TORONTO, Canada, October 31, 2025 - While most high school graduates select a university based on factors such as academic reputation, location, cost or campus environment, Nicholas Brathwaite chose McMaster University primarily because he was drawn to the design of its brochure.
Although he had applied to the University of the West Indies (UWI), his initial intention was to pursue undergraduate studies in England. However, this plan shifted when two of his maternal aunts, residing in Toronto, encouraged him to consider Canadian institutions and sent him four university brochures.
“They told me to pick one, and I chose McMaster because of the brochure,” Brathwaite said. “At the time, I wanted to become a medical doctor. As I read through it, I saw that McMaster had an innovative approach to medical education. I thought it might be a good fit for me.”
Now, 43 years after graduating with a degree in Applied Chemistry, he’s coming back to McMaster as its 20th Chancellor.
“Nicholas’ record of supporting our students, leadership in innovation, equity and inclusion, commercialization and entrepreneurship, and his dedication to McMaster make him an exceptional choice for this role,” said President and Vice-Chancellor Susan Tighe. “He cares deeply about people and about building opportunities, and I’m confident that his leadership will help us continue to build a university that is inclusive, innovative, and globally engaged. This appointment reflects McMaster’s ongoing commitment to celebrating alumni who exemplify the university’s mission.”
Returning to his alma mater as Chancellor stands as a dignified and proud moment, reflecting both honour and responsibility.
“This is where I was shaped for the success I have achieved,” said Brathwaite. “Being allowed to return in this role and serve the McMaster community is an honour I never imagined.”
The role, though largely ceremonial, now requires visionary leadership, adaptability to technological and societal change and strong community engagement.
Brathwaite aims to champion research, deep tech innovation and global engagement while preparing students for a rapidly evolving world.
“When we consider the drastic changes happening in the world today such as geopolitical tensions, technological challenges, economic uncertainties, the rise of cryptocurrency as a potential currency for international trade and artificial intelligence reshaping nearly every aspect of life, technology plays a pivotal role not only in society at large but also in transforming how we teach and learn,” he said. “With my background, I believe I can help McMaster University navigate these shifts and prepare students to thrive in this new reality.”
Beyond being just centres for education and research, universities are becoming key players in driving social innovation, economic development, and addressing pressing issues, including climate change, equity and technological disruption.
Embracing this expanded role will allow universities to remain relevant and impactful in an ever-changing world.
“When you look at the role of developing economies and the emergence of those regions as major trading blocs with the largest percentage of the world population, universities need to start thinking about their role as beyond the campus boundaries and think more globally,” Brathwaite, who spent eight years residing in Guyana and Barbados, noted. “McMaster and other universities should be thinking about how they can become global assets. McMaster is positioned to be such and I hope I can play a role in helping to create an inflection point to achieve that.”
Sometimes, a teacher can have a significant impact on how much a student enjoys and connects with a subject.
Brathwaite completed his ‘A’ levels at Barbados Community College, where teacher Norma Holder inspired him to understand science deeply, rather than simply memorize formulas. This early encouragement shaped his approach to learning and problem-solving.
The wife of late Caribbean tourism leader Jean Holder passed away in 2016.
“She would always say that science is not just about memorizing equations and formulas,” Brathwaite recalled. “She insisted that we try to understand the subject deeply so that we could derive the equations and formulas ourselves. She emphasized the importance of grasping the fundamentals of science. By the time I got to McMaster, my goal and objective were to learn and understand science so that I could apply it.”
He aimed to gain training that would set him apart.
While most go to university chasing a degree, Brathwaite went seeking the skills to change the world.
“I didn’t want to be another person on the planet,” he said. “I wanted to make a difference, but I was not sure where or how. I knew that having a good, solid education would provide the foundation for that. I went to learn and understand things.”
McMaster University was the canvas where Brathwaite brought his ambitions to life.
After one year, he realized he preferred Physics, Chemistry and Maths over Biology, prompting a switch from medicine to Applied Chemistry.
“The program was innovative because it combined in-depth theoretical training in Chemistry with practical Chemical Engineering courses,” he said. “This gave me a strong scientific foundation and taught me how to apply that knowledge to solve real-world problems. The training created the foundation for the success I have had.”
After graduating from the University of Waterloo with a graduate degree in Polymer Science, Brathwaite found himself without a clear plan for what to do next.
When his friends asked if he had applied for jobs and if he had a resume, he didn’t even know what a resume was.
