Questions to our environment and sustainable development Mtl inc. Laureates
9 June 2021
Circulus Agtech
Circulus Agtech valorise fumier et compost pour produire un fertilisant organique liquide précis et économique adapté à la culture hydroponique.
Questions to Nicolas Martel-Bouchard
What motivates you and makes you wake up in the morning?
Making the production of plants in greenhouses more sustainable.
What brought you to entrepreneurship?
The audacity to change things for collective wellness.
How does your solution have a positive impact on the environment?
The circular economy concept is at the heart of our solution that allows to eradicate producers’ synthetic fertilizers addiction in greenhouses.
Rithmik Solutions
Rithmik Solutions is building the world’s most advanced and reliable analytics for mobile equipment optimization.
Questions to Amanda Truscott
What motivates you and makes you wake up in the morning?
Reducing greenhouse gas emissions in a major way while also building a company where collaboration – both internal and external – is the basis for solving some of the hardest problems in one of the world’s most difficult and energy-intensive industries.
What brought you to entrepreneurship?
My partner started the business and asked for my help; I ended up falling in love with it.
How does your solution have a positive impact on the environment?
Through increasing the efficiency and reliability of mobile mining equipment, we can reduce the fuel burned by each of these massive machines by hundreds of thousands litres per year.
KM Solutions
Through increasing the efficiency and reliability of mobile mining equipment, we can reduce the fuel burned by each of these massive machines by hundreds of thousands litres per year.
Questions to Louis Lamarche
What motivates you and makes you wake up in the morning?
Have a real impact on reducing GHG emissions. By launching KMI Myrielle and I wanted to tackle an area that was heavy in terms of GHG emitter and transport is the # 1 source in Quebec. Several transport companies do not know where to start and benefits related to energy transition so we give them a hand for that.
What brought you to entrepreneurship?
I speak for myself, but it is to be able to have more control over my life and to change things for real. It comes to the concept of “life by design” where we can somehow create our dream life.
How does your solution have a positive impact on the environment?
1- Energy Analysis fleets using a tool developed in-house.
2- Evaluation of return and payback period with planning funding.
3- Neutral Evaluation of technologies, planning and project management of implementation of new technologies.
Arrivage
Arrivage B2B direct sales platform reconnecting grocery stores, restaurants, and other food professionals to farmers and artisans delivering locally.
Questions to Thibault Renouf
What motivates you and makes you wake up in the morning?
Changing the world and trying to make it more meaningful.
What brought you to entrepreneurship?
The absence of good tomatoes at the grocery store, even in high season.
How does your solution have a positive impact on the environment?
By bringing back farmers and artisans in the heart of our nutrition.
Hôtel UNIQ
Hôtel UNIQ is an accommodation village travelling throughout Quebec in search of the most beautiful landscapes for an exceptional stay.
Questions to Myriam Corbeil
What motivates you and makes you wake up in the morning?
Allow people to connect with nature while promoting the beautiful Quebec landscapes while fully respecting the environment.
What brought you to entrepreneurship?
The desire to create freely!
How does your solution have a positive impact on the environment?
We promote access to nature that has many health benefits.
We bring a breath of fresh air to accommodation in Quebec in order to participate in promoting the destination internationally. We participate in the movement of sustainable tourism.
Mini-Cycle
Mini-Cycle is an online zero waste children’s clothing store. It is part of a circular business model as it sells new and second-hand and is committed to buying back everything.
Questions to Jad Robitaille
What motivates you and makes you wake up in the morning?
I’m happy to get up every morning and work on the biggest project of my life. A project that I hope will help to reduce the progression of climate change and the destruction of our common good: our planet.
I am motivated by the fact that this initiative will be a key player in the fight against the collapse of our ecosystems, which are essential for a life as beautiful as ours for generations to come. All these initiatives that push to rethink our economic system will be at the heart of our societal advancements.
What brought you to entrepreneurship?
Entrepreneurship has always been a thing that I planned from an early age. Both my parents have definitely had a crucial role, being themselves entrepreneurs.From the age of 12, I built small initiatives through the neighbors yards maintenance services, or trying to start a graphic design company. None of these initiatives have gone further than a few contracts.
Several years later, after graduating with a management diploma, I just needed the IDEA and THE REASON that would give me wings. With a gap of several years in my resume (I was taking care of my children), it was hard to find a job after my Masters in Environmental Studies. This in conjunction with my circular economy studies gave me the determination and the idea to start as an entrepreneur!
How does your solution have a positive impact on the environment?
Using the technology, the establishment of a circular business model becomes much more attainable. This allows a better customer experience, we can pick customers who otherwise would not participate in a circular pattern. The system’s simplification using the technology makes it a much more accessible service to all. Automation of the back end also helps to treat more items in less time to get a better deal, a better return service for our customers as well as economies of scale. Also this helps to standardize the information provided to customers who shop for second hand parts. Data management helps to establish transparency about the price of parts of second life as well as their origin, which helps build a story behind each piece and upgrade the consumption of second-hand. Finally with the proper data management it is much easier to provide personalized service to our customers as our offer for our buyback. It is easier to target customers who need to get the next size clothes and by extension that would benefit from reselling their parts at the right time.