2021 Recipient
Aisle International has been selected as the 2021 recipient of the $100,000 Social EnterPrize, a biennial award that was created by the Trico Charitable Foundation in 2011 to celebrate excellence in social entrepreneurship in Canada. Redefining the period aisle for the 21st century is the mission of this innovative social venture. Co-Founders Madeleine Shaw and Suzanne Siemens wanted to look after menstrual health while at the same time delivering comfort, respect and sustainability.
$100,000 Jury Prize: Aisle International (British Columbia)
Menstrual health may seem like an unexpected point of inspiration for a social enterprise, but Vancouver-based Aisle saw a powerful opportunity to impact not only sustainability but also social justice. Founded in 1993, Aisle set out to create a world class collection of washable pads, period underwear, and menstrual cups, but they didn’t stop there – it became their mission to fight period poverty and create menstrual equality for people of all sizes and genders. Thanks to their efforts, over 30,000 individuals have been supported with product donations, and over 250 million disposable pads and tampons have been diverted from landfills and waterways.
The Pivot on Purpose Summit (POP) is the next step in a movement to reimagine the power of business models to solve social problems. POP is held in collaboration with the Trico Foundation Social Entrepreneurship Centre at the Haskayne School of Business, the Trico Charitable Foundation (TCF) and the NU Community Board. Established in 2008, TCF seeks to close gaps in society by provoking innovation and building capacity in social entrepreneurship. Created by TCF, the NU Community Board is facilitated by young Canadian leaders for young Canadian leaders. Through the use of grants and awards, NU’s goal is to support emerging social impact leaders in the work of closing gaps in society.
The Trico Foundation Social Entrepreneurship Centre at the Haskayne School of Business was established through the generous support of Wayne and Eleanor Chiu’s family foundation, the Trico Charitable Foundation.