ecosystem / people / julien-smith
J

Julien Smith

Co-founder, Breather

PropTechMontreal

Julien Smith co-founded Breather, the Montreal company that rented private workspace by the hour, with designer Caterina Rizzi in 2012. Smith ran it as CEO until September 2018 and stayed on as board chair. Smith is also the co-author, with Chris Brogan, of Trust Agents, and was co-founder and CEO of Practice, a coaching platform, as of 2022.

Julien hasn’t spoken on a TechTO, TechVancouver or TechWaterloo stage. This profile is here because Julien co-founded Breather, which appears in 1 talk in the archive.

Around the web ×5

Podcast
113: Pivoting from Breather to Practice While Setting Better Boundaries with Julien SmithFree Time with Jenny Blake
2022
Podcast
Julien Smith on Building Breather and PracticeIntentional Performers
2022
Article
How This Rooms-on-Demand Entrepreneur Knew His Company Was a SuccessFox News
2016
Podcast
Julien Smith of Breather: I Was a Thought Leader Before a CEOUnbounce Call to Action
2016
Podcast
038: Julien SmithThe One You Feed
2014

Quick answers

Who is Julien Smith?

The co-founder and first CEO of Breather. The Globe and Mail reported on 2021-05-27 that Breather was founded in 2012 by business book author Julien Smith and designer Caterina Rizzi. BrainStation's magazine (2017-07-25) describes Smith and Rizzi as Montrealers.

When did Julien Smith step down as Breather's CEO?

In September 2018. TechCrunch reported on 2019-01-17 that co-founder Julien Smith stepped down as chief executive the previous September, three months after the $45 million Series C, and remained chairman of the board as former eBay executive Bryan Murphy took over.

What did Julien Smith do after Breather?

The Free Time with Jenny Blake podcast (2022-07-26) introduced Smith as co-founder and CEO of Practice, a business management platform for coaches. That role has not been verified on a current page.

What books has Julien Smith written?

Free Time with Jenny Blake (2022-07-26) lists three: Trust Agents and The Impact Equation, both co-written with Chris Brogan, and The Flinch, published with the Domino Project in 2011.

Suggest an edit
This is you? Claim this profileAsk to be removed
Know someone who belongs here? Suggest a profile
Maintained by TechTO · facts sourced and dated · last reviewed Sep 18, 2026