--- title: 'CEO at Simpleventures' canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/ceo-simpleventures-toronto-d6g3g19sek0p' type: 'job' last_seen: '2026-09-09' --- # CEO at Simpleventures - **Company:** Simpleventures - **Location:** Toronto, Canada - **Work type:** onsite - **Posted:** 2024-06-28 - **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-09 - **Apply:** https://jobs.lever.co/simpleventures/6f272f9b-e25a-4b74-bea5-c0751db3306d ## Job description ## About Us We founded Simple Ventures with the mission of building great Canadian companies. Our thesis is simple: Canada is overlooked and under-appreciated. Most companies around the world ignore Canada because of perceived market size, regulation, language, and powerful oligopolies. As a result, Canadians miss out. But we know better. Canada is a top 10 global economy with many of the same consumer and business pain points as other markets. This creates an opportunity to bring the best product ideas to Canada - to see what’s working around the world and be first to execute for Canadians. We’re funded and supported by Canada’s top leaders including the founders of Wealthsimple, Shopify, Ada, MindBeacon and many more. We are always looking for talented leaders to partner with! The Opportunity We identify and vet new company concepts that we have high conviction should be built and scaled in Canada. Our building philosophy is pragmatic. We look for concepts that have positive unit economics and that have a credible path to profitability with an initial Seed investment. Once we have conviction in a new venture concept, we look for a talented operator to partner with to build and scale the company. What you’ll do: - Set the vision for the company and define the overall strategy from launch to scale. - Recruit and lead a world class team to deliver against the company vision - Create and launch the premium brand. - Establish and execute the go-to-market and expansion strategy. - Lead all fundraising activities (including debt and equity) to support growth objectives in partnership with Simple Ventures (SV). - Drive operations, including full P&L and cash flow management. - Assist in defining, evaluating and evolving the product roadmap by identifying new opportunities and gaps - Determine the highest order KPIs and build the plan and team to measure, monitor, and improve them. - Drive strategy and decision-making across all functional areas, including product, data, contracting, operations, technology, marketing, and finance. - Regularly partner and communicate with SV and relevant investors and/or Board of Directors. - Create and sustain a great company culture consisting of clearly articulated values and inspired leadership. What you’ll need: - Background10+ years of experience, most recently executive-level experience, with a proven track record of success - Experienced radical accountability: Experience in a fast-growing environment and an understanding of the existential threats of the situation with limited resources. - Track Record of Success: Demonstration of intellectual curiosity, extreme levels of accountability, and an ability to be incredibly decisive. - Customer Experience: Obsession with designing and delivering an exceptional customer experience - Brand: A distinct view of being the "brand owner" and the face of the business, a comfortability in pitching the business to customers, partners and stakeholders such as the Press. Behavioural Competencies - Action Orientation. You readily take action on new opportunities with a sense of urgency, high energy, and enthusiasm. You display a can-do attitude, and step up to handle tough issues. - Resiliency. You are confident under pressure, and maintain a positive attitude despite setbacks or adversity. You are able to grow from hardships, and manage crises effectively. - Communicates Effectively. You are effective in a variety of communication settings: one-on-one, small and large groups, or among diverse styles and position levels. - Drives Vision and Purpose. You create organization-wide energy and optimism for the future, articulating your visions in a way that are positive and that everyone can relate to. Creates milestones and symbols to rally support behind the vision and motivate others into action. - Drives Results. You persist in accomplishing objectives and exceeding goals despite obstacles and setbacks, while also helping others to achieve results. - Financial Acumen. You use financial analysis and understanding of key indicators to generate, evaluate, and act on strategic options and opportunities, while integrating quantitative and qualitative information to draw accurate conclusions. - Decision Quality. You make sound and timely decisions that keep the organization moving forward, even