Who are the ecopreneurs?

On January 14, 2016, from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m., the Centre for sustainable development and Cataléthique will present the Who are the ecopreneurs? Our first green drinks event of 2016.

Who are the sustainability minded entrepreneurs? What makes an ecopreneur? Do they do business any differently than more conventional organizations? Panelists from academia and the business sector will come together to explore the issues.

Cataléthique team member Hélène Chebroux, who recently conducted a research project on entrepreneurship and sustainable development, will present her work. In fact, there is a growing body of scientific research on the interface between undertaking a business initiative and applying the key principles of sustainability. While entrepreneurship remains the keystone of our economic system, the role of businesses is constantly changing. At the same time, sustainable development has led to innovative management practices and new ways of imagining entrepreneurship. Hélène Chebroux will briefly present her findings and the basic green values adopted by ecopreneurs. Then, true ecopreneurs will explain their journeys and present their visions of ecopreneurship.

To assist 

Time: 3 hours. Cocktail at 6:30 p.m., seminar from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. and mingling from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Suggested contribution: $10. Free for Cataléthique members 
Click here to register.

Speakers

Hélène Chebroux – Cataléthique

Hélène Chebroux holds a BAA in management and international affairs and an MSc in management from HEC Montréal. She has focused her expertise on entrepreneurship and sustainable development and corporate social responsibility. She oversees databases at the Québec section of the Canada Green Building Council on a volunteer basis and has worked in the real estate sector since 2008. She collaborates with the host committee of the Jeune Chambre de commerce de Montréal and is a member of the board of directors of Cataléthique.

Claude Heuzé – Criteria conseil

Claude Heuzé earned an advanced diploma in management and administration and went on to complete a degree in eco-counsel from Université du Québec à Chicoutimi in 2004. After working in the hotel and restaurant sector for over two decades and helping to establish several businesses, he founded Criteria with Laurence Emerit in 2004. In 2007, he was named Personnalité de la semaine – La Presse/Radio-Canada for his project to raise awareness of L’écolo-sac, which became an activity of Criteria in its own right from 2004 to 2009. Claude Heuzé was also nominated for a Desjardins Entrepreneur Award in the Sustainable Development category in 2008.    

Today, he works with small and medium businesses seeking to integrate sustainable development into their day-to-day activities. His enthusiasm, first-hand knowledge and personal and practical approach help foster coherence between entrepreneurs’ personal aspirations and business goals and make him an efficient, results-driven coach.  

Anie Rouleau – Baléco

Anie Rouleau is the president and founder of Montréal SME Baléco, which manufactures and distributes a complete range of green cleaning products. Anie Rouleau comes from a long line of entrepreneurs and follows two deep convictions: the philosophy of sustainable development and the respect of future generations.

Baléco aims to provide customers with fragrance-, dye- and chemical-free products that are safe, green, efficient and affordable. She advocates transparency in manufacturing processes and contributes to the development of local markets by collaborating exclusively with Canadian and American suppliers.

David Côté – Crudessence

President and cofounder of living foods company Crudessence, David Côté is also the cofounder and vice-president of Rise Kombucha, which specializes in living teas. He is a raw food advocate and an inspiring entrepreneur. Crudessence employees all share one thing in common: their values. David Côté is convinced of the importance of believing in one’s work and every Crudessence employee is hired based on the correlation between their values and those held by the company. The successful SME has achieved a balance between social responsibility and profitability and has made it its mission to change the world, one bite at a time.

Looking for more information?

“A nation of 9-5-ers is giving way to a spirited movement of innovators, searching for ways to make a life filled with purpose and meaning, instead of simply earning a living. And they’re thriving in the place-based “honey bee economy” that restores, preserves and conserves the planet. From an enterprising individual operating a small retail business to an inventor who comes up with a better way to fuel our vehicles, from the founder of a non-profit organization to the organic grower who feeds our local community, just about anyone can be an ecopreneur and run a green business.”

- Excerpt from Are you an ecopreneur? 

Event organized by Hélène Chebroux and Halina Torresan.