ventureLAB

Powering hardtech founders to build and scale globally competitive ventures that advance Canada's knowledge-based economy.

We inspire a new generation of global founders who choose Canada to scale IP-rich tech titans creating innovative hardware and scale-ready enterprise software solutions that transform communities and establish a blueprint for a more sustainable, inclusive tech ecosystem.

We acknowledge that the ventureLAB™ office operates on — and that we walk upon — the traditional territories of the Indigenous Peoples. We are grateful to all Indigenous groups for their commitment to protect the land and its resources and we are committed to reconciliation, partnership, and enhanced understanding.


An Organization Led By Industry Experts
Our organization is led by seasoned entrepreneurs and business leaders with decades of industry experience in building IP-rich start-ups, scale-ups, and global multinationals to help you scale your business. Located at the heart of Ontario’s innovation corridor in York Region, ventureLAB is part of one of the biggest and most diverse tech communities in Canada. We enable technology startups to accelerate the commercialization of transformational products on a global scale.

How We Help
Since 2011, ventureLAB has worked with over 2,000 tech ventures to provide unbiased support and direct connections for founders to raise capital, attract and retain talent, commercialize technology and IP, and acquire customers. With a focus on hardware and enterprise software technologies, we offer a coveted combination of business and technical expertise, connections to a global network of partners and Executives-in-Residence, access to our 50,000 square foot facility, and a $11 million world-class labs to drive innovations from prototype to product.

What Sets Us Apart
We’ve built a team and network that leverages decades of industry experience in building IP-rich companies and commercializing transformational products, to give unbiased support to founders in this program. You get access to our growing global network and comprehensive support services.


Culture
ventureLAB is a culture-first, people-driven organization. Diversity, equity, and inclusion are ingrained in our core values, and we lead by example with a gender-balanced, diverse team with a deeply rooted performance-based culture. Our five values form Team RIVIR and shape what we do and how we help.

