An entrepreneur who is making the restaurant industry more environmentally sustainable and an executive trying to make it easier for suppliers and retailers to trade with each other are among the four Queen’s alumni named to the 13th annual Forbes magazine 30 Under 30 list.
The magazine highlights a total of 600 people – 30 entrepreneurs under the age of 30 in 20 different categories such as finance, social impact, and healthcare – who are making a difference in their industries and the world.
Here are the four Queen’s alumni who made the list:
Paul De Sadeleer, Com’16, Investor at A* Capital
De Sadeleer is an investor at A* Capital, a different type of venture capital company that invests and helps companies grow without taking a large ownership stake. De Sadeleer he has led investments into startups such as CivilGrid, Oviant, and Landbase.
Chris Grouchy, Com'16, Co-Founder, Convictional
Grouchy co-founded Convictional in 2017 with the goal of helping retailers and distributors empower their suppliers. “Convictional's mission is to connect the world's trading partners,” says Grouchy. “When we started the company, we found it challenging for suppliers and retailers to connect and transact with each other. By making it easier for suppliers and retailers to trade with each other, we believe Convictional can increase the amount of trade in the world.”
Jason Hawkins, Com’18, CEO & Co-Founder, Reusables.com
Hawkins is making the takeout food industry more environmentally sustainable. Hawkins co-founded Reusables in 2020 to replace the single-use cups and takeout containers used by restaurants and cafes with stainless steel ones. Consumers are asked to return containers or pay a replacement fee. “We are helping food service operators avoid tons of packaging waste and carbon emissions through reusables,” says Hawkins. His company serves about 70 Vancouver eateries and is expanding to Seattle.
Roy Itzhaki, Com'19, Founder, BizDev Labs
In 2020, Itzhaki founded BizDev Labs, a company that helps business-to-business software start-ups strategize and generate revenue faster and more efficiently. Itzhaki’s company has advised more than 60 clients who have collectively raised more than $800 million in funding. The company says it now generates more than $1 million in annual profit.
Grouchy was honoured to be included on Forbes’ list.
“The recognition is entirely a testament to Convictional's team, my co-founder Roger (Kirkness), and the customers we serve,” says Grouchy. “Because of the persistence of our team and the trust of our customers, Convictional is growing faster than ever.”
