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SHELBY YEE
CEO & Co-Founder at GroundedAI Inc.
SHELBY YEE is a geological engineer and serial tech founder
advancing underground geosciences and 昀椀eld data capture for
heavy industry. After co-founding RockMass Technologies while
completing her B.A.Sc. at Queen’s University in 2016, Shelby
grew the thesis project into a venture-backed 昀椀rm serving major
global mining companies across more than 30 underground
sites in North America, South America, Europe, and Australia.
Building on that momentum, she co-founded GroundedAI in
2025 to transform underground construction, tunnelling, and
infrastructure. Under her leadership, the company quickly
secured $3.6M in funding—including a 2026 round led by
StandUp Ventures—and re-engaged core technical talent
and investors from her previous venture to tackle Canada’s
generational infrastructure push.
At GroundedAI, Shelby directs a cross-functional team of
engineers and geoscientists building specialized digital tools
designed to replace decades-old paper logging and memory-dependent 昀椀eld practices. The platform features Lithos, an
iPad-based LiDAR data capture system for complex underground environments, and Strata, a web platform that enables
real-time, AI-driven gap analysis between 昀椀eld conditions and
geological models. By instantly exposing discrepancies between
predicted ground conditions and reality, GroundedAI helps
project teams detect emerging risks, preventing the severe
cost overruns and delays historically associated with major
tunnelling and transit builds. In under 18 months, Shelby has
expanded the company’s reach into the underground construction market, partnering with prominent industry leaders such as
Hatch, Delve Underground, and Elea iC.
Beyond software development, Shelby is dedicated to leading
from the 昀椀eld—spending extensive time underground on active
mine sites and tunnel projects to inform product design and
operational strategies. Her contributions to the industry have
earned her widespread recognition, including places on the
Forbes 30 Under 30 list, the Young Mining Professionals Eira
Thomas Award, and the CIM Canadian Young Mining Leaders
Award. An active advocate for diversity in heavy industry, she
regularly mentors early-stage founders and women in STEM
through the Creative Destruction Lab and Queen’s Innovation
Centre. She also serves on the Board of Directors and volunteer
advisory board for the Nature Conservancy of Canada, bringing
an environmental stewardship lens to global resource and infrastructure development.
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SITE REPORTS
IN XXXX
2021 Yee
xxxxxx
was named on the Forbes 30 under 30 list in
the manufacturing and industry category, which celebrates
dynamic young entrepreneurs.
Outside of the boardroom, Yee trains for trailrunning races,
skiis, and goes on canoe trips.
