MaRS accelerator names new CEO, board members

TORONTO – The MaRS board of directors is pleased to announce the appointment of Grace Lee Reynolds (pictured) as CEO and to welcome Helen Angus and Andrew Joyner as new board members. Since its founding, MaRS has been more than just a physical space — it is a social infrastructure that helps transform research and science into economic opportunity.

According to the organization, ventures within the MaRS ecosystem play a critical role in strengthening Ontario and Canada’s economy and driving national productivity.

“MaRS is a powerful platform that enables innovators to turn research and ideas into real-world impact,” said Annette Verschuren, chair of the MaRS board of directors. “As we look ahead, we are confident that Grace’s leadership will help MaRS strengthen its position as a unified, agile innovation hub that fuels venture growth, fosters commercialization, and accelerates Ontario and Canada’s global competitiveness.”

As CEO, Grace Lee Reynolds will focus on key priorities to enhance MaRS’ impact.

• Enhancing support systems to increase the odds of success for science and technology ventures, providing the necessary infrastructure, expertise and resources to help them scale and thrive.
• Advancing Canada’s health, deep science and climate tech ecosystem, reinforcing MaRS’ role as a critical hub for scientific commercialization and innovation. This includes co-space planning to bring together researchers, startups and private partners, creating a collaborative hub at Toronto’s Discovery District.
• Strengthening MaRS as a convenor, bringing together ventures, researchers, industry and government to drive productivity, economic growth and Canadian innovation.
• Expanding funding models, including growing private-sector partnership, unlocking philanthropic capital, enhancing venture focused initiatives and maximizing the value of MaRS real estate assets through innovation uses.

“Over the past 25 years, MaRS has built a platform that people admire and rely on,” said Grace Lee Reynolds. “The work we do with ventures, our strong public-private partnerships, and the power of our community and place are among our greatest strengths. As we look to the future, MaRS will continue to provide the space, connections and expertise that ventures need to scale.”

The MaRS Board of Directors is also pleased to welcome Helen Angus and Andrew Joyner as new board members.

Helen Angus brings extensive leadership experience in healthcare, public policy and government relations, having served as Ontario’s deputy minister of health and held senior roles across multiple ministries.

Andrew Joyner is managing director at Tricon Residential, where he leads the company’s Canadian rental housing portfolio, including the development and operation of a new generation of purpose-built rental communities including mixed and innovation uses.

With a background in private equity and real estate investment, he brings expertise in strategic growth, asset management, and capital partnerships, having previously worked with CPP investments in the real estate group.

“Helen and Andrew bring invaluable expertise in public-private collaboration, emerging technologies, and scaling organizations,” said Claudette McGowan, MaRS board member. “Their insights will help guide MaRS as we enter this next phase of impact and growth.”

As MaRS looks ahead, it remains committed to its role as a catalyst for innovation, ensuring Canada’s brightest entrepreneurs have the resources, partnerships and community they need to succeed.

MaRS Discovery District is a charitable organization and North America’s largest urban innovation hub, dedicated to helping Canadian technology companies succeed. With a focus on climate, health sciences and other emerging technologies, MaRS supports startups tackling some of the world’s most pressing issues.

Founded in 2000, MaRS features more than 1.5 million square feet of cutting-edge office, lab, meeting and event space in downtown Toronto at two locations – the MaRS Centre and MaRS Waterfront. Since 2010, MaRS has helped ventures generate $11.5 billion in cumulative revenue, raise $19 billion in funding, and create and maintain more than 33,000 jobs. The MaRS platform also includes MaRS IAF, one of Canada’s top seed-stage venture funds. Through its world-class facilities, strategic programs and partnerships, MaRS accelerates the adoption of groundbreaking Canadian technology and bolsters a globally competitive innovation ecosystem.