Érica Lebrun-Gauvin

Company: Mme L’Ovary

Sector of activity: Environmentally responsible feminine hygiene

Head office: Montreal

Number of employees: 5

Her commitment

Aligned with UN sustainable development goal 12 (responsible consumption and production)

I commit to making available concrete tools to enable people to have healthier, more comfortable, and more environmentally friendly menstrual cycles, while helping eliminate taboos around menstruation in our society by offering free monthly educational events.

“I think that engaged entrepreneurship is an effective lever to build a sustainable economy that respects the environment and responds to social issues.”

– Érica Lebrun-Gauvin, Co-founder, Mme L’Ovary

An engaged leader launches an alternative to single-use menstrual products

A brilliant idea, an ambitious development plan

The concept of Mme L’Ovary period underwear was born from the imagination of Olivia Elting, a circus artist who couldn’t find environmentally friendly protection that would allow her to train and appear in front of audiences with confidence when she had her period. She made period underwear for her personal use and used them for years, until Érica Lebrun-Gauvin discovered them, saw the idea’s potential, and decided to bring it to fruition. Thanks to her vision and ambition, Mme L’Ovary was born. The first million dollars in sales was achieved in 2021, supported by essentially organic growth.

Changing the perception of menstruation

From the outset, Érica Lebrun-Gauvin wanted to eliminate taboos about menstruation perpetuated for years by the disposable sanitary products industry. One just has to think of the blue liquid that in no way reflects reality and that held sway for decades, with all the negative messages promoting shame, uncleanliness, unpleasant odours, and general discomfort, when periods should be seen as a sign of good health, fertility, and hope. The co-founder wants to change – even transform – the discourse, but it’s an ambitious mission and a massive amount of work. The spearhead: educating the general public, the media, and people who menstruate.

Red Tables, for frank talk about menstruation

These sorts of changes don’t happen on their own. This is why, in 2019, the entrepreneur created discussion panels and invited experts to weigh in on women’s intimate health. The wide range of topics addressed, touching on the hormonal cycle and Indigenous wisdom about the menstrual cycle, are having an impact. The concept of Red Tables (another clever name!) was launched; it is gaining popularity and giving rise to online events, the last edition of which generated over 850 registrations.

The #sangdéchet movement: toward zero waste

Érica Lebrun-Gauvin practices engaged leadership, which she sees as a lever to build a sustainable, equitable economy. This is why she created the #SangDéchet sociopolitical movement, to encourage municipalities to subsidize environmentally friendly alternatives to feminine hygiene products – menstrual cups, washable sanitary napkins and, of course, period underwear. To generate advances, the team from Mme L’Ovary drafted a brief with the Incita zero waste consulting coop to show that making environmentally friendly products more available to people who menstruate is profitable. The Ville de Montréal has integrated this recommendation into its waste management master plan.