Chao is the founder and CEO of LoopX, a Waterloo/Sudbury-based startup specializing in advanced AI and robotics solutions to enhance safety and efficiency in the mining industry. 

Before founding LoopX, Chao spent nearly a decade at General Motors in the US and China, where he led the control system engineering team for electric and autonomous vehicles. He holds a Ph.D. in autonomous driving and a Master of Business, Entrepreneurship, and Technology from the University of Waterloo.