Speaker series features women as change makers
When Sotheby’s Realty agent Valerie Smith started assembling the panel for last week’s event in Creemore, she anticipated a focus on female entrepreneurship but as she learned about the backgrounds of three local women, something even more inspirational developed, and the topic for the event evolved to ‘Women as Change Makers.’
Smith holds a Masters Degree in Education from University of Toronto. Her thesis examined how gender impacted AIDS and HIV education in Tanzania, and explored how empowering women to become financially independent allowed them to take greater control of their health. She subsequently worked with several non-governmental organizations in the areas of women’s rights and women’s health programming in Ethiopia, Guyana and throughout South America.
Smith and business partner Katrina Elliston presented a panel discussion at Station on the Green last Friday, featuring naturopathic doctor Kate Hunter, Jacquie Rushlow of the Keep Refillery and Cheri Mara of Tierra Hermosa Local Market. The three spoke about how their deeply held convictions have led their careers in directions they had never anticipated, and have given them a sense of purpose that transcends mere success in business. The discussion was moderated by Nancy Prenevost, a member of the Board of Directors of My Friend’s House in Collingwood.
Hunter opened her first Apothecary in Creemore during the pandemic. From the beginning, she was committed to carrying products mainly from female, black and indigenous makers, and wanted to create a full spectrum wellness environment withnaturopathy, massage therapy and psychotherapy. She quickly discovered that even in a relatively affluent community like Creemore, there are barriers to paid services for people who are systemically excluded so she set out to change that. Hunter has now established a wellness foundation to supply free care to people in need. Last year, the foundation funded more than 400 appointments.
Mara had 30 years experience in the corporate world, building brands and selling products. Her last corporate “gig” was working in cannabis for the Ontario government. She and her husband bought seven acres in Clearview Township with a plan to grow and sell cannabis but discovered they were not allowed, so Tierra Hermosa Local Market was born. Mara saw an opportunity to use her skills to help local makers. She envisioned a business focussed on quality and sustainability with a pared down supply chain. All of the products carried in their store originate in Ontario – 80 per cent come from Simcoe County.
Community is a significant pillar of the business so Mara gives back. So far this year she has hosted 11 workshops featuring the work of area crafters and makers, and plans are in the works for a series of small business seminars to help the artisans develop their business skills.
Jacquie Rushlow was a documentary film maker before she embarked on her “plastic free mission”. While working in Nairobi, she stumbled into a ditch filled with garbage most of which had originated half a world away. Rushlow became acutely aware of the fact that Canada produces 3.3 billion kilograms of plastic every year, and that 86 per cent of it ends up in landfills. After moving to Creemore five years ago, she opened her first refillery, and has since expanded to Meaford, Kingston and Toronto. Rushlow says she and her staff have successfully changed the consumption habits of more than 9,000 households, keeping 250,000 pieces of plastic out of landfills. The Keep Refilleries are now developing partnerships within the hospitality industry which is responsible for a whopping 9 per cent of all the waste that goes to landfills. The next step will be franchising to spread the message even faster.
Rushlow says change happens when everybody does it. The key is to put mission first and profitability second, then keep taking one more step, then one more step.
