Biography
Dr. Gavin Armstrong is a dedicated and award-winning impact entrepreneur, currently serving as the Founder and CEO of Lucky Iron Life® (formerly Lucky Iron Fish Enterprise). Through this social enterprise, Dr. Armstrong has pioneered health innovations to combat iron deficiency worldwide. His work has garnered numerous accolades, including a Fulbright Scholarship at Auburn University, the Forbes 30 Under 30 in Social Entrepreneurship, the Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Award, and EY Canada’s Social Entrepreneur of the Year. In 2018, he secured a successful pitch on CBC’s Dragons’ Den, and in 2019, he was named Small Business Leader of the Year by the Canadian Gay Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (CGLCC).
A passionate advocate against hunger and malnutrition, Dr. Armstrong was the first Canadian to receive the William J. Clinton Award for international anti-hunger work and the inaugural Michaëlle Jean Emergency Hunger Relief Award. Under his leadership, Lucky Iron Fish earned multiple Cannes Lions awards, including the Grand Prix, and several Clio Design Awards. Conscious Company Magazine recognized him as a "Rising Social Entrepreneur," and he is the youngest recipient of Babson College’s Social Innovator of the Year Award. Further honors include Town & Country’s 50 Philanthropists Changing the World, Real Leaders’ Top 100 Visionary Leaders, and the Globe & Mail’s Top 50 Changemakers in 2021.
Dr. Armstrong’s commitment to addressing hunger began as an undergraduate at the University of Guelph, where he signed the institution as the first Canadian university member of Universities Fighting World Hunger (UFWH). As coordinator of the 6th Annual UFWH Summit—the first held in Canada—he attracted 450+ delegates, 50 speakers, and raised over $130,000 for the event. He also founded an annual food-packing initiative, resulting in over 1 million emergency relief meals to date.
Beyond his work with Lucky Iron Life, Dr. Armstrong supports educational initiatives for the Dadaab refugee camp in Kenya, including funding solar-powered school programs and raising funds for new educational facilities. He has also fostered partnerships to boost food security in Mauritania and has served on the Executive Committee of the Cambodian Canadian Chamber of Commerce, as Treasurer of the CGLCC, and as a member of the WildHearts Youth National Advisory Board.
Dr. Armstrong holds an Honours Bachelor of Commerce degree and a PhD in Biomedical Science from the University of Guelph. During his studies, he was elected as the Communications and Corporate Affairs Commissioner for the student union, served on the Senate and Board of Governors, and contributed to the BetterPlanet Project and the United Way Campaign as a co-chair.