Fiona McKean

Fiona McKean is a social enterprise entrepreneur, philanthropist, and community builder who co-founded the Thistledown Foundation with her husband Tobi Lütke, the CEO of Shopify.23

Professional Background

Fiona McKean serves as the Founder and Chair of the Thistledown Foundation, which was launched in January 2019.2 The foundation was initially seeded with a $150 million endowment to focus on accelerating frontier carbon removal technology and curtailing the worst impacts of climate change.2

Philanthropic Efforts

During the COVID-19 pandemic, McKean and Lütke committed to donating $1 million to Conquer COVID-19 through their Thistledown Foundation.14 This donation was aimed at helping to provide personal protective equipment (PPE) to frontline healthcare workers in Canada.

Business Ventures

In addition to her philanthropic work, McKean is also a business owner. In 2015, she purchased The Opinicon, a shuttered resort, and led it through extensive renovation and restoration.2 The resort now employs many people in the local community and welcomes thousands of visitors annually.

Education

Fiona McKean holds a master's degree in international relations from the Norman Patterson School of International Relations at Carleton University.2

Personal

McKean comes from a diplomat family and grew up traveling the world, always considering Ottawa as her beloved home base.3 She describes herself as "50% Geek, 50% Nerd" on her Twitter profile.5