After working for an investment fund, I opened a co-working space in Lisbon.

After my baccalaureate in Paris, I started communication studies at ISCOM. Doing networking is not a profession, I came up with the idea after speaking with a guidance counselor. At that time, I was lost and didn’t know what I wanted to do next. I like to listen to it because in the end I love my studies, especially the internships.

At the end of the course, I do an internship in a startup accelerator at London. I was lucky to be there, and then I was hired as a “Marketing Manager”. My role: Manage and announce the launch of the Startup Acceleration Program. After two years, I decided to look elsewhere.

I joined the marketing team at YPlan, a London startup – very popular at the time – that developed an app for booking tickets for various events (concerts, plays, exhibitions…). I am responsible for client relations, events and social networks. Six months after my arrival, I was summoned on a Monday morning with thirty of my colleagues, including my boss. The two co-founders tell us that the adventure is now over, due to lack of cash, and that we can go home. At 24, she’s taking shape!

I am back as a freelancer, organizing events from London that bring together startups, large groups and investment funds. These “events” take place in London, miami,Singapore And in Bahrain. A great experience to further discover the startup ecosystem.

Discover Lisbon in a time of health crisis

At twenty-eight, I returned to Paris. I always thought that by the age of 30 I would have my own business. Before I get into the reins, it seems interesting to me that I have experience with an investment fund. to do what? Go behind the scenes of the financial sector and discover how it works fundraiser. So, in December 2018, I joined CapHorn Invest, a European venture capital fund. I was appointed there as an “ecosystem manager”. My mission: to raise awareness of the fund and startups in the portfolio, organize community events for our entrepreneurs and connect them with our network of large investors and groups.

At the time of the second reservation, I decided to fly to Lisbon to train remotely. I really need to escape from Paris where I live at the time. The colours, the energy, the people, the closeness to nature, the weather… I fell in love with the Portuguese capital, where I spent three months before returning to Paris. After a few months, I left my box on a whim.

I am packing my bags, heading to Lisbon, where I will be moving in September 2021. I was 30 at the time and had no specific professional project in mind. I dig into the local ecosystem and wander around in a few co-working spaces, Places that have always inspired me the most. I’m not satisfied with the display: it’s often poorly laid out, poorly arranged and not very user-friendly. Convinced that it would be interesting to open one, I started looking for a place.

I met the owners of a mansion at the beginning of January 2022, in one of the best areas of the city, Principe Real. I shared a business plan with them and managed to convince them to give me two floors of the building for free to convert into a co-working space. Another good news, that they fully fund the development of the space (paintings on the walls, furniture and above all, fiber installation!). I am responsible for managing and introducing the place. We agree to share the profits.

The place opens on 1^Verse February 2022. A few weeks later, it’s already very crowded. filled with Freelancers Entrepreneurs and employees who decide to work remotely abroad. The majority are French and English, with an average age of about 35. I also host a French startup and a Portuguese digital marketing agency. In total, the venue hosts around 50 members. Some rent an office by the month (between 219 and 289 euros per month), others by the week (89 euros).

In addition to the co-working space, I now run a new space, which is located on the upper floor of the palace and is intended to host events (seminars, conferences, workshops, etc.). It is in high demand!

The goal: to open new spaces

What satisfies me most in my new life? The amazing encounters I have every day in the coworking space and at events. I also feel very free to do my own business. But this has a downside. Sometimes doing business alone can be difficult. We get frustrated easily, doubt all the time and can only rely on ourselves!

For me, entrepreneurship requires a little (a lot) of courage and a solid mind. In times of doubt, I sometimes think of the times when I was with a permanent contract, Where I had a simpler, less intense, less stressful and more comfortable life. It’s not always easy to implement your ideas when you’re not in your country, what’s more when you don’t speak the language (even if I’m learning Portuguese).

However, I will not regret my choice. Today I have a life that suits me. I think doing business in Portugal is a good decision. There are not as many players in the startup ecosystem (mutual funds, accelerators, incubators, etc.) as there are in Paris, Amsterdam, Berlin or London, but this is evolving. Hence the opportunities that arise, particularly in co-working spaces. It is said that Lisbon is on its way to becoming Europe’s new ‘Silicon Valley’ and the country has put in place many advantages, including economic and tax, to attract entrepreneurs from all over the world. The real plus here is that you can set up a venture quickly thanks to a strong and benevolent network and strong mutual support among the entrepreneurs.

There are many atypical buildings in Lisbon that are empty, abandoned for years, or awaiting purchase or renovation. In the meantime, they can quickly be turned into ephemeral co-working spaces. On top of that, I’m now working on opening a second co-working space. It is scheduled to open in early 2023 and will be entirely dedicated to entrepreneurs Web 3. A very promising sector that attracts a lot of talent here! »