“If what I’m doing no longer makes sense to me, I won’t hesitate to part with it.” At 31, Ilana Devillers is the co-founder and co-CEO of Eco Prisme Distribution, a green chemistry company that develops eco-friendly products to improve the energy performance of buildings, boats and vehicles. Eco Prisme Distribution works “with companies to provide ecological and efficient solutions.”

Passionate about environmental impact, Ilana began her entrepreneurial career at high school and has founded several start-ups, including Food4All. She values loyalty, transparent communication, honesty and respect. “For me, respect for nature, people and the environment is essential,” she stresses.

Ilana has had both successes and failures, most notably with her start-up Swoople (F4A): “I led that company to success and then to bankruptcy, which taught me some valuable lessons." Her advice to entrepreneurs: “Entrepreneurship isn’t easy, but you have to persevere. You’re going to hit walls, but you’ve got to get back up and keep going.”

This article was originally published in French. Read all the #Nextgen portraits in the October edition of Paperjam.