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.com

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. 1 2 3 "Finkelstein named Shopify chief operating officer". Ottawa Business Journal. January 13, 2016. Retrieved January 18, 2016.
  2. Ottawa Jewish Bulletin (17 February 2014). "Shopify executive mentors younger Jewish entrepreneurs" (PDF). Retrieved 13 August 2015.
  3. 1 2 3 "Newsmaker of the Year: Shopify's Finkelstein brings hustle to Ottawa". Ottawa Business Journal. December 17, 2013. Retrieved March 13, 2015.
  4. "Ep #36: The Evolution of Online and Offline Retail with Harley Finkelstein of Shopify". eCommerce Fuel. March 14, 2014. Retrieved March 13, 2015.
  5. "Keynote Speeches from Jeff Lewis and Harley Finkelstein at Scion Motivate". Scion. April 17, 2013. Retrieved March 13, 2015.
  6. 1 2 "Targeting Enterprise Commerce: Shopify Plus gives larger online sellers access to advanced, scalable storefronts". Adweek. June 16, 2014. Retrieved March 13, 2015.
  7. 1 2 3 "Harley Finkelstein Joins C100 Organizing Committee". C100. December 1, 2014. Retrieved March 13, 2015.
  8. 1 2 "The future of retail is retail everywhere: Harley Finkelstein". Business Standard. July 28, 2014. Retrieved March 13, 2015.
  9. Sissi Wang (November 24, 2015). "Shopify's Harley Finkelstein on how to pitch 'Next Gen Den'". Canadian Business Journal. Retrieved January 18, 2016.
  10. 1 2 3 Tony Lofaro (January 2, 2014). "People to watch in 2014: Daniel Weinand and Harley Finkelstein". Ottawa Citizen. Retrieved March 13, 2015.
  11. 1 2 "Working It: Harley Finkelstein". Montreal Gazette. October 3, 2013. Retrieved March 13, 2015.
  12. "About the MBA Oath". University of Ottawa. Retrieved March 13, 2015.
  13. Jenna Wortham (November 15, 2014). "Buying the Bricks for Your Online Storefront". New York Times. Retrieved March 13, 2015.
  14. "Interview with Shopify CPO Startupfest "break-out" session speaker Harley Finkelstein!". Startup Festival. June 12, 2013. Retrieved March 13, 2015.
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