MAISON DE L'AFRIQUE-MANDINGO INC.

What MAISON DE L'AFRIQUE-MANDINGO INC. does

Maison de l'Afrique-Mandingo Inc. is a Montreal-based non-profit cultural organization operating since 2010 from 6256 Avenue Henri-Julien. It functions as a community cultural center serving the African diaspora, new immigrants, African artists, and entrepreneurs in the Greater Montreal area. Core offerings include event space rental, recurring community programming (language practice sessions in French and Spanish, music jam sessions, philosophy nights, chess nights, family activities under the "Petit Explorateur" banner), Africa Month celebrations, employment assistance, and African art exhibitions built around a permanent collection of masks and artifacts.

The organization has built a small digital footprint that complements its physical venue: an online boutique at boutique.mdamtl.com for African cultural products, and the #RDF LE PODCAST audio series. Programming is curated in collaboration with several partner organizations, including Africa Web Festival, BAM.IND, AMUQ, Koostiiga, Académie des Baobabs, and Uplift514 Management. Leadership is anchored by Mariam Sy Diawara (President), with Moussa Diawara appearing as an author/contributor.

The business model combines multiple small revenue streams: venue rental, ticketed events priced in the $9.99-$20+ range (with free entry for seniors 65+), workshop and class fees, and boutique sales. The organization is community-funded through these activities and partner collaborations rather than through disclosed grants, sponsorship, or venture funding. Scale is modest: a single physical venue, low per-ticket pricing, and a niche audience base indicate a small community-organization operating budget.

Name

MAISON DE L'AFRIQUE-MANDINGO INC.

Legal name

MAISON DE L'AFRIQUE-MANDINGO INC.

Website

https://maisondelafriquemontreal.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Maison de l'Afrique-Mandingo is a Montreal-based non-profit cultural center serving the African diaspora community since 2010, offering event space rental, an online boutique, language practice sessions, music jams, philosophy nights, and African art exhibitions including a permanent mask collection.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cultural Community Center

NAICS

Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Arts, Crafts & Maker Fairs (MPAGAFAJ)

Keywords

• Cultural center services
• Community event hosting
• Language practice sessions
• Art exhibition venue
• Cultural heritage programming

Headquarters

HQ city

Montréal

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Venue Rental: The space is available for rentals every day of the week, generating revenue from hosting external events and activities.
2. Event Ticketing and Fees: Revenue from admission fees to various cultural events, performances, workshops, and screenings. Fees range from free events to paid activities priced between $9.99 and $20+.
3. Shop Sales: Online boutique offering African-themed products and merchandise.
4. Workshop and Class Fees: Fees collected for language practice sessions (French and Spanish practice groups), art workshops, and educational programming.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Maison de l'Afrique-Mandingo Inc. operates a Montreal-based African cultural center that delivers community programming including art exhibitions, concerts, dance performances, film screenings, language practice sessions (French and Spanish), music jams, chess nights, philosophy discussions, and family activities. The organization also rents its event space to outside groups, runs an online boutique selling African-themed merchandise, produces a podcast, and provides employment assistance to community members.

