About Scott Stirrett

A picture of Scott smiling with buildings in the background.

My career has been shaped by one question: how do people and communities grow and thrive in a volatile world?

Currently, I serve as Senior Advisor to the Shorefast Institute for Place-Based Economies, building financial capacity and advancing policy initiatives that support community-led economic development. Shorefast is a Canadian charity working on Fogo Island, NL and beyond to build economies that serve people, nature, and culture. Its initiatives include the Fogo Island Inn, Fogo Island Arts, and programs focused on food systems and heritage. As Canada searches for new approaches to strengthen its economy, the Institute is scaling models that activate what communities already have rather than what they lack.

I also work on projected related to how to help people adapt and thrive as AI reshapes work.

As Founder of Venture for Canada, I spent over a decade building a national platform that helps early career professionals develop the skills, networks, and judgment to move forward in messy, fast-changing conditions. Since launching in 2013, Venture for Canada has supported over 10,000 young people and raised more than $80M, working with partners like Employment and Social Development Canada, RBC Foundation, TD Bank, and Mastercard.

I'm also the author of The Uncertainty Advantage, a research-backed guide that helps people turn volatility into a competitive edge in AI-driven, fast-changing careers. The book challenges the myths that hold young professionals back and provides practical strategies to make smarter decisions faster, bounce back from setbacks, and future-proof careers by mastering human skills AI can't replace. The core idea is simple: uncertainty isn't a problem, it's your greatest advantage. The book was published by Dundurn Press and endorsed by figures such as Eric Ries, Sukhinder Singh Cassidy, Amanda Lang, and Michele Romanow.

Growing up in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia shaped how I think about community, dignity, and opportunity. It made me care about how places create real opportunity through local businesses, local leaders, and rooted economies.

Before Venture for Canada, I worked at Goldman Sachs in New York and studied at Georgetown's Walsh School of Foreign Service. I've been recognized as a TELUS LGBTQ Innovator of the Year, a Globe and Mail Changemaker, and an Ashoka Fellow.

My writing has appeared in The Globe and Mail, Business Insider, and Fast Company, among others.