ventureLAB INNOVATION CENTRE
o/a ventureLAB
Founder Community Manager
Position Profile
About ventureLAB
ventureLAB is a not-for-profit leading global founder community for hardware technology and enterprise software companies in Canada. 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 businesses scale.
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. Since 2011, ventureLAB has enabled over 4,000 tech ventures to create over 6,800 jobs and raise more than $420 million in investment capital through our initiatives focused on raising capital, talent retention, technology and IP commercialization, and customer acquisition.
Together with our community of entrepreneurs, innovators, investors, and partners, we enable technology startups to accelerate the commercialization of transformational products on a global scale. ventureLAB is home to the Hardware Catalyst Initiative — Canada’s only lab and incubator for hardware and semiconductor-focused companies.
Our Mission
Powering hardtech founders to build and scale globally competitive ventures that advance Canada's knowledge-based economy.
Our Vision
Born Global. Built to Scale. Inclusive by Design. 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.
Our Values — Team RIVIR
- Relentless: We are tenacious and resilient. We follow through and remove roadblocks so together we succeed and go further.
- Inclusive: We are empathetic, open-minded and collaborate respectfully so that we build trust with each other and value diverse opinions, ideas and perspectives to learn and make better decisions.
- Visionary: We inspire bold futures with our founders, team, partners and community by challenging each other respectfully and thinking differently.
- Innovative: We celebrate ingenuity and empower the team to create new ideas, processes and strategies. We are curious and resourceful by asking questions for clarity.
- Results: We are proactive and plan. We are accountable and focused. We are direct and transparent through fact-based discussions.
ventureLAB is made up of passionate, driven individuals, and is growing quickly. It is a fast-paced, flexible environment where individual contributors make a big difference and work collaboratively to achieve shared goals. We are proud to be one of Canada’s Most Admired Corporate Cultures and a Great Place to Work®.
Position Profile
As part of ventureLab’s Founder Success team and reporting to the Senior Manager of Advisory and Community Services this key role will manage the outreach, cultivation and intake of a pipeline of qualified new companies to join ventureLAB’s Community and sector Portfolios.
The Founder Community Manager will also oversee the delivery of services and events to the onboarded community companies. This role will work closely with Portfolio Managers for coordinated outreach and smooth handoff of companies between portfolios and service offerings.
Key Responsibilities:
- Manage & oversee the outreach and intake of companies that join ventureLAB - both those that will be onboarded into sector portfolios as well as those that will join the community- building a pipeline of emerging and high potential companies that may progress into sector portfolios or engage with ventureLAB’s broader Founder Community.
- Facilitating smooth handoffs of qualified companies to sector portfolio teams as companies meet the defined portfolio readiness criteria.
- Managing and overseeing the delivery of founder engagement initiatives (e.g., info session, seminars, events, peer groups etc) designed to support founder development, and ecosystem engagement of the Founder Community.
- Respond to inquiries and check-in with founders as required.
- Matching community companies with relevant ecosystem partners and opportunities that support their growth & readiness.
- Oversee delivery of programs as needed such as EIF streams.
- Track founder engagement and activity within Community initiatives, and collaborate with internal teams to ensure relevant company data and engagement insights are captured.
What Does Success Look Like:
- An engaged Founder Community across the ventureLAB ecosystem (all interactions tracked)- where companies become community champions, or externally advocate positive testimonials, experiences, etc.
- Qualified companies successfully advance to sector portfolios when aligned with portfolio criteria.
- Founders remain engaged with ventureLAB through regular programming, communication, and community touchpoints.
Role Requirements:
- 5+ years (not limitative) of progressive experience in one or more of the following:
- Startup programs, accelerators, or innovation hubs
- Management consulting, strategy, or commercialization advisory
- Demonstrated experience working directly with startups or scaleups, either as:
- A founder or early employee
- A service provider delivering commercialization, growth, or market-entry support
- Proven ability to manage multiple stakeholders simultaneously, including founders, corporate partners, investors, and public-sector organizations
- Strong understanding of the innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem, including:
- Accelerators and incubators
- Corporate innovation
- Government funding and startup support mechanisms
- Bachelor’s degree in a relevant discipline (business, engineering, economics, international relations, or related field)
Preferred / Asset Qualifications
- Master’s degree (MBA, MEng, MPA, or equivalent)
- Knowledge or experience on CRM systems, such as Hubspot, Salesforce
- Good Project Management skills
- Direct exposure to:
- Experience in hardtech, medtech, semiconductors, or advanced manufacturing and AI
- Familiarity with Canadian innovation programs (e.g., IRAP, OVIN, OCI, FedDev, Trade Commissioner Service)
- Experience working within or alongside publicly funded organizations with reporting and accountability requirements
Compensation & Benefits
- Base Salary Range: $70,000 – $80,000 per annum (commensurate with experience).
- Benefits: Comprehensive health, dental, and insurance benefits package included.
Why join ventureLAB?
- Opportunity to be part of a dynamic innovation ecosystem.
- Collaborative and inclusive work culture.
- Impactful role in supporting startups and technology leaders.
Vacancy Status: This is a posting for an existing vacancy. On-site 3 days a week.
How to Apply
Send your resume to hr@venturelab.ca quoting “Founder Community Manager” in the subject line. Include your resume and a brief note telling us why you’d be a great addition to the ventureLAB team. Early submissions are encouraged as applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.
AI Disclosure Statement
In compliance with the Ontario ESA, please be advised that we do not use Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems to screen, assess, or select applicants for this position. All applications are reviewed by our recruitment team.
At ventureLAB, we value diversity, inclusion, and respect.
Diverse experience, perspectives, and backgrounds bring great ideas and create stronger teams. We embrace it, because we know that by including everyone, we all thrive. Accommodations are available on request for candidates with disabilities taking part in the recruitment process.
We thank all applicants for their interest, however, only qualified candidates will be contacted.
Note: All applicants who are interviewed will be notified of the hiring decision within 45 days of their final interview.
