Christine is co-founder and managing partner of Accelia Capital, a $60 million venture capital fund that invests in technology companies and prioritizes women-owned and women-led businesses. She has extensive experience in technology, private equity, governance and finance. She has sat on numerous boards, including Cominar (CUF-UN), Fonds de solidarité FTQ, Héma-Québec, Centre d’innovation C2MI and Oxfam-Québec. Christine is a pioneer in Quebec as a woman technology entrepreneur and venture capitalist. Most notably, she was co-owner and president of Versus, a technology company that was recognized as one of Canada’s fastest-growing, and whose sale she successfully negotiated to a global company. She was also one of the first women investors to join the Anges Québec network. Previously, Christine held key positions in companies such as SGF, Bombardier Capital, EDC, Ministère des Affaires internationales du Québec, Desjardins and Banque Paribas in Paris. Christine is the recipient of the Andrée Corriveau – 2022 Inspiration Award from the Association of Women in Finance (AFFQ), and was named a 2017 Emeritus Graduate by HEC Montréal in recognition of her career path, her commitment to society and her contribution to HEC Montréal.

Catherine joined Cycle Capital in 2014. As a partner, she is responsible for Cycle Capital’s “impact investing” practice, investor relations and public affairs for Cycle Capital’s platform. She is the Chair of Cycle Momentum, a climatetech accelerator and open innovation platform, and sits on the boards of the Clean Resource Innovation Network (CRIN). She is a Member of CVCA’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee and Co-Chairs Réseau Capital’s Sustainable Finance’s Committee.

Catherine was the coordinator of the “Bioenergy” working group for the Québec Green Economy Plan and was part of the strategy committee for Principle for Responsible Investment – Quebec Chapter.

A venture capitalist with a particular talent for identifying talented entrepreneurs, Sophie has an uncanny ability to pick up on people. Passionate about the idea of success, she discerns and creates opportunities that most fail to perceive. She has rare experience in B2C and e-commerce. As an industry pioneer and leading investor, she is an inspiring role model for many.

Sophie has been involved in the Canadian venture capital industry for over 25 years. She worked for the Caisse de dépôts et placement du Québec for seven years, where she was responsible for managing a large portfolio of international venture capital investments, with assets of close to one billion dollars.

Since 2003, Sophie has been Managing Partner of Brightspark, an early-stage venture capital firm. She has participated in the success of several venture-backed companies, including Touchtunes, Servicesoft, Think Dynamics, Raidan6, Protecode, Jewlr, Hopper and Deep Sky. Sophie is also a member of the Board of Directors of Centech in Montreal and ACET in Sherbrooke, and an independent member of the Board of Directors of Interac Inc.

President and CEO of Fondaction, a canadian labour-sponsored fund with CAD 3.50 billion in net assets, Geneviève Morin has been leading the shift and focus of the financial industry towards sustainability for over 30 years in Québec, Canada. Recognized as a pioneering and for her expertise in sustainable finance, she actively works to mobilize capital and various stakeholders for the positive transformation of the economy to make it more equitable, inclusive, green and successful.

Florian Roulle currently holds the position of Vice President, Sustainable Finance at Finance Montréal, Quebec’s financial cluster. He plays a key role in leading the organization’s initiatives to promote sustainable finance. With his team, he works to mobilize members and partners, aiming to establish Quebec’s financial marketplace as a center of excellence and innovation in sustainable finance in North America.In addition to his sustainable finance duties, Florian is also responsible for advancing Finance Montréal’s financial entrepreneurship and asset management strategy, contributing significantly to the international recognition of Québec’s financial industry.Since 2018, Florian has been an active member of the Conseil régional des partenaires du marché du travail de Montréal, representing the business sector. He has been its president since June 2022, focusing on the importance of the region’s socio-ecological transition and making the CRPMT a local, inclusive and positive-impact council.An economist by training, Florian has over 15 years’ experience in socio-economic research, strategic planning and government program evaluation, with a particular focus on economic development.

Christiane Féral-Schuhl is a member of the Paris Bar and co-founder of FÉRAL, a law firm specializing in digital law, personal data and intellectual property.She is also an accredited mediator with the Paris Center for Mediation and Arbitration. She is also on the World Intellectual Property Organization’s list of mediators, the Paris Court of Appeal’s list of mediators, and the Quebec Bar Association’s list of civil, commercial and employment mediators. She is listed in the directory of the Centre National de Médiation des Avocats of the Conseil National des Barreaux.She is a WIPO cyber arbitrator and an AFNIC PARL expert.She has chaired the Conseil National des Barreaux and the Paris Bar Association. She also co-chaired the Parliamentary Commission on Rights and Freedoms in the Digital Age with MP Christian Paul and was a member of the High Council for Gender Equality and the High Council of Administrative Tribunals and Administrative Courts of Appeal.

