AI, tech modernization, and business agility. For over 40...

INNOVATE™ Alberta

BOW VALLEY COLLEGE

TRANSFORMING THE STUDENT EXPERIENCE THROUGH DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY

Bow Valley College has been an access college since 1965, earning a reputation for fast-paced programs that quickly respond to the practical needs of adult students and our economy. On May 16, 2023, the College launched a new Digital Strategy, which outlines how technology will enhance the student experience, improve...

Global Innovation Spotlight

Where to Find South African Food in Canada

Howzit Canada logo alongside the South African Institute of Canada (SAIC) branding, set against a scenic Canadian landscape, representing a hub for South African expats to find goods, businesses, and community support in Canada.

HowZit Canada Leads the Way

For South African expats in Canada craving a taste of home—think boerewors, biltong, or rooibos tea—knowing where to find South African food in Canada can feel like a treasure hunt. Fortunately, a groundbreaking platform, HowZit Canada (howzitcanada.ca), launched by the South African Institute of Canada (SAIC), is revolutionizing the search....

INNOVATE® Detroit

DETROIT’S ECONOMIC RENAISSANCE

The Detroit Development Fund’s 25-Year Journey

DETROIT’S ECONOMIC RENAISSANCE-The Detroit Development Fund’s 25-Year Journey Towards Inclusive Prosperity In the heart of Detroit’s vibrant entrepreneurial landscape, the Detroit Development Fund (DDF) has emerged as a devoted ally for local businesses, catalyzing economic growth and fostering lasting community development. Over the past 25 years, this organization, originally known...

INNOVATE® Maryland

BioHealth Innovation

Translating Breakthroughs into Impact

In Maryland, scientific discovery rarely slows progress. Laboratories across the state generate breakthrough therapeutics, diagnostics, and medical technologies at remarkable speed. Moving those innovations beyond the lab and into the hands of patients and investors requires a different kind of expertise, grounded in market insight, capital strategy, and disciplined execution....

INNOVATE™ Estonia

SILEN

HOW SILENCE BECAME SILEN’S GLOBAL LANGUAGE

Silen’s journey began with a simple conviction: silence is not a luxury, but a necessity for focus, creativity, and well-being. What started as an idea in Estonia has grown into the world’s leading provider of office pods and privacy solutions, trusted by companies in more than 60 countries — including...

INNOVATE® Nashville

THE TABLE

THE TABLE-TAKES ACTION TO BRING EQUITY AND INCLUSION TO NASHVILLE

TAKES ACTION TO BRING EQUITY AND INCLUSION TO NASHVILLE

A new membership organization started in Nashville is growing rapidly. The Table is resonating with the business community because the goal is bold – to make Nashville the model city for equity and inclusiveness by taking action to create opportunities to grow prosperity for people of color. Started in October...

INNOVATE™ South Africa

THE GOOD THINGS GUY

THE GOOD THINGS GUY - KNOWN AS A SOURCE OF GOOD NEWS AND INSPIRATIONAL STORIES.

BEST KNOWN AS A SOURCE OF GOOD NEWS AND INSPIRATIONAL STORIES BY SOUTH AFRICANS FOR SOUTH AFRICANS. SPARKED BY AN ONLINE VIRAL MOVEMENT, THE GOOD THINGS GUY IS NOW A GLOBAL MULTI-PLATFORM MEDIA COMPANY DELIVERING GOOD NEWS DAILY TO SOUTH AFRICANS

Kindness is the only thing that mattersSouth Africa’s news feeds are filled with hard news, stories of murder, corruption, robberies, and failing state-owned enterprises. Is there a space for good news – and do South Africans have an appetite for it? Brent Lindeque founded the Good Things Guy on 1...

INNOVATION Manitoba

NEUROPTEK

BRINGING THE EYE AND BRAIN EXAMINATION INTO THE DIGITAL AGE

MANITOBA INNOVATION AT THE INTERSECTION OF NEURO-OPHTHALMOLOGY, DIGITAL HEALTH AND ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE How a Manitoba garden conversation, two smartphones, a few mirrors and a clinical problem sparked the creation of EyeMirage®. Some innovations begin in sophisticated laboratories. EyeMirage® began in a garden. Neuroptek Corporation Inc. is a Manitoba-based medical technology...

INNOVATE™ Toronto

MARS

MARS-Toronto’s Home Of Meaningful Innovation

Toronto’s Home Of Meaningful Innovation

MaRS helps promising ventures become world-leading companies. The anchor of Canada’s tech ecosystem, MaRS connects all players in the innovation economy to turn breakthrough ideas into products and services with global impact. MaRS was founded on the philosophy that innovators require more than labs and offices. They need a platform...