in the absence of complete information. You consider all relevant factors and rely on a mixture of analysis, wisdom, experience, and judgment when making decisions. ## About Simpleventures ## Company Overview - **One-liner**: Simple Ventures is a venture studio that pairs proven leaders with high-potential ideas to build sustainable, profitable Canadian-founded companies. - **Entity Type**: Private (Venture Studio | Founded 2023) - **Headquarters**: Toronto, Canada - **Founded**: 2023 - **Founders**: Michael Katchen (Co-Founder & Chair), Rachel Zimmer (Co-Founder & CEO) ## Core Business - **Primary Industry**: Venture Studio / Startup Builder - **Target Customers**: Entrepreneurs (prospective CEOs) and partners; the companies they build serve a mix of B2B and B2C markets (e.g., consumer lending, healthcare, fintech, luxury goods). - **Mission / Purpose**: “We’re here to change that. Simple Ventures pairs proven leaders with high-potential ideas, providing the tools, resources, and focus they need to build sustainable, profitable businesses that make an impact.” ## Products & Services - **[Venture Building Program]**: A structured, de-risked process that moves from idea validation (Ideate) to launch (Launch) to scaling (Scale). Each venture receives a $1M CAD committed investment, operational support, and access to a network of advisors and potential acquirers. - **[Alma Care] (Portfolio)**: Premium postnatal care platform connecting families with certified professionals for at-home and retreat-based care. Founded 2023. - **[Harvest] (Portfolio)**: AI‑enabled accounts receivable collection platform that helps businesses recover overdue invoices without damaging customer relationships. Founded 2025. - **[Kindly] (Portfolio)**: Senior care navigation platform helping families coordinate care for aging parents across Canada’s fragmented provincial systems. Founded 2025. - **[Zero Collective] (Portfolio)**: Canada’s first membership club to rent designer bags (Chanel, Dior, YSL, etc.) with options to purchase. Founded 2024. ## Market Standing - **Valuation / Market Cap**: Not disclosed (privately held) - **Key Metric**: Commits $1M CAD per venture; portfolio includes 4 active companies launched since 2023. - **Notable Investors / Partners**: Backed by 30+ renowned Canadian entrepreneurs including Michael Katchen (Wealthsimple), Joanna Griffiths (Knix), Harley Finkelstein (Shopify), and Mike Murchison (Ada). - **Growth Signals**: Headcount of 15 employees (+25% YoY, +4 people); LinkedIn followers 4,985 (+4.2% monthly); multiple new ventures launched in 2025; adoption of a capital‑efficient model blending search funds, private equity, venture capital, and bootstrapping. ## Competitive Advantages - **Capital‑efficient model** that minimizes dilution while ensuring each dollar drives real growth. - **Derisked CEO‑first approach**: Pre‑validated ideas, $1M committed investment, operational support, and pre‑built acquirer connections. - **Deep Canadian network** with access to top entrepreneurs and a focus on localization of proven global concepts. - **Risk‑mitigation structure** that caps downside, allowing operators to focus on execution without fear of catastrophic loss. ## Strategic Focus - Build the next generation of great Canadian‑founded companies. - Prioritize profitability and long‑term value over short‑term hype; target life‑changing exits within 5 years. - Continuous ideation and validation of new business concepts, focusing on sectors where Canada is underserved (e.g., healthcare, fintech, consumer services). ## Why Work Here - **Culture**: “Extreme ownership,” relentless dedication to customer experience, scrappy problem‑solving, and a track record of building and operating. - **Work model**: On‑site in Toronto (hybrid for some roles like Design & Product Associate). - **Team**: Small, lean, high‑performing team (15 people) where your impact is visible. - **Growth**: Opportunity to work on multiple ventures from 0 to 1, with direct access to experienced founders and investors. - **Compensation**: Not specified, but model emphasizes meaningful ownership for CEOs; associate roles likely offer competitive startup compensation. ## Sources 1. [About | Simple Ventures](https://www.simpleventures.ca/about) 2. [Careers | Simple Ventures](https://www.simpleventures.ca/careers) 3. [LinkedIn – Simple Ventures](https://linkedin.com/company/simple-ventures-canada) 4. [Portfolio | Simple Ventures](https://www.simpleventures.ca/portfolio) ## Other roles at Simpleventures - [Design & Product Lead](https://feeny.ai/job/design-product-lead-simpleventures-toronto-ape3y5bt9hzw) — Toronto, Canada - [Product & Design Associate](https://feeny.ai/job/product-design-associate-simpleventures-toronto-3gm8tp9c8051) — Toronto, Canada