Three Western alumni – Sarah Landstreet, Shadi McIsaac and Denis Nagasaki – have been named to the 2022 Globe and Mail’s Report on Business Changemakers list.
The annual award recognizes emerging innovative leaders who are changing the face of business through their ideas, accomplishments and impact. The 2022 call for nominations attracted hundreds of submissions, with the three Western graduates among the final 50 entrepreneurs, academics and executives finding solutions to some of the world’s top challenges.
Sarah Landstreet, MBA’13 (Submitted)
Sarah Landstreet, MBA’13, founder and CEO, Georgette Packaging
Landstreet has worn many hats throughout her career. Trained as a mechanical engineer, she started her career in sustainability consulting in London, England. She then started the first cupcake bakery in Belfast, Ireland, before returning to Canada to earn her MBA at Western’s Ivey Business School. Today, as the founder and CEO of Georgette Packaging, she offers small- and medium-sized businesses carbon-neutral packaging that ‘looks great and isn’t destroying the planet.’ Landstreet also created knowyourpackaging.com, where producers and consumers can learn about packaging and its impact on the environment.
Denis Nagasaki, HBA’11 (Submitted)
Denis Nagasaki, HBA’11, managing director, strategy and client success, Silicon Valley Bank Canada
When California-based Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) opened a Toronto branch in 2019, Nagasaki was one of the three original Canadian employees. He has since helped grow the operation to 40 staff members. Silicon Valley Bank Canada is now a highly sought-after financial partner for tech startups, supporting big-name clients, including Shopify and KOHO. Prior to joining SVB Canada, Nagasaki was a strategy consultant who advised executives and led cross-functional teams for a broad set of national and international clients across multiple sectors, including payments, financial services, travel, exhibitions, services and technology.
Shadi McIsaac, BA’08 (Brooke Schaal)
Shadi McIsaac, BA’08, co-founder and CEO, Ownr
Only two out of every five would-be entrepreneurs take the leap to launch a business. Of those who do, only half will survive. McIsaac is working hard to up those odds as co-founder and CEO of Ownr (owned by RBC Ventures). For an annual fee, Ownr handles the sometimes-intimidating paperwork – registration, incorporation, company management and annual filings –so entrepreneurs can focus on the big picture. Since its launch five years ago, Ownr has helped more than 65,000 Canadian entrepreneurs launch their businesses. Its revenue grew 217 per cent in 2021.