Since joining Ubisoft in 2004, Yves Jacquier has held a number of positions related to the studio’s rapid growth: first as Head of Online Services, then in 2008 as Head of Production Services Studios with the mission of bringing them to the forefront of the industry by developing performance capture, biometrics and telemetry services. At the same time, he developed Ubisoft’s academic R&D strategy, which led to the creation of a chair in artificial intelligence (deep learning) with Yoshua Bengio in 2011, and then to the creation of the first applied academic research laboratory in the entertainment industry in 2016: Ubisoft – La Forge, which he has led since then.

Anne Nguyen is newly appointed as Director Responsible for AI at the Quebec Innovation Council. Her role will be to lead the mission of AI adoption in Quebec.

In 2023, Anne Nguyen assumed the role of Institutional Data Strategy Manager at CHUM, operationalizing the strategy while strengthening tools, methodologies and talent.

As Director of Analytics and Innovation at Logibec from 2020 to 2022, Anne was at the forefront of conceptualizing the innovation strategy, having established a plan to develop analytical products aimed at diversifying revenues outside Quebec.

Anne Nguyen has enriched her background with high-level training, including a degree in Business Analytics from Harvard Business School, certification as a Product Management Master from the Pragmatic Institute, Lean Six Sigma Black Belt certification from McGill University, and a Certificate in Management from Université de Montréal in April 2009.

On the community front, Anne is involved in the cause of women in science, notably as President of the Board of Directors at Les Scientifiques and as a mentor in Concertation Montréal’s FLESTIM program.

Eric Salobir is the President of the Executive Committee of the Human Technology Foundation (HTF) and the founder of OPTIC, an international research and action network that places human beings at the heart of technology development.HTF brings together several thousand researchers, entrepreneurs, and technology developers. The network carries out research projects in practical ethics, resulting in the publication of articles and reports. It also assists public policy makers and entrepreneurs in assessing the impact of technologies.A graduate of the ISC Paris business school, Éric Salobir worked at the French Embassy in Prague (economics and trade section), and at Crédit Lyonnais (now LCL) in the investment banking department in Paris.Eric Salobir joined the Order of Preachers (Dominicans) in 2000. He is a priest with degrees in theology and philosophy. He was editor-in-chief of the radio station ROC FM and a member of the board of directors of the French Federation of Christian Radios. He has also been responsible for the web TV of catholic programs for the French television channel France 2.Eric is a member of the Conseil National du Numérique, an independent consultative body appointed by the French Prime Minister to lead an open reflection on the complex relationship between humans and digital technologies.Expert to the Holy See, Eric Salobir advises leaders of large companies and public policy actors on ethical issues related to disruptive technologies. He is the author of the book “God and Silicon Valley”.

Before being named director of La Presse’s business section in 2021, Jean-François Codère spent more than 20 years covering technology for La Presse, Les Affaires, Rue Frontenac, the Journal de Montréal and various television programs.

Dr. Sasha Luccioni is a leading scientist at the nexus of artificial intelligence, ethics, and sustainability, with a PhD in AI and a decade of research and industry expertise. She is the Climate Lead at Hugging Face, a global startup in responsible open-source AI, where she spearheads research, consulting and capacity-building to elevate the sustainability of AI systems. A founding member of Climate Change AI (CCAI) and a board member of Women in Machine Learning (WiML), Sasha is passionate about catalyzing impactful change, organizing events and serving as a mentor to under-represented minorities within the AI community.In 2023, Dr. Luccioni’s work was recognized by MIT Tech Review on their global “35 Innovators Under 35 list and was selected by a panel of journalists from La Presse as one of 12 Quebec influencers to keep an eye on.Sasha is also an inspiring keynote speaker, captivating audiences with her TED talk, which garnered over a million views in just three months. She regularly gives presentations at events ranging from global forums to top-tier conferences, which are attended by thousands of people across the world.

With 25 years’ experience in the digital transformation of organizations, Frédérick Marchand is an advocate of digital responsibility. Co-founder and CEO of Digital4Better and the fruggr solution, a committed platform and tool for more sustainable corporate performance, he is also an ambassador for the Impact France movement, and a mentor for impact start-ups. Frédérick is one of the 100 personalities in France who give meaning to digital. His latest book, “40 mots pour un numérique responsable”, offers a didactic index of positive-impact digital for all audiences.

