He attended the University of British Columbia on a President's Scholarship, receiving a BA in 1999 and moved to Toronto, where he pursued his interest in indie rock music, writing songs and performing in venues around the city with his band Electric Fences.

In the early 2000s he took over the historic Canadian literary press, Nightwood Editions Ltd. (formerly blewointment, founded by bill bissett), and began publishing poetry and fiction by Canadian writers such as Renée Sarojini Saklikar, Elizabeth Bachinsky, Tim Bowling, Rita Wong, Philip Kevin Paul, Laisha Rosnau, Ray Hsu, Rob Winger, Sandy Pool, Joe Denham, Kayla Czaga, Doretta Lau, Raoul Fernandes, Danny Ramadan, Carol Rose GoldenEagle, Adele Barclay and jaye simpson.

One of his editing jobs, The Fly in Autumn by David Zieroth, won the 2010 Governor General's Award for Poetry, Canada's highest literary honour.

[13] As a councillor he represented the Town for two years at the Sunshine Coast Regional District and led initiatives to improve a major intersection; start a homeless shelter; expand the local, self-sustaining water service; and secure federal land for a provincial supportive housing facility.

[14] After returning to Nightwood Editions and working as a local government consultant in homelessness, housing, economic development, water stewardship, public engagement and Indigenous relations, White ran for mayor of Gibsons in 2022, winning with 82.4% of the vote.