Dear friends and supporters of Notman House,

As I am contemplating the end of an era, my heart is filled with a blend of emotions. It is with a mix of pride and nostalgia that I announce my departure as the Managing Director of OSMO and Notman House. This journey has been nothing short of extraordinary, and today, I want to take a moment to reflect on the incredible experiences we have shared.

A Dream Come True

When I joined the OSMO Foundation 7 years ago, it was more than just a job opportunity—it was a chance to realize the dream of having my own restaurant. Initially welcomed as the manager of the OSMO café, I dove headfirst into the challenge of making this place a gathering place adapted to the needs of our community, a restaurant recognized on the local scene and a profitable business. I’m really proud today to see how far we’ve come since 2016, and very happy with the innovative partnership we’ve set up with the talented Marusan team.

Be a Part of Something Transformative

The Notman House project started in 2009: the idea that Montreal needed a home for Montreal tech entrepreneurs. The inspiring thing about Notman House is that it is an historic property that was abandoned for 10 years and that is now at the service of the future of the economy. The house itself is named after an entrepreneur, William Notman, a visionary of image and information technology, so there’s a nice continuity. The process that led to the safeguarding and enhancement of the emblematic Notman House is exemplary, notably with one of the first socio-funding campaigns using the Indiegogo platform to raise the missing $100,000 (and more!) in 20 days.

Notman House was envisioned as a hub for innovation, collaboration, and growth—a platform that would catalyze the aspirations of Montreal’s tech community. With the depth and breadth of community organizations, it has enabled as well as the billions of dollars of value created by the startups, and now scale ups, companies that have been built using the infrastructure platform that is Notman House, I can confidently say that we have surpassed those lofty expectations.

Nurturing a Thriving Community

One of the most rewarding aspects of my role has been witnessing the growth and vibrancy of the Notman House community. From talented entrepreneurs and aspiring startups to seasoned investors and mentors and accelerator programs, our shared space became a melting pot of creative minds. We fostered an environment that encouraged collaboration, sparked innovation, and celebrated diversity. Through over thousands of events, workshops, and networking activities, we provided a platform for individuals to connect, learn, and thrive.

I couldn’t talk about the importance of community, and my time at Notman, without mentioning the impact of the pandemic on our team, our organization and the startup community. 2020 was the start of an extremely difficult period. I remember Monday, March 16, 2020, when I had to deal with the unimaginable: orchestrating the partial closure of Notman House, implementing sanitary measures on campus and setting up a COVID-19 protocol…not to mention having to say goodbye to almost the entire team.

It is clear now that the world needs places and opportunities to connect. I am humbled to say that Notman has been able to adapt to a new reality, offering rental spaces in flex mode and with shorter-term commitments. While most traditional coworking spaces have an occupancy rate around 70%, Notman is now fully booked. I’m also immensely proud of and grateful to the team and the community instigators behind our recurring “Wednesdays at Notman” themed event program which, since November, has brought together 1,200+ individuals from diverse backgrounds, in person!

With 213 current residents and members and the ambition of adding hundreds more with the SOMO club, over a thousand visitors a month, I can say without a doubt that Notman is more vibrant than ever.

Building bridges, Breaking barriers

Our impact extends beyond the walls of Notman House. We actively engaged with the local community, forging partnerships and collaborations for the benefit of the community and the common good.

Launched in 2016 with the support and values of OSMO, Techaide is a grassroots collective to inspire the Montreal tech ecosystem to get together to give back to our local community. Since then, the Techaide ambassadors have raised 3.5M$ for Centraide, to fight against poverty in the greater Montreal area. In 2022, we secured a partnership to solidify our support for the volunteer collective behind this impactful initiative.

Since 2017, in collaboration with Startupfest and MTL Newtech, we have organized the Startup Community Awards to honour those who build our ecosystem day after day. With over 12 winners, hundreds of attendees, and numerous partners every year, it’s truly a fine example of collaboration by and for the community.

