Becoming an entrepreneur is not a piece of cake. We’ve all witnessed it. Running a profitable business is a challenging job. Around the world, women are breaking barriers and are on par with men. Their inspiring startups have wiped out the conventional norms, from the leaders of corporate giants to the leading lights of prospering startups.
Javeria Qadar, a Pakistani-origin and Canadian resident entrepreneur, has established a canola processing plant in Rural Alberta, Canada, to supply canola-derived nutritious and sustainable products to consumers. Her determination and efforts to give something back to the community made her achieve her dreams
Early Life of Ms. Qadar
Ms. Qadar belonged to a middle-class household in Pakistan. Since her early teens, she saw herself as a successful businesswoman going against patriarchy to establish a name in society.
Ms. Qadar always wanted to become a successful businesswoman so that people could appreciate and acknowledge her contributions. She completed her medical degree and started working in the pharmaceutical sector because of her enthusiasm for and extensive understanding of health and wellness.
She associated herself with the healthcare and pharmaceutical industry for around 12 years. She worked in different growing capacities in her companies and there she could have shaped her expertise and skills in diverse fields, especially related to health awareness, medical information, and business governance. From training, compliance, and solving drug concerns, Ms. Qadar was awarded for her achievements by being one of the youngest woman leaders in the Pakistani Pharma sector.
Journey of a New Venture
Ms. Qadar’s journey to establish a canola plant began in 2021. Despite having a successful career and financial security, she never gave up her dream of becoming an entrepreneur. Ms. Qadar was passionate about helping the community in a way that benefits their well being and improves their lifestyle.
Even when working in the pharma industry, Ms. Qadar’s vision had always been to be bigger than just a company. Giving back to the community has always been one of her goals in life. Her dream compelled her to explore and study various industries.
As a result, she discovered canola, the most popular crop in Canada. She also found the associated benefits of working in a Battle River Region. The land offers various business opportunities because of extensive, well-integrated infrastructure with a diverse economy, and an abundance of fertile land. Here, Canola represents the area with the heaviest canola production concentration in Canada and is an ideal location for livestock food production in Alberta.
She found that Canada’s beloved crop, Canola, has a huge market potential not only in Canadian households as a vegetable and highly nutritious cooking oil but its growing use in other livestock operations as animal feed and in the production of other sustainable and environmental friendly products like canola derived protein, biopolymer and biodiesel.
Her creativity came to light when she generated the idea of adding value to the crops through providing healthy food alternatives to the whole community and establishing a canola processing plant in the Village of Forestburg, a small rural town in Flagstaff County, Alberta. What started as a small idea grew into a bigger concept that certainly brought economic development, growth, and new employment opportunities to rural Alberta.
Ms. Qadar, a mother of four kids, shared her struggles with managing a household and running a business
She stated:
About JQ Health Organon
Being always associated with health and wellness and after gaining experience in corporate management, the founder of JQ Health Organon found a golden opportunity to benefit the community by starting this agrifood business. This new venture will bring her closer to her dreams of helping the community through innovative yet healthy food and environmental solutions for the whole community and future generations. Her novel concept bloomed the startup JQ Health Organon.
As we all know, people are becoming aware of the potential benefits of healthy food choices. Ms. Qadar devoted her time and energy to idealizing the concept of healthy living and bringing it to life.
Establishing a Canola Plant
Ms. Qadar decided to establish a canola processing plant, bringing cold-pressed Non-GMO canola oil and meals as their first products in this new business. Her hard work and commitment revolve around making the community a healthier place.
Inaugurating a canola plant and buying high-quality canola seeds from regional farmers has benefited both farmers and the economy. Canadian labor has benefited from this business largely. When Ms. Qadar believed in working for the betterment of her community, she meant farmers, industrialists, customers, and the economy. Her idea turned into reality and benefitted the Canadian economy.
Today, JQ Health Organon manufactures Non-GMO canola oil and canola meals using single pressed cold-pressed technology of its kind. The technique is unique in a way where no added chemicals like bleaching agents, solvents, etc. are used in the oil extraction and purification method so the products produced are gravity filtered and free from any hazardous or unnatural ingredients especially Hexane or other solvents and bleaching agents, unlike conventionally produced canola oil. This technique produces canola oil and meals with a distinctive yet favorable nutritional profile.
Canola oil contains many nutrients, including vitamins E and K, sterols, omega-3 fatty acids, and omega-6 fatty acids in a 2:1 ratio. It also has no trans fats and only 7% saturated fat, nearly 50% lower than olive oil, making it an ideal oil and fat alternative for a heart-healthy lifestyle.
Canadian farmers can use canola meal as nutritional meals for their farm animals. Canola meal is rich in denatured protein and has a favorable amino acid profile, making it an ideal feed for dairy farms, livestock, cattle, and aquatic life.
The primary idea behind the establishment of JQ Health Organon is to promote healthier everyday living by ensuring complete customer satisfaction in a trustworthy way. In her struggle to provide the premium quality and healthy canola products to the community, she is not afraid to compromise the yield by using “single pressed cold pressed technology” but to maintain customers’ trust and 100% satisfaction she envisioned as her utmost priority.
Female Entrepreneurs: Leaders of Tomorrow
Female entrepreneurs shine as they tell their success stories. Women who start their businesses come from various backgrounds, motivations, and goals.
Despite being a mother of four and moving to a new time zone, country, people, and culture, Ms. Qadar is living up to her dreams of achieving the vision she set out for herself. She gives confidence and becomes a beacon of light for women in all development sectors. Her experience tells a story of survival and hard work- Even if you come from a different background, ethnicity, culture, and religion, you can always aim high for the dreams your younger self saw.
Never-ending effort, consistent determination, and a persistent outlook are required to master entrepreneurship. As Ms. Qadar is putting efforts into making an everlasting mark in the agri-food industry, her inspiring story continues to influence young minds to pursue their dreams. With government and industry support, she can continue to make remarkable achievements and shift mindsets in the business world in the coming years.
Women will soon be able to work alongside men in the world of entrepreneurship. They say that behind every successful man, there’s a woman. Well, in this case, behind every successful woman is her evergreen passion to fight against the odds and set an outstanding example for the next generation.
