9 SDG 5 Gender Equality – Thrive

Group Reflection

The AIM2Flourish story we have chosen is based on a natural skincare regenerative business called Thrive Natural Care. The story displays the innovative and environmentally friendly approach of utilizing Costa Rican plants and earthly materials to create the natural skincare products. The business was modeled by the CEO Alex McIntosh who initially worked as a local conservationist, desired for a more beneficial business that deems in protecting and preserving the planet as well as the people. It connects the local farmers who open up their practices and transform the environment to be able to enhance natural skin care for people using it.

After a generous interview with the Director of Regenerative Operations, Gustavo Rojas we came to realize the more positive effects of how Thrive achieves their success and fulfills its statements. Having women coops and associates, standing by environmentally friendly produced products, and giving back to the community are ways that Gustavo expressed his passion and enjoyment in working with the company. One quote the team found very endearing that encapsulates Thrives innovation is “… and that’s one point of innovation that we are having in this company, by producing, healing the land.” It not just is a strategy the business uses as a model, it’s a promising mission that Thrive gains to achieve. Regenerating people’s skincare, the planet, and local farming communities.

The analysis of Thrive Natural Care’s practices aligns with our academic understanding, particularly in relation to sustainability, and its relation to this SDG.

Thrive’s emphasis on sustainability through the use of natural ingredients and ethical sourcing underscores the importance of sustainable practices in business. Thrive’s commitment to a triple bottom line ( social, environmental and financial impact) reflects a holistic approach that aligns with sustainable business strategies taught in academia.

While the company’s ethical practices emphasize the importance of corporate accountability, the challenges of market penetration and brand recognition highlight the complexity of establishing a sustainability-focused business in competitive markets. This challenges the notion that sustainability alone guarantees market success and highlights the need for strategic positioning and robust market strategies.

Thrive Natural Care’s emphasis on sustainability, ethical sourcing and community impact is in line with expectations of the evolving role of business in society. It reflects the growing demand for socially and environmentally responsible practices and demonstrates how companies can balance profitability with positive social and environmental impact.

To finalize, there has existed some kind of surprise left in the journey for all of us, at first we did not know how important things like SDG’s, public view and a message to give was for companies, and our’s had all of this really clear.

We have changed our mind about sustainability and have ended more like business leaders.

This story has been very influential in raising awareness of the environmental impact of conventional skincare products. It has been a very educational project, the story has brought awareness to the damaging effects of certain ingredients, packaging waste and unsustainable production practices that are commonly found in the industry. With Thrive making use of plant-based ingredients native to Costa Rica that have medicinal properties for skincare they have prioritized eco-friendly sourcing. Through creating such a positive impact it is motivational to demand similar practices from other brands and to no longer fall into the trap of purchasing from skincare brands who are not as socially responsible. This story has been a catalyst for change, it has made us conscious of old ways of purchasing non ethical skincare products and influenced us to change those buying behaviors. From a businessperson perspective in the future, we understand the importance of incorporating the Sustainable Development Goals into a business and see the effects that this can have on communities and the planet. Thrive Natural Care has been truly inspiring, and we completely resonate with the brand’s values and mission, taking this on board in our future decisions.

At the end of this chapter of our work together, we are overwhelmed with a sense of gratitude and fulfillment. Working with you has been an incredibly rewarding experience. Our collaboration has been a tapestry woven with dedication, innovation and resilience.

The emotions we feel (joy and sense of camaraderie) reflect the countless memorable moments we have created together. Our collective efforts were the cornerstone of our success. The challenges we faced became opportunities for growth and learning that have made us a more united and resilient team.

The recognition of our achievements fills us with an incredible warmth. Every hurdle we have overcome, every idea we have nurtured and every milestone we have achieved are testaments to our unity and unwavering commitment.

In the midst of our different perspectives and abilities, we discovered harmony. In this harmony, our creativity blossomed and propelled us to greatness.

We are deeply grateful for the privilege of being part of this extraordinary team. Let this experience guide and illuminate our path for future journeys, knowing that together we can achieve unlimited things.

Thank you all for your dedication, passion and for making this trip an unforgettable experience.

Individual Reflections

Abdullah Khan: It was definitely an enjoyable experience doing this project. When I applied for the course I did not know that I would be participating in a full international COIL group. Hesitant at first I started to realize the true essence of the project and definitely enjoyed my time doing the following project milestones. From short meeting minutes with my teammates to committing to an interview with a gentlemen of a company located in South America. As fun experiences come, there are some challenges. The initial number of team members was six (6), after the first group meeting with the whole COIL groups that Ruben and Romina conducted, we were to compromise with four. Two from Guelph, and the other from Spain. It was definitely challenging making up time meetups with the Spanish students as they are across the globe and have a pretty large time gap. Communication could have been improved, although we made it work and definitely was worth it in the end.

Juan: I am truly pleased with the outcome achieved in the Aim2flourish project. Initially, I was nervous since I had never worked on such a large project before, especially one involving foreign collaborators. As mentioned earlier, it combined two significant aspects, but the result has been excellent. I have learned a great deal about the importance of the SDGs and how to effectively engage with individuals from vastly different cultures. Dealing with them has already been a beautiful experience that I will carry with me. Additionally, I believe we have put in double the effort because two team members were unable to join, and we had to drive this project forward with just four of us. I can only express gratitude to the University of Navarra for offering us this wonderful opportunity.

Ángel Luis : For my personal experience, I want to make first some individual mentions then go with my personal experience. Firstly, thanks to all universities involved and the teachers who have worked so hard to make such a varied combination of geographic and cultural different people, also to my teammates, especially Abdullah for his selected company who has been such a success.
At first I just thought that it was a common project in which the foreign people had just to do their part to work and end the relationship, so that commitment to know each other and work together surprised me much.
As previously said, we were forced to do a 6 person task with just 4, and as Abdullah mentioned, it is a huge time gap. It was quite a challenge to combine our schedules with Guelph´s students as with university and part time jobs, the only available hour for us was like 1 AM, but it is certain and fair to say that our friends from the other continent made grand efforts to make it realistic and were comprehensive and patient.
In a nutshell, I’m just so pleased to say that it is well finished and so thankful with my group.

Erin: I have thoroughly enjoyed completing this Aim2flourish project and feel pleased with the outcome of our work. As an exchange student from Scotland who is studying in Guelph for the semester it has been a privilege to work with a group of people from all over the world. At first I also was skeptical, with time zone differences and possible language barriers the project seemed to be challenging. However, despite only being a group of four members we tackled any challenges faced and have completed it to a high standard. I have gained knowledge of the sheer importance of the Sustainable Development Goals as well as how to effectively communicate with an international team. I believe this project has set me up and been very eye opening to a world of work where I will no doubt be engaged with more international team members, and so I am very thankful for this opportunity.