Antonio Lennert, a member of EO Canada Bridge, is an entrepreneur, designer and group builder. He’s the co-founder and CEO of Surf the Greats, Canada’s largest model and group for surf training, journey and way of life on the Nice Lakes and past. Marina Byezhanova interviewed Antonio about his entrepreneurial journey and contribute this submit.

When Antonio Lennert left Brazil at 20 years outdated, he was in quest of a group. Upon arrival in California, he met his associate in each enterprise and in life, Lucas Murnaghan, and the 2 constructed a brand new residence in Canada.

The transfer to Toronto meant that alternatives for browsing, his favorite pastime, appeared few and much between.

“Canada isn’t recognized to be a browsing hotspot,” mentioned Lennert. “In my thoughts, I had mainly mentioned goodbye to browsing fully.”

After pursuing a level in graphic design from Ontario School of Artwork & Design, Lennert launched and scaled a profitable inventive design company, which he ran for over three years. The company was an early foray into the entrepreneurial world—however one which took its toll.

“I really like the design world,” mentioned Lennert. “However constructing an company was a posh, always-on sort of enterprise. Earlier than I knew it, I used to be fully burnt out.”

Lennert exited the design enterprise. Whereas on a sabbatical in Costa Rica devoted to recharging his psychological and bodily well being, which included a 10-day silent meditation retreat, one thing started to shift for him.

“I began browsing once more throughout that sabbatical,” mentioned Lennert. “Browsing not solely helped to heal me, nevertheless it jogged my memory of one thing I had forgotten: Time spent browsing on the water was the place I felt at my happiest.”

Lennert and his cofounding enterprise associate, Marcello Gortana, earned their instructing certificates with the Worldwide Browsing Affiliation. A brand new imaginative and prescient for Lennert’s life started to kind—and he introduced that imaginative and prescient again to Toronto.

As he started to discover Canadian browsing, he realized what felt like a “secret” each to surfers throughout the globe and to Canadians themselves: There’s superb browsing available within the Nice Lakes in Ontario!

He noticed the beginnings of how their ardour might be utilized for a larger function.

A Ardour, a Trigger, and an Alternative

Though a pre-existing browsing group existed within the Nice Lakes area, Lennert shortly discovered that it contained veterans who had been using these waves for many years; that they had little curiosity in catering to newcomers.

“My model of the Canadian dream concerned capitalizing on the inclusivity of Canadian life,” mentioned Lennert.

He contemplated hanging up his wetsuit as soon as once more. But, after rescuing individuals who have been unfamiliar with the Nice Lakes’ waters, he noticed a possibility to broaden and form this group into one pushed by inclusivity, training, and journey.

Lennert’s trigger initially targeted on making browsing safer within the north. Launching an internet retailer with Marcello, the 2 sometimes opened pop-ups to carry the group collectively. Ever the adventurer, Lennert quickly left Toronto’s promoting scene, at which level his new enterprise actually took off.

Making Waves

Lennert and Murnaghan opened a newcomer-friendly, Toronto-based surf and occasional store in 2017, Surf the Greats. The enterprise shortly scaled past its preliminary imaginative and prescient. What started as a go-to supply for surfboards, wetsuits, swimwear, and different browsing gear shortly remodeled into a strong group for everybody in search of journey on the Nice Lakes and past.

Whereas Lennert’s life associate, Lucas Murnaghan, remained a silent associate for the primary few years, Murnaghan grew to become significantly invested in day-to-day actions in 2019 after falling unwell, forcing him to take depart from his place as an orthopedic surgeon at Toronto’s SickKids Hospital. Lennert continued to develop the enterprise with Murnaghan’s assist.

In the present day, the group is making main waves in recent water. Surf the Greats has collaborated with a veritable tsunami of leaders within the sports activities trade: Patagonia, Rip Curl and Pink Bull, in addition to artists of all identities and backgrounds.

“The entire function of this firm has been to coach and create areas for the group to return collectively and dwell this way of life,” Lennert famous.

With an ever-growing social media following counting 25,000+ and collaborations which have despatched Canadian surfers to world surf competitions, Surf the Greats has helped elevate Canadian browsing to the worldwide stage. What grew to change into the Nice Lakes’ premier surf authority has since developed into Canada’s surf model.

“Via quite a lot of work constructing this group and showcasing our waves, we gained worldwide respect within the browsing world,” Lennert mentioned.

Shifting Tides

The success, very similar to the rolling waves, continued for Lennert and firm. A documentary, Recent Water, chronicled his journey.

Lennert’s outstanding story of overcoming prejudice, discrimination and limitations was the showstopper. Whereas the movie’s authentic idea was to showcase Canada’s surf tradition at massive, filmmaker David Kalinauskas uncovered Lennert’s story—and knew it was one which wanted to be instructed. The media world agreed: the documentary is now dwell on Crave in Canada, and continues to be featured by media shops and platforms throughout the globe.

To at the present time, sometimes, Lennert wakes as much as a random message in his inbox from strangers thanking him for each his work and his voice for inclusivity. Except for amassing a cascade of collective curiosity within the sport, Lennert’s journey pulled on the heartstrings of athletes, entrepreneurs, mother and father, kids, and anybody who discovered themselves in quest of their very own inclusive group constructed on ardour. “I simply really feel so honoured and humbled to have my story documented,” Lennert mirrored. “And to have my life with my associate documented without end that method. It’s so particular.”

Sustaining Steadiness

Sadly, Lennert misplaced Lucas Murnaghan to most cancers in 2021. It was a tragic occasion that continues to ripple by Lennert’s life. But what started to elevate him from the depths to proceed on his personal journey was the very factor that had given Lennert a renewed zest for all times years prior: group.

He was invited to an EO occasion in Quebec Metropolis by Julie Mitchell, a Toronto-based entrepreneur within the well being and athletics house who knew Lennert from their neighborhood. With out realizing what to anticipate, he was thrust into the EO world—and it helped encourage him to remain on track together with his enterprise objectives, his desires, and his function. “I want I had recognized about EO years earlier than,” mentioned Lennert. “It’s been instrumental for me in such a short while.”

He’s seen some challenges, to make sure—however there may be lots to sit up for in his story in addition to the tales of the colourful, passionate communities of which he stays a core pillar.

“I really feel like I’ve such a robust help group,” Lennert mentioned. “Not solely in my chapter, however wherever I’m going. It’s the very best factor that’s occurred to me in the previous couple of years.”

Marina Byezhanova, is an energetic member-leader inside EO and a member of EO Canada Bridge chapter, is an entrepreneur, world speaker and college teacher on a mission to encourage entrepreneurs stand out, converse up and be radically genuine. She is the co-founder of Model of a Chief, the private branding company for entrepreneurs. Photograph of Antonio Lennert browsing the Greats by Sam Moffatt.

For extra insights and inspiration from at this time’s main entrepreneurs, take a look at EO on Inc. and extra articles from the EO weblog.