41 Montrealers to watch

A pioneer of quantum computing, Brassard has spent decades redefining what secure communication means in the digital age. A professor at Université de Montréal and a prodigy who began studying computer science at just 13, he helped develop the foundations of quantum cryptography, technology that could make messages theoretically unhackable. Recipient of some of science’s highest honours, the A.M. Turing Award, Brassard remains one of Québec’s most influential minds in modern computing.

Entrepreneur Maryline Baril has made a career of turning big ideas into thriving ventures. Known in Montréal’s business circles for her strategic mind and collaborative leadership style, she has helped launch and grow companies in sectors ranging from technology to impact-driven initiatives. Equally comfortable mentoring young founders or steering complex partnerships, Baril is part of a new generation of leaders shaping the city’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Sisters Myriam and Romy Belzile-Maguire are redefining Montréal’s contemporary fashion landscape. Through their influential platform and creative shoe-making studio, the duo champions sustainable practices in shoemaking. They’re known for their sharp eye and editorial sensibility, helping position the city as a vibrant hub of mindful fashion talent.

This duo of entrepreneurs built one of Québec’s most recognizable food brands by proving that plant-based eating can be both joyful and accessible. As co-founders of LOOP Mission and the beloved raw food company Crudessence, the pair have long championed sustainability, circular food systems and bold culinary creativity. Their projects blend activism and entrepreneurship, pushing Montréal’s food scene toward a more holistic future.

Biologist, comedian and storyteller Boucar Diouf occupies a rare space where science meets laughs. Born in Senegal and based in Québec for decades, the Université du Québec à Rimouski researcher became a household name through radio, television and stage performances that blend ecology, culture and razor-sharp humour. With warmth and wit, Diouf translates complex environmental issues into stories that resonate far beyond the lab.

Cultural entrepreneur Phoebe Greenberg has helped transform Montréal into a global destination for contemporary art and immersive experiences. After a career in theatre, she founded the PHI ecosystem in Old Montréal. The centre’s ambitious programming bridges art, music, film and virtual reality, bringing internationally acclaimed creators to the city while opening new frontiers for storytelling.

Through their company Lufa Farms, Hage and Rathmell have reshaped how Montrealers access fresh food. The pair pioneered commercial rooftop greenhouses in urban environments, allowing vegetables to be grown year-round directly above city streets. Their network of rooftop farms and online marketplace has become a model for sustainable urban agriculture, proving that local food systems can thrive even in dense cities.

Sommelier and restaurateur Vanja Filipovic has helped elevate Montréal’s wine culture with a mix of deep knowledge and effortless hospitality. A longtime partner at the acclaimed restaurant Mon Lapin, she curates an award-winning and constantly evolving cellar focused on low-intervention wines and small, characterful producers. With a palate as adventurous as the city itself, Filipovic has become one of the leading voices shaping Montréal’s vibrant natural wine scene.

As president and CEO of Mila, Pisano sits at the heart of Montréal’s booming artificial intelligence ecosystem. With a background in entrepreneurship and technology strategy, she oversees one of the world’s leading AI research institutes. Pisano’s mission is clear: translate cutting-edge research into real-world impact while positioning Montréal as a global powerhouse for ethical, human-centred AI.

With 400,000 subscribers and 14 million likes, Zoé Duval is one of the most popular Quebecers on TikTok. Co-founder with Camille Felton of the Festival Émergence, he creates entertaining content on his social platforms, but also uses his popularity to talk about the issues of the LGBTQ+ community and advocate for mental healthcare for the next generation.

Singer, songwriter and producer Dave Hamelin has been quietly shaping Québec’s indie music landscape for two decades. Formerly of the indie-rock band The Stills, he has made significant contributions to Beyoncé’s recent music, most notably as a key producer and songwriter on her 2024 album Cowboy Carter. His work on this project contributed to a Grammy win for Album of the Year. Whether composing, producing or performing, Hamelin brings a restless creative energy that reflects Montréal’s endlessly evolving music scene.

Stréliski is a pianist and composer who has brought contemporary instrumental music to an unexpectedly wide audience. Her cinematic compositions, blending classical minimalism with emotional storytelling, have topped charts and filled concert halls across Europe and North America. Based in Montréal, she continues to craft music that feels intimate yet expansive, connecting deeply with listeners around the world.

Few chefs have done more to define modern Québec cuisine than Normand Laprise. As co-founder of Montréal’s celebrated restaurant Toqué!, he championed local ingredients and close relationships with farmers long before “farm-to-table” became a buzzword. A mentor to generations of cooks and a passionate advocate for seasonal cooking, Laprise has helped elevate Québec gastronomy onto the international stage.

Olympic champion Bruny Surin remains one of Canada’s most celebrated athletes. As part of the men’s 4x100-metre relay team, he captured gold at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, a defining moment in Canadian track and field history. Since retiring from competition, Surin has become a mentor, entrepreneur and motivational speaker, using sport to inspire new generations of athletes.

