London Inc. Summer 2021 - 24

Upfront TechAlliance
THE SPIRIT OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Overcoming a pandemic business disruption of their own, sisters Jenessa Olson and
Madison De Sousa lend a helping hand to businesses tackling the reopening stages
A YEAR AFTER London-based sisters Madison De Sousa
and Jenessa Olson shelved a growing startup because of the
Covid-19, they are helping businesses across the country
reopen.
De Sousa and Olson launched In The ClearZone
(www.clearzone.ca) in March, 2020, when their clothing
rental business, STMNT, was put on hold following the
onset of the pandemic.
would have laughed. But then again, I don't think anyone
thought that they would be recreating their businesses, "
says Olson, talking about the transition between businesses
and about the learning curve of a new industry.
" Thankfully, we've had help from some amazing industry
experts who have helped us scale quickly. "
Over the last few months, ClearZone has worked with a
wide range of offices, restaurants, clinics and hotels, helping
them stay open and provide customers
and employees confidence that they're
entering a space that is disinfected
properly.
And now, ClearZone is preparing
to help businesses with their latest
challenge - the reopening steps.
" We are so excited that businesses
are reopening and life is getting back
to normal, but with that comes a whole
new batch of challenges, " says De
Sousa.
" Some people can't wait to get back
into the office, but the logistics aren't
straightforward - how do we get people
to their floors if only two people ride
together in an elevator? What about
buses? Trains? How will people get to
work? These are some of the problems
that businesses are trying to work
through that they've never had to deal
with before. "
This realization led to ClearZone's
latest
Sisters Jenessa Olson and Madison De Sousa
Experiencing the disruption of a business was extremely
disappointing, but as entrepreneurs, the sisters quickly
realized that the technology that they had custom built to
sanitize clothing could have a commercial application. Ten
days later, ClearZone was launched.
Built on the sisters' passion for sustainability, ClearZone's
patented technology provides businesses with environmentally
and economically sustainable solutions to sanitize
commercial spaces, with technology based on harnessing
the power of nature. The products use air and light and are
manufactured in London.
" If you asked us two years ago if we would be working in
manufacturing and inventing new hardware products, we
24 | londonincmagazine.ca | SUMMER 2021
technology
development,
called HydroClear, for use in HVAC
and portable applications. A proprietary
technology that supports existing health initiatives,
HydroClear filtration is used for the ongoing disinfection of
occupied spaces.
" We began our commercial trials in June after months of
product development and research, " explains Olson.
" This product couldn't be coming at a better time, " she
continues. " We really try hard to keep a pulse on the needs
of businesses and we're ready to help them tackle this next
phase. That is, after all, why we started this business in the
first place. "
http://www.clearzone.ca http://www.londonincmagazine.ca
London Inc. Summer 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of London Inc. Summer 2021
