Roxanne Joyal is a visionary social entrepreneur, women’s empowerment advocate and recognized leader in sustainable development.
Roxanne is the founder and CEO of &BACK, a Fairtrade and ethically sourced coffee supplier that supports women growers. Through her innovations in the sustainable travel and lifestyle space, she has connected North American consumers to women artisans around the globe. A storyteller and marketing expert, Roxanne also works with social enterprises and other purpose-driven organizations to help humanize their brand’s offerings and meaningfully engage with women audiences.
Among Roxanne’s game-changing accomplishments in the sustainable travel and lifestyle space, Roxanne led the establishment of Bogani Cottages and Tented Camps, a first-of-its-kind facility designed as a rejuvenating home base for groups volunteering in Kenya. She expanded this venture with facilities in Rajasthan India, Araveli Retreat, and the Ecuadorian Amazon, Minga Lodge and Reserve. She founded an artisans program, empowering more than 1,500 women in Kenya’s Maasai Mara region with the opportunity to earn a sustainable income. Roxanne’s products were sold in 18,000 locations across North America through partnerships with companies such Nordstrom, Pac Sun and Call it Spring.
Roxanne led the creation of other socially conscious products, including ethically sourced coffee and award-winning chocolate that empower farmers to earn a fair wage, the proceeds for which go directly towards creating sustainable change for their children and communities.
By bringing the talents and stories of women in developing communities to North American consumers looking to make a positive impact, she moved her brands to the forefront of meaningful one-shop gift giving.
In 2020, Roxanne led the launch of &Back Coffee, a premium Fairtrade coffee made from 100% Arabica beans, sourced from carefully selected co-ops in East Africa and Latin America. This premium wholesale sustainable coffee is delivered right to your office. &BACK’s mission is simple: to create a great cup of coffee that empowers women coffee farmers.
Roxanne holds a degree in international relations from Stanford University, has earned a coveted Rhodes scholarship and a law degree at Oxford University, and has clerked for the Supreme Court of Canada. She was awarded an honorary doctorate from Nipissing University in 2012, received the Order of Canada in 2017 for her work in social entrepreneurship and advancement of social justice, and is a two-time winner of the Women’s Executive Network’s Top 100: ‘Canada’s Most Powerful Women.’ Roxanne is married and mother to two daughters.
Roxanne believes that business done right can be a powerful force for good to help us uplift, connect and regenerate.