Singer, composer and pianist Patrick Watson crafts music that feels both fragile and cinematic. Leading the Montréal-based band that bears his name, he blends orchestral arrangements, falsetto melodies and poetic songwriting into a sound instantly recognizable. His albums and film scores have earned international acclaim, while his intimate live performances continue to enchant audiences far beyond Québec.

Dax Dasilva is the CEO and founder of Lightspeed Commerce, a unified POS and payments platform for entrepreneurs. Dasilva is also the founder of Age of Union, which evolved from a book he authored in 2019 into an environmental alliance which brings together leadership, culture, spirituality, and environmental guardianship to support and inspire impactful changemakers.

Charlotte Le Bon is an actress, model, TV presenter and film director known for her remarkable television debut in 2010, when she brought her quirky sense of humour to the Canal+ talk show Le Grand Journal. She acts equally in French and English, notably in films such as Yves Saint Laurent, The Hundred-Foot Journey, The Walk and White Lotus, and in 2022, she wrote and directed her first feature film, Falcon Lake.

Montréal’s role as a world leader in the field of neuroscience has a long history — see Dr. Wilder Penfield’s “Montréal Procedure” , for example, still used today in treatment of epilepsy sufferers 75 years on. Dr. Brenda Milner has helped shape that history since completing her B.A. studies in Experimental Psychology in 1939. Currently an impressive 107 years old, Dr. Milner holds more than 20 degrees, countless awards and an integral position within the legacy of McGill’s trendsetting Neuro institute and hospital — fully living up to her title as the founder of neuropsychology.

Yoshua Bengio’s research findings and innovations are changing the face of artificial intelligence and deep learning. Besides acting as Scientific Director of the MILA (Montréal Institute for Learning Algorithms), being a Full Professor at Université de Montréal, co-directing the CIFAR Learning in Machines & Brains program and acting as Scientific Director of IVADO, Bengio’s Google Scholar citations number more than 1 million, and if that doesn’t say “resident genius,” we don’t know what does.

Honoured with a giant mural portrait at the corners of Montréal’s Lincoln and Atwater Avenues, the 93-year-old Abenaki filmmaker and activist Alanis Obomsawin is a ground-breaking cultural figure in the city. Since joining the ranks of Canada’s National Film Board in 1967, Obomsawin’s landmark work has made her one of the most acclaimed Indigenous directors in the world, having garnered numerous awards along the way — and her celebrated filmography has grown to over 60 films.

Director of the Neuro since 2013, Dr. Guy Rouleau has focused on collaboration and communication, bringing researchers and patients closer together in research and health. He’s contributed to the identification of over 20 disease-causing genes, and his research in neurological and psychiatric diseases have been cited over 130,000 times and form a bedrock of the Neuro’s continuing monumental findings. He is an Officer of the National Order of Québec, an officer of the Order of Canada and a fellow of the Royal Society of Canada. 

Melissa-Ann Ledo’s creative practice blends arts and 2SLGBTQIA+ initiatives stretching across Canada. She has over a decade of teaching and leadership experience in formal and informal educational systems. Her current SSHRC-funded PhD where her research explores the experiences of Queer Teaching Artists and how these experiences inform schools on becoming anti-oppressive. Ledo’s research delves into curriculum development, representation, and community-building among educators, with a focus on human rights and how to support marginalized youth.

Since beginning his studies in piano at the age of five (switching his focus to conducting at 10), Yannick Nézet-Séguin has carved a notable path in classical music, presently holding the title as the Music Director of Montréal’s Orchestra Métropolitain, the Philadelphia Orchestra and New York City’s Metropolitan Opera. He was the principal conductor of the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra from 2008 to 2018. In 2025 he received his fifth Grammy Award for the soundtrack of the film Maestro by Bradley Cooper.

Doina Precup’s trailblazing work in reinforcement learning is focusing the abilities of AI on positive social impact. She is Research Team Lead at Deepmind, a Senior Fellow at the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, a member of MILA’s scientific committee and Associate Scientific Director of Healthy Brains for Healthy Lives, and interdisciplinary neuroscience and big data research initiative at McGill. Precup’s activism in repairing the gender imbalance in AI also includes involvement in AI4good, focusing on increasing the number of women in AI research.

Rita Baga is the stage name of Jean-François Guevremont, a Montréal-based drag queen and television personality who appeared as one of the top three finalists in the first season of Canada’s Drag Race, then a top-four in Drag Race: Canada vs. the World, and finally host of Drag Race Belgium. In addition to performing as Rita Baga at Montréal’s stunning Caf’Conc’ club, Guevremont has worked as director of programming for Fierté Montréal.

