The Canadian Business Youth Council for Sustainable Development is Canada’s largest student initiative on sustainable business. It was formed to unite Canadian undergraduate student organizations in sustainable business in order to grow the movement across the country by sharing best practices and disseminating essential knowledge on the topic.
It is composed of Canada’s most active student organizations in sustainable business. Only similar organizations which have shown extraordinary leadership within their university will be considered to join the Youth Council in the years to come.
About the Youth Council
Our Missions
Inspire
Sharing best practices to inspire Youth to Take Action in their school by creating their own student organization on sustainability or get involved in existing ones.
Educate
Creating a Youth Guide to Sustainable Business filled with knowledge from high-level executive leaders and a youth-led Manifesto on the future of business.
Represent
Advocating as a whole so that our voice can be that much louder when asking our universities, governments and companies to do more on sustainability.
9
Council Member Organizations
15K
Cumulated Social Media Followers
80+
Executive Members
30+
Youth Guide Contributors
30+
Universities Reached
Meet the Board
Maxime Lakat
Chair/Board Member of the Youth Council
Co-President, Desautels Sustainability Network
McGill University
Bachelors of Commerce 2021
Major in Managing for Sustainability
Minor in Social Entrepreneurship & African Studies
Driven by cross-sectorial projects and the role of the private sector in tackling some of the most pressing social and environmental issues (without replacing the public and social sector).
Aglaée Cardinal
Board Member of the Youth Council
President, Groupe HumaniTerre
HEC Montréal
Bachelors of Business Administration 2021
Major in Applied Economics and Sustainable Development Management
Driven by the desire to activate change, in individuals, companies, and governments, to ensure a viable and fair future for all. Particularly interested in the protection of biodiversity and territories as well as clean energy.
Jevon Devasagayam
Board Member of the Youth Council
President, Corporate Social Responsibility Student Association
Ryerson University
Bachelors of Commerce 2022
Major in Global Management and a Minor in Business Law
I thrive to increase the awareness of sustainability in corporate businesses to ensure that our future generation focuses on the importance of change. Leading a team that share a similar passion, I actively work towards educating students about how sustainable business is applicable in every field of study. The Canadian business youth council is always teaching me new details about sustainability and I hope to be able to share these facts with Ryerson community members as well.
Board Member of the Youth Council
President, Corporate Social Responsibility Student Association
Ryerson University
Bachelors of Commerce 2022
Major in Global Management and a Minor in Business Law
I thrive to increase the awareness of sustainability in corporate businesses to ensure that our future generation focuses on the importance of change. Leading a team that share a similar passion, I actively work towards educating students about how sustainable business is applicable in every field of study. The Canadian business youth council is always teaching me new details about sustainability and I hope to be able to share these facts with Ryerson community members as well.
Emma Simon
Board Member of the Youth Council
President at John Molson Sustainable Enterprise Committee
Concordia University
Bachelors of Commerce 2021
Major in Supply Chain Operations Management and a Minor in Sustainability Studies
Writing the Constitution and Bylaws of the Canadian Youth Council for Sustainable Development is Emma Simon. She works alongside Mariya Chugay to ensure that the Council’s duties fit the needs of the Council Members. In addition to being a board member, Emma is President of the John Molson Sustainable Enterprise Committee at Concordia University. Emma is French-American and grew up in Boston, Massachusetts.
Alex MacDonald
Board Member of the Youth Council
Co-President, Ivey Social Impact Club
Western University
Honours Business Administration, 2021
Sustainability Certificate, 2021
Passionate about triple bottom line reporting, impact investing, clean energy, and Indigenous reconciliation. Previous experience includes accounting, finance, and not-for-profit
Étienne Petitclerc
Board Member of the Youth Council
Président, AÉDDA - Le développement durable dans les affaires
Universite de Laval
Bachelors of Commerce 2021
A number cruncher, passionate about involvement and fascinated by people, his goal is to give the cause of sustainable development a prominent place in the business world of today and tomorrow!
