Where technology meets art, and community comes first.
Our Mission
We believe that when people have access to the right tools and resources, remarkable things happen. A teenager builds her first robot. An artist finishes a piece that’s been waiting years for completion. A child with limited mobility receives a custom 3D-printed assistive device, delivered to their door for free.
Our work on Salt Spring Island spans several programs and partnerships:
Every program we fund shares a common thread: making creative technology and artistic opportunity accessible to everyone, regardless of age, background, or financial means.
The Wilding Foundation is a federally registered Canadian charity based on Salt Spring Island, British Columbia. Founded in 2021 and fully funded by the philanthropic efforts of Ethan Wilding.
The Founder
Ethan holds a doctorate in Philosophy from the University of Waterloo and has spent his career at the intersection of technology, governance, and community building.
In his professional life, he is a founding team member of Ethereum, where he served as Resident Philosopher, and co-founder of Ledger Labs, one of Canada’s earliest blockchain consulting firms. He has also served as Chair of the Certified Bitcoin Professional exam, one of the first not-for-profit programs to establish a standard body of knowledge in the field.
After buying property on Salt Spring Island just before the pandemic, Ethan became deeply invested in the community. When he visited the Salt Spring Library and discovered a fledgling makerspace that was at risk of closing due to lack of funding, he saw an opportunity to put his resources to work in a tangible, lasting way. That initial conversation over cookies at a library launch event became the seed that grew the FabLab into the significant community resource that it is today.