- Name: Gavin Armstrong
- Age: 29
- Current location: Guelph, Canada
- Education: Bachelor of Commerce,; PhD in Biomedical Science
- Current position: Founder and CEO, Lucky Iron Fish
- Organization description: Lucky Iron Fish is a fast-growing B-Corp certified business focused on eradicating iron deficiency, which affects 3.5 million people around the world.
- Bio: Gavin Armstrong is the Founder and CEO of Lucky Iron Fish, a rapidly growing and widely respected B Corp-certified business. It launched in 2012 with the goal of eradicating iron deficiency, which affects 3.5 billion people in the developed and developing world and can result in anemia, weakness, impaired cognition, and increased risk of illness, particularly in women and children. Gavin has been a passionate advocate and activist against hunger and malnutrition since his university days. As an undergraduate student, he registered the University of Guelph as the first Canadian University to join Universities Fighting World Hunger (UFWH), an international organization of universities dedicated to promoting awareness of, and taking action against, hunger and malnutrition. He also served as the coordinator of the 6th Annual UFWH Summit, held in Canada for the first time, and instituted an annual event at his university to pack food for emergency relief. Gavin's work has been recognized by many awards, including the William J. Clinton Award for international work against hunger, and the Michaëlle Jean Emergency Hunger Relief Award. He was also named to Forbes’ 2016 30 Under 30 list of social entrepreneurs and Town and Country’s top 50 philanthropists, and is a Fulbright Scholar. His work with Lucky Iron Fish has been recognized by the Clinton Global Initiative University, Gates Foundation, O, the Oprah Magazine, Forbes, Wired, BBC, CNN, Unilever Sustainable Living Young Entrepreneur Awards, Cannes International Lions Festival, Edison Awards, CLIO Awards and Classy Awards.
- Countries I've worked in: 66 countries around the world
- Sector / subsectors: Business, social enterprise, biomedial science
- Areas of expertise: Social entrepreneurship, hunger and malnutrition, advocacy.
- Country: Canada, Worldwide
- Sector: Business, Health, International development
- Degree subject: Business & commerce, Sciences
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Tell us about yourself and your organization, Lucky Iron Fish.
Gavin Armstrong, a social entrepreneur making the Forbes top 30 under 30 list, tells us about his company, Lucky Iron Fish, which was started to address the most common micronutrient deficiency in the world.
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Describe a typical working week.
From working across timezones, to managing sales in 66 countries, Gavin describes what it is like to head up a global company aiming to 'put a fish in every pot'.
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Can you tell us about the size of your team, and how you run a global business out of Guelph, Ontario?
Lucky Iron Fish, which until 2015 was run by a staff of two based out of a university town, now has eight employees across Canada and Cambodia, and is actively growing.
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What skills and experience have made you successful as an entrepreneur?
Gavin tells us the ingredients for entrepreneurial success: keeping an eye on the big strategic questions, while managing time and operations.
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Did you have entrepreneurial experience before you started the company?
Gavin's experiences leading student groups were fundamental in building the teamwork and leadership skills to run his own company.
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What are some of the things that you enjoy most about your international work?
It is a rush engaging with communities all around the world, but Gavin takes most enjoyment in being able to solve the problem that they all share in common - iron deficiency.
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Can you show us the Lucky Iron Fish and describe some of the reactions from people in the field?
Introducing the small but mighty Lucky Iron Fish itself!
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Can you explain to us how the technology works?
Why a fish? Gavin brings us back to Cambodia where his entrepreneurial journey took off.
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What are some of the challenges you face with expanding globally?
Lucky Iron Fish has received numerous awards from the Gates Foundation to Forbes. The biggest challenge is managing the demand and not spreading too thin.
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What skills and abilities would help somebody succeed as a social entrepreneur?
Get clear about your mission and commit to it. Gavin shares his advice for aspiring entrepreneurs.
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What are some possible entry points for people looking to start up a social business?
No pain no gain. Gavin's advice to social entrepreneurs is to look for pain points that you can solve.
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Can you elaborate on the early internships and volunteer programs that you worked with?
Gavin's passion for international work started with a university course that took him to Botswana, in southern Africa.
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Do you need a business degree to succeed as an entrepreneur?
Gavin busts a common entrepreneurship myth.
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Any last words of wisdom, or tangible tips?
In spite of the scale and complexity of global issues, Gavin believes one person can make a difference.