INNOVATION Quebec

OPTONIQUE

SPOTLIGHT ON INNOVATION

Photonics can be found everywhere: laser surgery, battery manufacturing, and quantum computers are among many other applications that benefit from light-based technologies. The presence of research centers and industries on Quebec soil has led to a fertile ground for innovation among deep tech start-ups and established businesses. Optonique, Québec’s Photonics...

INNOVATE® Northern Virginia

Google

Building the Infrastructure Behind the Future

Rows of servers stretch across highly controlled environments while cooling systems regulate temperatures within fractions of a degree. Fiber routes, power agreements, custom silicon, and energy modeling rarely enter public conversation, yet the digital systems shaping modern life depend on them every second of the day. Across Northern Virginia, Google...

INNOVATE™ Vancouver Vol.2

ECOMsquare

COWORKING SPACE AND COMMUNITY FOR ECOMMERCE IN VANCOUVER

A community project since day one.You might think of ECOMsquare as a place. To its founder, Steve Krueger, the distinctive blue building on West 8th Ave represents the latest evolution of a community he’s been building since June 12, 2014. Krueger hosted an Ecommerce Town Hall to connect with professionals...

INNOVATE® Maryland

THE BIOTECH CORRIDOR

WHERE INNOVATION LEADS

There must be more MDs and PhDs per capita in a 10-mile radius of Rockville, Maryland, than anywhere else in the country. Montgomery County is the foundation of the Biotech Corridor, a dynamic hub for life science research, innovation, and commercialization, with 13,000 private sector employees and 400 life sciences...

INNOVATE® Northern Virginia

MISSIONOVO

PEOPLE FIRST. MISSION ALWAYS.

Introduction In national security, capabilities are proven under pressure; not in theory. Too often, they fail because they were built too far from the mission. Missionovo was founded to close that gap. Three engineers, Grant Kuhnsman, Mike Dobry, and Matt O’Leary, saw the same failures: solutions built without the mission...

INNOVATE® Gaming & Esports

NEWZOO

NEWZOO-TWO CHILDHOOD FRIENDS WITH ONE BIG IDEA — THAT’S THE GIST OF NEWZOO’S BEGINNINGS

TWO CHILDHOOD FRIENDS WITH ONE BIG IDEA — THAT’S THE GIST OF NEWZOO’S BEGINNINGS

But Newzoo wasn’t its founder’s (Peter Warman and Thijs Hagoort) first venture into the world of business. Far from it. After becoming friends playing basketball in high school, the industrious duo sold custom-designed t-shirts. Those early days taught them a valuable lesson: custom production based on manuals does not scale...

INNOVATE™ Atlantic Canada

C-Therm

Thermal Conductivity Instrument

Established in 2007, C-Therm Technologies is the world leader in transient thermal conductivity instrumentation for the testing of a wide range of materials with applications ranging from Batteries and Electric vehicles to Textiles and Soft lines. C-Therm is led by the team of Adam Harris (CEO), Brandon Brown (VP Engineering)...

INNOVATE® Northern Virginia

OVHcloud

A wholly owned subsidiary of OVH Groupe, a publicly traded company on Euronext Paris and one of the world’s largest independent cloud providers.

OVH Groupe operates data centers across the United States, United Kingdom, Europe, India, Singapore, and Australia — a global infrastructure network built and managed end-to-end by OVHcloud. OVHcloud US is the US-focused entity within that global organization. It serves US-based customers and any customer that needs services delivered from US...

INNOVATE™ Vancouver Vol.2

DYNE

IS A B2B SAAS COMPANY THAT SPECIALISES IN PROVIDING CUTTING-EDGE ANALYTICS SOLUTIONS FOR THE RESTAURANT INDUSTRY

What Dyne DoesDyne is a B2B SaaS company that specialises in providing cutting-edge analytics for all types of restaurants. Its innovative software utilises AI and machine learning to help restaurants optimise their internal operations and ultimately increase profitability. Their platform’s current key features offer a wide range of functionality, from...

INNOVATE™ Atlantic Canada

NBIF

Established in 2003, NBIF continues to build on New Brunswick's history as a leading innovation hub

At the New Brunswick Innovation Foundation, we’re building on a remarkable history of ingenuity and entrepreneurial spirit in New Brunswick to propel the development of the next generation of global technology firms. Heading into our third decade of catapulting innovative ideas into thriving enterprises, our organization – better known by...

