Chris Adams Named First Entrepreneur-in-Residence
Adams Will Expand Lakehead's Entrepreneurial Potential
Lakehead University is strengthening its role as a catalyst for innovation and regional economic development with the appointment of Chris Adams as the first Entrepreneur-in-Residence (EIR).
A serial entrepreneur, Chris will mentor faculty, staff, students, and partner organizations across Lakehead’s campuses and locations in Thunder Bay, Orillia, and Barrie. He will help translate research and ideas into viable, scalable businesses that drive local job creation and sustainable growth.
“The appointment of Chris Adams signals a bold new chapter for Lakehead as an engine of economic and community prosperity,” says Dr. Langis Roy, Vice-President of Research and Innovation. “His proven expertise in commercialization and growth strategy will empower our researchers and students to turn bold ideas into thriving enterprises.”
As EIR, Chris will collaborate with the Office of Innovation, Partnerships, and Economic Development, the Faculty of Graduate Studies, and Ingenuity, Lakehead’s business incubator. He will provide hands-on guidance on intellectual property, commercialization pathways, funding, partnerships, and scaling. In addition to one-on-one mentorship, he will deliver workshops and launch the “Innovation in Action” series of panel discussions featuring Lakehead researchers and industry leaders.
Chris will also champion intrapreneurship—encouraging innovative thinking and novel solutions within existing organizations, including inside the university itself.
“The future belongs to those who build it strategically,” Chris says. “I’m excited to help Lakehead fully embrace its entrepreneurial potential—not only innovating in the lab, but transforming ideas into impact across programs, services, and the broader Lakehead communities around each campus.”
As Founder and Managing Director of Adams Hamilton, a Barrie-based growth strategy and consulting firm, Chris brings over two decades of technical and commercial leadership. He has co-founded and successfully exited multiple companies, including gShift Labs (a marketing analytics platform), Hot Banana Software (a web content management system), the digital agency CGK, and recently the reIGNITE conference. He has supported patent submissions in areas ranging from predictive environmental controls to web optimization and search engine technologies. Chris has been recognized with the City of Barrie Mayor’s Shift Disturber Innovation Award and the Georgian College Community Partner Award for his contributions to regional economic development. He has deep roots in Barrie and Simcoe County.
This appointment builds on Lakehead University’s 2023 designation as an Innovation & Economic Prosperity (IEP) University by the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU), reinforcing its commitment to economic engagement across Northern and Central Ontario.