John Molson School of Business students pitch B2B mental wellness startup on Dans l’oeil du dragon
From left: John Molson graduate student entrepreneurs Jasmine Zahr and Manon Vaisse.
When Concordia grad student Manon Vaisse, BComm 24, appeared on entrepreneurship-themed TV show Dans l’œil du dragon (Dragons’ Den), she hoped to secure financial support for her startup, TaskiesPro. While the show’s business moguls, known as “dragons”, did not make her an offer, she says the experience became a turning point that helped reshape her company’s future.
“We started as a marketplace for wellness services and evolved into a cloud-based platform designed for Quebec businesses,” Vaisse says.
Co-founded by Vaisse and fellow John Molson School of Business student Jasmine Zahr, TaskiesPro now helps Quebec organizations manage psychosocial risk compliance and support workplace mental health. By centralizing tools, documentation and reporting, the platform helps employers better track and address workplace well-being requirements related to Quebec’s Law 27, which defines employer obligations related to occupational health and safety.
The Dans l’œil du dragon episode featuring the Concordia startup will air on ICI Télé on May 20 at 8 p.m. Viewers can also stream the show on Radio-Canada.
Co-op experience key to success
Vaisse and Zahr have already gained momentum since the pivot. The founders joined the Centech acceleration program, a Montreal-based incubator that supports high-potential science and technology startups.
They’ve also built a platform and secured their first pilot projects, with deployments planned for this summer.
Vaisse says Concordia’s entrepreneurship co-op program played a key role in helping advance the company. Instead of completing a traditional co-op placement with an external employer, she spent her work term building her own startup.
“I was able to fully dedicate myself to developing the business and leading a major pivot,” Vaisse says. “The co-op program gave me the structure and flexibility to truly invest myself in building TaskiesPro.”
A natural next step
The entrepreneurship co-op pathway is one example of the experiential learning opportunities available at Concordia, allowing students to apply academic knowledge to real-world entrepreneurial challenges.
“Entrepreneurship work terms are unique co-op internships that give students the time and focus to develop their startups,” says Anna Sommer, program coordinator at the Institute for Co-operative Education.
She adds that Vaisse’s recent opportunities are a natural next step following the hands-on approach of co-op learning.
“These experiences show how Manon’s co-op work term was integral to her journey of developing and improving her startup,” Sommer says. “Manon’s professionalism and commitment showed through at every turn, and she took every challenge or obstacle as an opportunity to adapt, improve and develop a better company.”
Beyond the dragons’ den
As TaskiesPro prepares for its next phase of growth, Vaisse says pitching to the Dragons taught her the value of adaptability.
“The feedback we received completely shifted our perspective,” she says. “Looking back now, it helped us build something stronger and more focused.”
Watch the TaskiesPro founders deliver their pitch on ICI Télé on May 20 at 8 p.m. or stream the segment on Radio-Canada.
Learn more about co-operative education at Concordia.