“After working in an investment fund, I opened a co-working space in Lisbon”

After I got my bac in Paris, I started communication studies at ISCOM. Doing networking is not a profession, I just came up with the idea after speaking with a guidance counselor. At the time, I was lost and didn’t know what I wanted to do next. I prefer listening to it because in the end I like my studies, especially the training periods.

At the end of the course, I do an internship in a startup accelerator in London. I was fortunate to be there and then was hired as a Marketing Manager. My role: Manage the launch and announcement of the startup accelerator program. Two years later, I decided to look elsewhere.

I joined the marketing team at YPlan, a London startup – very popular at the time – which developed an app for booking tickets for various events (concerts, plays, exhibitions…). I am responsible for customer relations, events and social networks. Six months after arriving, I was called on Monday morning with thirty of my colleagues, including my manager. The 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 come back to work as a freelancer, organizing events from London that bring together start-ups, large groups and investment funds. These “events” take place in London, Miami,Singapore And in Bahrain. A great experience to continue discovering 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 things, it seems interesting to me to have experience with an investment fund. to do what? Go behind the scenes of the financial sector and find out how it works for fundraising. So, in December 2018, I joined CapHorn Invest, a European venture capital fund. I was appointed there as “Ecosystem Manager”. My mission: to raise awareness of the fund and startups in the portfolio, organize community events for our entrepreneurs and connect them to our network of investors and large groups.

At the time of my second booking, I decided to fly to Lisbon for remote training. 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 chest on a whim.

I’m packing my bags, heading to Lisbon, where I will be relocating in September 2021. I was 30 years old at the time and didn’t have any specific professional project in mind. I dig into the local ecosystem and walk around a little co-working spaces, Places that have always inspired me a lot. I’m not convinced by the presentation: it’s often poorly placed, poorly arranged and not very user friendly. Convinced that it would be interesting to open one, I began 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 was able to convince them to give me two floors of the building for free to convert it into a co-working space. Another good news, it fully finances the development of the space (painting on walls, furniture and above all, installation of fibers!). I am responsible for managing and introducing the place. We agree to share profits.

The place called “A Dama Rosa” opens its doors at 1^Verse February 2022. After a few weeks, it is 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 years. I also host a French start-up and a Portuguese digital marketing agency. In total, the place hosts around 50 members. Some rent an office per month (between 219 and 289 euros per month), others per week (89 euros).

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

The goal: to open up new spaces

What pleases me most in my new life? The amazing encounters I do every day in the co-working space and at events. I also feel very free to do my own business. But this has a downside. Sometimes doing business on your own 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 I was in. permanent contract, Where I had a simpler, less intense, less stressful and more comfortable life. It is not always easy to implement your ideas when you are not in your country, and even more so when you do not speak the language (even if I am 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 (investment 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. Lisbon is said to be 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 quickly set up a project thanks to a strong and benevolent network and strong mutual support between entrepreneurs.

There are many atypical buildings in Lisbon that have been empty or deserted for years, waiting to be purchased or renovated. In the meantime, they can be quickly converted into ephemeral shared workspaces. Furthermore, I am now working on opening a second shared workspace. 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! »