Montreal, June 23, 2026 – La House of Social Innovation (MIS) unveiled the winners of Social Innovation Personalities Award 2026 at a ceremony held on June 22. The seven recipients, selected by an independent jury from among 130 applications received across Quebec, embody different ways of transforming practices, organizations and communities.
“Quebec faces increasingly complex challenges and lags behind in supporting and deploying the most innovative best practices. The award recipients we are recognizing today all have one thing in common: they chose to act rather than wait. They took risks, questioned established practices, and demonstrated that it is possible to achieve different results. It is this boldness that we want to celebrate and promote, because it is essential to Quebec’s future.”, Marie-Christine Ladouceur-Girard, president and CEO of the House of Social Innovation.
The 2026 winners
The Careers, which highlights the exceptional contribution of individuals who have helped advance social innovation over many years, is presented to Carla Beauvais, founder and executive director of the Dynastie Foundation, for her work in promoting and professionalizing Black talent in Quebec, as well as to Caroline Codsi, founder and CEO of Women in Governance, for helping to make parity a standard of governance and performance within organizations across North America.
The Governance and communities, which recognizes leadership that contributes to strengthening institutions and mobilizing communities around a shared vision, is awarded to Geneviève Dubois, mayor of Nicolet since 2016 and vice-president of the Union of Quebec Municipalities, for having placed the socio-ecological transition at the heart of municipal governance.
The Society and inclusion, which recognizes initiatives aimed at reducing inequalities and improving living conditions for populations, is awarded to Jaëlle Bégarin, President and CEO of La Maison du Père, for the creation of innovative programs to prevent homelessness and residential evictions.
The Global health, which highlights contributions that promote the health, well-being, and quality of life of individuals and communities, is awarded to Genevieve Bergeron, founder of Club Sexu, for her work in democratizing scientific knowledge about sexual health among young adults.
The Fair and resilient economy, which highlights sustainable, innovative economic models that generate positive societal impacts, is awarded to Jean-Martin Fortier, a pioneer of bio-intensive agriculture, for having developed a regenerative agricultural model now adopted in more than 90 countries.
Finally, the price Ecology, which rewards initiatives contributing to the ecological transition, the protection of biodiversity and the sustainable transformation of territories, is awarded to Geneviève Aubry, co-founder and general manager of Collectif Territoire, for her leadership in citizen mobilization and revitalization of Lake Osisko in Rouyn-Noranda.
About MIS
Founded in 2017 by HEC Montréal, Concordia University, and foundations (McConnell, Mirella, and Lino Saputo), MIS is a center of expertise that unlocks the power of social innovation to solve societal problems. Its achievements include: supporting over 5,000 change agents, achieving 80% of clients' innovative initiatives by 2024, and generating 65% of its revenue independently.
