Laura Brennan is the Founder of EcoSouk, a Qatar-based social impact company, providing a range of sustainable alternatives to everyday single-use plastic.

Laura is a B.A. (Hons) Geography (2:1) from University of Manchester and Postgraduate Diploma in Journalism from City University. She has also been a broadcast and print journalist for 20 years with recognized media houses such as CCTV9 and Al Jazeera Media Network. Currently, besides managing the company, she is also an international TV news presenter at Al Jazeera English, Doha. Taking up a stand to do something for the community and the world as a whole, she started EcoSouk in 2019, recognizing the environmental harm brought about by single-use plastics.

In an interview with Women Entrepreneur magazine, Laura talks about her entrepreneurial journey while also sharing her leadership approach to building an environment free of single use plastic.

What motivated you to found a social impact organization? Take us through the initial days of building eco souk.

I founded EcoSouk in response to the widespread use of throwaway plastic by people all around the world and particularly in Qatar, where I live. Every day, walking my dog along the beach, I saw wave after wave after wave of plastic being washed up on the beach. Most of it single-use packaging from food and drink products.

I was particularly horrified by the use of single-use plastic during my weekly supermarket shop. I had long used my big reusable bags, but I still had to use throwaway plastic bags for my fruit and veg. When I tried not to, it caused problems both for me and the cashier, so I realized there must be a better way. I could not find a solution that suited the market in Qatar, so I decided to design my own.

The initial days were fun – me designing the product, testing it on family and friends without any time pressures. I had a full-time job, a young child and another baby on the way, so it fitted in without much stress. Then, I launched the produce bags on Facebook and they went viral. I was doing deliveries every spare second of every day. It was exhilarating and wonderful meeting all these people who were like me – desperate to live more sustainably in Qatar. I realized that there was a desire for such products and I couldn’t stop there. I needed to offer more products, do more talks, organize more events, collaborate with more people and keep growing.

That is why today, EcoSouk has taken on a life of its own! I place a huge value on building a community of likeminded people by meeting and talking to as many of my customers as I can face-to-face. We are now a small team of people and our products are innovative, practical and affordable and readily available in the local market.

As the founder of the firm, what are the various roles and responsibilities that you currently shoulder at EcoSouk? What are the most challenging aspects of your current role and how do you overcome them?

In the beginning it was just me. I did everything – product creation & design, sales, marketing, social media, website designing, blogging, public speaking, deliveries, and bookkeeping. I learned where my strengths and weaknesses lay. That helped me focus on where I needed help, which is accounting, admin, sales and deliveries. I am still involved in all aspects of the business, but I focus more on product development, content creation, social media and business development.

The most challenging aspect I face is time constraints – I now have three children and I freelance at Al Jazeera, so time is short and I have to learn to work fast and not be a perfectionist. It is better to send an imperfect email or social media post today than a perfect one next week. I find it can sometimes be hard to motivate myself when I’m feeling tired. But by learning to prioritise tasks and getting important things done when I have the energy, allows me to spend slower days working on something less taxing.

How has your professional journey been so far? What are some of the most significant milestones or achievements that you have earned throughout the years?

My professional journey has been good! I am a principal presenter for a highly-respected, international, 24-hour news channel which remains a challenging and rewarding job. I have also established a company, which has achieved national brand recognition. So I feel happy about what I have achieved and am proud to show my children that you can be successful and satisfied doing what you love.

“I firmly believe we cannot innovate our way out of the climate and plastic crises alone – we must change our habits, because every bit that every person does, helps”

How do you keep yourself well aligned with the periodic evolutions occurring within the industry and the tech world in general?

It is absolutely imperative to keep up with innovations in this industry as it is developing so fast and our planet desperately needs as much help from the tech world as possible. However, I firmly believe we cannot innovate our way out of the climate and plastic crises alone – we must change our habits because every bit that every person does, helps. To keep across developments, I get regular subscriptions to environmental news in my inbox and I’m a member of an online sustainability group, which allows me to tap into conversations between likeminded people around the world. I also attend lots of conferences, debates and talks in person where I can, or online.

What advice would you present to young women & girls aspiring to become business leaders or entrepreneurs in the future?

If you have an idea, go for it. Do it for you and you will attract other likeminded people. Be prepared to work hard. Learn from those above you and bring up those below you. There is enough space in your industry for everyone.

Laura Brennan, Founder, EcoSouk

A passionate woman who is committed to making world a better place to live in by providing environment friendly alternatives to plastics, through EcoSouk.

Awards of Recognitions:

•Winner of SME Sustainability Initiative Award 2020 (Awarded by Qatar Green Business Council)

•Joint Winner of Sustainability Event Award 2020, (Awarded by Qatar Green Business Council)