Dan Fine was a seasoned entrepreneur, tech innovator, and philanthropist whose passion for impact spans the fields of technology, conservation, and humanitarian relief. Over the course of his career, Dan founded and led several pioneering businesses. In 1994, he launched fine.com, the first company to carry a ".com" domain name, taking it public on NASDAQ in 1997 before its acquisition in 1999. He later co-founded Bot, Inc., where he helped secure one of the earliest patents for intelligent software agents and a secure bot deployment platform.

Since retiring in 2021, Dan devoted his time and energy to causes close to his heart. He served on the boards of the Vancouver Humane Society, and the Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival, among others. For over a decade, he and his dogs, Kal-El and Clark Kent, volunteered as a certified therapy team visiting senior homes, schools, libraries, and first responders.

Dan was the Executive Director of the Ukrainian War Animals Relief Fund (UWARF), a non-profit organization supporting pets affected by the war in Ukraine. His documentary War Tails, which explores the healing bond between animals and veterans, has earned international recognition and numerous accolades in the field of animal welfare.

Dan’s life took a dramatic turn in 2024 when he was diagnosed with Stage IV pancreatic cancer. Faced with a daunting prognosis, he brought the same tenacity and strategic mindset to his fight against cancer as he did to his ventures—researching treatments, advocating for clinical trials, and navigating care across borders as a dual U.S.-Canadian citizen. Dan shared his voice as a patient advocate, speaking publicly to bring awareness, support, and urgency to pancreatic cancer research and early detection. You can find his story reported by many media outlets at our "In the News" section.

After over 27 rounds of chemotherapy (2,000 hours of treatment), he was accepted into a clinical trial at MD Anderson Hospital in Houston, Texas.

Dan passed away in December 2025.

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