ventureLAB CEO completes 5-year term

Leading technology hub, ventureLAB, announced that Melissa Chee will step down as its president and CEO, following the successful completion of her current five-year term.

Since joining the organization in 2017, Chee has transformed ventureLAB into an award-winning, pan-Canadian, diverse-led organization attracting founders from across Canada and internationally, thrice recognized as a Great Place to Work and as one of Canada’s Most Admired Corporate Cultures. Melissa was instrumental in elevating Canada’s role in the global semiconductor industry and creating the organization’s blueprint to build a more inclusive tech sector.

Hardware Catalyst Initiative

Chee is widely recognized for her visionary leadership in championing the urgency and opportunity for Canada to elevate its leadership in the global semiconductor industry, years before the global chip shortage, to ensure Canada is at the forefront of a global transformation that is reshaping the face of manufacturing and innovation. Her vision led to the creation of ventureLAB’s Hardware Catalyst Initiative, Canada’s only lab and incubator exclusively for founders commercializing IP-rich hardware and semiconductor solutions.

Since its launch, over 60 companies have been selected for the Hardware Catalyst Initiative. Its global network of nearly 50 industry partners have committed to re-invest over $55 million back into the Canadian innovation ecosystem, including several of world’s largest semiconductor leaders, creating a new generation and robust pipeline of IP-rich Canadian tech titans.