A sustainable idea factory, that’s the vision of a Quebec-based company called Kotmo. Founded by Céline Juppeau and her business partner Cindy Couture, Kotmo is now selling their vision into the US Market.
Four months ago, Celine and Cindy appeared on Dragon’s Den, the Canadian equivalent and predecessor of the American show Shark Tank. After making their pitch for the first pen designed, sourced, and manufactured in Canada using post-consumer recycled plastic, the two entrepreneurs won. And after three years of research, a win of investment money through Dragon’s Den, they’ve sold 185,000 units with plans to expand.
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Céline an architect and interior designer, and Cindy, a designer, entrepreneur, journalist, and strategist, represent a new kind of entrepreneur. They are a hybrid of sorts: a product-design house, a supplier who manufacturers through a hand-picked selection of factories, a distributor to the Quebec area, and a wholesaler through retail.
But it’s their passion for building a conscientious and socially responsible company that enabled them to become designated as a B Corp in 2016, just two years after their founding. And they were honored on B Corp’s “Best for the World” list, scoring in the top 10 percent of all B Corps on the Community portion of the B Impact Assessment.
Today, we chat with Celine about their journey, their vision, and the mission behind the Kotmo brand!