Mark Watson

Mark is passionate about putting the “eco” back into the economy through community-driven initiatives that build resilience while promoting sustainability in its broadest sense—not just environmental stewardship, but also sustainable economic models, equitable social policies, and fairer tax systems.

Mark is a “green” entrepreneur who has founded multiple businesses in Ottawa since 2000. Fluently bilingual, he holds a BA in Business and Economics, as well as an International MBA in Information Technology. After living and travelling in over 60 countries—including five years working in Japan and Singapore—he returned to his hometown of Ottawa, where he founded ABC e-Learning, a software company based in “Silicon Valley North.”

In 2005, he launched Earth Innovations and raised $500,000 on CBC’s Dragons’ Den for his invention, “Ecotraction,” an eco-friendly alternative to road salt that went on to be sold in more than 10,000 retail outlets across 10 countries. In 2017, Mark founded the award-winning Dunrobin Distilleries, which grew to employ 35 people and gained international recognition for its premium craft spirits.

In 2020, he was named Social Entrepreneur of the Year, along with Beau’s Brewery, for providing hand sanitizer during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. His latest venture, Imagine Zeolite, is developing a full life-cycle technology that reduces methane emissions in livestock while simultaneously improving agricultural yields, water quality, and animal health.

Since 2007, Mark, his wife (a teacher), and their three children (now in university) have lived on a Pro-Cert organically certified farm in Dunrobin, Ontario, where they produce honey and maple syrup, and cultivate or wild-harvest more than 50 varieties of specialty crops.

Mark’s Priorities
People: Building affordable housing, improving access to family doctors, increasing CPP for seniors, and boosting funding to colleges and universities.

Planet: Solar panels and heat pumps on every home, eliminating single-use plastics, protecting endangered old-growth forests, and ensuring clean air, water, and soil for everyone.