Deleo de Leonardis
Co-Founder & CEO at Purity-IQ
2 Nov 2026
What's actually in the product you just bought, and how do you know?
Behind every product is a brand's reputation, and a customer's expectation that it will deliver what it promises. As Co-Founder and CEO of Purity-IQ, Deleo de Leonardis leads a Canadian biotechnology company helping food, beverage and supplement businesses verify the authenticity of their products. In this Spotlight conversation, she shares her perspective on leading scientific talent, embracing the uncertainty of entrepreneurship, and the growing role of TIC in protecting the relationship between businesses and their customers.
Can you tell us about your background and how you got started in the TIC sector?
How much do we really know about the products we sell, and how much are we relying on trust? This question, more than any single career decision, is what eventually led me to co-found Purity-IQ.
I spent more than 30 years in the Canadian food and drug retail industry, holding senior leadership roles across merchandising, procurement, category management and, ultimately, serving as Vice President of Private Label at Sobeys, one of Canada's largest grocery retailers.
It was during my years leading private label that my perspective really changed. A retailer's private label isn't just another product. It's the retailer's own brand, and with that comes complete accountability. If something goes wrong, it's your reputation that's on the line.
While specifications, supplier relationships and quality systems were all essential, I became increasingly interested in whether there was a way to complement them with scientific proof.
The more I explored that question, the more convinced I became that there was an opportunity to move beyond trust by using science to verify that what's on the label is actually in the product. That curiosity ultimately led me to co-found Purity-IQ with three partners.
What is your approach to leadership and team management?
I'm not a scientist. Most of the people around me at Purity-IQ are, and that's exactly the point. My role isn't to tell them how to do the science. It's to make sure everyone understands where we're going, why it matters, and how their work contributes to that vision.
That has really been my approach to leadership from the start: hire talented people, make sure they understand what we're trying to accomplish and why it matters, and then let them do what they do best. I don't believe in micromanaging. You hire people because they bring expertise that you don't have; then you create an environment where they can use it.
I've also always believed that people are more engaged when they help shape the future rather than simply being told what it is. That's why we involve our team in strategy discussions, working groups and planning sessions whenever we can. When people have a genuine sense of ownership, they don't just execute a plan, they help build it.
What do you think is the biggest factor affecting the TIC industry at the moment?
Testing products or certifying compliance is no longer the whole job, that's the biggest shift I see in the TIC industry right now. It’s about becoming a strategic partner that helps organizations strengthen trust, manage risk and protect their brands.
As supply chains become more complex and consumer expectations continue to rise, companies are looking for more than test reports. They're looking for insights, confidence and partners who can help them strengthen their quality and integrity programs.
I think that's an exciting evolution for our industry because it creates opportunities to deliver far greater value than we've traditionally been asked to provide.
“Ultimately, curiosity led me to co-found Purity-IQ. There was an opportunity to move beyond trust by using science to verify that what’s on the label is actually in the product.”
Can you speak to the biggest challenges you have faced in your career and how you overcame them?
Without question, the biggest challenge in my career was reinventing myself after more than 30 years in the corporate world. Becoming an entrepreneur isn't a career change - it's starting over. In a large organization, you have established systems, resources and teams around you. Building a company from the ground up is something else entirely.
Making that leap into a science-based business made it even more challenging. I'm not a scientist, and I've never pretended to be one. Early on, I realized my role wasn't to become the scientific expert. It was to surround myself with exceptional scientists, ask good questions, challenge assumptions and bring together people with complementary strengths around a common vision.
In many ways, that experience reinforced what I'd always believed about leadership. You don't have to be the smartest person in every discipline. You have to build a team that is. And I discovered that curiosity can be just as valuable as technical expertise.
What do you hope your legacy at Purity-IQ will be?
I want Purity-IQ to change how this industry thinks about trust. Building a successful laboratory would be an achievement, but it's not the legacy I'm after.
Every day, we're challenging the assumption that documentation alone is enough. My hope is that we've helped shift the conversation toward independent scientific verification.
If Purity-IQ becomes known for giving people real confidence that products are what they claim to be, that's the legacy I'd consider meaningful.
How do you spend time outside of work?
Outside of work, I enjoy spending time with my spouse and our dog, Maisie. I also love swimming. It's one of the few times I completely disconnect from everything else. The pace is slow and almost meditative, and some of my best thinking happens while I'm in the pool.
I've always been curious by nature, so I spend a lot of time reading and learning. Whether it's business, science, technology or something completely unrelated, I enjoy exploring new ideas and understanding how things work.
I also enjoy mentoring young entrepreneurs. It's rewarding to share some of the lessons I've learned over the years, but I often find I learn just as much from them.
If you could speak to your 20-year-old self, what would you say?
At 20, I never would have imagined I'd spend more than 30 years in retail and then co-found a science-based company. So the advice I'd give myself is simple: don’t worry so much about having everything planned out. Careers rarely unfold the way you expect them to, so don't be afraid of change.
Reinventing yourself isn't a sign that you've taken the wrong path. It's often how you find the right one. Every stage of my career prepared me for the next, even when I couldn't see the connection at the time.
When you think about the world your grandchildren will inherit, what do you hope we get right?
Curiosity - that's what I hope we don't lose. Curiosity drives discovery, innovation and progress, but it also teaches humility.
The more we're willing to ask questions, challenge assumptions and learn from one another, the better equipped we'll be to solve the challenges that lie ahead.
If future generations inherit a world that encourages curiosity and lifelong learning, I think they'll be well equipped for whatever comes next.
“I've also always believed that people are more engaged when they help shape the future rather than simply being told what it is.”
