the organization we believe in a more human future

Evol, financing change for 30 years

Evol stems from the evolution of Femmessor, an organization that is now celebrating 30 years of commitment to building a more inclusive and sustainable economy.

It all began in 1995 on Quebec’s North Shore, driven by the bold vision of a group of businesswomen, entrepreneurs, and socio-economic leaders who pooled their efforts and resources to create the very first investment fund dedicated to women entrepreneurs.

The success of this pioneering initiative prompted the Government of Quebec to support the creation of similar organizations across the province. Between 2001 and 2013, Femmessor progressively expanded into all 17 regions of Quebec, positioning the province as one of the most forward-thinking ecosystems in terms of support for women entrepreneurs.

In 2016, the 17 regional entities and the Femmessor network merged into a single organization. That same year, the Fonds pour les femmes entrepreneures FQ was launched through partnerships with Fondaction and Investissement Québec, as an agent for the Government of Quebec. This gave Femmessor access to nearly $19 million to offer conventional loans to businesses in which at least one woman held a strategic role and owned a minimum of 25% of the shares and voting rights.

In 2021, Femmessor expanded its mission to support a broader range of underrepresented entrepreneurs and refreshed its brand identity, becoming Evol.

Thanks to key partnerships with the Government of Quebec (for which Investissement Quebec is the agent), National Bank, BDC, the Fonds de solidarité FTQ, and Fondaction, Evol launched a new impact funding envelope. This nearly $60 million fund provides conventional loans to businesses led by at least one person from underrepresented groups who holds a strategic role and owns a minimum of 25% of shares and voting rights.

Thirty years on, Evol continues to pursue its bold ambition: transforming the economy to make it more inclusive, equitable, and sustainable.

governance

Evol’s Board of Directors is composed of 14 members, most of whom are women and men entrepreneurs, who ensure the good governance of the organization. At Evol, we believe that diversity is a guarantee of innovation and success. We rely on the collective intelligence and complementary strengths of our team members.

Board of Directors 2025-2026

Nadia Martel

President (Founding partner, i4 Capital Fund)

Lucie Bourgeois

Vice-president (Founding president, Umalia)

François Faucher

Treasurer (President, Gestion Cinq-F Inc. — Consulting and Support)

Farnel Fleurant

Secretary (Founder and CEO of Workind)

Benoit Auger

Director (CPA, Partner at PwC Canada)

Marc Bouchard

Administrateur (Vice-président, Gestion des risques de crédit et de participation chez Investissement Québec)

Myriam Crevier

Director (Senior partner and General manager at Syrus)

Bhaskor Guha

Director (Founder, TLM)

Nathalie Nasseri

Director (Senior business advisor at Inno-Centre)

Richard Painchaud

Director (President, Kourant Technologies Inc.)

Michelle Nollet

Observatrice (Conseillère, Direction du soutien à l’entrepreneuriat et aux créneaux d’excellence, Ministère de l’Économie et de l’Innovation)

France Desharnais

Director (Corporate director)

Fabienne Lacoste

Director (Corporate director)

Stéphanie Robichaud

Director (General Manager, Allard, Allard et associés inc.)

Evol’s CEO

Géraldine Martin

Géraldine Martin has been CEO of Evol since June 2023. With a degree in finance and a passion for communications, she worked in the media and economic development, determined to make a difference in the lives of entrepreneurs. Convinced that business owners play an essential, transformative role in social and sustainable economic development, Géraldine is now pursuing Evol’s mission to support businesses with diversified, inclusive ownership that want to have a positive impact on society.