“I knew of the term CV (curriculum vitae),” Brathwaite said. “A friend asked me a bunch of questions and prepared a resume. When she gave it to me at the University of Waterloo, another friend with whom I was hanging out asked if I could give them a copy which I did. That individual gave the resume to a recruiter at Intel which is how I ended up with a job there.”
The then Engineering Technologist earned his first of more than 60 patents at Intel Corporation where he became the first Black Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of a publicly traded company.
That was a historic milestone for Brathwaite not just because of the title, but because of what it symbolizes which is progress, visibility and the breaking of barriers in leadership and innovation spaces where Black professionals have historically been underrepresented.
“What makes it an accomplishment is what you do after you become the first,” he said. “If you become the first and you don’t accomplish anything, you become a mistake never to be repeated and you shut the door for every other Black person. If you are successful and you accomplish much, you become a trailblazer and that opens doors for others.”
Brathwaite subsequently co-founded nChip which developed industry-leading advanced, multi-chip module assembly process. It was the first time he was exposed to venture capital.
The company was later acquired by Flextronics International where he shaped the first wave of smartphones along with other cutting-edge power and gaming electronics.
“As we built Flextronics, I interfaced with venture capitalists and other investors as part of us acquiring the companies,” said Brathwaite. “I didn’t have any intention of being in the investment business.”
After spending nearly 12 years at the company, including a decade as Chief Technology Officer, he decided it was time to move on to new opportunities.
Flextronics’ revenues grew from US$300 million when he joined to US$30 billion with 250 employees.
A friend started working at a large private equity firm and tried to persuade Brathwaite to join him there. However, after meeting with the firm, he felt it wasn’t the right fit. They mainly focused on leveraged buyouts, which seemed more like financial engineering, and that approach didn’t appeal to him.
When he declined, his friend suggested they start their own firm, focusing on private equity for small and mid-sized companies, and providing growth capital to help them scale.
This led to the founding of Riverwood Capital.
“I enjoy early-stage investing,” said Brathwaite, describing himself as a business builder. “At one point, we decided to create a pool of capital for investments and successfully raised about US$100 million. What I love about venture capital investing is getting involved in new ideas, seeing them develop into businesses and watching them grow.”
While at Riverwood, he served as Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of Aptina Imaging Corporation, a company privately owned by Riverwood and TPG Capital. Under his leadership, Aptina achieved revenues of US$620 million and ranked third globally in Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS) image sensor sales in 2010.
How much has changed in venture capital investment in the last few years?
“Some of it is subtle and some not so much,” Brathwaite, who led the teams that developed the first Xbox and PalmPilot and was a lead investor in GoPro, pointed out. “When we started our firm, there weren’t many people doing deep tech investing. Most of the venture capital investors at that time were focused on enterprise software and SaaS (Software As A Service).
“We chose to focus on deep tech investing, which means supporting companies that leverage new scientific discoveries or significant technological advancements to create new businesses. I am driven by this because I believe that nearly all major technological advancements, like new scientific discoveries, which is my background, are built on deep tech innovation.”
After nearly a decade at Riverwood, he co-founded Celesta Capital with three partners in 2013.
The Silicon Valley-based company, founded on diversity, invests in ground-breaking innovations, ranging from semiconductors and systems to biology that will drive technological progress.
Last month, Celesta Capital which makes investments in deep tech ecosystems worldwide, launched its first India-focussed fund.
Celesta’s portfolio of companies includes Atonarp, a scientific instrumentation firm developing imaging platforms for molecular analysis, revolutionizing how data is sensed, collected, processed and interpreted at the molecular level. Its products have extensive applications in pharma, healthcare, oil and gas and semi-manufacturing.
Some of Brathwaite’s proudest achievements include receiving honourary doctorate degrees from UWI, his father’s alma mater, in 2014, and McMaster University’s DeGroote School of Business four years later.
“My father studied in Jamaica, so it was especially meaningful to receive the honour at UWI’s Mona campus,” Brathwaite, who was recognized by the University of Western Ontario as one of its most distinguished alumni in 2016, recalled. “After the convocation, when I returned to Grenada for a short visit, he hosted a wonderful celebration in my honour. I think he was most proud of my dedication and commitment to helping others. I believe generosity isn’t defined by what someone has, but by how much they care. If a person isn’t generous with ten dollars, they won’t be generous with ten million.”
Coming from a modest background on a small island with a limited population, he noted in his acceptance speech after his McMaster University conferral that, statistically, his success was unlikely.
Brathwaite was born in Carriacou, a Grenadian island with a population of about 6,000.
