Barb Stegemann (BA’91) is celebrating five years of economic empowerment and peace built through her successful social enterprise. Her company, The 7 Virtues, uses essential oils made from flowers grown by farmers in Afghanistan, Haiti, Rwanda and Israel to create unique fragrances. The company’s mission is to “make perfume, not war.”

We featured Stegemann in our Building a Better World series in 2013 for her bold vision to bring positive change around the world through business partnership. Stegemann studied international development studies and sociology at Dal, which helped shape her views about building social change through ethical business instead of through charity.

The 7 Virtues, born just five years ago in Stegemann’s Bedford garage, now sells its five fragrances across Canada, as well as in the U.S., England, Germany, and Austria. The perfume company is continually expanding to new markets thanks to Stegemann’s business acumen, the quality of its products, and the inspiring story that drew Stegemann to launch the social enterprise to help bring peace to war-torn Afghanistan.

Read more in “7 turns 5: Local fragrance company celebrates anniversary” on thechronicleherald.ca.

Photo credit: the Chronicle Herald staff (Ted Pritchard)