Montreal: Honorary Grants of $25,000 Each Awarded to 24 Entrepreneurs

Montreal – In an evening marked by emotion, recognition, and music, Entreprendre Ici once again highlighted the impact and resilience of entrepreneurs from ethnocultural diversity. The organization, which for five years has been supporting and accompanying innovative initiatives across Quebec, awarded its Bourses d’Honneur, each valued at $25,000, to young businesses determined to transform their dreams into realities.

“Entreprendre Ici is the very embodiment of a noble mission that provides real support to make a difference in the lives of entrepreneurs from ethnocultural diversity,” said Souad Malem, Chair of the Board of Directors of the organization.

This vision materialized throughout the evening, where the awardees shared their journeys, often marked by challenges but also by unwavering perseverance.

For Alexandre, one of the winners, it is not just the financial value of the grant that counts:

“It’s not the $25,000 that strikes me the most, it’s really the recognition from peers. We are in a time full of uncertainties, with many obstacles, but tonight I find myself recognized among people like me, who have fallen nine times but stood up ten times.”

Kanika, founder of a sexology practice in Montreal, also expressed her pride:

“You feel in the sky. But above all relieved and proud to see that the ecosystem recognizes my work, a work that I’ve been doing for four years.”

For her part, Marie-Christine, recipient of the Bourse d’Honneur, emphasized:

“It represents the recognition of sleepless nights, of hard work, but also of a passion: connecting parents with educators to improve communication and children’s well-being.”

For Elena, owner of a letterpress printing studio, this grant is a crucial step:

“I hope it will be a small chess piece that will allow me to play a bigger game, to make my business shine, and above all to popularize a technique that few really know.”

As for Awa and Cher, co-founders of the social enterprise On s’implique, their gratitude was immense:

“It is recognition of our work and a motivation to continue our mission of socio-professional integration and fulfillment of ethnocultural communities.”

“We meet new entrepreneurs with exciting missions that come from the heart. We feel inspired, involved. It is a supportive ecosystem that encourages and inspires entrepreneurs,” testified Sopia, an enthusiastic participant.

According to Rouba Amadi, Interim Executive Director of Entreprendre Ici, the selection was particularly difficult this year:

“We received 300 applications. The 50 finalists were rigorously selected, and among them, 24 awardees. We managed to represent the ethnocultural diversity of the five continents: Africa, Latin America, Maghreb, Europe, and Asia.”

She added: “Every year, we see entrepreneurs who apply the first time without success, reapply a second, a third… and eventually obtain the grant. The lesson is clear: persevere and dare.”

The evening concluded on a note of hope and enthusiasm, with a unanimous key message: perseverance. The Entreprendre Ici team gave an appointment in November 2024 for the next edition, hoping to continue this mission of support thanks to the collaboration of Quebec’s Ministry of Economy, Innovation, and Energy.

And as the music resumed to close the event, the smiles and determination of the awardees bore witness to one certainty: Quebec’s entrepreneurial diversity is more alive than ever.