Global Innovation Spotlight

65% of Progressive Jackpots Are Now Won on Phones, Yet the Tech World Is Looking to Smart Glasses. Is the Timing Right?

The image was created by us with AI, specifically for this article. The next platform debate is already moving past the phone. In May 2025, Reuters reported that Apple was aiming for smart glasses by the end of 2026. Around the same time, Apple services chief Eddy Cue said, “You...

INNOVATE® Austin Volume 2

MOBILE LOAVES & FISHES

MOBILE LOAVES & FISHES-FOOD

FOOD, HOPE, DIGNITY … AND THE MOST TALKED ABOUT NEIGHBORHOOD IN AUSTIN, TEXAS

What started as five men in Austin, Texas answering God’s call to “love your neighbor” by serving meals out of the back of a green minivan has turned into one of the country’s most innovative approaches for mitigating homelessness. In 1998, the seed of the idea for Mobile Loaves &...

INNOVATE™ Curitiba

ABL GROUP

INNOVATION IS PART OF OUR DNA

For over two decades, Grupo ABL, a company from Curitiba, the capital of Paraná, has stood out for its expertise in creating innovative and personalized technological solutions for several sectors. Focusing on technologies, the Group seeks to predict future demands to develop tools that solve the needs of organizations and...

INNOVATION Quebec

CÉPROCQ

Since 2000, CÉPROCQ has positioned itself as a technological showcase on a pilot scale for extraction and separation processes in the fields of bio-industrial and environmental technologies

Thus, the CÉPROCQ, early on, based its strategic priorities on green chemistry and sustainable development, which have now become essential to the growth of the industry. The CÉPROCQ is one of the few centers in Quebec, or even in Canada, to offer a research infrastructure on a pilot scale, thereby...

INNOVATE® Georgia

DAUGHERTY BUSINESS SOLUTIONS

WE PROVIDE EXCEPTIONAL VALUE TO OUR CLIENTS, AN INCREDIBLE WORK ENVIRONMENT FOR OUR EMPLOYEES, AND UNWAVERING SUPPORT TO THE COMMUNITY.

Ranked 5th in the nation by USA Today’s Top Workplaces USA, Daugherty Business Solutions is a leading advisory services and technology consulting firm. Founded by Ron and Jan Daugherty, the company currently employs over 1,500 consultants worldwide with a focus on AI, tech modernization, and business agility. For over 40...

INNOVATE™ Alberta

BOW VALLEY COLLEGE

TRANSFORMING THE STUDENT EXPERIENCE THROUGH DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY

Bow Valley College has been an access college since 1965, earning a reputation for fast-paced programs that quickly respond to the practical needs of adult students and our economy. On May 16, 2023, the College launched a new Digital Strategy, which outlines how technology will enhance the student experience, improve...

Global Innovation Spotlight

Where to Find South African Food in Canada

Howzit Canada logo alongside the South African Institute of Canada (SAIC) branding, set against a scenic Canadian landscape, representing a hub for South African expats to find goods, businesses, and community support in Canada.

HowZit Canada Leads the Way

For South African expats in Canada craving a taste of home—think boerewors, biltong, or rooibos tea—knowing where to find South African food in Canada can feel like a treasure hunt. Fortunately, a groundbreaking platform, HowZit Canada (howzitcanada.ca), launched by the South African Institute of Canada (SAIC), is revolutionizing the search....

INNOVATE® Detroit

DETROIT’S ECONOMIC RENAISSANCE

The Detroit Development Fund’s 25-Year Journey

DETROIT’S ECONOMIC RENAISSANCE-The Detroit Development Fund’s 25-Year Journey Towards Inclusive Prosperity In the heart of Detroit’s vibrant entrepreneurial landscape, the Detroit Development Fund (DDF) has emerged as a devoted ally for local businesses, catalyzing economic growth and fostering lasting community development. Over the past 25 years, this organization, originally known...

INNOVATE® Maryland

BioHealth Innovation

Translating Breakthroughs into Impact

In Maryland, scientific discovery rarely slows progress. Laboratories across the state generate breakthrough therapeutics, diagnostics, and medical technologies at remarkable speed. Moving those innovations beyond the lab and into the hands of patients and investors requires a different kind of expertise, grounded in market insight, capital strategy, and disciplined execution....

