From Discovery to Global Impact: A Conversation on Research Commercialization with Dr. Cynthia Goh
You have dedicated your career to the rigorous pursuit of fundamental science and deep tech research. Your discoveries have the potential to solve complex challenges, but bridging the gap between a breakthrough at the lab bench and a tangible product in the market requires a completely different operational framework.
Join us for an exclusive presentation & Ask Me Anything (AMA) session with Dr. Cynthia Goh, as we explore how you bridge the gap between a breakthrough at the lab bench and a tangible product in the market.
This is an opportunity to step outside the lab and unpack the mechanics of science-based venture creation with a leader who has repeatedly validated and scaled deep tech. Whether you are curious about protecting your IP, securing early funding, or navigating the leap from scientist to founder, this session will deliver the strategic insights necessary to commercialize your life's work.
The session will start with a short presentation before diving into the AMA, where we will explore:
The realities of translating complex scientific knowledge into scalable technology.
How to build and lead a "science-student-entrepreneur" startup.
Actionable steps to begin validating your research for commercial viability.
To ensure a high-quality, interactive dialogue this event will feature a curated guest list with limited spots.
About the Speaker
Dr. M. Cynthia Goh
NSERC Scholar-Entrepreneur in Residence | Serial Entrepreneur & Ecosystem Builder | Professor of Chemistry, University of Toronto
Dr. Cynthia Goh serves as the Scholar-Entrepreneur in Residence for the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC). A trailblazer in the execution of "Science to Society," she believes that basic science can only benefit the world if scientists actively drive its translation.
Dr. Goh has lived the commercialization journey from the ground up. Her own research group has successfully spun out seven companies, including Axela Inc. and Vive Crop Protection. Beyond her personal ventures, she is deeply committed to supporting the next generation of founders. Pioneering the science-student-entrepreneur model during her academic tenure as a Professor of Chemistry at the University of Toronto, she has nucleated and nurtured over 150 science-based, student-led startups over the past decade.
About YSpace
YSpace is York University’s pan-university entrepreneurship and innovation hub supporting startups and entrepreneurs from a variety of sectors and communities. Our programming spans across scaling innovative technologies through customer and investor capital to scaling agri-food businesses into mass retail to diversity-focused initiatives like ELLA for women-led businesses and in partnership with Black Entrepreneurship Alliance (BEA) for Black-led businesses. We are also home to two physical hubs in the City of Markham and the Town of Georgina.