Brandon Truaxe

Truaxe was born Ali Roshan in Tehran on 19 June 1978 during a lull in the unrest that would explode in revolution a few weeks later. His family left Iran and came to Toronto in 1995 as refugees. His mother died of breast cancer when he was young and his estranged father returned to Iran. He studied computer science at the University of Waterloo, graduating in 2001. His formative professional experience happened around this time, when he had an internship on analysis software for "one of the big cosmetic manufacturers — a big brand that owns many things" in New York, and was shocked at the mark-ups it charged.

Shortly after graduation, Truaxe founded a software development firm, Schematte Corporation, and a nutritional supplements company, Organic Senses Ltd. The companies were dissolved in 2008 and 2007 for failure to file annual returns.

In 2003, Truaxe founded his first skincare brand, Euoko, with partner Julio Torres, supported by Pasquale Cusano, a Vancouver jeweller, who served as his mentor and investor. Truaxe resigned from the company in 2011.

In 2009 he founded another skincare brand, Indeed Labs. Truaxe left Indeed Labs in 2012 to found DECIEM, his fourth business.

In early 2018, Truaxe was accused of erratic behavior. Co-founder of DECIEM Nicola Kilner stated that "Before 2018, he barely even drank alcohol," responding to reports that he was ingesting psychedelic mushrooms in front of employees, convinced of their creative and spiritual benefits. According to an interview with the Financial Post, Truaxe took crystal meth in Britain, leading to an arrest and treatment.

In October 2018, ELC sought legal action after Truaxe ordered all of DECIEM's operations to close with immediate effect due to "financial crimes". He reached out on social media claiming attacks on his reputation via false information and fear for the safety of his family and himself. Truaxe was ousted as CEO, and Kilner was appointed as the sole CEO. A few days later, a restraining order was issued against Truaxe after he had sent emails to ELC chair emeritus Leonard Lauder and other executives. Andrew Ross, executive vice president of strategy and new business development at ELC, and Pasquale Cusano, the Vancouver jeweller, were now the company's only board members. ELC's injunction also led to the appointment of Pricewaterhouse Coopers to investigate, and report to the board, the alleged financial crimes.