Toni Desrosiers, Trailblazer | It’s Official!
We’ve always known Abeego Founder & CEO Toni Desrosiers was a Trailblazer. And now, it’s official! Toni was honored for creating the beeswax food wrap industry by receiving the TELUS Trailblazer Award.
We are so proud that out of 7,400 nominees and 23 finalists, Toni was one of seven outstanding entrepreneurs to be recognized at the 26th Annual RBC Canadian Women Entrepreneur Awards.
Winners of the 26th Annual RBC Canadian Women Entrepreneur Awards, presented by Women of Influence
TRAILBLAZER | WHAT’S IN A NAME
The Trailblazer Award is presented to a trend-setting, female entrepreneur who has identified an opportunity and blazed a trail while setting standards for originality, quality, and successful management within their company and the marketplace.
“As a child, I was labeled overly creative, too imaginative, distracted…” revealed Toni in her acceptance speech. “If you’re looking at me thinking ‘that sounds kind of like my kid’ then there’s a good chance you have an entrepreneur in your family!”
Toni says the best advice she received was from a mentor who told her that she wasn’t distracted and stressed—she was a visionary with unique and valuable entrepreneurial thinking.
“Being recognized by RBC, Women of Influence and TELUS for a decade of blazing a trail and creating an entirely new food wrap category was a pivotal moment for me. They say there's nothing in a title but I'll take the label Trailblazer any day!”
BEESWAX FOOD WRAP | BLAZING THE TRAIL
From a home-grown innovation to an international sensation, the invention of beeswax food wrap resulted in the creation of a new category of food storage that is trending around the world. The growth has come with different challenges over the decade.
Toni elaborates, “at one time I had to explain to people what Abeego was. Now my challenge is convincing people who have had a bad experience with other wraps to give Abeego a chance. I have every confidence they’ll successfully save food with Abeego.”
TAKE INSPIRATION FROM WHAT YOU WANT TO BE
“True innovation lies in the space where you forget the status quo altogether and plow your own trail,” says Toni. So when she invented beeswax wraps in 2008, she looked to nature, not plastic wrap, for inspiration. “Plastic wrap’s airtight promise is flawed from the core of its existence.”
Instead, Toni took her cue from nature and studied the properties of lemon peels, cheese rinds, and onion skins to develop food wrap that keeps food alive. As a result, Abeego is breathable! It protects and extends the life of food for longer than ever imagined. Toni has made it her mission to teach others how to keep food alive and end food waste.
In the early days, the very idea of challenging the billion dollar plastic wrap industry was provocative. Hearing “it’s a dumb idea and it’ll never work,” was all too common. This simply proved to Toni that the idea of plastic wrap had matured and was ripe for disruption. Boom!
FIND YOUR TRIBE
Toni stresses the importance of finding inspiration from a like-minded network and credits her posture to SheEO. SheEO is a global initiative designed to radically transform the way we finance, support, and celebrate female entrepreneurs.
"Tapping into a network of other female entrepreneurs and businesswomen supported a greater opening into my own power when I saw how my own contribution can change the world. We don't have to fight, struggle, prove ourselves or play small. We all have this power. Imagine the impact when we come together!"
Vicki Saunders, SheEO Founder, and Toni Desrosiers
CONGRATULATIONS TONI AND THANK YOU
From everyone at Abeego, we wish you a very well deserved congratulations, Toni! You inspire us every day with what you have achieved. We thank you for your contributions in making this world a better place and providing us with purposeful careers where we feel we can make a difference. We’ve got your back!
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