T Riman

Café Aunja – A welcoming experience in the heart of downtown

Café Aunja

Spotlight: Café Aunja – A welcoming experience in the heart of downtown

 

Located on Sherbrooke between Bishop and Mackay, Café Aunja is a unique and welcoming spot to grab coffee or tea and a quick bite, or to spend a relaxing afternoon working, studying or spending time with good friends.

 

As an Iranian café and tea house, Aunja offers the coffee and coffee beverages you’d expect in most cafes, as well as a unique selection of fragrant teas and cold drinks. 

 

For cold drinks, the hibiscus sharbat made with hibiscus syrup and basil seeds is an absolute delight, and the homemade lemonade with fresh mint is so refreshing. If you want something a little more decadent, you can’t miss the persian fog – black tea with milk, saffron syrup and pistachio. 

 

For something hot to welcome the cold weather, try a pot of tea latte – spiced black tea with milk and vanilla. Or try the borage valerian with persian borage, valerian, dried lime and rock candy. The ginger tea is served with fresh thyme and honey and the mint jujube just has to be experienced for yourself.

 

You can also opt for an expertly made filtered coffee, kick things up a notch with the black eye – a double shot of espresso blended with filtered coffee – or try Aunja’s version of a london fog which includes a hint of lavender.

 

And for food? If you go for breakfast, you’ll love the barbari bread served with every plate – a thick and hearty Iranian flatbread. We loved the traditional Iranian brunch that features walnuts, feta cheese, thick wedges of warm bread and homemade jam. For lunch, there are a variety of filling and healthy sandwiches to choose from, as well as a daily soup. There are several vegetarian options on the menu and everything is made fresh and deliciously.

 

What we really enjoyed was how welcoming the cafe felt, and how every dish and beverage looked like a work of art. With the heavenly scent of spices and beautifully decorated atmosphere, we truly felt relaxed and could easily see spending a morning or afternoon working here.

 

Café Aunja is located at 1448 Sherbrooke West, a stone’s throw from the Museum of Fine Arts, and has free wifi for customers.

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T Riman

Tech Talk by Tarek Riman: The Impact of Data & Analytics on Business Today and Tomorrow

This Tech Talk by Tarek Riman explores how data and analytics are reshaping how businesses make decisions, market to customers, and build products — and what to expect in the years ahead. Drawing on years of work across digital analytics, SEO, and growth marketing in Montreal, Canada, this talk distills the practical takeaways every business leader, marketer, and founder should know.

Why Data & Analytics Matter More Than Ever

Every interaction a customer has with a business now generates data — website visits, app sessions, in-store purchases, email opens, social media engagements. The companies that learn to capture, organize, and act on this data are the ones that grow fastest, retain customers longer, and adapt to market shifts before competitors.

Key Themes Covered in the Talk

  • The shift from reporting to decision-making — analytics is no longer about “what happened” but about “what to do next”.
  • Privacy, consent, and the post-cookie era — how to keep getting useful insights while respecting user privacy and complying with GDPR, Bill 25, and Apple’s privacy changes.
  • The rise of AI and machine learning in marketing — what’s hype, what’s already practical.
  • Building a culture of experimentation — A/B testing, hypothesis-driven product changes, and rapid learning loops.
  • Attribution in a multi-touch world — how to actually understand which marketing is working.

Practical Takeaways for Marketers and Founders

  • Start with clean data. Most analytics problems are actually data quality problems. Audit before you analyze.
  • Focus on a small number of metrics that matter. One North Star metric beats a dashboard of 50 indicators.
  • Invest in first-party data. Email, account signups, and direct relationships are the most resilient data assets.
  • Test small, scale what works. Run controlled experiments before rolling out big changes.
  • Build for explainability. Black-box AI is useful but harder to trust — keep humans in the loop.

What’s Coming Next in Data & Analytics

  • Privacy-preserving measurement: server-side tracking, modeled conversions, and aggregated APIs replacing third-party cookies.
  • Generative AI in everyday workflows: faster reporting, automated insights, but increased need for human judgement on quality and ethics.
  • Consolidation of the marketing stack: fewer tools doing more, with unified customer data platforms taking centre stage.
  • Real-time decisioning: the gap between data collection and action keeps shrinking.

About Tarek Riman

Tarek Riman is a Montreal-based marketing and analytics specialist who has worked with Canadian and international brands on growth, SEO, and digital strategy. He is the founder of Montreal Tips and a frequent speaker on data, analytics, and the future of marketing.

