Lee St James

Lee St James| 

Executive-In-Residence

Lee St. James is a tech-savvy executive and growth strategist with over 25 years of cross-industry leadership spanning B2C and B2B software, robotics, AI, scientific, and professional services. For founders navigating the transition from MVP to commercialization, Lee offers deep expertise in go-to-market strategy, product positioning, pilot execution, B2B sales development, and strategic partnerships. She excels at helping entrepreneurs validate business models, communicate value, and pitch effectively to investors and clients.

Lee brings a global perspective, robust network, and hands-on operational experience to her role as Executive in Residence at Innovate Niagara. Holding an HBA from the Ivey Business School and an MBA with distinction from INSEAD, Lee currently serves as VP of Sales at GlobalDWS and as Managing Director of the non-profit Urban Robotics Foundation. Previously, she founded Social Robots—a social enterprise enhancing quality of life for older adults through ethical robot adoption—and served as General Manager for Orange Gate Labs, focusing on technology adoption and change management in the financial services and automotive sectors.

With experience as a founder, consultant, and marketing communications leader for multinational organizations, Lee’s career has centered on bringing complex innovations to market. Whether guiding startups through early-stage market entry or helping established companies pivot, she provides founders with pragmatic mentorship, actionable frameworks, and clear pathways to scale.