In 2018, we took over the AI4Good program for its second year of operation. Five years later and thanks to the invaluable contribution of dedicated advisors, numerous partners and a talented team, the program now has 3 locations and enables 90 young women a year to perfect their knowledge and skills in ethical AI development. Since 2023, the program has been part of the MILA portfolio.

Just before COVID hit, we organized our first Nuit Blanche event Lumière sur Notman, a multidisciplinary event where we opened our doors and locked down Clark Street for a carnival night. We gave coupons to 150 neighbours and had over 350 visitors that night!

We’re always delighted to put our network to good use, collaborate on impactful initiatives and offer a place where everyone can come together. We pride ourselves on welcoming, listening to and guiding those who come through our doors, whether physical or virtual – that’s our DNA.

A Legacy to Cherish

As I pass the baton to a new leader, I’m confident that Notman will continue to thrive, playing a key role in the Montreal tech ecosystem and offering the best experience to its stakeholders. I’d even go so far as to say that it’s starting a new cycle: what will we do today that others won’t, and which will bring us another 10 years later? I am grateful to our dedicated team and board of directors, past and present, our incredible partners, and all those who believe in our mission. Together, we have created a legacy that will inspire generations to come and that provides a solid foundation to accompany the ecosystem into its next phase of development.

I carry with me memories that will forever be etched in my heart. The laughter, the camaraderie, and the collective drive for excellence will remain as a testament to what can be achieved when a community comes together. To the countless individuals who have welcomed me in this generous, smart and authentic community , thank you for being a part of this extraordinary journey.

I now look forward to embarking on new adventures, leveraging the invaluable experiences gained during my tenure at Notman House. As I sign off, I leave you with a simple message: continue to dream, dare, and disrupt. The world needs your ideas, your passion, and your unwavering belief in the power of the community.

With deepest gratitude,

Annie-Claude Devriese

Events and community at Notman this summer!

Fall is now upon us and it’s shaping up to be a busy one. We’re working on some really great programming right now!

But still, we’re thinking about our eventful summer. After two years of rather slow activities, it was a pleasure to have so many opportunities during the warm season to meet the startup community of Montreal and the rest of Quebec and Canada!

Here’s a look back at the events that marked the summer of 2022 for Notman:

May

Summer at Notman started at the end of May, when we held our first community 5@7 on our terrace, thanks to the nice weather! We spent the evening with close to 40 participants. This 5@7 was also an opportunity for us to raise funds for the Techaide Soccer Tournament, and we are proud to have raised over $400!

The next day, a major event was held in the Clark room, the Montreal stop of Countdown to Collision, touring Canada in anticipation of Collision, the fastest growing tech conference in North America to take place in Toronto the following month.  The opportunities and challenges of Montreal as a tech hub were the topic of the evening, with Katy Yam of Real Ventures and Scott Loong of Panache Ventures as special guests and over 75 attendees.

One of our summer 2022 Happy Hour

June

We started the month of June at the Techaide Soccer Tournament, a truly inspiring fundraising event. The Notman Team, made up of a dozen players, raised $1230 and, to our surprise, made it to the semi-finals! But most importantly, the 32 participating teams raised over $60,000 to help Centraide fight poverty and social exclusion in Montreal.

We couldn’t pass June without highlighting Pride month. So in collaboration with our friends at Queertech, we organized what was supposed to be a Pride BBQ. In the end, the bad weather led us to do an indoor Pride Pizza Night instead, but it was still a very nice evening with close to 100 people!

The month ended with another one of our famous community 5@7. Thanks to the 70 people who attended, we once again saw the appeal of these simple networking evenings open to all! And we raised a nice $600 for the Techaide volleyball tournament this time!

The the Notman Team, after an amazing day on field

July

In July, it was of course the first edition of Startupfest in person since the pandemic that was the main event for the startup community.

And for us too! Not only were we very happy to participate in this large-scale event and to meet startups, entrepreneurs and support organizations from all over Canada, but we were also very proud to welcome them to our home!

Indeed, the Startupfest After Hours at Notman on July 14th was one of the highlights of the summer. Organized in collaboration with Montreal NewTech, this evening where close to 400 people came to Notman to celebrate, network, have a drink and dance was a huge success.