With over 25 years of experience, Eric Brouillet is an expert in brand strategy, experiential marketing and sales optimization.

Eric began his career in brand management for Labatt Brewery and Procter & Gamble.

An entrepreneur at heart, Eric went into business in 2006 to create the VIBRANT Group. The company specializes in commercial marketing and collaborates with several Fortune 500 companies.  Recently, the Group set up its own experiential atelier for creating top-tier immersive experiences.

With a North American scope, the organization has more than 320+ employees across offices in Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver, LA, Chicago and Orlando.

In his spare time, Eric is an avid reader, movie fan and occasional ukulele player.

Martin Carrier was appointed Solotech’s President, Live Productions Canada | Global Media and Entertainment Technologies in 2023. He leads the Live Productions Division’s activities, including operations and business development, and oversees all initiatives related to tours, festivals and local live productions events in Canada, as well as Waveform’s activities in esports, broadcasts, and virtual production worldwide.  Martin Carrier has over 25 years of experience in senior management roles in various industries, including video games, television and film production. Previously, he was President at MELS Studios & Postproduction, and held executive positions at renowned companies such as Frima Studio, Warner Bros. Games and Ubisoft. Martin holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and an Exective MBA from McGill-HEC Montréal. He is also involved in the industry as a board member, notably as President of the Digital Alliance.

In November 2022,Suzanne Guèvremont became the 17th Government Film Commissioner and Chairperson of the National Film Council of Canada. Named to a five-year term, she is the third woman and first Francophone woman to hold this position.With more than 25 years’ management experience in the higher education, culture and technology sectors, Ms. Guèvremont has been recognized for her significant contributions to the development and vitality of Quebec’s creative industries, particularly 3D animation, visual effects, video games, and immersive experiences. She was the Director of Montreal’s École des arts numériques, de l’animation et du design (NADUQAC) from 1999 to 2022, and under her leadership the school became a globally recognized university.Ms. Guèvremont signed several international partnership agreements, notably for a combined diploma program with Tianjin University of Technology in China. From 2018 to 2020, working with a mandate from the Quebec Ministry of Higher Education, she founded SYNTHÈSE – Pôle Image Québec, which promotes collaboration among the worlds of education, research, creation, and creative firms in the digital field.

Ms. Guèvremont has served on a number of boards of national organizations, including CBC/RadioCanada and the Bell Fund, as well as Quebec’s Société de développement des entreprises culturelles (SODEC) and the Alliance numérique.In addition, she is a sought-after speaker, both in Canada and internationally.Ms. Guèvremont is a certified Corporate Director, has a graduate diploma in business administration from HEC Montréal, is a past member of the Barreau du Québec, and holds a bachelor’s degree in Legal Science from Université du Québec à Montréal.

Catherine has worked in the media for more than 20 years. With a sociological and futuristic approach, she tackles possible futures with rigor and optimism. She is also a member of the Association des Futuristes Professionnels.

Minister of Culture and Communications

Minister responsible for Youth

Minister responsible for the Outaouais region

In 2021, Alia Hassan-Cournol was elected city councillor for the Maisonneuve-Longue-Pointe district in the Mercier-Hochelaga-Maisonneuve borough. A district at the heart of major changes in the East, combining major economic developments, land-use planning and social diversity issues.

She is a member of the Executive Committee of the City of Montreal as associate councillor for economic development, commerce and design. She also sits on the Ville-Marie borough council. She also represents the City on the Board of Directors of Montréal International and the International Association of Port Cities.

French-Egyptian by birth, Alia Hassan-Cournol moved to Quebec in late 2000. A political scientist by training, she specializes in immigration and public policy issues.

She is also involved in grassroots organizations defending the rights of diverse and aboriginal girls and women, and was coordinator of the Montreal Women’s March in 2017. She sits on the Board of Directors of the Y des femmes de Montréal and is an ambassador for diversity with the Groupe des 30.

Before giving new meaning to her commitment by throwing herself into politics, she was executive director of an immigration organization in Mercier Hochelaga Maisonneuve. Today, Alia is committed to the citizens of Maisonneuve Longue Pointe. She wants to ensure that sustainable and efficient means of transport are developed, rents remain affordable and the neighborhood becomes ever greener and more inclusive. In the East, the stakes are high and strategic for the metropolis, and development must continue while preserving residents’ quality of life. She is keen to bring her vision for greater social justice and guarantee the ecological transition.