Related Talks & Articles

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T Riman
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Robotic Farming – The Future in Action in Montreal | A Feature on AquaVerti Farms

AquaVerti Farms
The evidence is as clear as the increasingly extreme weather conditions all over the world: we need to get serious about changing the way we do things if we’re going leave behind a livable planet. It’s a scary truth, but there’s also a lot to be optimistic about because there are so many initiatives working to do just that. One such initiative is a unique company in Ville St Laurent that’s blending technology from the automotive industry with Dutch agricultural practices to significantly reduce the carbon footprint of lettuce – a crop that typically requires a lot of land, water and pesticides to produce, and experiences a great deal of waste simply due to the delicacy of lettuce leaves and how easily they can be damaged in harvesting, packaging and transporting. Aquaverti Farms has developed a lettuce growing method that produces 0 greenhouse gases, uses 0 pesticides, and requires 95% less water than traditional farming methods. Housed in what is essentially a large factory, Aquaverti makes use of the vertical space with hydroponic ponds! How do the farmers get up there to tend to their crops? They don’t! The robots do. This is where automotive technology comes into play. Robotic machines set the ponds into place, monitor conditions and even harvest the crops. Aquaverti uses custom-designed LED lights and nutrients are fed directly into the pools growing the lettuce. It’s an incredibly efficiently process with just 35 days from seed to harvest. The picture in your mind right now (and in reality) is probably a far cry from that picturesque vision we have of rows of crops growing from the earth, bathed in the natural sunlight. It’s reasonable to wonder if crops grown in a factory can really be as nutritious as those grown traditionally. The answer is, even more so. Canada is the world’s largest importer of lettuce in the world (way to go on eating your leafy greens, folks!). That’s no surprise though, since our climate makes it a difficult crop to grow locally, and impossible to grow outdoors year round. If we want it, we have to import it. Unfortunately, from the moment most produce is harvested, it begins to gradually lose nutritional value. If it takes several days after harvesting for lettuce to reach your plate, it simply isn’t as nutrient-rich as it was straight from the farm. By producing locally, lettuce can reach your plate literally hours after harvesting, ensuring a fresher, crisper, more nutritious salad. Aquaverti has set of goal of producing up to 2000 heads of lettuce each day, year round. They are currently focused on growing curly lettuce as it is so easily damaged in transport. Growing it locally mean less transportation, which means less waste. As a bonus, curly lettuce is delicious and makes for beautifully instagrammable salads. Looks pretty good on a bacon double cheeseburger too. Can other vegetables be grown this way? Some, but not most. The conditions lettuce needs to grow well makes it uniquely suited for this type of farming, so while we likely won’t be seeing carrots or potatoes grown on hydroponic structures, it’s initiatives like Aquaverti that drive the innovation, creativity and passion we need to take our planet in a new, sustainable direction. Want to know more about Aquaverti Farms? Check out their website or follow them on Facebook.
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T Riman
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Y4Y Quebec Helps English-Speaking Youth Thrive!

