This featured story is brought to you by the Power of Why Podcast in collaboration with Invest Ottawa, with critical support from BDC Capital’s Thrive Venture Fund, the Title Sponsor of International Women’s Month 2024.
We teamed up to produce this special series to celebrate women leading in Ottawa for International Women’s Month and shine the spotlight on our IWW 2024 featured leaders to unpack their passion and purpose.
Five inspirational leaders are selected each year to represent International Women’s Month. They are role models who significantly impact our economy, community and society and embody the spirit, goals and values of IWM.
“It’s not just about cosmetics. It’s about economic sustainability for us all.”
That’s the vision Denyse Nadon is building as the Founder & CEO of Tribalure, a grassroots cosmetics and skincare brand.
Tribalure isn’t about lipstick. It’s about legacy. And every product, ingredient, and teaching is connected to serving future generations. Denyse is reclaiming beauty as a form of sovereignty and generational impact.
And what I’ve come to learn (after hundreds of interviews with leaders) is that there’s always a story behind the success.
For Denyse, the early part of her story is marked with loss. After her grandmother passed, Denyse lost her footing.
She stopped showing up for school.
She drifted until someone looked her in the eye and said:
“You have to come back. There’s light in you.”
She built the courage to return, spend time with her elders, listen, and use her voice. She kept walking.
And today, she is building a brand and movement that honors where she comes from and where she’s going… with her community.
In this episode of The Power of Why, we talk about what it means to build with care, clarity, and responsibility—especially when:
- You’ve experienced loss or trauma and want to transform that pain into something meaningful.
- You’re building systems of sustainability with (and for) your community.
- How Denyse is building sustainable economic systems with—and for—her community.
- You’re a creator, entrepreneur, or educator looking to build with purpose and impact.
If you’re building something that honors where you come from and where you’re going—this one’s for you. Who in your circle is building with this kind of care and clarity?
This is episode four of a five-part series in collaboration with the incredible team at Invest Ottawa, Ottawa’s lead economic development agency for knowledge-based industries.