Shayne grew up in Montreal, Canada, in a tight-knit family within a strong Jewish community. His summers were mostly spent with relatives in Israel, and he developed a strong love for the country early on. He still maintains the tradition of traveling to Israel at least once a year.

 

Shayne attended private Jewish elementary and high school. During his post-secondary education, Shayne realized that the traditional methods toward a career were not for him. Always passionate about the trades, Shayne enrolled in a building trades course and began his journey towards becoming a general contractor.

 

Following his studies, he spent 9 months in Israel on a volunteer program. Upon returning to Canada, he started working as a carpenter, and within a couple of years was running his own business.

 

Eventually, Shayne met Rabbi Getzy Markowitz through The Family Store, a subsidized kosher food bank Rabbi Markowitz runs with the help of Montreal’s young adult volunteers. A friendship formed, and the idea evolved to create a Volunteers' Lounge at the store, enabling the volunteer experience to evolve into a welcoming social gathering, where young adults could share experiences over food and drinks in addition to providing a service to their community. Shayne used his expertise and abilities to make the project a resounding success.