Harley Finkelstein
| Harley Finkelstein | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Montreal, Quebec |
| Residence | Ottawa, Ontario |
| Nationality | Canadian |
| Alma mater | Concordia University, University of Ottawa |
| Occupation | Chief Operating Officer of Shopify[1] |
| Religion | Jewish[2] |
| Spouse(s) | Lindsay Taub |
| Website |
harleyf |
Harley Finkelstein is a Canadian businessperson, entrepreneur and public speaker. He is best known as the Chief Operating Officer of Shopify.[1][3][4][5][6] He is a board member of the C100,[7] and an advisor to both OMERS Ventures and Felicis Ventures.[8] He is also a Dragon on CBC Dragons' Den, Next Gen Den.[9]
Early life and education
Finkelstein was born in Montreal, Canada.[10][11] At 17, he founded a T-shirt company while attending McGill University.[3] He later transferred to Concordia University and received a bachelor's degree in economics.[11] Finkelstein received his law degree and MBA from the University of Ottawa.[7] He founded the JD/MBA Student Society and the Canadian MBA Oath at the University of Ottawa.[12]
Career
After receiving his JD and MBA, Finkelstein worked at a large law firm in Toronto for a year. In 2009, Finkelstein met with Tobias Lütke, the co-founder and CEO of Shopify, to discuss growth opportunities for the company.[10] Finkelstein was one of Shopify's first customers and had experience building an online store on the company's platform. Finkelstein was hired soon after and became Shopify's Chief Platform Officer.[6][13] The Ottawa Business Journal named Finkelstein "Newsmaker of the Year" in December 2013.[3] Finkelstein was also listed on Ottawa Citizen's "People to Watch in 2014."[10] In December 2014, Finkelstein was appointed a member of the C100 board.[7] The C100 is an organization that supports the Canadian technology community and is a bridge between Canada and Silicon Valley. Finkelstein serves as a mentor and advisor to various organizations and incubators including Felicis Ventures, FounderFuel, InvestOttawa and CIPPIC.[8][14] In January 2016, Finkelstein was named COO of Shopify.[1]
References
- 1 2 3 "Finkelstein named Shopify chief operating officer". Ottawa Business Journal. January 13, 2016. Retrieved January 18, 2016.
- ↑ Ottawa Jewish Bulletin (17 February 2014). "Shopify executive mentors younger Jewish entrepreneurs" (PDF). Retrieved 13 August 2015.
- 1 2 3 "Newsmaker of the Year: Shopify's Finkelstein brings hustle to Ottawa". Ottawa Business Journal. December 17, 2013. Retrieved March 13, 2015.
- ↑ "Ep #36: The Evolution of Online and Offline Retail with Harley Finkelstein of Shopify". eCommerce Fuel. March 14, 2014. Retrieved March 13, 2015.
- ↑ "Keynote Speeches from Jeff Lewis and Harley Finkelstein at Scion Motivate". Scion. April 17, 2013. Retrieved March 13, 2015.
- 1 2 "Targeting Enterprise Commerce: Shopify Plus gives larger online sellers access to advanced, scalable storefronts". Adweek. June 16, 2014. Retrieved March 13, 2015.
- 1 2 3 "Harley Finkelstein Joins C100 Organizing Committee". C100. December 1, 2014. Retrieved March 13, 2015.
- 1 2 "The future of retail is retail everywhere: Harley Finkelstein". Business Standard. July 28, 2014. Retrieved March 13, 2015.
- ↑ Sissi Wang (November 24, 2015). "Shopify's Harley Finkelstein on how to pitch 'Next Gen Den'". Canadian Business Journal. Retrieved January 18, 2016.
- 1 2 3 Tony Lofaro (January 2, 2014). "People to watch in 2014: Daniel Weinand and Harley Finkelstein". Ottawa Citizen. Retrieved March 13, 2015.
- 1 2 "Working It: Harley Finkelstein". Montreal Gazette. October 3, 2013. Retrieved March 13, 2015.
- ↑ "About the MBA Oath". University of Ottawa. Retrieved March 13, 2015.
- ↑ Jenna Wortham (November 15, 2014). "Buying the Bricks for Your Online Storefront". New York Times. Retrieved March 13, 2015.
- ↑ "Interview with Shopify CPO Startupfest "break-out" session speaker Harley Finkelstein!". Startup Festival. June 12, 2013. Retrieved March 13, 2015.