Meet Julie Carrière, RBC Canadian Women Entrepreneur Awards Social Change — National Impact Finalist

Dr. Julie Carrière is a 2025 RBC Canadian Women Entrepreneur Awards finalist and the Executive Director and co-founder of INREST, a world-renowned scientific institute focused on environmental and occupational health, safety, and sustainability. A chemical engineer and researcher, Dr. Carrière has spent over a decade pioneering innovative management tools for industrial and port areas, including the UNESCO-recognized “Enviro-Actions” model that leverages artificial intelligence to advance environmental prevention.

Beyond her research, Dr. Carrière is dedicated to mentoring the next generation of scientists, amplifying the voices of women and Indigenous peoples in STEM, and fostering actionable solutions to climate change, biodiversity loss, and community health. Her leadership blends scientific rigour with a vision for a healthier, more sustainable future.

Meet Dr. Julie Carrière and discover how she’s shaping the science and strategy that safeguard our communities and ecosystems.

I knew I wanted to be an entrepreneur when…

From a young age, I aspired to become a business leader. More concretely, it was when I had the opportunity to become a partner in a company at the age of 28. Throughout my career, I have come to realize that the only way to ensure the preservation of the ecosystem in sustainable economic development is to bring together leaders and stakeholders around a shared objective and project. I then understood that I could take leadership and create a window of opportunity to galvanize energies, foster collaboration and partnership, mobilize resources, and inspire action by creating a research institute: INREST.

Entrepreneurship is made for me because…

I love to take on challenges, and being willing to take calculated risks and take responsibility for my decisions. Leading a multidisciplinary team in the research and development of preventive environmental management tools is exciting and motivating for me; I feel like I belong. This enables me to bring my passions to life and actively contribute to the realization of large-scale projects.

The impact I hope to make through my work is…

To carry out great projects and lead successful companies. I want to show respect for my team members by instilling family values, allowing everyone to achieve their strengths and weaknesses without fear of entrusting me with mistakes. I also hope that the innovative projects and sustainable solutions I have led will impact leaders and remain not only a priority, but a lasting collective mission. I would like to see a smile on people’s faces when they think of me for my commitment to preserving a healthy environment for future generations.

One of the most important lessons I’ve learned on my entrepreneurial journey is…

It is essential to maintain a positive mindset to navigate the challenges of our personal and professional lives, as well as to overcome adversity. As business leaders, we constantly face unforeseen events, difficult decisions, and even hardships that we must overcome. We must move forward with our heads held high and a smile on our faces to maintain the trust of our team members, collaborators, and partners.

My proudest accomplishment is…

During my tenure at INREST, I leveraged my experience to develop a preventive environmental management model, “Enviro-Actions,” which has been internationally recognized by UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission.

The biggest risk I took that paid off was…

Moving to Sept-Îles, on Quebec’s North Shore, at the beginning of my career and living in a place where I didn’t know anyone. Situated on the shores of the St. Lawrence River, my new home inspired me with its beauty and vulnerability, prompting me to take the lead in establishing INREST, one of the most significant environmental monitoring observatories in Quebec, Canada, and internationally.

My biggest setback has been…

Being discouraged by others, who said that my desire to preserve the ecosystem in the industrial-ports zones was too ambitious—and that it would harm economic development.

I overcame it by…

By bringing together a multidisciplinary team of specialists and experts, combined with my knowledge and experience, I enable these ambitious projects that others might deem too challenging to become a reality. I had to demonstrate that it is preferable to know your environment—and to act in prevention mode, rather than in intervention mode. The creation of the Industrial-Port Centre of Expertise (CEIP), the Nutshimit-Shipek^u Center of Expertise and the “Enviro-Actions” preventive management model—and their implementation in port areas—have made it possible to develop adapted, preventive tools for preservation, and to monitor the environment in partnership with major industries, port authorities, non-Indigenous and Indigenous communities, scientists, and also government and environmental organizations.

The best advice I’ve received as an entrepreneur was…

To achieve success, the whole team must row in the same direction, towards a common goal and at the same pace. The leader sets the pace, but each team member must row with strength and tenacity to move the company forward and achieve its goals.

I surprise people when I tell them…

I am passionate about the arts. I love painting watercolours, making jewelry, and lately, I have realized a dream of writing a song, “Gardien du Saint-Laurent,” performing it, and making it available on music platforms.

If I had an extra hour in the day, I would use it to…

Increase the duration of my physical training and take cooking classes, as a healthy diet combined with exercise is essential to maintaining a good quality of life and performing at work.

If you Googled me, you still wouldn’t know…

I love working in the field with my team and leading equipment installations, environmental monitoring and sampling. Sailing on the water, driving a boat, and performing manual work are tasks that motivate me and that I thoroughly enjoy.

The future excites me because…

I’m passionate about challenges. It is both possible to shape the future and make it a source of motivation: the future is a playground full of possibilities that inspire me to continue pursuing the work I started more than 12 years ago at INREST. The next step is to continue deploying our knowledge and expertise nationally and internationally.

Connect with Dr. Julie Carrière on LinkedIn.