About Scott Stirrett
Receiving the Meritorious Service Medal from Governor General Mary Simon in March 2026
Scott Stirrett is a Canadian entrepreneur, author, and advisor whose work focuses on how people, organizations, and communities can adapt and thrive during periods of economic and technological change.
Scott is the Founder of Venture for Canada, a national charity he launched in 2013 to help young Canadians develop entrepreneurial skills and gain experience working with startups and growing businesses. Over more than a decade, he built Venture for Canada from an idea into a national organization that has supported more than 10,000 young people and raised over $80 million. The organization has worked with partners including Employment and Social Development Canada, RBC Foundation, TD Bank, and Mastercard.
He is also the author of The Uncertainty Advantage, published by Dundurn Press. The book explores how people can make better decisions, recover from setbacks, and build successful careers in a world being reshaped by artificial intelligence and rapid technological change. It has been endorsed by entrepreneurs and business leaders including Eric Ries, Sukhinder Singh Cassidy, Amanda Lang, and Michele Romanow.
Scott continues to work on projects at the intersection of entrepreneurship, artificial intelligence, economic development, and the future of work. He currently serves as a Senior Advisor to the Shorefast Institute for Place Based Economies, where he supports initiatives related to policy, fundraising, and community led economic development.
Growing up in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia shaped Scott's interest in entrepreneurship as a tool for creating opportunity and strengthening communities. He is particularly interested in the role that local businesses, entrepreneurs, and institutions can play in building strong and resilient economies.
Before founding Venture for Canada, Scott worked at Goldman Sachs in New York. He studied at Georgetown University's Walsh School of Foreign Service.
Scott has been recognized as a TELUS LGBTQ Innovator of the Year, a Globe and Mail Changemaker, and an Ashoka Fellow. In March 2026, he received the Meritorious Service Medal from Governor General Mary Simon in recognition of his contributions to Canada.
His writing has appeared in The Globe and Mail, Business Insider, and Fast Company, among other publications.