{"id":13782,"date":"2026-01-21T11:47:02","date_gmt":"2026-01-21T16:47:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/futurpreneur.ca\/?p=13782"},"modified":"2026-01-28T09:51:22","modified_gmt":"2026-01-28T14:51:22","slug":"empowering-in-any-language-inspiring-lessons-from-the-first-ever-futurpreneur-francophone-growth-accelerator-in-montreal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/futurpreneur.ca\/en\/blog\/empowering-in-any-language-inspiring-lessons-from-the-first-ever-futurpreneur-francophone-growth-accelerator-in-montreal\/","title":{"rendered":"Empowering\u00a0in any language: Inspiring lessons from the first-ever Futurpreneur Francophone Growth Accelerator in Montreal"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

During Small Business Month last year, the vibrant city of Montreal hosted\u00a0the very first\u00a0Francophone\u00a0edition of\u00a0Futurpreneur’s\u00a0Growth Accelerator<\/a>. It was an inspiring and energizing\u00a0event!\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The two-day gathering brought together 15 Francophone entrepreneurs, ready to transform their aspirations into lasting success. It concluded with a pitch competition held at the National Bank of Canada (NBC)<\/a> offices, where the inspiring duo Arold Ramboasalama and C\u00e9cile Dijoux, Co-Founders of OR NOIR du Madagascar<\/a>, impressed the jury and took home the $10,000 grand prize! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beyond the presentations and handshakes, it was a true whirlwind of intensive learning that left a lasting impression. Participants left with concrete tools, sharp strategies, renewed confidence and a strengthened network. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wondering about the benefits of this unique program? Join us to discover the key lessons. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The program: a commitment to Francophone entrepreneurship<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