Product overview

Maison de l'Afrique Montréal is a cultural community center that offers a diverse portfolio of services centered on African culture promotion. The organization provides event space rental for private and community events, language practice sessions (French and Spanish), music jam sessions (JAM NIGHTS), philosophy discussions, chess nights, and family activities like Petit Explorateur. It also hosts the annual Africa Month celebration, maintains an online boutique, produces a podcast (#RDF LE PODCAST), offers employment assistance, and curates African art exhibitions including a permanent collection of masks. The services are provided both at the physical venue (6256 Avenue Henri-Julien) and through online platforms.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Event Space Rental Rental of the venue at 6256 Avenue Henri-Julien, Montreal, available every day of the week for private functions, cultural activities, and community gatherings.
• French Practice Sessions Small-group French language conversation practice sessions priced at $9.99 per session, including coffee, tea, and snacks, for language learners and newcomers.
• Spanish Practice Sessions (Entonces) Friday-evening Spanish conversation practice sessions organized by MCEP at the venue, priced at $11.99 per session.
• JAM NIGHTS Music jam sessions for musicians and singers hosted at the venue's premises.
• Philosophy Nights English-language philosophy discussion evenings organized by MCEP on Saturday evenings at the venue.
• Chess Nights (ICC Chess Knight) Friday-night chess evenings hosted by ICC Chess Knight at the venue, priced at $10 per session.
• Africa Month Month-long celebration of African cultures, diasporas, and diversity held each May, featuring exhibitions, conferences, film screenings, gastronomy, and other cultural activities.
• Petit Explorateur Family-oriented percussion and music immersion activity for children aged 6 and up, featuring artist Gotta Lago's 'Rythmes en folie' performance.
• Employment Assistance (Aide à l'emploi) Job search assistance services offered to community members to support employment outcomes.
• African Art Exhibitions Regular exhibitions of African art including a permanent mask collection (Grebo, Gouro, Rega, Baoulé, Yoruba, Punu, Tchokwés, Dan), Africa Web Festival retrospectives, and rotating curated shows.

Quantifiable outcome

• Serves as the main venue for Africa Month celebrations in Montreal, partnering with BAM.IND, Konbitage, and Ciné Cozry AfroQueb

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Africa Web FestivalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAfrica Web Festival is a major digital technology festival held annually in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire. Maison de l'Afrique serves as the North American partner, hosting exhibition previews and promotional events. The partnership celebrates African digital innovation and entrepreneurship.
• KoostiigaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKoostiiga is listed as a partner organization, collaborating on cultural programming and events.
• BAM.INDcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBAM.IND is a collective of Black creators celebrating Black pride and creativity. They are a key partner for Africa Month celebrations and cultural events, focusing on Black culture, music, diversity, fashion, and art.
• AMUQ (Association de la musique urbaine du Québec)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAMUQ is the Urban Music Association of Quebec. Maison de l'Afrique hosts their events including the 'Talk 4 talk' series and 'L'Édition musicale en bref' workshops, supporting urban music professionals.
• Académie des BaobabsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for family-oriented cultural events including Fête Nationale du Québec celebrations with African ambiance, BBQ, and artistic performances.
• Uplift514 ManagementminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDance booking agency for Afro-Urban dancers and choreographers. Maison de l'Afrique announced their partnership for the launch of this dance agency in June 2023.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Koostiiga: A Montreal-based cultural organization focused on African-diaspora community programming. A partner of Maison de l'Afrique, it is comparable as a peer community-anchored Montreal organization addressing similar audiences.
• The Africa Center: A New York City-based cultural institution dedicated to African diaspora arts, culture, and community programming. Directly comparable as a purpose-built hub serving African diaspora audiences through exhibitions, performances, and convening.
• National Black Theatre: A Harlem-based African-American cultural institution producing theater, exhibitions, and community arts programming. Comparable as a venue-based African-diaspora cultural organization delivering mixed-format community programming.
• BAM.IND: A Montreal-based collective of Black creators celebrating Black pride, music, diversity, fashion, and art. Directly comparable as a Black-community cultural organizer operating in Montreal with overlapping programming partnerships.
• Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute: A New York-based cultural organization serving Caribbean and African diaspora communities through arts, education, and community development. Highly comparable in mission and hybrid programming model.

Emerging players

• AMUQ (Association de la musique urbaine du Québec): Quebec's Urban Music Association, focused on supporting urban music creators. A core partner of Maison de l'Afrique, comparable as a niche cultural organization serving Black and diaspora creative communities in Montreal.

Regional players

• Afro Toronto Community Centre: A Toronto-area organization serving African and Caribbean diaspora communities with cultural programming. Comparable in mission and service mix but operates in a different Canadian city, so not a direct competitor.

Broad incumbents

• Réseau des Maisons de la Culture de Montréal: A city-funded network of cultural centers across Montreal offering exhibitions, performances, and community events. Comparable as a multi-venue cultural programming platform, though broader in mandate than the African-diaspora focus.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfr-ca.facebook.com/maisonafriquemtl

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about MAISON DE L'AFRIQUE-MANDINGO INC.