Bilal Saleemi
Board Member of the Youth Council
Co-President, the Corporate Social Responsibility Society
York University
Bachelor of Business Administration 2022
Driven by the opportunity for sustainable corporate innovation at the intersection of social impact and technology. A firm believer in giving without expectation, who views the world as what it could be, rather than what it currently is.
Joanna Lewis
Board Member of the Youth Council
Co-President, Sustainability in Business Laurier
Wilfrid Laurier University
Bachelors of Business Administration 2021
Throughout her life, she has had a passion for sustainability and has continuously gotten involved with various projects and initiatives that have had a sustainable background to them, and this is something she continues to do in her future career endeavours. With the new role she has taken on with the Canadian Business Youth Council for Sustainable Development, she will continue to meaningfully contribute to the world of sustainability and hopes to continue the conversation regarding the importance of sustainability.
Elin Aakrann
Board Member of the Youth Council
Co-President, Coalition interdisciplinaire pour une transition écologique
Université du Québec à Montréal
Master of Science - Corporate Social Responsibility
Committed to understanding how to shape sustainable, ethical environments and societies, Elin is currently researching how to link social lifecycle metrics within supply chains to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at the CIRAIG. Forward-thinking and people-oriented, she believes in empowering, value-driven initiatives to propel societies towards a sustainable future.
Christopher Childs
Board Member of the Youth Council
Co-President, Sustainability in Business Laurier
Wilfrid Laurier University
Bachelors of Business Administration 2021
Élizabeth Duboc
Board Member of the Youth Council
Co-President, Coalition interdisciplinaire pour une transition écologique
Université du Québec à Montréal
Master of Science - Corporate Social Responsibility
Passionate about environmental and social justice, Élizabeth's research focuses on the monetary valuation of social impacts of products and services as a way to integrate them into decision-making and is part of a larger work on life-cycle thinking at the CIRAIG. Motivated, meticulous and goal-oriented, her dedication to equity, inclusion, sustainability and animal rights can be felt in her daily actions and interactions.
Meet the Support Team
Matéo Mazieres
Campaign Coordinator
McGill Commerce student with concentrations in Sustainability, Economics and Finance.
Passionate about the role of the private sector in sustainability (sustainability consulting, sustainable finance, social entrepreneurship) and the improvement of business education to make sure that tomorrow's leaders have the right tools and mindset to build a more inclusive and sustainable society.
Associate Director
2019-2020 Co-President Ivey Social Impact Club
Western University
BA - Honours Business Administration 2021
BA - Honours Specialization in International Relations 2021
Activist by heart, businessperson by training. Currently interested in decolonization, circular economics, and energy issues. UWO National Scholar, pianist, and aspiring writer.
Gareth Gransaull
Martin Nicolai
Campaign Marketing Director
McGill University
Martin oversees the marketing initiatives of the "Our Future, Our Business" campaign and heads the Campaign Ambassador program. In his full time, he is the Head of Communications of Social Impact Award, an international NGO fostering social entrepreneurship amongst youth in Europe, Africa, and Asia. Martin first developed a passion for empowering youth as co-president of the Desautels Sustainability Network, a student group at McGill University Canada aimed at creating the next generation of sustainable business leaders. Martin's past work has ranged from leading the Marketing department of THEY New York, a boutique sneaker start-up based in New York City to researching Sustainable Consumption as a fellow at McGill University. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce from McGill University in Entrepreneurship & Management for Sustainability.
Alix Albright
Director of Marketing
McGill University
Alix Albright is in her final year at McGill University completing a major in International Management, a minor in Political Science, and a concentration in Data Analytics. From a young age she spent time in the outdoors hiking in the Appalachian Mountains of Tennessee and the desserts of Arizona. While studying at McGill, she has found ways to combine her passion for the planet with her business studies. For example, last year she worked on a social consulting project in Peru for a social enterprise working at the intersection of food and the environment. Through this experience she was introduced to responsible consumerism, the circular economy, and sustainable business models which she hopes to further explore in a masters in sustainability upon graduation. During her off hours she can be found running up Mount Royal, at Parc La Fontaine with friends, or exploring Montreal’s bakery scene.
Ecosystem Allies
