Nita Tandon never envisioned she’d someday run a multimillion-dollar housewares company. Truth is she only became an entrepreneur out of necessity.
It all started in 2009 when Tandon left her 20-year career in pharmaceuticals to become a mom. That same year, Health Canada banned bisphenol A (BPA) in plastic baby bottles and sippy cups, declaring it toxic to “human health and the environment.”
Despite the ban that spanned the globe, the chemical was still being used in other products, like food storage containers and water bottles, and manufacturers were making BPA-free products by substituting BPA with other chemicals.
“I knew I had two choices: Settle for what existed, or create my own. I chose to create my own. This was my leap into becoming an entrepreneur,” says Tandon, who was a guest speaker in February at the digital conference, StrikeUP 2024: Driving change for women entrepreneurs. Co-sponsored by Export Development Canada (EDC), the one-day event focused on everything from how to build a values-based company to finding global partners to champion your business.
In 2015, Tandon launched Dalcini Stainless, an e-commerce company specializing in reusable, chemical-free food containers and tableware made from recyclable stainless steel.
“I knew I didn’t want those chemicals around my daughter. It really became a necessity. I just thought if I know better, then I need to do better,” says the award-winning mompreneur, who lives in Ottawa. “How can we say that we really want to protect our kids, but we’re putting dyes, BPA, lead in kids’ toys, in paints. That was really my start.”
Learn more here: https://www.edc.ca/en/article/dalcini-stainless-success-story.html
