Making a Living Making a Difference

I met Catherine Gingras on the first Monday in March. Since I already had to reschedule once because of a snowstorm the week prior, I was excited to meet her. When she arrives it’s clear that she has a busy schedule and our meeting is only a fraction of the interesting projects that she is involved in. Before I began asking her some of my pre-prepared questions I asked her some nosey questions out of curiosity about how her and her business partner Roxanne Vincent met. Catherine tells me that her and Roxanne are both in the Telfer School of Management at uOttawa and that they became involved in the same activities and projects. Soon enough they realized how alike they were which led to their perfect pairing as friends and business partners.

How it all started

The two young women who both hail from Québec are evidently motivated and driven as they balance their university education in addition to making their burgeoning ideas become a reality. When I ask how they heard about the Become A Change Maker Bootcamp, she tells me that it was actually Roxanne who told her about it. Advertised to students through their university Gmail account, Roxanne saw it and thought that the program offered by the Entrepreneurship Hub would be a perfect fit.

Social entrepreneurship: the business of doing good

When asked about her favourite parts about social entrepreneurship, she mentions the possibility to change the world and effect immediate change. Catherine continued to talk about the ability to not only have a business, but to also combine a social aspect. She added that a social venture is the perfect opportunity to think about people and the planet, and not only profit. When asked about where her interest in social innovation came from, she tells me that she has always been curious and interested in ongoing issues. She referenced an article on food waste that she had read from the CBC which sparked her concern for the issue.

The value of social innovation

I ask her about the importance of social innovation in present day especially in regards to climate change and other ongoing problems. Catherine is keen on answering my question and clearly believes in its important role. She tells me about the huge difference that many businesses are able to make in the face of a problem. Catherine tells me that there are so many issues to find solutions to and that social entrepreneurship is the perfect opportunity for this. She reminds me of Pela Case, a business that created compostable cellphone cases in response to the problem of plastic pollution that come with these accessories. In this instance, Pela Case created a business that is profitable while also addressing an issue that is intensely relevant.

Putting words into action

At this point Catherine tells me about her project with Roxanne which seeks to reduce food waste. Their idea is to buy fresh produce that would otherwise go to waste, and use it to create delicious flavours of sorbet. Their business will hopefully create profit, address the problem of food waste, provide suppliers and retailers with an opportunity to sell unusable product, and create an end result of a socially responsible frozen treat for consumers. The idea is innovative and a win-win for their business, suppliers, and consumers. I ask her about challenges to which she remarks that research and development is tricky. She notes that it is difficult to make sure that the business fully answers and addresses a problem. Catherine adds that faith that the project will become a reality is also always a persistent thought. The world of entrepreneurship is difficult and unpredictable which is why I can tell that both Catherine and Roxanne are determined people with grit.

A word of advice

I ask Catherine about advice she could give someone applying to the Change Maker Bootcamp for the first time. Her advice is plain and simple, “Just go for it.” She tells me that the bootcamp offers valuable knowledge and basics to staring a business.

Become A Change Maker Bootcamp: a valuable option

She adds that the bootcamp was beneficial as she knew little about financing, marketing, and ideation, all of which she learned over a condensed period of time.When I asked if she would recommend the bootcamp to others she replied with a resounding yes. She explains that although the bootcamp is offered over a short and intense period of time, it is highly focused on innovation and offers the change to apply knowledge learned in the bootcamp to a social venture.

Future plans

I ask her if she will pursue their project which was further developed during the bootcamp and she tells me that her and Roxanne already have plans to fully immerse themselves in the project over the Summer. They are hoping to reach out to suppliers to gage their needs and to see if they are willing to participate. Catherine tells me that the presumed lower cost of the produce will hopefully be able to be applied to a reduced cost of the product and other costs such as transportation.

Measuring impact

When I ask about measured impact she tells me that the impact of their social venture will most likely be measured by tonnes of produce that has not gone to the trash. She informs me that they would like to track their impact and display them as statistics on the packaging of their frozen treats. She also mentions that the measured impact will also be a good way of letting suppliers know about the money they have saved from being able to sell unusable produce instead of having to pay to have it trashed.

After interviewing Catherine and hearing about her and Roxanne’s business idea I was incredibly intrigued. It’s amazing to think that there are creative and innovative students like them who are motivated to make a change in the world. As I am notorious for having a sweet tooth, I am hoping to be able to find Catherine and Roxanne’s frozen treats on grocery store shelves in the near future.

*This feature was published as a part of the Become A Changemaker Bootcamp, 2020.