Pitch4Good : Education and talent – The winner of the first edition was awarded a $5,000 grant from the event’s presenter, National Bank, for his SIMclusion project.

Pitch4Good

Pitch4Good : Education and talent, is the 1st edition of a pitch competition for impactful solutions organized by Notman House in collaboration with the Esplanade and presented by the National Bank. It is a recurring quarterly event based on themes inspired by the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to showcase Quebec entrepreneurs and their projects to change the world.

More than a competition, Pitch4Good also aims to bring together actors and actresses in impact from all over Quebec and thus create a community that will make a real positive difference on the societies here and elsewhere.

The first edition was held last Tuesday, November 15, in the Clark Room of the Notman House and was themed Education and Talent. It was a perfect fit with the Impact Week program organized by Startup Montreal and its partners.

Un pitch en 2 minutes

The six finalists of the competition were selected from a pool of about 20 projects in the ideation or start-up phase submitted during the call for applications. The tough decision was made by an Esplanade selection committee supported by Notman. The finalists had a chance to win a $5,000 grant to help them get their project started. At the event, they each had 2 minutes to pitch in front of the jury and the audience, without visual support. This pitch was followed by 5 minutes of questions from our judges.

The jury was composed of :

6 finalists and their 6 ideas

The theme of the evening, Pitch4Good : Education and talent, could be declined in several ways:

  • Education: For equal access to quality education, lifelong training and professional development, valuing all forms of learning…
  • Making work and employment accessible to all: to people of diversity, people with disabilities, immigrants, young adults, people with or without diplomas…
  • For healthy and sustainable workplaces: Well-being at work, equality in the workplace, fostering diversity of talent, workplaces that promote talent retention…

And the participants’ projects were just as varied in their approach to the topic.

Here they are:

Anne-Marie L’Écuyer, Unique et Dys

Unique et Dys is a solution that allows students with learning or neurodevelopmental disabilities to increase their autonomy in the classroom to overcome their difficulties and graduate. The idea is to offer a computer adapted to the needs of the student according to his intervention plan and to teach him to use the right tools to overcome his difficulties, without adding to the teacher’s workload.

Argenis Mills, SIMclusion

SIMclusion is a solution to support HR managers in hiring and including diverse and immigrant workers in their team to address the labour shortage. Through a simulation that leads HR managers to create and manage a multicultural team, managers are equipped and sensitized to implement inclusive practices.

Mariam Coulibaly, Jeune étoile!

Jeune Étoile is a program by Startop, an incubator for women’s communities, aimed at accompanying 10 Afro-descendant women under the age of 30 towards the discovery and realization of their entrepreneurial potential. The program is a lever towards the creation of their own jobs for these young women who often come from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Marilou Éthier, Olie

Olie is a platform that supports parents of children between the ages of 3 and 12 in sexuality education and offers educational video content, interactive games and access to health professionals. It complements the sexuality education offered at school and integrates open conversations at home to create safe and healthy habits.

Roxanne Leduc, Cap Inclusive

Cap Inclusive’s goal is to increase the number of women partners in venture capital funds in Canada. Through a matchmaking platform, hiring venture capital firms can access a diverse set of candidates and find candidates who are a good fit for the position and the organization more easily and quickly.

Sergeline Isidore, Mon bras droit éduc

Mon bras droit éduc is a project that matches graduate students with disabilities and support peers. These volunteers, from the academic community, organizations and the general public, are trained to provide effective service to students. This allows students to overcome the barriers caused by their disability and increase their graduation rate.

Needless to say, it was a tough choice for the judges, but in the end, Argenis Mills and SIMclusion won the $5,000 prize presented by the National Bank. Congratulations!

And congratulations to the other 5 finalists for their audacity and their will to change the world. We will follow your projects with attention and interest!

A big thank you to the jury for their committed participation and a more than difficult choice. Thanks also to our master of ceremony, Chantal Thieblin Goffoz, Director of Impact and Development at Evol, for her presence and energy.

Check out the pictures of the event here.

What’s coming up for Pitch4Good?

  • February 2023 : Women, science and technology
  • April 2023 : Preservation of biodiversity and natural resources
  • November 2023 : Theme TBA