Nivatha Balendra: CEO and Founder
Name:
Nivatha Balendra
Age:
27
Occupation:
CEO & Founder of Dispersa
Name:
Nivatha Balendra
Age:
27
Occupation:
CEO & Founder of Dispersa
My climate origin story:
It started at the age of 17. That’s really where I got my first dose or introduction to environmental sciences. We had just seen the 2013 Lac Mégantic oil spill close to Montreal. Seeing it on the news everyday, it opened my eyes to what oil spills were and how it was one of the biggest contributors to pollution worldwide. And it just created this domino effect where I wanted to read more about oil spills, how they were cleaned up, and why there weren’t more sustainable ways of remediating things. And as someone who naturally loved the sciences, I coupled that environmental introduction to science and thought, what if there was a more sustainable way to remediate these sites. So I looked back at the internship I did the summer before at the Institut national de la recherche scientifique. We had been introduced to how some microbes produce these soapy compounds called bio surfactants and how they can not only be used in treating oil spills, but also as an alternative to chemicals in the industry. More specifically, an alternative to surfactants which is an ingredient that is really important in soaps and detergents. And so I ran with that, and what a science fair project then, at the age of 17, eventually grew into what is Dispersa today.
My education:
I think it’s important to remember that life isn’t a straight trajectory. It’s about being open to possibilities and seeing that doors which open along the way can really bring you onto a new trajectory in your career. At least that’s how it was for me. I studied physiology and international development during my undergrad at McGill and you can see how Dispersa is completely unrelated to my actual degree. I was already interested in microbiology before university through my science fair project, but my interest was still growing and I had already committed to this major which was something that really interested me as well. But over the summers as I continued my internships, I grew more and more involved in this project around bio surfactants and imagining how it could be if it were commercialised into an actual business. I don’t come from a business background, meaning formal education in business, but I think that’s where a lot of the learning and willingness to learn comes into play, both for yourself and for your team. You don’t necessarily need a formal education to start a company. The same way you don’t need to have a formal degree in environmental sciences to have a career in sustainability. Climate change is real and is impacting every one of us, so we can all contribute in more ways than one, regardless of what our background is on the formal education front. We have people in policymaking all the way to government stakeholders, private investors, governments, NGOs, charity organisations, or startups like Dispersa, which all require a diverse pool of candidates. I also feel like we are seeing a restructuring of formal education to encompass more majors or minors that are sustainability focused which is exciting.
A piece of advice:
I feel very strongly that everyone has their own journey and everyone has their own path. And my journey definitely wouldn’t be the same as that of someone else. But if there was one thing that I could say to my younger self when I started this journey is not to be worried that you don’t have the answer to everything. As you’re going into starting a business or starting a career or something else really out of your comfort zone, it’s so normal not to have the answer to everything. It’s normal to not be the person that knows everything about a specific topic. That’s precisely the reason why you find yourself a team of people, of mentors or advisors. In the context of a business for example, surround yourself with people you can learn from. In short, my advice is to go for it and not to limit yourself because you’re waiting to gain more insight or knowledge. It’s okay not to have all the answers.