The LYP Women Who Lead series highlights diverse perspectives on leadership from women across various industries. In this installment, we feature Mishel Wong, an entrepreneur reshaping how we think about food packaging waste.
As the founder of Bopaq and co-founder of the National Wash Network, Mishel is on a mission to make reusable takeout packaging easy and accessible with a seamless deposit-return system. Since launching in 2021, Bopaq has processed over 2.4 million reusable containers and built a network of 200+ partners, including restaurants, caterers, festivals, and government organizations. While most clients are in Québec, they’re expanding beyond the province, aiming to make reuse the norm.
Meanwhile, the National Wash Network tackles one of the biggest barriers to the reusable packaging industry: infrastructure costs. Instead of each organization building expensive, siloed washing facilities, they’re pooling resources and highlighting the benefits of local partnerships.
Mishel’s passion, charisma, and determination make it clear why she’s been able to drive such change. In our conversation, she shared her journey, the challenges of building a sustainable business, and what it takes to lead through uncertainty. Read on to learn how she and her team are transforming the future of packaging.
I’m interested in your borrow-return system and how it works. Could you expand on that?
We built a modular solution so that our partners can choose a system that works for them. Some prefer a deposit-refund model where vendors would distribute takeout containers to customers with unique QR codes and charge a deposit. When users return a container, they would scan the QR code at a self-service return bin and receive a refund via our app, without bothering the vendor. The other system doesn’t require an upfront deposit from customers. Vendors ask users to sign up for a Bo account, allowing them to borrow containers by scanning a QR code. The container is assigned to their account – like a library book – and must be returned within 14 days to a drop site. Once scanned and dropped off, it’s removed from their inventory. If they don’t return it, then they are responsible for the article.
We then bring the containers back to our wear-washing facility, where we process the containers and ensure the technology makes wear-washing efficient at-scale and that it respects all the safety norms for food standards. Once the containers are sanitized, we return them to our partners, who order containers just as they would single-use items.
Walk us through your career journey - how did you transition into entrepreneurship? What key moments shaped your path?
Both of my parents are entrepreneurs, although I didn’t have a term for it back then. I just assumed work could happen at any time of the day. During business school, I did a nine-to-five internship, and I was so miserable; it was a nightmare. I thought, “How do you live the rest of your life living by the clock? You’ve got to show up at a place, start being productive at this hour and then stop being productive at that hour.” That was when I realized that my upbringing wasn’t typical.
I couldn’t reconcile the two realities of working until my sales job, where it's a little more performance driven. I spent a decade in business development in the food service industry, working as a sales director for restaurant wear-washing equipment. I got calls at all hours, but in the middle of the day when it was quieter, I could be the master of my own time. That naturally progressed into wondering what it would take to start my own business, because being a sales director feels like you're an entrepreneur already.
It wasn't a very big step out of that into my first business, which was a franchise of a tutoring center. What's great about a franchise is that it has a set business model. So, you're learning the basics of how to incorporate a business, how to set up a business plan, but it's a very guided experience. Then I went the other extreme: building something from scratch with Bo. I knew it filled a real need from my experience in the food service industry, where I became increasingly aware of the massive waste problem created by single-use packaging. I also had my experience running the tutoring service, which gave me insight into scaling operations and managing a service-based business. The turning point came when I realized that the reusable packaging industry was stuck in pilot projects, unable to break into the mainstream. It wasn't the path of least resistance, but it felt good to drive a change that I'm not convinced a lot of people would have the same determination and expertise to accomplish.
What fears or uncertainties did you face in building your company, and how did you navigate them?
Leaving a stable, well-paying job for the unfamiliar world of startups was daunting. I had to quickly learn the ecosystem —how to structure a pitch, what metrics investors care about, and how to build financial models that aligned with our mission. Accessing resources meant understanding the language of startups, from funding strategies to go-to-market plans. I navigated this by immersing myself in the startup community—joining accelerators, seeking mentors, and connecting with industry experts.
However, it's easy to fall into comparison traps, either peer-to-peer or against big, established businesses. In this world, you have to inspire confidence in clients and investors, so you don't talk about the difficult things. Social media emphasizes that too, where we celebrate successes and victories, and there's less about the challenges that you face day-to-day in the business.
We can look at all those shiny examples of great businesses and then fall into despair. But building relationships, getting to know people and what they need, and being on the lookout for opportunities for each other can change that. A strong network means more eyes and ears looking for solutions to your problems - and vice versa. At the heart of it, a network is an extension of yourself and you become an extension of other people. The better you are at building these connections, the more you elevate each other in this, not-so-easy but pretty fun, world.
As an entrepreneur, what is your core mission and how does it drive your decisions? How does passion play a role?
My mission is to create a future where reuse is the norm, not the exception. Every decision at Bo—our partners, our technology, our consumer education—is driven by the question: “How do we make reuse as easy as single-use?”
