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Paul Rowan: CCOPast Role: Umbra, Co-Founder & VP of Inspiration
Born and raised in Toronto, Canada, Paul developed his understanding of technology and design while mixing paint and fixing windows in his father’s hardware store. It was here that the seeds were sown for his future calling. He graduated from George Brown College in 1974 with a degree in Graphic Design and upon graduating moved to Ottawa to work in
the world’s first digital typography company. While settling into his new digs he was frustrated while trying to find a window treatment suited his practical and aesthetic needs. Motivated by this design challenge, Rowan solved the problem by designing his own window treatment, a printed-paper window shade. He presented childhood friend and entrepreneur Les Mandelbaum with the shade idea and Umbra ('shade' in Latin) was born.
