Environmental entrepreneur
Master of Management (MM) graduate Jessica Shumlich on creating her own path to success.
Since graduating from the UBC Okanagan Master of Management program in 2019, Calgary-based Jessica Shumlich has gone on to live out her entrepreneurship dream as the co-founder and CEO of Highwood Emissions Management. Launched in 2020, Highwood has rapidly become a leader in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions management for the Canadian oil and gas industry, offering a range of consultancy services and software tools to support companies in measuring, reducing and tracking their GHG emissions. We spoke with Jessica about her experiences at UBC Okanagan, her entrepreneurship journey—and where she goes from here.
What drew you to the MM program at UBCO?
I really liked that it had a regional focus, with sustainability being a big part of it. I’m also very interested in economic development, so it was appealing how the program uses the Okanagan as a live case study. I also felt that I would have the ability to learn from my peers, because we would all do the program at the same rate and pace.
What takeaways from the MM program have you drawn on in your career?
A big one is learning to think differently. As somebody who comes from a very technical background in engineering project management, I was very solutions-oriented. In the MM, we were really encouraged to be more in love with the problem. That helped me in my entrepreneur journey, because if you have a solution in mind as an entrepreneur, you’re probably going to fail. You have to learn to be okay with unknowns and to challenge yourself to ask: Do I have the right product market fit? Who are my customers?
The other big takeaway was the importance of relationship-building. I learned so much from my cohort—how they responded, what their thought processes were—that helped me think in a different way. It’s been really important to maintain that network.
What sparked your desire to start your own company?
Entrepreneurship was always in the back of my mind, but when you’re working a corporate job, it isn’t something that you’re exposed to. In the Masters of Management, I met people in my cohort who were entrepreneurs. All of a sudden, I started to say, “Well, if they’re doing it, why can’t I do it?”
I began talking to a few trusted friends and colleagues about potentially doing an entrepreneur journey. And, I was terrified. Then I met my current business partner at a conference, and he was excited about the potential. We spent six months coming up with a business plan, and launched into market September 16, 2020. And we have not looked back. It started out as two of us, and now it’s grown to over 25 people, with very healthy revenues. We’re growing very quickly.
What do you think is the biggest driver of your success?
There are a few things. Timing is always important. We were methane– and greenhouse-gas emissions and climate–change experts, and we launched our business just before the world by and large woke up. We were the company who had the expertise and the services that was needed, alongside hard work and grit. We’ve also been able to pivot, to take feedback, to look at the market from an objective perspective to figure out what services and products we need to offer. Hiring the right people has been very important as well. We’ve been very cognizant of the team that we’re building up, and we’ve hired an amazing team around us to support us and deliver.
What’s most challenging and most rewarding about your work?
We have a really good business and a good model, but being a high-growth entrepreneur is scary sometimes. I use the analogy that it’s like running towards a cliff at sprint level speed, without knowing if the bridge is going be there or not. You just have to trust in yourself, trust in your business partner and trust in the people around you that the bridge is going to be there. I love it, but it’s hard to wake up every morning and say, “I’m going to jump off a cliff again.”
“The most rewarding part is seeing what we’ve built: seeing the company and employees get successes and getting recognition for things internationally. We’re building a team of experts that’s unprecedented, and we’re building this model and this sector.“
Where do you see yourself in the future?
Find an organization that shares your own values and has a team that is aligned in purpose. The time spent is so much more enjoyable when you surround yourself with good people and challenging but rewarding work.
What are your future career goals?
I see Highwood being the go-to emissions management firm in consulting and software in oil and gas, but hopefully in other industries as well. In the very long term, I’d like to be able to step away from Highwood and see it be an awesome success. I’d like to get into venture capitalist investing, particularly for marginalized groups of the population. I’d like to find ways to inspire people to become entrepreneurs and to help more entrepreneurs who might think a little bit differently, like I do, to achieve their dreams.
