Ernst Hupel has become part of Fogo Island’s fabric as a trusted collaborator, creative force, and passionate ambassador of Shorefast’s vision.

A principal of his own design firm and an interior designer for over thirty years, Ernst’s story with Fogo Island began when he joined the Inn’s original design team, helping shape its distinctive character and bring its spaces to life. Since the Inn opened, his fingerprints are everywhere - in the details, the energy, and the sense of place it evokes.

Since then, Ernst considers Fogo Island one of his favourite places in the world and keeps a home there which he generously shares with visitors, artists and family. His influence touches nearly every corner of Shorefast’s work: from housing and heritage restorations to product and partnership development, merchandising, events, and the ever-evolving interiors of the Inn. Over the years, he has also cultivated lasting partnerships that continue to enrich the Inn’s legacy and strengthen its connection to the wider world.

For Stephan Weishaupt, founder of Man of Parts, Avenue Road, and Yellow Wood, design is about relationships. Weishaupt’s intuition, world view, and above all, affinity for connecting people is what helps him bring the best of the world of design together into a truly original experience.

True to form, his focus and his measure of success is the quality of the relationships he has built with the world’s top designers and brands who have come to trust him as a true collaborator.

A philanthropic practice that spans decades has fueled Weishaupt’s commitment to providing a sustainable future for the business, our colleagues, collaborators, and clients, through socially responsible business practices, relationships, and giving back to our global community, we are contributing to a better future for our planet.

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.