Five Questions With: Kim Chackal, Co-Owner and VP of Sales and Marketing, Equifruit

Kim Chackal is anything but conventional — and that’s exactly the point.

As VP of Sales and Marketing at Equifruit, Kim has helped transform a Fairtrade banana company into a brand that stops you in your tracks. With an unapologetically cheeky tone and unwavering mission to make ethical sourcing the norm, Equifruit is redefining what impact looks like and feel. Think: loud, proud, and unshakably values-driven.

But behind the brilliant marketing and banana puns is a leader deeply rooted in purpose. Kim’s journey is shaped by early loss, a refusal to play small, and a commitment to creating the kind of change that can’t be ignored. She’s built a career and a movement around telling better stories, challenging industry norms, and standing firm in the belief that we all have a role to play in building a more equitable food system.

In our interview with Kim, she shares what it really takes to disrupt a global supply chain, the advice she’d give her younger self navigating male-dominated spaces, and why “banana domination” isn’t a joke, it’s the legacy she’s building, one bold decision at a time.

Bold. Fearless. Unapologetically mission-driven. These words often come up when people describe your leadership style. How have those qualities guided your journey, and what have they helped you unlock for Equifruit and beyond

Losing my mom unexpectedly as a teenager taught me two things very quickly. First, I wanted to be like her when I grew up, a fearless and deeply compassionate woman. Second, I saw the regrets she carried about not continuing her education or starting a business, and I realized that life’s too short to hold back. Twenty-five years later, her voice is still in my head, nudging me to speak up, take risks, and show up for others. That foundation drives me at Equifruit to face fears head-on while building the kind of company I’d want to work for.

Equifruit’s tone and branding are anything but typical for the produce aisle. Why was it important to take a fresh, unique approach, and what impact has that had on how the brand is received?

If you can’t grab attention, you’ll be ignored, and we want to be impossible to ignore. We’re working to break the cycle of generational poverty for banana farmers in South and Central America, and failure is simply not an option. We’ve obsessed over how to explain this problem without sounding preachy, and the result is a bold, award-winning brand that’s turning heads. People love seeing us confident and unapologetic. We call ourselves and our community Banana Badasses because what we’re doing is badass. Supporting a Canadian, women-owned, B Corp brand with a 100% Fairtrade promise? That’s how you change the world, one banana at a time.

You’ve been recognized as a changemaker across the produce industry. What does it take to challenge the status quo in a supply chain as global and entrenched as bananas, and what keeps you motivated when the work gets hard?

It takes lady balls if I may say so. We’ve had to push past a lot of misogyny, sexism, and rejection to get where we are. Being an entrepreneur can feel lonely sometimes, but I’m lucky to have an amazing business partner, Jennie Coleman. A good, honest conversation with her always recharges me. We complement each other beautifully, and our shared values have attracted an incredibly supportive team and community. I also find inspiration in founder stories; they remind me that there’s no straight path to success. When things get tough, I pause, reflect, and figure out the next step. Oh, and I rely heavily on exercise, sleep, and dark chocolate. Non-negotiable.

You’ve had an impressive career in sales and marketing. Looking back, what advice would you give your younger self stepping into this space, especially as a woman in a male-dominated industry?

Self-awareness is everything. Know what you’re good at, know where you need help, and surround yourself with people you admire and can learn from. Be curious, ask all the questions, and study both the wins and the failures of others. It’s the fastest way to grow without racking up unnecessary mistakes or therapy bills.

You’ve spoken about “global Fairtrade banana domination” with pride and purpose. What does that vision look like to you today, and what kind of legacy do you hope to build through this work?

It starts with dismantling a global retail lie: that consumers won’t pay more for bananas. Our job at Equifruit is to tell a better story, one that helps retailers future-proof their banana programs with ethical sourcing strategies. The alternative is driving farmers deeper into poverty in countries that have been growing our bananas for over a century. If you stood on a banana farm for two minutes—in the mosquito-filled heat, watching the brutal effort it takes to produce our favourite fruit, you’d happily pay that extra $5 a year and join the Banana Badass movement. We want Fairtrade to be the norm. And we won’t rest until it is.