By: Namish Modi (he/him)
After recovering from a concussion last year, Madison Greenough (she/her) took on a new challenge.
The concussion, which halted Greenough’s Winter 2021 co-op term at British Columbia Investment (BCI) Management, started her journey into entrepreneurship.
Inspired by an idea to sell handmade products through the Fulfilment by Amazon (FBA) program, Greenough launched Beaverdam Designs. With her partner, Greenough began manufacturing and selling woodworking equipment. The company’s focus is on home décor products which they distribute through the FBA program.
FBA is a shipping and storage service that helps business owners sell and ship their products to customers from all over North America who get free shipping through their Amazon Prime memberships.
“We’re really trying to bridge the gap between Etsy handmade products and bringing that to Amazon on a wider scale,” says Greenough.
A flexible solution
In E Co-op, students earn co-op credits while starting their own business. Greenough appreciates the flexibility offered through the program.
Raised in St. Catharines, Ontario, Greenough made a big move in September during the COVID-19 pandemic. With her partner, she decided to study remotely and move to rural British Columbia (B.C.). “It’s been great to experience a new province, I’d never really spent time out in B.C,” she says.
Madison Greenough
E Co-op student Beaverdam Designs founder
Prior to her concussion, Greenough was captain of the Waterloo cross country and track and field varsity teams. For several weeks, she struggled as she suffered from arm and leg tremors. It took her five months before she was able to go for a long walk.
The E co-op experience gave her the support and flexibility she needed to complete her co-op requirement while focusing on her business and her health.
“This experience really taught me how important it is to take care of yourself. I was stubborn and thought that I would get better with time alone, so I would sometimes log on to my work laptop to try to send an email, but after just minutes I would be so exhausted that I would be out of commission for the whole day, setting myself back in my recovery. I learned the value of taking care of yourself and prioritizing your health and wellbeing above work and school.”