Director of Velocity

The search has begun for the next Director of Velocity, Canada’s leading entrepreneurship program, based out of the University of Waterloo. We are looking for someone who has vision, drive, and is intimately familiar with the startup world. Is that you?

The Director of Velocity plays a pivotal role in the direction and growth of the Velocity program, which oversees the Velocity Garage, the largest free startup incubator in the world, as well as a plethora of programming at the University of Waterloo. This includes:

• the Velocity Fund, a startup pitching competition that awards $375,000 in grants per year
• Velocity Residence, a dorm for student entrepreneurs
• Velocity Science, an on-campus lab and community for science startups
• Velocity Start, a place for students to discover entrepreneurship through weekly workshops, startup coaching, and more.

This is an incredible opportunity to make a direct impact on the startup community in one of the world's most dynamic startup ecosystems, enabled by the incredible diverse student talent at the University of Waterloo. The Director will guide the strategic direction of Velocity and oversee a high performing and tight-knit team of 15, working to equip entrepreneurs and startups with the knowledge, tools, and resources to build successful companies.

The ideal candidate will come from, or otherwise be deeply familiar with, the startup world, and know what it takes to build a successful company. This is a hands-on role, and the Director will work with hundreds of startups to advise them on the development of the business, including fundraising. They will also foster an interest in entrepreneurship among students at the University of Waterloo, by facilitating workshops and providing mentorship. The Director will work with University of Waterloo partners and stakeholders to build a leading, world-renowned suite of entrepreneurship programs.

As the face of Velocity, the Director will maintain strong relationships with key stakeholders, and seek out new partnerships to advance the interests of students and companies within our entrepreneurship ecosystem. The Director should have public speaking experience, as they will frequently speak within the community, and MC large events attended by hundreds, including the Velocity Fund Finals, and monthly dinner events.

The successful candidate is expected to:

• be familiar with trends in entrepreneurship
• represent Velocity in responding to media inquiries in conjunction with the University's media relations team
• work with senior leadership at the University of Waterloo, to advance the mission of the University.

Occasional travel is required to represent Velocity companies in other startup ecosystems and to facilitate connections to venture capital.