I was born and raised in Markham, Ontario however a similarly impactful location on my upbringing is South Africa, the place my parents immigrated from at the age of 30. I bring this up specifically because I believe South Africans naturally have a deep love and respect for wildlife and the environment ingrained in them and I too share this sentiment perhaps passed down from my parents and their roots. My action shot is from a South African endangered species and rehabilitation center, one of the moments my passion for sustainability grew larger.

What is your personal definition of sustainability? 

I believe sustainability to be very similar to stakeholder theory which is a theory that guides decision-making by understanding the variety of parties who are directly involved or could be impacted by that said decision being made. Sustainability is not just simply considering the impact on global warming when making decisions although that is important. It is a much farther-reaching endeavor that relies on considering each party within our vast eco-system and there interconnectedness that is so vital to each party's individual and collective long-term success. Sustainability is making decisions in a manner that considers all parties in our ecosystem. 

What role do you see sustainability playing in your professional career?

I like to use sustainability as one of my guides for my job search directly, looking for companies that create a positive sustainable impact on the world. This type of work motivates me beyond what money could. However, whether my career is in a direct sustainability-related role or not, sustainability will impact my decision-making and hopefully those making decisions around me. I am a big believer that sustainable practices and successful businesses/business decisions are not mutually exclusive. Within my career, I want to lead a growing movement that sustainable and ethical business practices are just as profitable/successful or even more than strictly profit-oriented businesses. At the beginning of my career, I hope to find efficient sustainable ways to improve the business that I am working at. As I become more senior and hopefully one day lead a company I would look to make sure that the company has sustainability metrics and goals in place to not only avoid causing harm but infact create a positive change. Lastly, wherever I work I would want to advocate for sustainability within the culture of the company to include sustainability into every aspect of the company's day-to-day operations. 

What sustainability projects have you been engaged in?

I have been a part of two sustainability-related projects. The first was the 2257 Feasibility Competition in my second year at Western University. The business that my team created was called Husk, a sustainable single-use drinking straw crafted from leftover corn husks. By thinking with a sustainable mindset we were able to capitalize on the opportunity presented by the regulation of plastic utensils occurring in Canada with an innovative and sustainable solution. We ended up winning the competition out of over 250 teams however the biggest takeaway was the possibility and reality of being able to combine sustainability and profitability within a company. This experience ignited my passion for sustainability in the business world. Secondly, I have volunteered over 300 hours at my local church helping lead the youth groups there. Although not as blatantly related to sustainability, as a team, we focused on instilling holistic and loving values into the kids hopefully values that they themselves were able to develop and spread to others. Promoting this kind of community mindset or approach to life is very important to me and I believe contributes to sustainability. 

Please list any sustainability-related interests you want to explore during the certificate. 

Sustainable CPG, Sustainable entrepreneurship, Sustainable Energy/Green energy.