Hello! My name is Charlotte and I am from Vancouver Island. Growing up on the West Coast, I was surrounded by nature. From Kayaking, Wakeboarding, Surfing, and Hiking I developed my love for the outdoors early on. As I entered the business world, I wanted to combine my love for sustainability and business. In Summer 2021, I worked in the Renewable Energy team at a real estate firm and last summer I was an E-Commerce Intern at Tentree, a Retail/Tree Planting Company. I can’t wait to learn more about sustainability through this certificate and the incredible leadership at Ivey!   

What is your personal definition of sustainability?

Sustainability comes in many forms and applies to various aspects of one’s lives. As a “sustainable human” our actions do more good to the environment and ecosystem then they do harm. We live life fulfilling needs of our own without compromising the needs of future generations. To me, sustainability not only applies to lifestyle choices such as sourcing renewable energy, recycling our waste, and consuming responsibility. It also shows up in the way we act as leaders in the workforce. Are we working with a firm that’s values align with our own and is our work having a positive impact?  

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

After I was exposed to the retail industry last summer, I quickly learned the importance of how sustainability can play a role in how a consumer engages with fashion. Sustainability is becoming a key trend as consumer behaviors shift to a more conscious lifestyle. Tentree was one of the leaders in sustainable fashion in Canada and working there left me inspired. In the next few years of my career, I hope to work in fashion with roles all geared towards sustainability. This could be returning to Tentree and applying the skills I have learned in this past year at Ivey or moving elsewhere and sharing the passion for sustainability I have built. However, the main goal I hope to achieve at the end of my career is being able to teach others about the importance of sustainable practices in business. I hope that this impact that I make will transform at least one business in order to create change in our world.  

What sustainability projects have you been engaged in? 

To date, I have had the opportunity to be a part of three sustainability projects that have been transformative to my career: 

First, I have had the opportunity to work alongside a CEO at Cottages & Cabins to research the most effective sustainable energy method for Canadian cottages owners. This allowed me to learn more about sustainability in a niche industry that I did not know much about prior to my tenure. 

Next, at Tentree I had the role of redesigning the sustainability pages and reuploading new information on our sustainable business model. This could be from displaying our new sustainable manufacturing process or the make-up of our clothing material. I also helped develop a carbon offsetting page that allowed consumers to offset the emissions they cause through shipping by purchasing an offset.  

Finally, this fall I was a Senior Project Lead at Global Research & Consulting Group. The project our team focused on was implementing more sustainable business measures to a non-profit organization in Kazakhstan. This allowed me to apply my previous sustainability experience in a client-centered approach and advice a team on how to be more sustainable.