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Lane Merrifield is a technology entrepreneur known for co-founding Club Penguin and for his role as an investor and mentor to early-stage tech companies.
Lane Merrifield sold Club Penguin to Disney for $350 million when he was 28 years old, and subsequently became their youngest executive vice president, turning Club Penguin into a billion-dollar brand.
After his time with Disney, Lane launched FreshGrade, a learning assessment tool designed to connect teachers, parents, and students to help personalize and improve learning. It is used in 80% of districts across Canada.
Lane is the founder of Wheelhouse, an organization that invests in and supports early-stage tech companies and entrepreneurs through mentorship, access to capital, and connections to global business networks.
FreshGrade, Lane Merrifield's company, actively piloted and developed its tool in partnership with Surrey Schools, identified as the largest district in British Columbia.
Club Penguin was involved with Partners in the Horn of Africa NGO through its Coins for Change initiative, a philanthropy program within the online game.
Lane Merrifield currently sits on the board of the TELUS Friendly Future Foundation.
Lane Merrifield serves as an advisor for Dreamscape Immersive, a virtual reality entertainment company, among other startups.
Lane Merrifield co-founded Club Penguin, an online social network designed for children. This platform allowed children to interact in a virtual world through cartoon penguin avatars. In 2007, 18 months after its launch, Club Penguin was acquired by The Walt Disney Company for $350 million. Following the acquisition, Merrifield served as an executive vice president at Disney, where he contributed to the growth of Club Penguin, reportedly transforming it into a billion-dollar brand. Under his leadership, the platform received multiple accolades, including a Webby award and a BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television) award.
After his tenure at Disney, Merrifield returned to entrepreneurial endeavors. In 2012, he launched FreshGrade, an educational technology company that developed a learning assessment tool. This tool was designed to facilitate communication and collaboration between teachers, parents, and students to support personalized learning. FreshGrade achieved significant adoption in Canada, being implemented in 80% of school districts across the country. Merrifield also established Wheelhouse, an organization that focuses on investing in and providing support to early-stage technology companies. This support includes mentorship, access to capital, and connections within global business networks.
Merrifield’s work in the technology sector has been recognized through various awards. He received an Honorary Fellows Award and was named Business Leader of the Year. He was also listed by The Hollywood Reporter as one of the “Top 35 Executives Under 35.” In addition to his entrepreneurial activities, Merrifield has served as a “dragon” on the CBC television show Dragon’s Den, where he evaluates and potentially invests in business pitches. He currently holds a position on the TELUS Friendly Future Foundation board and serves as an advisor for Dreamscape Immersive and other startup ventures, continuing his involvement in technology and innovation.
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