Stephanie Lipp began her career immersed in art and photography, working alongside some of Canada’s most respected commercial photographers. Her work in fashion portraiture, graphic design, and digital marketing earned her a reputation as a multi-talented creative professional. Lipp took a detour from the arts to work as a non-profit housing manager, honing her leadership skills while advocating for accessible and affordable housing. However, the pull of creativity and fresh ideas was too strong to resist. It led her and her partner, Leo, to start their own gourmet mushroom farm in rural Newfoundland, a province known for its rich creative community and burgeoning entrepreneurial landscape. A pre-accelerator program inspired a major pivot: The duo co-founded MycoFutures so they could harness the potential of fungi to make a serious impact with their leather alternative made from mycelium. Lipp has successfully melded her creative background with her entrepreneurial spirit; she was named a 2023 game-changer by Natural Products Canada and has participated as a panelist for Elevate Festival, Holt Renfrew and MaRS. She is also an alumna of prestigious accelerators including MassChallenge Switzerland, Creative Destruction Lab and MaRS Women in Cleantech. With Lipp’s leadership, MycoFutures is poised to revolutionize the fashion industry, capturing the attention of major global brands and setting a new standard for sustainable luxury.