Nicole Rycroft

Why you should listen

Nicole Rycroft began her career as a physiotherapist before deciding to pursue social justice work, fighting for ancient forests in Canada. It was there that she realized there was something powerful she could do beyond standing in blockade frontlines in the forest. Namely, to bridge the gap between business and the environment by creating a market for ecologically viable alternatives to the unsustainable products that so often originate in these vital forests. Canopy, the organization she founded, focuses on reimagining business sectors such as paper, viscose and pulp to protect the world's forests by catalyzing the commercial production of Next Gen alternatives.

To date, Rycroft has worked to transform the practices of hundreds of companies, famously convincing publishers in 24 countries to "green" the Harry Potter series by printing the books on ancient-forest-friendly paper. Canopy is one of The Audacious Project’s 2023 recipients and Rycroft is an Ashoka Fellow, member of the UBS Global Visionaries program, recipient of the Meritorious Service Cross of Canada, winner of the 2020 Climate Breakthrough Award and a 2022 Global Australian of the Year.