Zita Cobb is a Canadian business leader, social entrepreneur, and Founder/CEO of Shorefast, a Canadian charity dedicated to community-based economic development. She is the visionary behind Fogo Island Inn, a social enterprise and globally acclaimed Michelin Three Key property located in Newfoundland & Labrador, Canada.

Born and raised on Fogo Island, Cobb was part of the eighth generation of her family to live there, until the collapse of the cod fishery, which devastated the community’s economy.

After a successful career as CFO of JDS Fitel (later JDS Uniphase), a leader in fiber optics technology where she played a key role in the company’s growth, Cobb retired in 2001 and directed her time and financial resources to philanthropic endeavors.

In 2004, Cobb returned home and founded Shorefast to help build economic and cultural resilience for Fogo Island.

Cobb’s work has earned numerous recognitions and accolades, including honourary doctorates and being the first social entrepreneur to be inducted into the Canadian Business Hall of Fame. In 2016 she was appointed a Member of the Order of Canada.

With the launch of the Shorefast Institute for Place-Based Economies, Cobb aims to create a network of community, business, government and other institutional partners to help build prosperous economies for more people in more places.

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