Explore the cutting edge of semiconductor innovation and the need for talent in this rapidly evolving field. This special evening brings together industry leaders and academic voices to spotlight opportunities, challenges, and the future of semiconductor workforce development.
Featured Speakers:
Chris Ouslis, Industrial Technology Advisor (ITA) , Industrial Research Assistance Program (IRAP), National Research Council’s (NRC)
Chris Ouslis has spent decades strengthening Canada’s semiconductor ecosystem, bridging academia, entrepreneurship, and government. As Industrial Technology Advisor at IRAP NRC, he leads innovation in semiconductors and technology. Chris co-founded Fresco Microchip, a venture-backed fabless startup that sold over 50 million chips and achieved a TSX listing, and Xentec, a bootstrapped IP company that seeded Toronto’s Synopsys office and PHY products, now generating over $1B in revenues. Chris’ career spans groundbreaking startups, acquisitions, and Fortune 500 milestones, driving Canada’s leadership in advanced technology.
Richard Fung, Founder, Six Semiconductor
Richard co-founded The Six Semiconductor Inc. (TSS) in 2018. As its CEO, he drives the vision for TSS to become the industry leader in memory sub-system PHY IP. He fosters an engineering culture focused on developing innovative designs and solving complex technical challenges with a never-say-never mindset.
Richard’s career began in 2000 as an analog design engineer at ATI Technologies Inc. He transitioned into leadership in 2007, managing the full-custom IO design team at AMD, and later served as R&D Director at Peraso Technologies Inc. starting in 2012. He was a sub-group technical lead for the Displayport Standards Workgroup for defining part of the Displayport specification.
He holds B.A.Sc. and M.Eng. degrees in Electrical Engineering from the University of Toronto and is the holder of 13 US patents.
Karen Bozynski, Director of Partnerships, Canada’s Semiconductor Council
Karen Bozynski is Canada’s Semiconductor Council Partnership Director (CSC) and brings 30 years industry experience in electronics manufacturing, from semiconductor wirebonding optimization, to designing and running operations for quarter-billion dollar factories, to sensor startup COO at MaRS in Toronto to ecosystem builder for Canada’s technological and industrial future. In her current role, she conducted the interviews and analysis for CSC’s Talent Working Group’s Talent Report 2025, which is supporting impact to post-secondary curriculum and programs and immigration considerations. Karen holds degrees in both Engineering and Economics from Queen’s University and MBA from INSEAD.
Danny Christidis, Senior Director of SoC Architecture, Solutions Engineering, and Toronto Site Director, Arm Canada Inc.
Danny Christidis is currently Senior Director of SoC Architecture and Toronto Site Director for Arm Canada Inc. With over 25 years of experience in System-on-Chip (SoC) architecture, Danny has held senior engineering roles at major semiconductor companies including Intel, AMD, and ATI. His expertise lies in developing highly efficient memory subsystems and interconnect fabrics for general-purpose and AI processors. Danny earned a Bachelor of Applied Science degree in Computer Engineering from the University of Toronto in 2001 and is a named inventor on dozens of US and international patents.
Moderated by: Professor Wai Tung Ng, The Edward S. Rogers. Sr. Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering