Lucky Iron Fish: A Social Enterprise Tackling Iron Deficiency

By Gavin Armstrong and Herb Shoveller

“The story of the Lucky Iron Fish is a great example of how business can be a force for good.”— MICHELE ROMANOW, Dragons’ Den host and CEO, Clearbanc

Research into iron deficiency and entrepreneurial determination brought the Lucky Iron Fish to cooking pots around the world.

When Canadian researcher Dr. Christopher Charles was studying the devastation caused by iron deficiency in impoverished populations in Southeast Asia, he discovered an innovative way to help people get iron into their diets: place an iron ingot right into their cooking pots.

Dr. Gavin Armstrong, a biomedical scientist and entrepreneur, built upon Charles’s findings to develop, manufacture, and distribute that ingot, which became the Lucky Iron Fish, a cost-effective solution to iron deficiency. The business thrived and the product was recognized around the world by NGOs and organizations such as World Vision, CARE International, Catholic Relief Services, and GlobalMedic. While sustaining growth through the pandemic was a challenge, Lucky Iron Fish met it head-on and now looks ahead to a bright future.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Dundurn
• Release date: Oct 31, 2023
• ISBN: 9781459752498

Gavin Armstrong

Dr. Gavin Armstrong is the award-winning founder and CEO of Lucky Iron Fish Enterprise, a company dedicated to alleviating iron deficiency globally by using simple health innovations. Armstrong was named one of Forbes 30 Under 30. He also won the support of two Dragons in the CBC’s Dragons’ Den. He lives in Toronto.

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