Message from Innovate BC’s Board Chair: Announcement of President + CEO’s Plan for Retirement

I would like to share that Raghwa Gopal has decided to retire as Innovate BC President and CEO, effective August 31, 2023.

A celebrated leader in British Columbia’s tech and innovation community, Raghwa joined Innovate BC as President + CEO in February of 2019 having had extensive experience starting, growing and marketing numerous companies. Under his leadership, Innovate BC has delivered high-impact programs in the areas of talent development, tech development and adoption, mentorship and intellectual property, to foster innovation across B.C.’s economy. He has also led efforts to secure funding from diverse sources for the benefit of our innovation ecosystem, and pioneered programs to support hundreds of businesses through the COVID-19 pandemic.  

Prior to joining Innovate BC, Raghwa was pivotal to establishing the Okanagan region as a major tech hub. In 2012, he helped to create Accelerate Okanagan, the region’s first local accelerator for startups, where he served as Executive in Residence and provided key guidance to up-and-coming entrepreneurs. In 2015, he became CEO of Accelerate Okanagan, where he expanded its impact on the tech community and created new opportunities for business owners.

Raghwa’s work has been recognized with multiple awards, including RBC’s Top 25 Canadian Immigrant Awards, Business in Vancouver’s 500 Most Influential Business Leaders and a BC Community Achievement Award. 

Raghwa has built a solid foundation for the future of Innovate BC. The Board of Directors is committed to a seamless transition and will initiate a formal recruitment process in the fall. In the meantime, Vice President of Operations Tomica Divic will assume the role of Interim CEO and President effective September 1, 2023. With experience in business, law, and public relations, Tomica brings a wealth of knowledge to Innovate BC where she has overseen the operations of the organization for the past 10 years. 

On behalf of Innovate BC’s Board and team, please join me in thanking Raghwa for his remarkable contributions to BC’s innovation community and congratulating him on his well-deserved retirement.

Best regards,

Andrew Petter, CM, OBC, KC

Chair, Innovate BC