Jim Balsillie
Former co-CEO of Research In Motion (BlackBerry)
Former chair and co-CEO, Research In Motion (BlackBerry) · Chair, Canadian Council of Innovators · Founder, Balsillie School of International Affairs
Background
Jim Balsillie is a Canadian businessman and philanthropist.
He joined Research In Motion (BlackBerry) as co-CEO in 1992 and resigned from that role on January 22, 2012.
He founded the Balsillie School of International Affairs at the University of Waterloo.
Key facts
- Former role at BlackBerry
- Former chair and co-chief executive officer of Research In Motion (BlackBerry)source
- Co-CEO start
- Joined Research In Motion as co-CEO with founder Mike Lazaridis in 1992source
- Co-CEO exit
- Resigned as co-CEO on January 22, 2012source
- Education
- BComm from Trinity College at the University of Toronto in 1984; MBA from Harvard Business School in 1989source
- Family foundation gift
- The Balsillie Family Foundation gave $4.5 million to four food banks in Ontario's Waterloo region in September 2026source
WYDE coverage of Jim Balsillie
WYDE Newsroom has published 2 articles about Jim Balsillie, from Sep 22, 2026 to Sep 26, 2026. Jim Balsillie is a donor in 1 story and the subject of 1 story. The most recent is States Just Took On SNAP's Bill, Fraud Topped $900 Million in a Week, and Philanthropy Wrote $1.2 Billion in Checks. Over 71,800 Meals..
States Just Took On SNAP's Bill, Fraud Topped $900 Million in a Week, and Philanthropy Wrote $1.2 Billion in Checks. Over 71,800 Meals.
WYDE Weekly: the SNAP cost shift hits states October 1, Fast Lab's $500 million COVID fraud plea, Bitget's $387.5 million hack, the Fed's first stablecoin rules, and Phil and Penny Knight's $1 billion gift to Oregon.
Sep 26, 2026 · 7 min read · Donor
Food PolicyJim Balsillie's Family Foundation Gives $4.5 Million to Four Ontario Food Banks as Demand Climbs
The Balsillie Family Foundation split the gift across food banks in Waterloo Region, Cambridge, Fergus, and Guelph, with the former BlackBerry co-CEO pointing to soaring need in a prosperous region.
Sep 22, 2026 · 2 min read · Subject of the story
Reported alongside Jim Balsillie
- Aave · in 1 story with Jim Balsillie
- Andreessen Horowitz · in 1 story with Jim Balsillie
- Anthropic · in 1 story with Jim Balsillie
- Balsillie Family Foundation · in 1 story with Jim Balsillie
- Bastion · in 1 story with Jim Balsillie
- Binance · in 1 story with Jim Balsillie
- Bitget · in 1 story with Jim Balsillie
- Breast Cancer Research Foundation · in 1 story with Jim Balsillie
Sources
Follow the money in philanthropy.
Who gives, who receives, and what it funds. Every week.