Intergenerational Inspiration Q&A with Siavash Ghazvinian, Owner of EthicalTree
It was a pleasure sharing the intergenerational inspiration of Siavash Ghazvinian and learning how his grandfather’s story inspired him and other members of his family to become entrepreneurs and start a business. With this intergenerational influence, Siavash, joined by his two friends, launched EthicalTree, an online directory with thousands of restaurants, cafés, shops, and other businesses that sell products or services based on ethical preferences of Vegetarian, Vegan, Fair Trade, Organic, or Woman-Owned businesses. Below is our interview.
1. Intergenerational relationships traditionally focus on people who are “skipped”, non-adjacent generations like grandparents and grandchildren. Have you had someone in your life from a different generation who greatly inspired you?
My grandfather, Ali Habibi Nasrabadi, has inspired two generations of entrepreneurs in my family. Living in Iran, he lost his mother at the age of six and became orphaned at the age of thirteen when his father passed away. He had to find work to take care of himself and his younger siblings. He left school so early that he did not know how to read and write proficiently for most of his life. Working hard, he saved his money and made lots of connections, eventually starting his own business. Fast forward to his 30s — he was an owner of a medium-size construction company in Tehran. With the support of my grandmother, he started two other medium-sized businesses. His business mindset has been an inspiration for our entire family.
(Left to Right) Ali Habibi Nasrabadi, Tahereh Habibi Nasrabadi, Siavash Ghazvinian
2. What is something you enjoyed doing with him and what did you learn?
As a child, I would often spend time listening to his stories. He travelled to dozens of countries throughout his youth and inspired me to travel the world. As I grew up, I became very interested in his businesses and often spent entire days at his factories trying to understand how they were run and sometimes even worked at these factories on summer days. He dedicated a lot of his time to work and has taught me his great work ethic.
3. How has this relationship continued to impact you? Is there something you do or a motto you follow in your personal or professional life that came from that intergenerational connection?
Since he did not have the opportunity to finish school or pursue a university education, he always put an emphasis on the importance of education. Nearly all of his children graduated with university degrees, and I myself completed a degree in economics. Although my university background does not relate to my professional pursuits, having made education a top priority throughout my life has been very valuable. When I lack knowledge in a certain area that I need, I always find a new course or workshop through which I can further educate myself.
Left to right: Ali Habibi Nasrabadi and Parvane Emamli
4. Is there someone in your life now from a younger generation in which you have a special reverse-mentoring relationship? What types of experiences do you share together?
Although I do not have any siblings or children, I have a large family with many cousins who are younger than me. I highly value these relationships, as I am able to mentor the little ones and also learn a lot from them and their creativity. One of my cousins, who is just 11 years old, often comes to me with wild business ideas because he’s so keen on entrepreneurship after learning about my venture. I have taught him many things from creating a minimal viable product to supply management, and have helped him think through what he wants to do with his future. It’s truly incredible how able these kids are to learn high-level business concepts at such a young age if they are given the chance.
5. How do you encourage intergenerational relationships in your family, business or community?
At my company, we have always put an importance on intergenerational professional relationships and have sought out advice of many different business advisors, often from older generations. These advisers have helped us shape the structure of our business by transferring to us their significant amount of experience. Additionally, in order to stay an always innovative business, we make a great effort to reach out to younger cohorts of students at the University of Ottawa for their help and expertise. In the future, we plan on hiring from younger cohorts in order to keep our company young and intelligent while still taking advantage of our advisers.
6. Is there a book, movie or piece of art that has reminded you about the importance and power of intergenerational inspiration?
A poem that has always been dear to my heart is “If I should have a daughter” by Sarah Kay. The poem really speaks for itself. Click here to hear her recite it.
7. How can our readers follow you and learn more about your work?
Ethicaltree.com is a free directory service for consumers looking to find restaurants, stores, and other businesses that align with their ethical values. Users of the website can select which ethical preferences are most important to them and then see a list of nearby suggested businesses for what they are searching for. You can follow us on Facebook and Instagram, or by looking out for new Featured Collections for your city on our Home Page.
Siavash, thank you so much for taking the time to share about your grandfather. WOW! What a powerful life and legacy. The joy and commitment you have to children is pappable. Sarah Kay’s poem — so fabulous! We referenced her work in our Poetry How-To-Guide last year. Siavash, thank you for your commitment to intergenerational relationships and to supporting “local places that care about what [we] care about.”