“The fact that someone from such a background could achieve what I have, and be recognized by McMaster with an honorary doctorate, speaks volumes,” he said. “My maternal grandfather, whose mother died during childbirth, ran away from his family in Barbados at the age of 12 because he felt unfairly blamed for his mother’s death. Somehow, he ended up in Carriacou. I am the grandson of a 12-year-old runaway. When you look at everything, I don’t think I should be where I am today.”
McMaster University and Celesta Capital announced a strategic partnership last year aimed at accelerating deep tech innovation and commercialization in Canada.
This collaboration seeks to transform McMaster’s advanced research into viable start-ups by leveraging Celesta’s expertise as a leading deep tech venture capital firm.
“We hope to have our first close later this year, and the aim is to raise between Can$200 and Can$250 million to start building successful deep tech companies in Canada,” said Brathwaite who sits on several Boards, including Northwest Mutual, Power Integrations and Bossa Nova Robotics. “That is my biggest area of focus right now.”
When you are thriving, you have a duty to give back and assist others in their growth.
Brathwaite firmly believes in the principle that God blesses us so that, through us, he can bless others.
For him, the true measure of success is not the wealth you accumulate or the titles you hold. It is about the impact you have on the lives of others.
In 2007, he and his wife of 25 years, Janice Brathwaite, founded the PETNA Foundation to honour his parents.
Nicholas Brathwaite, who served as Prime Minister of Grenada and was the regional director for the Commonwealth Youth Programme in the Caribbean, passed away in 2016 at the age of 91. His wife, Lady Pansy Brathwaite, died earlier in 2007.
“My dad was a brilliant student and was expected to become a national scholar,” said the philanthropist. “He attended boarding school in Grenada, but after his father died, his mother couldn’t afford to keep him in school. He had to leave at 16 to find a job. I only learned this later in life, and I promised myself that if I ever had the means, I would honour his memory by creating a scholarship for students facing similar hardships. The foundation was launched specifically to create opportunities for talented young people who have academic potential but lack the financial means not just to attend university, but to access the very best institutions.”
Two-time javelin world championship winner Anderson Peters has also been a beneficiary of the visionary technologist and entrepreneur support.
In 2005, coach Paul Phillip and three female teachers started a track and field club, Track Blazers, in the parish of St. David.
The club was established to help young men develop their athletic potential, creating opportunities for scholarships and offering a positive alternative to gang involvement.
Their clear mission caught Brathwaite’s attention.
“When I heard about them, my wife and I decided we would provide the operational finances they needed to achieve their objectives,” he said. “I also learnt about Peters who was part of the group, had a lot of potential, but had to borrow a javelin from some of the people he was competing with at the Caribbean championships because he didn’t have throwing equipment.”
Brathwaite decided to change that.
He and his wife furnished the club with javelins.
Around the same time, Peters was preparing for the 2019 World Athletics Championships in Doha. To make sure the athlete wouldn’t be at a disadvantage, Brathwaite looked into which javelins the top competitors would be using at the event.
The multinational business executive ordered the throwing equipment from Norway and had it shipped to Grenada.
Peters captured a gold medal with a throw of 86.89 metres, making him the first Grenadian to win a world championship medal in a field event.
Over the years, the Brathwaites have supported undergraduate and graduate students through financial assistance, contributed to rebuilding homes damaged by natural disasters, donated computers to establish a homework centre and partnered with the island’s Ministries of Health and Education and New York University’s College of Dentistry to provide a two-week dental assessment and treatment program for public school students in Grenada.
The PETNA Foundation and McMaster University have collaborated to establish the annual Nicholas and Janice Brathwaite Award, which supports students from the Caribbean pursuing an undergraduate degree at the Canadian university.
Hard work should be balanced with time to relax and recharge.
Brathwaite enjoys listening to music, watching movies in the home theatres of the family’s two residences in the United States and travelling with family and friends. For him, these shared moments are a cherished way to relax and connect.
Married for 25 years, he and his wife have three children.
When he steps into the role in January, Brathwaite – who succeeds educator & dance artist Santee Smith -- will become the seventh Canadian university Chancellor of Caribbean heritage.
The others are Frantz Saintellemy at the Universite de Montreal, Mary Anne Chambers at the University of Guelph, Jon Cornish at the University of Calgary, Wes Hall at the University of Toronto, Donette Chin-Loy Chang at Toronto Metropolitan University and Rustum Southwell at Dalhousie University.
Barbadian-born and raised, Dr. Tony Fields stepped down as MacEwan University’s first Chancellor last June.
