Shopify President: The Golden Age of Entrepreneurship Has Arrived | Harley Finkelstein
Harley Finkelstein didn’t set out to be an entrepreneur. He had no choice. With his father out of the picture, he had to pay for university and support his mother and sisters. So, he turned to his go-to problem-solving tool: entrepreneurship. Starting a t-shirt business changed his life, eventually leading him to Shopify, where he became one of their first merchants and later, its president. In this episode, Harley shares his incredible journey, highlighting key lessons on how entrepreneurship can solve real-life problems and the power of adapting quickly in a fast-changing world.
Harley Finkelstein is the President of Shopify. He is also an entrepreneur, lawyer, and investor. He is one of the “Dragons” on CBC’s Next Gen Den and has been recognized among Canada’s Top 40 Under 40 and Fortune’s 40 Under 40.
In this episode, Ilana and Harley will discuss:
- His early roots in entrepreneurship
- The t-shirt business that changed his life
- How he set himself apart by overdelivering
- Entrepreneurship as a tool for problem-solving
- Why you must thrive in rapid change to stay relevant
- Embracing ‘founder mode’ by focusing on the details
- Why the future of entrepreneurship is limitless
- How he became one of the first Shopify users
- How Shopify built a mission-aligned culture
- Finding your life’s work
- And other topics…
The Leap Academy with Ilana Golan show is all about honest and inspiring conversations about what it really takes to leap to bigger things, amazing careers, and craft the life you want.
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Ilana speaks with some of the world's most influential people, experts, and thinkers who created incredible careers, massive impact, built a reputation, and an extraordinary life.
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We take our audience on a journey that will not only inspire but also teach concrete lessons on how to leap careers: fast-track to leadership, jump to entrepreneurship, build a personal brand, portfolio career, and much more.
