COCHIN — Saskatchewan entrepreneur Daryl Wright is looking forward to showing the Indigenous-led innovative work Seed2Leaf Environmental Consulting has been doing in the past six years, when he joins the Canadian delegation to the 2025 Group of 20 Young Entrepreneurs’ Alliance Summit from Sept. 18 to 21 in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Raised in Estevan, and now operating a business in Cochin north of the Battlefords, Wright said attending the summit would give him the chance to put forward the message on biodiversity protection and start the discussion on the international stage for those who work in invasive species management, something Seed2Leaf has been doing.
“My motivation stems from showcasing Saskatchewan and Indigenous innovation on a global platform. I wanted to demonstrate that small communities produce great ideas, while also building a network that leaves a lasting impact on the industry and offers opportunities for future generations,” Wright told SaskToday.
“But it also runs deeper than company growth. It’s about the representation of Saskatchewan, our community, where we’ve been operating in Cochin, and Indigenous entrepreneurship. Getting the message out there that Saskatchewan might be small in population, and we are from a small town, but we’ve got great people and great ideas.”
Wright added that the first thing that popped into his mind when he got the news of being a delegate to the summit was to begin thinking about how he could make his trip meaningful. One of the company ideas was to hire students each summer, especially those living on the reserve, to give them hands-on experience in invasive species management.
“Africa has a very similar regulatory framework, and there are comparable companies in Johannesburg. The plan is to try to establish some connections with those companies and talk about the idea of doing a worker exchange program, where people from South Africa might come here and learn about our invasive species management, what we struggle with,” he said.
He added that having the students and youth they hire during the summer would allow them not only to travel to another country, maybe the first time for some, but also to earn the opportunity to learn their techniques for managing invasive species. They would also share how they do things at Seed2Leaf, a service-based company.
Wright said that things still feel surreal, where someone like him, who grew up in Estevan and is now operating an environmental consulting firm in the resort village about 35 kilometres north of The Battlefords, is a delegate to the summit and gets the chance to share what Seed2Leaf is all about on the global stage.
“I guess all the delegates have a shared experience in what it's like to be an entrepreneur and the challenges we experienced. This does not change in South Africa, Australia, or in Cochin, Saskatchewan. It's a very shared experience. So, we hope to make an impact the same way,” he added.
“Attending the summit is not scary for me, but more of a feeling of nervousness. It's a little different than attending a conference in Saskatoon, that's for sure. I have often travelled around the world, but this is something different. For me, it's about making an impact in my industry because I think some people work and feel like they're not making a lasting contribution.”
The summit is held annually, attracting over 600 young entrepreneurs from 19 countries, the European Union and the African Union.
Canada will be sending a delegation of 43 entrepreneurs from British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Ontario and Quebec, with Wright being the only representative for Saskatchewan.