Danielle Graham

Danielle Graham

  • Advisor, Founder Services
Roshni Wijayasinha

Roshni Wijayasinha

  • Entrepreneurs in Residence (EiR)
Roman  Zastawny

Roman Zastawny

  • Advisor, Founder Services
Morteza  Zohrabi

Morteza Zohrabi

  • Entrepreneurs in Residence (EiR)
Hugh  Chow

Hugh Chow

  • Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
Jane  Gertner

Jane Gertner

  • Chief Growth Officer (CGO)
Avinash  Persaud

Avinash Persaud

  • VP, Hardware Catalyst Initiative
Sep  Assadian

Sep Assadian

  • VP, Founder Success
Sophia  Chan-Combrink

Sophia Chan-Combrink

  • VP, External Relations
Scott  Carpenter

Scott Carpenter

  • Director, Business Analysis
Derek  Te-Kang Ma

Derek Te-Kang Ma

  • Business Development Manager, Private Sector Partnerships
Esha  Chopra

Esha Chopra

  • Director, Programs
Jamachi  Chris-Asoluka

Jamachi Chris-Asoluka

  • Operations Manager, Founder Success
Joshua  Borillo

Joshua Borillo

  • Data Analyst
Madura  Dissanayake

Madura Dissanayake

  • Director, Hardware Catalyst Initiative
Michelle  Ng

Michelle Ng

  • Director, HardTech Investor Network
Olayinka  Akande

Olayinka Akande

  • Manager, HR
Ronald  Tingchaleun

Ronald Tingchaleun

  • Director of Innovation Space and Community
Scott  Dodds

Scott Dodds

  • Director, External Relations
Steph  Bagnarol

Steph Bagnarol

  • Director of Partnerships, Sponsorships & Events
Alice  Mu

Alice Mu

  • Associate, Partner Development & Account Management
Anveshika  Sharma

Anveshika Sharma

  • Manager, Programs
Atefeh  Molazadeh

Atefeh Molazadeh

  • Program Coordinator, HCI
Jenya  Hart

Jenya Hart

  • Event manager
Jessica  Miller

Jessica Miller

  • Special Projects Manager
Kai  Luk

Kai Luk

  • Manager, Campaign Marketing
Maria  Sanabria

Maria Sanabria

  • Program Manager, Hardware Catalyst Initiative
Merica  Joy Carlos

Merica Joy Carlos

  • Marketing Manager
Paniz  Kimiaei

Paniz Kimiaei

  • Coordinator, Programs
Peter  Cory

Peter Cory

  • Business Development Specialist
Rohan  Goswami

Rohan Goswami

  • Capital Associate, Programs
Yara  Jouzy

Yara Jouzy

  • Manager, Communications
Ana  Misra

Ana Misra

  • Advisor, Founder Services
Andrew  Haller

Andrew Haller

  • Advisor, Founder Services
Bruno  Maruzzo

Bruno Maruzzo

  • Advisor, Founder Services
Barry  Papoff

Barry Papoff

  • Advisor, Founder Services
Cameron  Rzadki

Cameron Rzadki

  • Advisor, Founder Services
Colin  Hung

Colin Hung

  • Advisor, Founder Services
Dejana  Dua

Dejana Dua

  • Advisor, Founder Services
Diem  Le

Diem Le

  • Advisor, Founder Services
Garry  Chan

Garry Chan

  • Advisor, Founder Services
Gaurav  Bansal

Gaurav Bansal

  • Advisor, Founder Services
Hilary  Kilgour

Hilary Kilgour

  • Advisor, Founder Services
Kamal  Hassin

Kamal Hassin

  • Advisor, Founder Services
Krishna  Vempati

Krishna Vempati

  • Advisor, Founder Services
Marie-Hélène  Lamarre

Marie-Hélène Lamarre

  • Advisor, Founder Services
Nima  Mohtaram

Nima Mohtaram

  • Advisor, Founder Services
Paul  Rivett

Paul Rivett

  • Advisor, Founder Services
Pieter  Dorsman

Pieter Dorsman

  • Advisor, Founder Services
Ravi  Gananathan

Ravi Gananathan

  • Advisor, Founder Services
Warren  Ali

Warren Ali

  • Advisor, Founder Services.
Yuri  Navarro

Yuri Navarro

  • Advisor, Founder Services
Aakshaye  Bharganwr

Aakshaye Bharganwr

  • Entrepreneurs in Residence (EiR)
Adam  Lawley

Adam Lawley

  • Entrepreneurs in Residence (EiR)
Alex  Knaus

Alex Knaus

  • Entrepreneurs in Residence (EiR)
Alexey  Kozlove

Alexey Kozlove

  • Entrepreneurs in Residence (EiR)
Alicia  Francis

Alicia Francis

  • Entrepreneurs in Residence (EiR)
Amirali  Amirsoleimani

Amirali Amirsoleimani

  • Entrepreneurs in Residence (EiR)
Ben  Robertson

Ben Robertson

  • Entrepreneurs in Residence (EiR)
Bibaswan  Ghoshal

Bibaswan Ghoshal

  • Entrepreneurs in Residence (EiR)
Cedric  Canu

Cedric Canu

  • Entrepreneurs in Residence (EiR)
Charles  Dimov

Charles Dimov

  • Entrepreneurs in Residence (EiR)
Colleen  Jones

Colleen Jones

  • Entrepreneurs in Residence (EiR)
Asif  Gani

Asif Gani

  • Entrepreneurs in Residence (EiR)
Ehsan  Mirdamadi

Ehsan Mirdamadi

  • Entrepreneurs in Residence (EiR)
Firdos  Somji

Firdos Somji

  • Entrepreneurs in Residence (EiR)
Frank  Cotter

Frank Cotter

  • Entrepreneurs in Residence (EiR)
Frederick  Louis Glady

Frederick Louis Glady

  • Entrepreneurs in Residence (EiR)
Garry  Ma

Garry Ma

  • Entrepreneurs in Residence (EiR)
Greg  Fenton

Greg Fenton

  • Entrepreneurs in Residence (EiR)
Hassan  Jaferi

Hassan Jaferi

  • Entrepreneurs in Residence (EiR)
Henrique  Dias

Henrique Dias

  • Entrepreneurs in Residence (EiR)
Jay  Vidyarthi

Jay Vidyarthi

  • Entrepreneurs in Residence (EiR)
Jean-Francois  Denault

Jean-Francois Denault

  • Entrepreneurs in Residence (EiR)
Jocelyn  Butler

Jocelyn Butler

  • Entrepreneurs in Residence (EiR)
Jodi  Echakowitz

Jodi Echakowitz

  • Entrepreneurs in Residence (EiR)
Joe  Graci

Joe Graci

  • Entrepreneurs in Residence (EiR)
Leila  Kheradpir

Leila Kheradpir

  • Entrepreneurs in Residence (EiR)
Leyla  Mortazavi

Leyla Mortazavi

  • Entrepreneurs in Residence (EiR)
Linnea  Aasen-Johnston

Linnea Aasen-Johnston

  • Entrepreneurs in Residence (EiR)
Louie  Canitano

Louie Canitano

  • Entrepreneurs in Residence (EiR)
Maxime  Girard

Maxime Girard

  • Entrepreneurs in Residence (EiR)
Moien  Giashi

Moien Giashi

  • Entrepreneurs in Residence (EiR)
Niruja  Nagarajah

Niruja Nagarajah

  • Entrepreneurs in Residence (EiR)
Reda  Fayek

Reda Fayek

  • Entrepreneurs in Residence (EiR)
Robert  Treumann

Robert Treumann

  • Entrepreneurs in Residence (EiR)
Shalmali  Sathe

Shalmali Sathe

  • Entrepreneurs in Residence (EiR)
Steve  Mahon

Steve Mahon

  • Entrepreneurs in Residence (EiR)
Sunil  Bansal

Sunil Bansal

  • Entrepreneurs in Residence (EiR)
Suresh  Sriskandarajah

Suresh Sriskandarajah

  • Entrepreneurs in Residence (EiR)
Thai  Nguyen

Thai Nguyen

  • Entrepreneurs in Residence (EiR)
Vartika  Manasvi

Vartika Manasvi

  • Entrepreneurs in Residence (EiR)
Vivek  Chandra

Vivek Chandra

  • Entrepreneurs in Residence (EiR)
Vivek  Pratap Singh

Vivek Pratap Singh

  • Entrepreneurs in Residence (EiR)
Yelena  Liman

Yelena Liman

  • Entrepreneurs in Residence (EiR)
Zvonimir  Fras

Zvonimir Fras

  • Entrepreneurs in Residence (EiR)
Altaf  Stationwala

Altaf Stationwala

  • Board of Director
David  Agnew

David Agnew

  • Board of Director
Harry  Zarek

Harry Zarek

  • Board of Director
James  Meddings

James Meddings

  • Board of Director
Jason  Tham

Jason Tham

  • Board of Director
Mark  Miller

Mark Miller

  • Board of Director
Paul  Bradley

Paul Bradley

  • Board of Director
Paula  Cruickshank

Paula Cruickshank

  • Board of Director
Yalda  Riahi

Yalda Riahi

  • Chairman of the Board