As co-founder and partner of PixMob, Vincent Leclerc has had a direct impact on the advancement of entertainment technologies in worldwide events such as the Super Bowl Half-Time show, for which the company has delivered crowd-captivating immersive experiences for five consecutive years now. PixMob crafts human experiences with light and new technologies that transform each individual in a crowd into a mobile, interactive pixel, turning the whole crowd into a huge living video display.

Inder Bedi launched what was to become one of the biggest global brands in vegan accessories straight out of school. Matt & Nat — named after “materials” and “nature” — was Bedi’s first foray into sustainable clothing. After selling in 2013, he pursued that line of thought with BEDI, a label of high-style utilitarian pieces made from material sources including upcycled seat belts, retired airline seats, salvaged furniture and regenerated fishnets. The brand ethos is simple: one day, everything new will come from something old. In 2021, Bedi was named Climate Champion by the United Nations through its COP 26 Initiative.

As Sports and Entertainment President of the CH Group, France-Margaret Bélanger not only is making sports history — being the first woman to serve on the Montréal Canadiens hockey team’s executive committee since it was founded in 1909 — she is presiding over entertainment giants, including evenko and Équipe Spectra. Trained as a lawyer, Bélanger first made waves and won accolades in the legal sphere. In 2020, she took a role on the NHL Executive Inclusion Council.

Harley Finkelstein founded his first company at age 17 while he was a student at McGill, and, after completing both his law degree and an MBA, he founded Shopify. He has been one of the “dragons” on CBC’s Next Gen Den, starred on Discovery Channel’s I Quit, and has received a whole bunch of awards and recognition, including Fortune’s 40 Under 40 and an Order of Ottawa. Still President of Shopify, he has also co-founded Firebelly, a modern high-end tea brand, and created Big Shot, a project and podcast that archives the stories of the greatest Jewish entrepreneurs of the last century.

Stanley Vollant is an Innu surgeon from Pessamit who grew up along the St. Lawrence in Quebec’s North Shore region. From an early age, he learned strong community values through the traditional teachings of his grandfather. Dr. Vollant earned his medical degree from the Université de Montréal and in 1994, becoming Quebec’s first Aboriginal surgeon. He was appointed to the Order of Canada in 2022 for his visionary leadership in ethical governance and corporate responsibility, and for his transformative advocacy of collaborative philanthropy.

Curator of Indigenous Arts at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts since 2023, Léuli Eshrāghi is a mentor for the Inuit Futures in Arts Leadership: The Pilimmaksarniq / Pijariuqsarniq Project, and member of the Conseil des arts de Montréal’s Indigenous Arts and Visual Arts committees. They have served on the Board of the Indigenous Curatorial Collective as a representative of the Great Ocean, and been part of a number of curatorial collectives. 

As founders of the EMMY-winning Felix & Paul Studio, Félix Lajeunesse and Paul Raphaël are visionary creators that mix creative and technological innovation in VR, AR and MR to create immersive and interactive experiences that forge new frontiers in cinematic storytelling. They have collaborated with NASA, SpaceX, the Obamas, LeBron James and Wes Anderson, among others. In addition to creating their own original works, they’ve also sprinkled their magic on projects including Jurassic World, Cirque du Soleil and Fox Searchlight’s Wild and Isle of Dogs.

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 AI & 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 and a board member of Women in Machine Learning, she is passionate about catalyzing impactful change, organizing events and serving as a mentor to under-represented minorities within the AI community.

Since co-founding Moment Factory in 2001, Executive Creative Director Sakchin Bessette has spearheaded the creation of over 400 multimedia shows and installations around the world. He leads the studio in a perpetual quest to amaze, inspire and bring people together by exploring new types of entertainment.

Over his illustrious career as an architectural designer, Zébulon Perron has completed hundreds of interior design projects, mainly in the hospitality industry, some standing today as pillars of the Montréal bar and restaurant scene. Recipient of numerous awards, this committed lover of his city is inspired by contemporary art and photography to create authentic and striking spaces that stand the test of time.

Listed among Variety’s 500 most influential business leaders, Jade Raymond is a videogame exec and the founder of Haven Studio Inc, a game development studio working on an original, new IP for PlayStation. With over 20 years of hands-on experience playing key roles in programming, design, production, studio-head and executive jobs, Raymond has 23+ games to her name (including The Sims, Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell, Star Wars and Assassins Creed) with a resulting revenue of over $5 billion.

If it’s a Hollywood film, chances are Montréal’s own Shawn Levy directed it! This incredibly prolific director began in television but segued to film in the 2000s, when he directed comedies including Big Fat Liar, Just Married and Cheaper by the Dozen. He directed the first three films in the Night at the Museum franchise and developed several comedy television pilots before becoming executive producer of the ABC sitcom Last Man Standing. Levy was a producer on the 2016 sci-fi film Arrival, which earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture, and since 2016 has been an executive producer on Stranger Things.