Walking into your first university lecture is intimidating, and that is exactly how Kayli and Jacquie felt on their first day of Chemical Engineering at the University of Waterloo. As they anxiously waited outside their first lecture, they instantly connected and walked through the doors confidently as new-found friends. Over the next couple of years, they were inseparable through late-night study sessions, lab experiments gone wrong, and dreaming up crazy ideas to problems they saw in their everyday lives. 

During their program, Jacquie and Kayli each completed 6 industry co-op terms in the field of Chemical Engineering. They worked in various fields for large corporations and while they learned a lot and enjoyed these experiences, they were left unfulfilled. It was disheartening to see that environmental sustainability was not a priority for these large corporations.  

When entering their 3rd year of university, they jumped on an opportunity to do a term abroad and arrived in Lund, Sweden a year later. While abroad, they were introduced to a culture filled with minimalism and environmental sustainability. After spending 4 months together in Europe, they began to question the North American culture, and were compelled to find more ways to live more purposeful lives. 

When graduation was upon them and they had to decide what their next steps were, they knew they needed to do something impactful. They couldn't live and work in a world where the climate crisis was not a priority. A Friendlier Company was founded because Kayli and Jacquie felt it was time to be Friendlier to our planet.