Women Who LEAD: Creating sustainable brands for a healthier future

Mishel Wong developed a career for over 10 years in business development in the food service industry with a focus on building human relationships and delivering solutions.

She is excited by new marketing opportunities and identifying creative ways to pivot in a fast-paced environment. At Bo, her goal is to build the tools and infrastructure society needs to normalize reuse, because it makes better sense both economically and for the environment.

Catherine Métivier and Anne-Marie Laflamme are the inseparable friends who founded the atelier b brand in 2009. Their sustainable and minimalist clothing collections for men, women and children are gently made in Montreal from natural fiber textiles. From a workshop in their apartment when they were still students to their studio-boutique in Mile End, the project keeps growing with them.

The key values ​​of slow design have remained central to each of the decisions made by the two friends. Moreover, their circular economy project has made the brand the first in Canada to have zero-waste manufacturing. Their end of life collection program for atelier b clothing, in addition to the quality guarantee and the repair service, shows the concern the two friends have for the life cycle of each garment created in their workshop.

When she's not spending her time exploring new roads on her bike, Halina is the Marketing Director at The Unscented Company, a Montreal-based company on a mission to redefine the notion of clean by offering a full line of natural home and body care products that are exclusively unscented, efficient, and designed to reduce plastic and water by offering refills and solid options.

Having obtained her Bachelor of Administration from Concordia in 2013, Halina is particularly passionate about engaged and innovative companies that collectively redefine success in the business world.

Professor Rajshree Prakash has been part of the Management faculty at the John Molson School of Business since 2014. She conducts research on drivers, processes and outcomes for sustainable change in institutions and organizations by focusing on models of social innovation,environmental sustainability and entrepreneurship.

Her research has been funded by the Social Science and Humanities Research Centre, Bob and Raye Centre in Business Ownership and David O’Brien Centre for Sustainability. She has been published in peer reviewed journals such as Organization Science, Journal of Professions and Organization, Journal of Management Inquiry, and Financial Management.She teaches courses in strategy, strategy implementation and responsible organizations at the undergraduate and graduate levels.

Melodie is a passionate sustainability advocate and manager of strategic content, 50th Anniversary at Concordia University Advancement.

She uses her skills as a multifaceted communications professional to shed light on environmental issues and empower people to adopt sustainable lifestyles through her social media and blog meloandmills.com.

More recently, Melodie has given talks at local businesses and community events, sharing her hands-on experience with zero waste and plant-based living.

Melodie believes in the power of collective sustainable actions to engage citizens and inspire a new generation of well-informed "climate optimists."