Nicole Rycroft

Nicole Rycroft is Founder and Executive Director of award-winning Canopy, a Canadian environmental nonprofit. A former physiotherapist and elite level athlete, she is an ardent surfer and enthusiast of life. One of Nicole’s guiding philosophies in life, “ask for what you want, you might just get it”, is foundational to her work in guiding Canopy’s team to transform unsustainable supply chains and advance forest conservation and community rights.

In addition to being a member of the UBS Global Visionaries Program, Nicole is an Ashoka Fellow, the recipient of a Canadian Environment Award Gold Medal, winner of the 2020 Climate Breakthrough Award, and a recipient of the Meritorious Service Cross of Canada.

Canopy works closely with global fashion brands to reduce the use of fibres sourced from primary forests. Canopy's mission is to support companies in adopting sustainable practices and transitioning toward a greener future. In India, Canopy is looking to transform supply chains to eliminate Ancient and Endangered Forest fibres by 2033 by collaborating with brands to transition to low-carbon, Next Generation fibres, driving innovation through partnerships with forward-thinking companies and developing scalable alternatives.