INNOVATE™ Estonia

SILEN

HOW SILENCE BECAME SILEN’S GLOBAL LANGUAGE

Silen’s journey began with a simple conviction: silence is not a luxury, but a necessity for focus, creativity, and well-being. What started as an idea in Estonia has grown into the world’s leading provider of office pods and privacy solutions, trusted by companies in more than 60 countries — including...

INNOVATE® Nashville

THE TABLE

THE TABLE-TAKES ACTION TO BRING EQUITY AND INCLUSION TO NASHVILLE

TAKES ACTION TO BRING EQUITY AND INCLUSION TO NASHVILLE

A new membership organization started in Nashville is growing rapidly. The Table is resonating with the business community because the goal is bold – to make Nashville the model city for equity and inclusiveness by taking action to create opportunities to grow prosperity for people of color. Started in October...

INNOVATE™ South Africa

THE GOOD THINGS GUY

THE GOOD THINGS GUY - KNOWN AS A SOURCE OF GOOD NEWS AND INSPIRATIONAL STORIES.

BEST KNOWN AS A SOURCE OF GOOD NEWS AND INSPIRATIONAL STORIES BY SOUTH AFRICANS FOR SOUTH AFRICANS. SPARKED BY AN ONLINE VIRAL MOVEMENT, THE GOOD THINGS GUY IS NOW A GLOBAL MULTI-PLATFORM MEDIA COMPANY DELIVERING GOOD NEWS DAILY TO SOUTH AFRICANS

Kindness is the only thing that mattersSouth Africa’s news feeds are filled with hard news, stories of murder, corruption, robberies, and failing state-owned enterprises. Is there a space for good news – and do South Africans have an appetite for it? Brent Lindeque founded the Good Things Guy on 1...

INNOVATION Manitoba

NEUROPTEK

BRINGING THE EYE AND BRAIN EXAMINATION INTO THE DIGITAL AGE

MANITOBA INNOVATION AT THE INTERSECTION OF NEURO-OPHTHALMOLOGY, DIGITAL HEALTH AND ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE How a Manitoba garden conversation, two smartphones, a few mirrors and a clinical problem sparked the creation of EyeMirage®. Some innovations begin in sophisticated laboratories. EyeMirage® began in a garden. Neuroptek Corporation Inc. is a Manitoba-based medical technology...

INNOVATE™ Toronto

MARS

MARS-Toronto’s Home Of Meaningful Innovation

Toronto’s Home Of Meaningful Innovation

MaRS helps promising ventures become world-leading companies. The anchor of Canada’s tech ecosystem, MaRS connects all players in the innovation economy to turn breakthrough ideas into products and services with global impact. MaRS was founded on the philosophy that innovators require more than labs and offices. They need a platform...

INNOVATION Quebec

OPTONIQUE

SPOTLIGHT ON INNOVATION

Photonics can be found everywhere: laser surgery, battery manufacturing, and quantum computers are among many other applications that benefit from light-based technologies. The presence of research centers and industries on Quebec soil has led to a fertile ground for innovation among deep tech start-ups and established businesses. Optonique, Québec’s Photonics...

INNOVATE® Northern Virginia

Google

Building the Infrastructure Behind the Future

Rows of servers stretch across highly controlled environments while cooling systems regulate temperatures within fractions of a degree. Fiber routes, power agreements, custom silicon, and energy modeling rarely enter public conversation, yet the digital systems shaping modern life depend on them every second of the day. Across Northern Virginia, Google...

INNOVATE™ Vancouver Vol.2

ECOMsquare

COWORKING SPACE AND COMMUNITY FOR ECOMMERCE IN VANCOUVER

A community project since day one.You might think of ECOMsquare as a place. To its founder, Steve Krueger, the distinctive blue building on West 8th Ave represents the latest evolution of a community he’s been building since June 12, 2014. Krueger hosted an Ecommerce Town Hall to connect with professionals...

INNOVATE® Maryland

THE BIOTECH CORRIDOR

WHERE INNOVATION LEADS

There must be more MDs and PhDs per capita in a 10-mile radius of Rockville, Maryland, than anywhere else in the country. Montgomery County is the foundation of the Biotech Corridor, a dynamic hub for life science research, innovation, and commercialization, with 13,000 private sector employees and 400 life sciences...

INNOVATE® Northern Virginia

MISSIONOVO

PEOPLE FIRST. MISSION ALWAYS.

Introduction In national security, capabilities are proven under pressure; not in theory. Too often, they fail because they were built too far from the mission. Missionovo was founded to close that gap. Three engineers, Grant Kuhnsman, Mike Dobry, and Matt O’Leary, saw the same failures: solutions built without the mission...

Ecosystems