Disrupting a Billion Dollar Industry | Toni Desrosiers, Abeego Founder & CEO

This episode of The Leadership Standard podcast with host Gair Maxwell features an inspiring conversation with Toni Desrosiers—a Canadian entrepreneur who disrupted the billion-dollar plastic wrap industry by inventing the first reusable beeswax food wrap: Abeego. Becoming the trailblazer of a global movement, Toni has been featured on Dragon’s Den (watch her pitch here!), won the 2018 TELUS Trailblazer Award, had Abeego named the Best Reusable Food Wrap by America’s Test Kitchen, named a Woman of Influence, and so much more. Those 14 years ago, Toni Desrosiers was looking for a natural way to store her food and ended up discovering a way to disrupt the fully mature, billion-dollar industry of plastic wrap. Through extensive experimentation (and looking to lemon peels, cheese rinds, and onion skins for inspiration) she developed Abeego, the sustainable food wrap on a mission to “Keep Food Alive” by protecting it from air, light, and moisture while allowing it to breathe. The self-adhesive wrap can last over a year with proper care (hand-washed with cold water). HEAR TONI’S INSIGHT ON: [7:33] The difficulty of disrupting a billion-dollar industry & sticking to your gut [10:41] Why she made the intentional decision NOT to patent her invention [13:59] How she had to “Kill Her Darlings” and what this can do for business [18:02] How having a “typical male’s name” has given her the upper hand in some business scenarios (like Dragon’s Den!) [22:47] What advice she would give to other women on their entrepreneurial journey [30:49] Why Abeego is a B Corp certified company implementing socially and environmentally responsible practices into every aspect of business [23:35] Her definition of leadership ABOUT ABEEGO Abeego is the original reusable beeswax food wrap that keeps fresh food for longer than ever imagined. Sold online and in countries around the globe, it’s your ticket to reducing food waste at home. Learn more on the Abeego website here!