Dr. Don Tapscott '66 & Ana Lopes
Dr. Don Tapscott ’66, LL.D. (hon) C.M.
Dr. Don Tapscott '66 served as Trent's eleventh chancellor and was the first alumnus to hold this distinguished role. During his time as chancellor, he presided over Trent’s 50th-anniversary celebrations, the grand opening of the Student Centre, and the transformation of the Bata Library. When presiding over convocations, Dr. Tapscott would always encourage new graduates to remain involved with Trent, and to live a life of consequence.
A celebrated author, Dr. Tapscott's books include 1992 bestseller, Paradigm Shift, and The Digital Economy, written in 1995. He helped popularize the terms “Net Generation” and “the Digital Divide” in Growing Up Digital. His most recent and ambitious book, published in 2016, Blockchain Revolution: How the Technology Underlying Bitcoin is Changing Business, Money and the World, was co-authored with his son, bitcoin governance expert Alex Tapscott.
In 2017, Dr. Tapscott and his son Alex co-founded the Blockchain Research Institute whose 70+ projects are the definitive investigation into blockchain strategy, use-cases, implementation challenges and organizational transformations.
Among his many accolades, Dr. Tapscott is a member of the Order of Canada, is ranked the second most influential management thinker in the world by Thinkers50, and is one of the world’s leading authorities on innovation, media, and the economic and social impact of technology.
Dr. Tapscott and his wife, Dr. Ana Lopes, are passionate mental health advocates, raising awareness for mental health and addiction research and services for the last thirty years. They also established the Tapscott Chair in Schizophrenia Studies at the University of Toronto.
Dr. Ana P. Lopes, ‘18 (hon) LL.D. (hon) C.M.
Social innovator, entrepreneur, changemaker and philanthropist, Ana Lopes has led numerous not-for-profit transformations with a focus on corporate governance and philanthropic strategy. Born in Lisbon, Portugal, she is based in Toronto and currently serves as a director of The Tapscott Group Inc., a privately held think tank focusing on the digital revolution in business and society. She has worked for 25 years in senior positions in both the private and public sector, and is a director of the Toronto International Film Festival, Toronto Symphony Foundation, and Community Food Centres Canada, and a member of the International Portuguese Diaspora Council in Lisbon.
Many organizations have benefited from Dr. Lopes’ leadership and passion for a better world. She is a former chair of the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health Foundation and has served on the boards of The Writers’ Trust of Canada, the World Wide Web Foundation, Sunnybrook Hospital Foundation, Women’s College Hospital Foundation, Business/Arts, and Trent University.
Dr. Lopes was appointed to Trent’s Board of Governors in 1998 and served for two terms. She was granted a lifetime appointment as Governor Emerita in December 2005 after the end of her board service. In 2018, the Trent University Alumni Association recognized Dr. Lopes for her years of dedication by awarding her honorary alumni status.
In 2022, Dr. Lopes was presented with an honorary doctorate of laws from Trent University for her extraordinary contributions to non-profit organizations with a focus on women’s health and mental health advocacy, research, and clinical care.
In recognition of her work, Dr. Lopes received the Association of Fundraising Professionals of Greater Toronto Fundraising Volunteer of the Year award in 2009, and in 2013 WXN listed her as one of the 100 Most Powerful Women in Canada. In 2014, the President of Portugal awarded Ms. Lopes the Order of Merit. She was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal and was made a Member of the Order of Canada in 2011.