Y4Y Quebec Helps English-Speaking Youth Thrive!
In 2018, Le Journal de Montreal commissioned a poll that revealed some discouraging figures about English-speaking Quebec youth. According to that poll, about 60% of respondents were considering leaving Quebec due to tensions between the anglophone and francophone communities.   That’s bad news for the Quebec economy at a time of record low unemployment rates, when finding top talent is more challenging than ever. Especially since many of the anglophones leaving the province, or considering leaving, are well educated, bilingual young people – people who could potentially fill some of those gaps in the labour market.   Y4Y (youth for youth) Quebec is a provincial non-profit youth network aimed at English-speaking Quebecers between the ages of 16 to 30. Their mission is to address the issues and concerns facing anglophone youth in the province, and build a sense of community and belonging among them. Through this mission, Y4Y hopes to help this demographic reach their fullest potential within the province, so that they ultimately decide to stay in Quebec. Y4Y Quebec Helps English-Speaking Youth Thrive! So, what of bilingualism and support of the French language? Through their own research, Y4Y has found that anglophone youth are actually big supporters of bilingualism, with over 90% of poll respondents saying they believed that learning both English and French is important to Quebec youth. Over 50% expressed an interest in improving their French proficiency, and several more expressed confidence in their current French-language skills.   With such interest in learning French and, in many cases, existing bilingualism, why do so many anglophone youth consider leaving? Both Le Journal’s poll and Y4Y’s research uncovered a disconnect with Quebec society. The Journal respondents claimed tensions between the anglophone and francophone communities to be concerning, while over 80% of Y4Y respondents expressed a moderate to non-existent attachment to Quebec society.   This disconnect is what Y4Y is working to remedy. Y4Y logo Through their work, they hope to inspire English-speaking youth to build the confidence to begin taking on more leadership roles throughout the province.   Despite the tensions (or perceived tensions), many Quebec youth of both communities want the same thing: a vibrant, dynamic society with strong leadership, a healthy economy and a growing labour market, where francophone language and culture are celebrated, and learning both languages is accessible to all.   Bridging the gap between the communities is how this becomes possible, and it is organizations like Y4Y that are leading the effort.   If you would like to know more about Y4Y, join the network, or otherwise get involved, visit their website or drop by their offices at 5964 avenue Notre-Dame-de-Grâce.   “Y4Y is now offering internships on an ongoing basis for cegep and university students in communications, marketing, political science, social sciences, and related fields. Please send your CV and a brief letter of intent to info@y4yquebec.org with the subject heading “Request for Internship” ?  
Tarek RimanFounder | Marketer | Speaker | Best Selling Author | University Instructor With a passion for exploration and sharing new discoveries, I founded Montrealtips.com, with proceeds going to the UN Refugee Agency, Montreal Children’s Hospital and other causes. I am also involved with NGOs & charities in Canada & worldwide. Tarek on Facebook | LinkedIn | Twitter 
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SPOTLIGHT: Kidtabulous – Caring and creative mobile childcare for events!

Kids laughing and having fun
Parents, have you ever been to Ikea and found yourself weighing the euphoric joy of shopping kid-free with the inevitable pink eye they’re going to get from the ball pit?   We all know that kids mean sacrifice, often of our personal freedoms, social opportunities and even opportunities to expand our horizons, skills and interests. Those sticky, whiny, bouncy, shrieking bundles of absolute joy truly are the most meaningful parts of our lives, and I for one would make the sacrifice over and over again. But boy do I ever love getting a break from them!   So when I came across Kidtabulous… holy cow. It’s almost worth planning a wedding all over again just so I can use their amazing service!   What is it?   Kidtabulous is a mobile child care service specifically for events – weddings, conferences, festivals, workshops, office parties, seminars and more.   Many parents don’t have a relative or trusted babysitter to leave their kids with, so offering quality, reliable and FUN child care at events makes them a lot more accessible to parents. It also allows kids to be a part of special events – weddings, christenings, reunions, graduations, etc. – in a way that really is fun for them. Because what four year old has ever sat quietly through speeches?   What they offer   There are different packages available, all of which can be customized according to the number of kids your expect, the length of time child care will be needed, how involved you want kids to be, etc.   You can opt for one of their pop-up playrooms that come with toys, games, craft supplies and activities, and allow kids to run wild without disturbing the event. There is also a kid’s table option that lets kids be part of the event (ideal for kid friendly weddings, family reunions, showers or festivals), but allows them a space just for them with toys and activities to keep them engaged. There is also an animated babysitting service so kids can be part of an event, or stay in the comfort of a hotel room or other personal space.   All options come with qualified, caring animators who are “expert nose wipers, sillies-shaker-outters, ‘use your words’ reminder-ers, and fun-stuff-to-do developers.” They take the time to get to know the children and find activities that keep them engaged, happy and having a great time.   They bring all the supplies and equipment, you provide the kids!   Pregnant woman making a heart with her hand   By moms, for moms (and dads)   Kidtabulous is owned by entrepreneur, I-yatah Holness. As an entrepreneur and mother herself, increasing the accessibility of social participation for mothers of young children is an initiative near and dear to I-yatah’s heart. Kidtabulous is all about opening doors for parents by ensuring kids aren’t just cared for, but are truly enjoying themselves while parents get the freedom to turn their full focus to the event.   She knows that parents want to feel good about where they’re leaving their children, and who they’re leaving them with. She knows they’ll want to check in and will want to chat with caregivers and tell them about their child. She knows they want their children to feel comfortable, happy and as at-home as possible. And that’s exactly what Kidtabulous aims to provide.   For your next event…   Whether it’s your office team building event, the company BBQ, your wedding or anniversary, annual conference, or any event that parents might attend, check out Kidtabulous, get a free quote, and consider how much you gain by opening up your event to even more people, and providing a truly unique and incredible service. Pink eye ball pits not included ;-)
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