Co-founder of fair-trade tea Eloments, Julie Hirsch, has been named the 2020 Telstra Victorian Business Woman of the Year, as well as being awarded the Telstra Victorian Business Women’s Emerging Leader Award.
Hirsch started Eloments Vitamin Teas with co-founder and CEO Nicole Lamond, creating the brand for people “who care about their health and want to have a positive impact on the world”.
Since launching, Eloments has secured shelf space in 2,000 stores across seven countries, including Woolworths in Australia. The product is made from 100 per cent natural ingredients and include a range of vitamins, such as B1, B2, C and Zinc, sourcing fair-trade ingredients from around the world, including bourbon vanilla in Madagascar and cardamom in Sri Lanka.
“I believe the best things in life are free, and everything else should be fairly traded. In launching Eloments, we’ve created a for-purpose, for-profit business, where ethical decision making is the norm,” said Hirsch.
The 25th Telstra Business Women’s Awards recognises and celebrates women who do business differently, with Telstra’s human resources group executive and ambassador for the awards, Alex Badenoch commending Hirsch for her “strong moral compass and leadership posture”.
“She has made an astonishing impact already, and has the potential to change the world. She may very well disrupt a whole category, and has demonstrated true innovation in a product,” said Badenoch.
