Julie Poitras-Saulnier
Hello, I am Julie Poitras-Saulnier, CEO and Co-Founder at LOOP Mission.
I have a Master’s degree in Sustainability and Environment with a specialization in Biodiversity Management. I was recently featured in the Top 100 Women Entrepreneurs that change the world by Femmessor and helped placed LOOP Mission in the top 8 startups in the world at the Global Meetup Get in the Ring competition.
On a personal level, I love nature and animals. I live in the woods and so I love to garden, take care of the land, grow some of our food, go on a hike, that sort of thing! I’m also a big foodie and I love to travel.
Company Name: LOOP Mission
Location: Montréal, Québec, Canada
Operating since: 2016
Company Website: www.loopmission.com
Instagram: @loopmission
Tell us all about LOOP Mission. What products do you offer?
LOOP Mission is a circular economy company that reduces food waste by repurposing the outcasts of the food industry. In a nutshell, we save fruits and veggies that are rejected because they don’t have the proper shape, size, or a shelf life that is long enough to survive the distribution cycle.
We transform them into fantastic products like smoothies, cold-pressed juices and probiotic sodas. The residual pulp from our juice factory is reused to make vegan dog treats and pizza crusts! We also have beers made with day-old bread, a gin that upcycles potato cuttings from a potato chips company, and soaps that give a second life to cooking oil from a vegan fast food chain.
Tell us a bit about your co-founder.
My partner David Côté is the co-founder and he handles a lot of the business development and sales aspects of the company.
How did you get the idea or concept for LOOP Mission? What was your mission at the outset? Was there anything in particular that inspired you to start at the time you did?
It all started with a phone call from Frédéric Monette, Vice-President of Operations at Courchesne Larose, a century old, family-run fruit and vegetable distributor in Eastern Canada. In 2016, Monette called us and said that they were throwing away 16 tons of fruits and vegetables every single day, 365 days a year. I was working as a Sustainability Specialist in the food industry and David was working full time in the two other businesses that he also cofounded; a raw vegan fast food chain and a kombucha company. When we heard about that food waste issue, we quickly left everything from our respective projects in order to start LOOP Mission.
Growing up, did you always intend to start your own company/organization?
From as long as I can remember, I have always had an ability and inclination to start projects but I wouldn’t necessarily associate them with being an entrepreneur. Prior to starting LOOP Mission, which I considered my first big move as an entrepreneur, I went on to create a nonprofit organization in urban agriculture, in addition to a video production company.
How have your past personal & professional experiences helped you to run your company?
My professional background in sustainability helped me because those issues are now at the core of LOOP’s mission. Also, having worked in the food industry, in different types of companies (SME vs Large corporation) and to be in contact with great inspiring entrepreneurs, all of that helped me manage the business side of LOOP Mission. At the end of the day though, you have to follow your guts, try some things and work hard.
What is the biggest obstacle you've had to overcome?
I was (and still am) a bit shy sometimes and so being able to conduct interviews, go in front of an audience to give a conference or go on TV, was a great accomplishment for me.
What's your definition of success? Do you consider yourself a success? If not, when will you?
My definition of success is working towards a cause and seeing actual change in our societal environment. There are so many things left to accomplish in fighting food waste and educating our government, the industries, and the public, and so that helps me to go on and continue to push forward.
I feel successful as an individual having a thriving business that carries a vital mission, friends, family, and colleagues who are supportive, and help drive this mission with me and my partner. I also recently give birth to a wonderful little girl named Lynx!
Have the women around you helped you to rise? How?
My mother who is an entrepreneur herself taught me a lot and was always supportive of my projects and goals. I also had a great boss who inspired me and helped improve my self-esteem and abilities in business.
What are some of your future plans? Are you working on anything else right now?
Yes! Our work never stops, and we are constantly looking at ways to save more food! Right now, we are working on cookies, radler beers, a skincare line with discarded coffee grounds, and many other projects that are in the R&D phase right now.
What advice would you give to a woman starting out in your industry or starting her own company/organization?
First of all, believe in yourself. Secondly, partner up with people you love and that you see yourself having a beer with! Finally, don’t start a business out of a desire of just success, but out of a desire to solve a problem. Often, the first motivation is to make money. That’s the wrong path because you get exhausted and not really excited about what you’re doing.
Describe yourself in ONE word. Passionate!
Complete this sentence: "To be a girl or woman today is..." supporting each other and helping each other rise.
If you enjoyed reading about Julie Poitras-Saulnier, you can follow her on LinkedIn.