With financial support from its partners, Futurpreneur has developed this growth program in partnership with NBC, with a specific focus on the needs of Francophone, Acadian, and Quebec-based entrepreneurs. This program is offered exclusively in French to ensure that each participant fully understands the concepts and is supported in their preferred language. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Additionally, we have actively mobilized our Francophone partners, such as R\u00e9seau de D\u00e9veloppement \u00c9conomique et d\u2019Employabilit\u00e9 (RD\u00c9E Canada<\/a>), the Soci\u00e9t\u00e9 de D\u00e9veloppement \u00c9conomique de la Colombie-Britannique (SDECB)<\/a>, RD\u00c9E Nouveau-Brunswick<\/a>, the Soci\u00e9t\u00e9 \u00c9conomique de l’Ontario (S\u00c9O)<\/a>, and the F\u00e9d\u00e9ration des Gens d’Affaires Francophones de l’Ontario (FGA)<\/a>. These organizations were crucial in identifying these talented participants and making this program possible. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Francophone Growth Accelerator program began earlier this year with tailored supports to recognize the unique needs of Francophone entrepreneurs, positioning them to seize the best opportunities in French-speaking markets and beyond. To achieve this, the founders completed an intensive learning curriculum focused on network development and business growth. This included six virtual workshops led by recognized experts in the fields of marketing, operations, finance, as well as personal and professional development. The journey culminated in the two-day event in Montreal, which included a pitch competition, where the winners were awarded the grand prize of $10,000! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pitch competition<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the first day of the Growth Accelerator, the  entrepreneurs focused on the challenges facing French-speaking businesses and the importance of communicating with impact and authenticity. They also refined their pitches in an effort to prepare for the competition and even presented their businesses and prototypes to Futurpreneur’s partners. The next day, they delivered their pitches to a panel of Futurpreneur and partner judges.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Expert insight: a motivational message to boot growth<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the second day, before presenting their businesses to the pitch panel, participants had the opportunity to hear advice from \u00c9tienne Crevier, Founder of Entourage Investment Inc.<\/a> and Futurpreneur\u2019s board member. Crevier emphasized the importance of being able to explain one\u2019s vision clearly, reflecting on his own beginnings. He also discussed the challenges that hold entrepreneurs back..  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen faced with doubt, you have to silence the imposter syndrome and share the risk by surrounding yourself with the right team,\u201d Crevier said. When one of the entrepreneurs asked him how to manage the pressure that comes with taking loans, he was clear: \u201cBanks and organizations like Futurpreneur do not have the mission of bankrupting people, and taking out a loan proves above all that you are determined.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lessons for the future: A fresh look at long-term Francophone growth<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A few moments before the announcement of the winners, we collected impressions from the participants to highlight what they retained from this program. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Interprovincial trade as the new frontier of commercial success <\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Interprovincial trade emerged as the key element on which all participants agreed. “The most valuable advice I received throughout the program came from Mona-Lisa Prosper, Senior Director, Community Engagement at Futurpreneur. \u201cShe advised us not to limit our way of thinking; not to hesitate to look deeper as well, and that we should not only focus on the English-speaking side to do business. Going to other provinces is possible, as long as you connect with local people or organizations to learn how that province works and consider it as a new country or a new market,” says Ingrid Broussillion, Founder of The WoW Culture<\/a> in Vancouver, BC, and participant in the Francophone Growth Accelerator program. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Strategic communication and the key to persuading investors<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Several participants also praised the value of working on their pitch presentation and learning how to persuade investors. “Thanks to the Growth Accelerator, I developed a pitch presentation; I didn’t have one before. Now, I can identify the key elements of my business that are worth highlighting; I better understand the points that can persuade investors and what builds their trust. I also better understand how to anticipate the long-term effects of support from investors,” said Louis-Philippe Allard-Bergeron, Founder of Centre Hub Cr\u00e9atif<\/a> in Rivi\u00e8re-\u00c9ternit\u00e9, QC, and one of the four pitch competition finalists. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Assertiveness and networking to boost francophone entrepreneurship<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ben Liegey, Founder of Meilleure Table<\/a> from Vancouver, BC, and also one of the four pitch competition finalists, added that the Francophone Growth Accelerator helped him clarify and refine the long-term vision for his business. “This event allowed me to understand that I need to be more rigorous in terms of financial analysis and cash flow on a monthly basis. I’m also very grateful for networking with entrepreneurs across the entire country. That’s what initially attracted me to the program, as it’s very important for entrepreneurs to foster relationships. I realized that we share different challenges and different goals. But ultimately, we share much more in common than we think. It was very enriching.” <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This first Francophone edition of the Growth Accelerator confirms the immense potential and power of Francophone entrepreneurs. It\u2019s clear, the moment has arrived to embrace bold actions, build interprovincial connections and courageously drive success for these founders into the future. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ready to accelerate the growth of your small business? Do you want to be part of the next wave of Francophone entrepreneurial success? Learn more about the Futurpreneur Francophone Growth Accelerator program and explore how to start, buy or grow your own business through our loan with mentorship and resources!<\/em><\/strong> <\/strong>Click here<\/strong><\/a> to learn more.<\/em><\/strong> <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

During Small Business Month last year, the vibrant city of Montreal hosted\u00a0the very first\u00a0Francophone\u00a0edition of\u00a0Futurpreneur’s\u00a0Growth Accelerator. It was an inspiring and energizing\u00a0event!\u00a0 The two-day gathering brought together 15 Francophone entrepreneurs, ready to transform their aspirations into lasting success. It concluded with a pitch competition held at the National Bank of Canada (NBC) offices, where the inspiring duo Arold Ramboasalama and C\u00e9cile Dijoux, Co-Founders of OR […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":21,"featured_media":13562,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":true,"footnotes":""},"categories":[15,10,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13782","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-entrepreneurship","category-futurpreneurs-and-partners","category-social-impact-and-sustainability"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/futurpreneur.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13782","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/futurpreneur.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/futurpreneur.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/futurpreneur.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/21"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/futurpreneur.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13782"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/futurpreneur.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13782\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/futurpreneur.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13562"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/futurpreneur.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13782"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/futurpreneur.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13782"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/futurpreneur.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13782"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}