About Louise Bjerre – Founder of IGEN
IGEN was founded in 2019 by then 21-year-old Louise Bjerre. If her name sounds familiar, it may be because you’ve come across her on her YouTube channel , on Instagram , or on TikTok, where she has shared her entrepreneurial journey over the years under the name LouLiving. With a strong entrepreneurial spirit and a natural drive, Louise has built a career on creating reusable products and inspiring others.
Louise has always had a deep passion for entrepreneurship, which has led her to start several companies, write books, win awards, appear on TV shows and participate in a wide range of podcasts. Her goal has always been to provide an honest and nuanced insight into life as an entrepreneur – to show both the ups and downs, the challenges and the personal development that comes with it.
Louise's work with IGEN was recognized in 2023 and 2024, where she won the Simba Award for Entrepreneur of the Year two years in a row. This recognition emphasizes her dedication to creating a company with products and solutions that are reusable and multifunctional; but also with initiatives that make a difference. In 2023, she also published the book "Guide to Entrepreneurship (Louise's Version)" , which is a personal handbook where she shares her experiences and gives practical advice to those who want to take the leap into entrepreneurship. The book takes the reader through the many facets of entrepreneurship - from the first baby steps to the big milestones.
Louise began her journey with @LouLiving , a YouTube channel where she shared her life, thoughts, and journey as an entrepreneur. Here, she gave her followers a unique insight into her daily life, including the many aspects of starting and running a business. Through her social media platforms, Louise has always had a desire to inspire and encourage others to pursue their dreams, no matter what challenges they may face.
Louise’s values and IGEN’s mission were shaped by her discovery of the enormous waste that comes from single-use products in everyday life. This drove her to create products that are not only reusable, but also of high quality and with an aesthetic design that users will appreciate and use again and again. IGEN’s first product, the reusable cotton pads, quickly became a success, and since then Louise has developed more than 200 products , some of which can still be found on igen.dk today.
The products are designed with care and created primarily from recycled materials. Louise and her team work from a responsible perspective, where they strive to only develop products that solve a need, or fulfill a desire of their customers. The products must make sense - and can be used - again and again, so that they hopefully become an asset in minimizing overconsumption. For Louise and IGEN, sustainability is a journey, a continuous journey rather than a destination. Read much more about how we work with responsibility here.
Uganda & CharitySince the establishment of IGEN, Louise has not only focused on creating innovative products, but also on making a significant difference outside Denmark. In the spring of 2024, the entire IGEN team traveled to Uganda, where we initiated a production project in collaboration with EcoBrix.
This project supports the local community in Maska financially by helping to collect and recycle plastic, which is then transformed into new products – including our popular CANDLE BRICKS . You can read more about our efforts in Uganda here.
In addition, we donate a portion of the sales on IGEN.DK daily to the inspiring children at El Cambio Academy , whom we help to ensure a better education and a brighter future. Together with the girls from the academy, we have designed our RUFFLE SHOPPER , where 100 kr. from each sale goes uncut to the academy.
We are also proud to donate 1% of our revenue every time our customers choose a charity they want to support. Whether it be organizations like Plastic Change , which works for a cleaner marine environment, Break the Silence , which helps youth exposed to violence, or our continued support for the wonderful children at El Cambio Academy in Uganda.
For Louise, it has always been a matter of the heart to inspire and support others – both the children in Uganda and the young entrepreneurs who look up to her as a role model.
Lion's Den Junior
In 2024, Louise took her commitment to entrepreneurship to new heights when she was selected as a mentor in Løvens Hule Junior. Here she had the opportunity to support and inspire young talents to follow their entrepreneurial dreams. For Louise, this is a unique platform where she can help the next generation explore their full potential and create their own success stories.
You can experience Louise in Løvens Hule Junior every Saturday at 7:30 PM on DR until Christmas 2024, or by streaming it live on DR.TV here.
Lecture & Panel Participation
In addition to her work with IGEN and Løvens Hule Junior, Louise is a sought-after speaker. She gives presentations on topics such as sustainability, entrepreneurship and influencer marketing. Here she shares her experiences and insights from her journey as an entrepreneur and digital creator. Louise has also been both a moderator and panelist at several events.
If you would like to book Louise for your next event, you can contact her at contact@louliving.dk .
Are you interested in learning more about Louise's journey and the work behind IGEN? Then you can dive into her book "Guide to Entrepreneurship" , where she shares her insights and experiences with building a business from scratch.
