From Startup to Scale: Making Boards Work for Tech CEOs
From Startup to Scale: Making Boards Work for Tech CEOs
A practical governance session with Manijeh Colabella, Partner at Watson
As a tech CEO, governance can feel abstract - until it suddenly isn’t. Whether you’re forming your first board, navigating investor expectations, scaling rapidly, or preparing for an eventual exit, the way your board operates can either accelerate growth or quietly hold it back.
In this 90-minute interactive session, Manijeh Colabella, Partner at Watson, will demystify governance for founder-led tech companies and show how to make boards a true strategic asset - not just a requirement.
What this session is about:
This session explores how boards evolve as tech companies grow, and what “right-sized” governance looks like at each stage. Manijeh will walk through the role and value of a board, directors’ legal and fiduciary duties, and the often-challenging “grey line” between governance and operations. Through practical frameworks, discussion, and a short case exercise, CEOs will gain tools they can immediately apply to strengthen board effectiveness and CEO–board relationships.
Key topics include:
The real value a board should bring to a growing tech company
Governance fundamentals every CEO should understand
How the CEO–board relationship changes from startup to scale
Managing the line between oversight and execution
Practical ways to maximize board impact and engagement
If you’re a CEO who wants to:
Reduce risk for investors and future buyers
Build trust, clarity, and alignment with your board
Avoid common governance pitfalls as your company scales
Get more strategic value out of board meetings
Feel more confident navigating board dynamics and expectations
…this session is designed for you.
Manijeh brings deep, real-world experience advising boards across sectors and stages, including high-growth and founder-led organizations. The session is practical, grounded, and tailored to the realities BC tech CEOs face today.
Whether you’re just starting to think about governance or actively evolving an existing board, you’ll leave with clearer insight, actionable takeaways, and a stronger foundation for leading your company through its next phase of growth.
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Acetech is pleased to be hosting this event alongside Watson Board Advisors and McCarthy Tétrault.
Watson Board Advisors helps boards recruit directors and CEOs, strengthen governance, and improve alignment, strategy, and risk oversight so organizations can perform better and shape a more sustainable, purpose-driven future.
McCarthy Tétrault is a leading Canadian law firm providing integrated business law, litigation, tax, real estate, and labour and employment services to Canadian and international clients through offices across Canada, New York, and London.