Schulich Launches New Chair in Innovation and Entrepreneurship
The Schulich School of Business at York University has announced the creation of the Jay Smith and Laura Rapp Chair in Innovation and Entrepreneurship, made possible by a major gift from The Schulich Foundation.
The inaugural Chair will be held by Chris Carder, Executive Director of Schulich’s Office of Innovation & Entrepreneurship. A veteran entrepreneur and advisor, Carder has co-created initiatives like Digital Main Street, which supported thousands of small businesses during COVID-19, and has co-created and led Together Mission with Startup India, which trained over 1,000 student entrepreneurs.
“This new Chair is a transformative step in advancing Schulich’s entrepreneurial mission and reinforcing our position as a national leader in innovation,” said Detlev Zwick, Dean of the Schulich School of Business. “With this generous gift from The Schulich Foundation and Chris Carder’s outstanding leadership, we will continue to build one of the strongest ecosystems of founders, innovators, and investors in the country.”
As the Jay Smith and Laura Rapp Chair in Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Carder will continue to support Schulich’s growing startup ecosystem, which backs over 100 ventures annually through programs like ChaiTech, the Schulich Venture Academy (recently awarded $3.3 million from FedDev Ontario), and Project JumpSTART, developed with York Region.
“It’s an incredible honour to be named the inaugural Jay Smith and Laura Rapp Chair in Innovation and Entrepreneurship,” said Chris Carder. “This role is about much more than supporting new ventures – it’s about developing future-ready leaders and building the conditions for innovation to thrive. I’m proud of the amazing work being done by our team and grateful to the Schulich Startups community. Together, we’re creating a world-class ecosystem that’s making a real impact – not only here at Schulich, but across Canada and around the world.”
The Chair will also drive thought leadership and applied research in venture creation, capital, and entrepreneurial leadership—helping address Canada’s declining entrepreneurship rate.
Named in honour of Jay Smith, a leading investment advisor and philanthropist, and the late Laura Rapp, a devoted educator and philanthropist, the Chair reflects a shared commitment to education and community.
The Schulich Foundation, established by Seymour Schulich, is one of Canada’s largest philanthropic foundations, supporting thousands of scholarships and major academic initiatives nationwide.