Thinking Outside the Box

Témo Cruz ‘14 and Camilo Avendaño ‘14 bring new life to old cargo containers with LeafBox Concepts Inc.

By Kat Clark ‘10

New to Canada and feeling out of place in his second year architecture and design class at Mohawk College, Camilo Avendaño ‘14 found comfort when he heard a familiar accent coming from Témo Cruz ‘14 at the back of the class. The two would become friends, business partners, and share a bond like brothers (hermanos in Spanish).

Throughout their studies, Camilo and Témo worked well together, leading a team of other students and collaborating with industry on their capstone project. Their education took separate paths for a couple years; Camilo continued his studies at Mohawk and Témo pursued further education at Conestoga College. While working in different cities, they continued to collaborate on a cargo container project they had begun while studying at Mohawk. During his fourth year thesis, Témo delved further into repurposing cargo containers and retrofitting them to create rentable retail and event 'cargotecture' platforms. He would often seek Camilo’s advice. “This wasn’t just Témo’s thesis, it was our thesis and our company and it was so real to us,” Camilo recalls.

The 350-square-foot pop-up concept includes retractable awnings, foldable ‘leaf’ walls, and a solar-powered media wall to create, as Témo calls it, a “business in a box”. The name ‘LeafBox’ was chosen to capture the off-grid sustainable technologies that make the concept unique, coupled with the ‘leaf’-like walls that fold out to the side.

After graduation, Témo and Camilo were hired at a Hamilton-based architecture firm. Recognizing the entrepreneurial spirit of the duo, the firm provided early mentorship and support of the concept, which led to key partnerships and connections that allowed the team to take the idea into production.

Since both Témo and Camilo came to Canada as refugees it was important to them to give back to the community through the LeafBox Foundation. “We’re not here to make a buck, we are here to make an impact,” says Témo. “We look at our founding pillars—environment, social, economy—and decide how LeafBox can help improve each of those elements.” By offering affordable, short-term retail platforms, they help small business connect with customers in new markets. “We are growing a business that is going to grow other businesses,” adds Camilo.

With LeafBox 2.0 on the drawing board, Camilo envisions the future. He says one day he’ll run the Caribbean branch of LeafBox International, complete with floating rafts and pop-up cabanas, allowing beachside businesses to thrive. “Témo thinks I’m joking but I’m serious!”

Whatever the case may be, there’s no question that this dynamic duo will take it on together, as hermanos.