The vast auditorium at HEC Montréal held six hundred attendees, mostly those burdened—or blessed—with the ambition of building something lasting. It was an assembly focused on the local, yet aiming definitively for the global. Harley Finkelstein, now a two-year resident, asserts that entrepreneurship isn't merely practiced in Montréal; it runs through the city's complex, often confusing, veins. This "Made in Montréal" event, organized by TechTO and its partners, was designed to unpack how that heritage translates into global scale.
Finkelstein does not mince words about the civic duty involved.
Founders must not simply exist; they must become force multipliers. There is a powerful, perhaps overwhelming, legacy to uphold. A history stretching back to the immigrant-founded factories along Chabanel Street. These origins—the garment sector, the early commerce—provide a foundational narrative often overlooked when discussing modern tech titans.
The burden of that history is evident.
The Weight of Humble Beginnings
The stories presented were jarring in their uniqueness, linking the hyper-modern with the fundamentally simple. Finkelstein pointed directly to his own lineage as proof of Montréal's innate drive. His grandfather, upon arrival in the 1950s, established an egg stand in the busy Jean-Talon Market. Eggs. A straightforward commodity.
That physical stand still operates today, powered, in a strange collision of past and present, by the global platform Finkelstein now leads.
David Segal, the co-founder of DavidsTea, offered a necessary defiance regarding the retail landscape. He argues explicitly that the strongest, most enduring concepts in retail originate from this city, bypassing the common assumption that Toronto holds the sole economic keys.
This competition, this stubborn insistence on local excellence, fuels the narrative. Segal knows the pressures, having guided DavidsTea to an IPO in 2015.
The 21st Century Tea
Now, Finkelstein and Segal have partnered, re-entering the world of beverages with Firebelly Tea, aiming to define what the "21st century tea company" must look like.
It is a focus on luxury, loose-leaf products, demanding precision in execution. The level of detail required for success is startling. Segal spent years perfecting the autowhisk, a small accessory designed for the ritual. The obsession required to refine a single item, merely a piece of equipment used to prepare tea, encapsulates the intensity needed to build a global idea from Canadian ground.
The founders' responsibility, they insisted, is to act as champions, tour guides for the city's inherent potential.
•**Key Takeaways for Founders
* Legacy Over Location Montréal possesses a rich history of immigrant-founded enterprise, from garment factories to global tech.• The Force Multiplier Finkelstein asserts that founders hold a distinct civic responsibility to amplify the city's entrepreneurial narrative.
• Retail Resilience Segal champions Montréal as the true source of high-quality retail concepts, citing a qualitative edge over other major Canadian economic hubs.
• The Power of Details The current collaboration, Firebelly Tea, emphasizes luxury and attention to minute detail, exemplified by Segal's long commitment to perfecting the autowhisk accessory.
In the city of Montreal, Canada, a unique breed of innovators has emerged, driven by a fierce passion for creativity and a willingness to take calculated risks. Here, the term "intrapreneurship" takes on a new meaning - not just as a buzzword, but as a way of ---. Intrapreneurship refers to the practice of driving innovation from within an established organization, leveraging the resources and stability of a company to launch new products, services, or initiatives that might not be possible in a traditional startup setting.
According to BetaKit, this approach has been gaining traction in Montreal, where companies are empowering employees to think like entrepreneurs and develop new ideas that can help drive growth.
Montreal's entrepreneurship ecosystem is thriving, with a diverse range of industries and sectors represented. From tech and AI to social impact and sustainable development, the city is home to a vibrant community of entrepreneurs, investors, and innovators.
BetaKit notes that Montreal's relatively low cost of --- and high quality of --- make it an attractive destination for startups and entrepreneurs looking to launch or grow their businesses.
The city's strong network of incubators, accelerators, and coworking spaces provides a supportive environment for entrepreneurs to connect, collaborate, and access resources and funding.
Alternative viewpoints and findings: Check hereSince moving to Montréal two years ago, Shopify president Harley Finkelstein has made i t clear that he thinks entrepreneurship runs through the ...○○○ ○ ○○○
No comments:
Post a Comment