Meet Amber Gunderson, RBC Canadian Women Entrepreneur Awards Momentum Finalist

Amber Gunderson has always had an entrepreneurial spirit. Before starting ChamClad, she collaborated with her mother on a successful startup and later launched another with her husband. Today, they oversee two thriving companies, collectively employing over 100 people.

Amber has always had a passion for high-quality, Canadian-made products that support the building industry, inspiring the ChamClad line. Specializing in manufacturing high-quality wall and ceiling panels, soffits, and beam and post wraps made from recycled PVC, ChamClad now boasts four distinct design patents. The brand is trademarked and stands out in the market with its focus on resilience and sustainability.

Entrepreneurship is made for me because… the challenges are what keep me going and make it so enjoyable.

The impact I hope to make through my work is… to establish a high-quality, sustainable brand that shows my daughters what can be accomplished with hard work.

One of the most important lessons I’ve learned on my entrepreneurial journey is… to never give up and trust your gut. Hard work, dedication, and faith prevail.

My proudest accomplishment is… winning Best Outdoor Product at The International Building Show in Las Vegas in 2024. 

The biggest risk I took that paid off was… starting a manufacturing plant.

My biggest setback has been… COVID-19 and labour shortages.

I overcame it by… focusing on education, research, and development. I also invested in my team and brought in foreign workers.

The best advice I’ve received as an entrepreneur was… to keep focused. Don’t worry about what anyone else says or does, just do your best.

I surprise people when I tell them… my first entrepreneurial job was buying a hot dog stand before my children were born. I worked there six days a week with a full-time job.

If I had an extra hour in the day, I would use it to… walk my dogs with my family.

If you googled me, you still wouldn’t know… I’m very private.

The future excites me because… there are so many opportunities ahead.

Connect with Amber on LinkedIn.