"My passion is for driving systemic change in something that doesn't make sense."
The more I learn about how the plastics industry had to do a big push to have people adopt this attitude of discarding things, the more I realize how much of a scam it was. They figured out how to make cheap things to throw out and their business model is built on pushing more of it through the market, with zero regard for environmental impact. They did it with such volumes that cities adapted to them, implementing waste management systems and treatment facilities. These petroleum companies changed the world and convinced society to conform to their system, selling us these products that are just made to be thrown out. It's so irresponsible.
But if they can push out something that makes so little sense, there has to be a way to put something back in place, where if you make something once and it can be processed, washed, and reused, then everybody wins. So, this is what keeps me going when everything else tells me to quit. But passion isn’t enough—you need resilience, adaptability, and a willingness to constantly learn. I don’t wake up every day excited to tackle every problem, but I do wake up committed to the mission, and that’s what keeps me moving forward.
In your opinion, what defines an effective leader in entrepreneurship? How does it differ from leadership in a more traditional corporate setting?
An effective entrepreneurial leader is resourceful, adaptable, and mission driven. Unlike corporate leadership, where you manage existing structures, entrepreneurship requires building the structure from scratch while convincing others to believe in it. You need to be comfortable with uncertainty, quick decision-making, and constant iteration. I also prioritize partnerships because I believe that solving systemic issues—like waste—requires collective action.
In leading my own team, I believe in empowerment. Our business is complex, combining product design, supply chain, and technology. I know I’m not an expert in every area, so I hire people who are. Decision-making is very much a discussion rather than top-down, which would feel unnatural. And so, collaboration and transparency are at the heart of what we do. Our team is deeply involved in shaping our strategy, and we constantly test and iterate based on real-world feedback. As long as we share the same vision and values, leadership in entrepreneurship is about letting people do what they do best and keeping us all moving in the same direction.
As an entrepreneur, how do you lead your business through periods of uncertainty or rapid change? I’d imagine this is especially relevant given the tariff situation, which is top-of-mind for everyone right now.
The key is to stay grounded in your mission while being flexible in your execution. When external factors—policy shifts, market changes, or funding challenges—force us to pivot, we focus on solving the problem at-hand rather than our original plan. This approach was critical during the early days of Bo when we realized that simply offering reusable containers wasn’t enough. We needed to integrate into existing infrastructure, simplify the return process, and collaborate with cities to create an ecosystem that supports reuse.
As for the tariffs, when we first got funding, we chose to design our own products and manufacture some products locally in Québec. Investing in product molds was expensive, but it allowed us to optimize design for processing and control the life cycle. Come end of last year, we hit a cash-crunch and that decision seemed like a mistake. Then tariff talks happened and suddenly, we had a high demand for locally made products. You can get whiplash with how fast the context changes. It keeps entrepreneurial life exciting, addictive, and gives you hope but you also need to stay grounded so that you can expect whatever else might be coming. I see all the entrepreneurs that this political situation has affected, how they've stayed strong and supported each other, and I count myself amongst the lucky ones for now. But that’s entrepreneurship - you pivot, you dance, you tweak, and you wait for the next punch.
Finally, what leadership lessons have you learned that would be most valuable for aspiring entrepreneurs?
Solve a real problem. Passion is great, but if your business isn’t solving a tangible problem, it won’t survive.
Surround yourself with the right people. No one builds a company alone—find mentors, peers, and team members who challenge and support you.
Stay flexible. Your first idea won’t be your final product. The ability to pivot is critical.
Play the long game. Real change takes time. Don’t get discouraged by slow progress—stay focused on the big picture.
Above all, ''The story is not over.'' When the lows feel like the end and the highs feel like the wins will never stop, don't let it get to your head. Stay focused on the next turn. I live by the saying that ''Startups don't die because they run out of money, they die when founders run out of energy.''
After our conversation, it struck me that Mishel doesn’t see herself as a stereotypical leader. Humorously referring to herself as the company mascot, she deflected her CEO title. But while she may not fit the mold of a Fortune 500 executive, there is no doubt that Bopaq’s success is a direct result of her unique leadership style - one often seen in entrepreneurial companies, where hierarchy is minimal and adaptability is key. It’s clear that her dynamism and contagious enthusiasm for her mission have drawn her team into her vision, keeping them growing through challenges, and allowing her to forge meaningful connections and partnerships. In a business world often focused solely on profit, it’s refreshing to discover leaders like Mishel who are committed to making a positive impact on the world.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Dr. Clara Lee obtained her Ph.D. in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from the University of Calgary. Her research interests focus on leadership as well as biases in perceptions of effective leadership. She has previously taught undergraduate courses in I/O Psychology and Statistics and has consulted in both private and public sectors in matters of organizational effectiveness and employee assessment. Driven by a passion for cultivating positive workplace environments, she is dedicated to instigating meaningful organizational change in the workplace.
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