Civic Incubator 2025 Cohort Unveiled

As Part of its Civic Incubator Program: Professionals from all Walks of Life at the Service of Social Issues

Montreal, January 13, 2025. – The Civic Incubator, a program run by the Maison de l’innovation sociale (MIS), with the financial participation of the Quebec government, the City of Montreal and the Fondation Béati, recently invited committed professionals and collectives to submit project ideas. These proposals, aimed at tackling today’s societal and environmental challenges, embody the change that participants wish to see implemented in their communities in terms of global health, ecology and inclusion. Among the 87 suggestions submitted – a record both in terms of numbers and quality of ideas – the MIS chose 20 projects led by innovators who want to make a real difference on their own scale.

Of the 20 projects selected this year, 17 are devoted, in whole or in part, to issues of inclusion. What’s more, the profiles of the participants reflect a diversity that is representative of Greater Montreal:

  • 53.5% women (higher than the 51% of women in Montreal)
  • 31.5% of participants from visible minority backgrounds, in line with the 33% observed in Montreal
  • 11.8% from the LGBTQ+ community, well above Montreal averages

“This cohort embodies the image of an inclusive Montreal, where every citizen, whatever his or her background, can be an agent of change,” emphasizes Marie-Christine Ladouceur-Girard, Executive Director of the MIS.

A Recognized Program in the Social Impact Ecosystem

Named “Social Impact Champion of the Year” at the Startup Community Gala on December 7, 2023, the Civic Incubator is a unique pathway that attracts, year after year, individuals, collectives, small NPOs and social entrepreneurs mobilized by the desire to make a positive and lasting contribution to society. It’s another type of entrepreneurship that’s booming in Quebec, and has the potential to improve the world we live in.

A Free Course Financed by Key Partners

Valued at over $15,000, the Civic Incubator’s hybrid-mode pathway involves a commitment of seven to ten hours a week for nearly five months, including hours devoted to assignments and workshop participation. The MIS would like to thank its financial partners, who make it possible for candidates to take part in this program free of charge.

About the Civic Incubator

Since 2019, the Civic Incubator has been a must for professionals and committed citizens in the Greater Montreal area who want to start a project that aims to improve society. It’s a free five-month program, which began on January 8, that helps mature project ideas under the themes of global health, ecology and inclusion, and supports incubatees to start their project on a solid foundation, thanks to the expertise of the MIS.

About the Maison de l’innovation sociale

Founded in 2017 under the impetus of leading universities and philanthropic foundations, the Maison de l’innovation sociale (MIS) is a center of expertise that unleashes the power of social innovation to solve major societal challenges. It does this by supporting leaders from all walks of life to develop solutions that bring about concrete, measurable change in society. Since its creation, MIS has supported over a thousand people through its consulting, design, intelligence and training services.

The MIS would like to thank the financial partners of this cohort, who have made it possible for the laureates to take part in this program free of charge: the Government of Quebec, the City of Montreal and the Fondation Béati.

Source and Distribution:
BROUILLARD
Rosalie Pelletier, Communications Advisor
equipe@brouillardrp.com
418-564-3139

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