Startupfest AfterHours, an incredible evening

The next day, at our booth at the Grand Quai, people were talking about it and the enthusiasm was palpable. Needless to say, we can’t wait to do it again!

August

August started with a first ever Offsite for the Notman team. We had the opportunity to discuss values, strategies, projects and goals. We also had a lot of fun getting to know each other through games, shared meals and a memorable outing to an escape room.

What we love most is when Notman residents take the initiative to organize events by and for the community. In August, Sanjay (Livescale) and Teja (Wamble) did just that, hosting a game night and BBQ for the House. Another great opportunity to spend time together and get to know each other!

And, both in July and August, we closed the month with a 5@7 on the terrace and about 40 participants.

Notman at Zú? That’s right! For our first ever offsite

September

Another community member’s initiative helped us start September off with a bang. Sam Haffar of Real Ventures organized a BBQ for the entire community on the Notman Terrace. There were 200 people in attendance. Another event that proves the importance of human contacts and meetings in the startup ecosystem!

And finally, we got to play volleyball with the 14 teams of the Techaide tournament. Team Notman raised $1160 and all the teams raised over $20,000. Another great success for Techaide, its team of volunteers and the Montreal tech community.

The Notman Team on the volley ball court

In short, it was a busy summer and we hope you enjoyed it as much as we did. Now it’s time to get ready for our recurring events! Stay tuned!

You have an idea for an event by and for the startup community? Contact us.

A successful networking – Learning Day at Maison Notman House

Schedule

• 9am: Workshop – Best practices in talent acquisition workshop with Sourcinc (conditional participation)
• Noon: Lunch’n’learn – How to protect sensitive data with Flinks
• 1pm: Office Hours with Fasken
• Bring your own lunch or order a delicious lunch box from Café OSMO ($7)

Once a month, we welcome you to Notman House for a series of workshops/conferences/networking on finance, human resources, strategic positioning and much more! Over the year, we will host diverse experts who offer you food for thoughts.

The formula: Register for the activities (free) get a lunch box for only 7$ (optional), the workshop is restricted to entrepreneurs.

➝ Workshop – Best practices in talent acquisition by Sourcinc

The workshop is intended exclusively for entrepreneurs, founders, managers of start-ups or small businesses. Workshop in french

In a context of labour shortage, attracting and hiring talent can prove to be quite a challenge! As part of this workshop, Sourcinc will discuss the basic principles and best practices for talent acquisition to help you build a talented team. Learn more about the pitfalls to avoid and discover essential tools. The experts will answer all your questions and discuss use cases with you.

Speakers

Cynthia Bazinet (Talent Sourcing Expert, Sourcinc)

Cynthia has worked with growing startups, tech companies and in the Visual effects and 3D industry of Montreal and New York. She has studied administration and labour law.

Sara-Catherine St-Laurent (Talent Sourcing Expert, Sourcinc)

Sara-Catherine started her career in the financial sector and has worked in larger companies and more recently in SMEs. She also has a great knowledge of the creative sector, having worked with Cirque du Soleil, Gameloft and TRIOTECH.

Discover Sourcinc’s services

➝ Lunch&learn – How to protect sensitive data with Flinks

Protecting our data is a subject a startup must face at one time or another. But when you’re a small business, can you protect your data without breaking the bank? Come meet Francis Lepine, Data Protection Officer at Flinks who will give us best practices in data protection. Reserve your lunch box with Café OSMO for this new monthly Lunch&Learn edition. English conference

Speaker

Francis Lépine (Data Protection Officer, Flinks)

Francis Lépine is responsible for Data protection at Flinks. He speaks fluent data privacy, system security, entrepreneur, and auditor – so he explains what we are doing, and why, in plain English.

Discover Flinks

➝ Office Hours with Fasken

After lunch, set foot in the door of Notman House. Book a 20-minutes clinic with an expert every month. This month, come talk to a lawyer from Fasken.

Fasken is a full-service law firm with offices located all around the world. They offer comprehensive legal expertise from all types of industries.

Discover Fasken

*This event is over, but discover our other events here. We have a lot of networking opportunities!