iB Curriculum Guest Speaker: Madeleine Shaw & Suzanne Siemens (Lunapads)
What role can things like feminism, philanthropy and personal growth play in developing a business? Lunapads and Pads4Girls co-founders Madeleine Shaw and Suzanne Siemens have a powerful story to tell about how their personal values have led them to develop a unique hybrid venture that is impacting girls and women around the world.
Madeleine started making Lunapads washable menstrual pads in 1993 in response to health and environmental concerns with disposable feminine hygiene products. Adopting the unusual and culturally risque choice of washing her own supplies instead of throwing them away brought her a deep sense of connection and self-acceptance. Inspired, she committed to re-inventing the shame-based culture around menstruation by bringing the products and conversation around it to a wider audience.
Suzanne was a disillusioned Chartered Accountant working at a large public utility company when she met Madeleine in 1999 at Leadership Vancouver, a Community Leadership program. Recognizing an opportunity to bring her skills to bear on a values-aligned project, the two teamed up to take Lunapads to the next level. Leadership Vancouver also introduced them to progressive financiers Renewal Partners, who recognized the fledgling company as a future gamechanger and became its financial partner.
Today Lunapads are used by women in 40 countries, and thanks to their choice over 1 million disposable pads and tampons are being diverted from landfills every month. The company is approaching $1 million in annual sales and employs 10 women at its East Vancouver office.
In 2000 “The Lunagals” received their first product donation request from a group of women in Zimbabwe, who informed them that in the developing world feminine hygiene products were largely either unaffordable or unavailable and that as a result girls were using unsanitary means and/or staying home from school for several days every month. Realizing that their products offered a sustainable solution to the problem, Madeleine and Suzanne created the Pads4Girls program and committed to doing whatever they could to provide products to girls in need. To date Pads4Girls has impacted over 120,000 girls in 15 countries.
Join Madeleine and Suzanne on February 27th to learn more about their remarkable adventure, and in the meantime check out their TEDx talk, The Power Of Yes.