Across the globe, the effects of extreme weather events and rising GHG levels are requiring organizations to adopt more innovative and sustainable practices. Leverage Lab -- founded by sustainability strategist Sara Blenkhorn -- helps these organizations plan for the future by pushing the boundaries of innovation and collaboration.
The Vancouver-based startup believes that businesses have the potential to be forces for good in our fight against climate change. They provide B-Corp consulting services, facilitate cross-sector collaborations, and host innovation workshops to help companies prepare and build strategies for a rapidly changing world. Blenkhorn and her team have worked with a wide array of clients including Vancity, Save on Meats, and Intact Insurance -- showing that companies across all industries are planning for a more sustainable and collaborative future.
In this month’s Q+A, Blenkhorn breaks down how her company is guiding impact businesses’ and helping them get on the right side of the sustainability revolution.
Tell us about Leverage Lab. What do you do and why do you do it?
Sara: We are living in a rapidly changing world. Forests are burning, oceans are heating and rising, and young people are marching in the streets. Now more than ever, sustainability is on the agenda. We believe that business can and should be used as a force for good. We are here to help organizations get on the right side of this revolution and make their impact count.
I started Leverage Lab to help organizations prepare and build strategies for a changing world. With an undergraduate degree in social sustainability, a Masters Degree in the science of sustainability, and a certificate in Social Innovation, we have what it takes to help guide companies through these challenging times and come out on top.
Our primary offering is B Corp consulting services. We guide organizations through the application and review process and turn them into impact businesses that are equipped to thrive in the future by gaining this world renowned certification.
Leverage Lab participated in Innovate BC’s Venture Acceleration Program through our partners at Foresight. Can you tell us about the experience?
Sara: The mentorship provided in this program allowed me to ask questions unique to my pain points and get immediate responses from respected and experienced mentors. It felt like a super boost to my learnings and business successes.
What are some of the challenges you’ve faced while growing your company and how did you overcome them?
Sara: COVID-19 meant no in person meetings, which is how we typically do workshops and meetings with clients so we needed to quickly pivot everything online. We learned how to master new online software programs like Miro. These programs cost money to use and also have a steep learning curve. We put our heads down and came out masters. There really wasn’t any other option.
What’s next for Leverage Lab? Are there any updates on the horizon?
Sara: We have been working hard on client delivery, but also on building our internal engine to support clients, manage workloads, and build out our backend calculation templates for things like carbon accounting. We are planning to expand our services internationally in the coming year and are now exploring new offerings that clients are looking for such as impact reporting services and GHG reporting.
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