A network of mutual support, not a business club. A network to grow, to pull the next ones up.
Ascendance is not a company. It is a private circle of mutual support among people who have built a trajectory far beyond their origins, and who choose to invest their time so that others can do the same. No dues, no chequebook, no investor. The only value we exchange is our commitment.
We are more than our beginnings.
We are our ascent.
Ascendance was born of those who learned to move forward without a map, without a shortcut, sometimes without an answer. Like a Morse signal sent into the silence, every trajectory begins alone: a dot, a dash, a movement forward. Then another signal answers. A meeting, a helping hand, an open door. Little by little, the paths cross, extend one another and become a collective force.
The logo carries this idea: it is not only the letter a, but a trajectory in motion, the symbol of people who rose alone, then chose to light the way for those who follow.
MTL · 2026
Yacine Hanaya — one trajectory,
one project.
Serial entrepreneur. The first in his family to raise funds, to sell and to launch companies.
Lecturer at UQAM and HEC Montréal. Graduate of INSA and ESSEC. CEO of ALEIA, a product design & UX agency in Montréal.
Ascendance was launched in 2026 with his own funds. No investor, no monetization plan, no fundraising.
Nothing to sell.
Ascendance has nothing to sell. No premium subscription, no billed services, no investor to pay back. The network is not a commercial structure — it is an informal association among people who choose to commit to one another.
No one pays to get in.
Platform and infrastructure costs are covered by the founder. Events — receptions at the office or at a member’s home, dinners, cocktail hours — are paid for by those who attend. We are all accomplished leaders: we can settle our own bills.
Two axes.
Among ourselves: sharing experience, opening our networks to one another, taking turns through the hard passages — growing together. Toward the next generation: collectively supporting four people a year. No one carries the load alone — each contributes according to their means.
Donations to humanitarian foundations.
Members may decide, on a one-off or annual basis, to pool donations for the benefit of foundations active in Canada or internationally. The choice of cause and the amount are decided by those who take part — never imposed, never collected by Ascendance as a structure.
One-off grants.
When a student in the Next Generation stream runs into a temporary financial obstacle, the circle may decide to release a support grant. Decided case by case, funded by the members who choose to contribute — never by Ascendance.
Annual ascent award.
Publicly recognizing an exemplary trajectory from the Next Generation or Emergence streams. A discreet ceremony, a symbolic endowment funded by a subscription among several members (no obligation), and above all: amplifying the journey across the network and beyond. First edition coming soon.
Five
cumulative criteria.
All five must be met. No identity-based criterion — trajectory, excellence, values.
A trajectory that far exceeds your origins.
The first in your family to reach your level of education, your position, your professional or artistic standing. Not a question of current income — a question of distance travelled.
Having distinguished yourself through excellence.
Academic, athletic, artistic, entrepreneurial, scientific, medical — the field doesn’t matter. Talent and hard work must have produced visible results. This is not social sorting — it is a message sent to the next generation: hard work still pays off.
Wanting to contribute to a fairer world.
Equal opportunity is not a slogan: it is a concrete fight, waged one introduction, one mentorship, one open door at a time. You must want to be actively part of it.
Accepting the personal and collective commitment.
Giving time to the next generation. Not a crushing burden: the circle commits to supporting four people a year, and each contributes according to their means — a call, an intro, a letter of recommendation, a coffee. Mutual support, kindness, sharing experience.
Carrying humanist values.
Unconditional respect for everyone’s dignity. A refusal of social contempt, sexism, racism and homophobia in all their forms. This is the sine qua non of the circle.
An open circle, a clear-eyed stance.
Open to everyone.
Regardless of religion, ethnic origin, nationality, sexual orientation or gender. No quota, no identity filter. The only criteria that count are the ones set out above: trajectory, excellence and values.
The founding circle’s decisions are made collegially, behind closed doors, and are final.
Clear-eyed about the real world.
In a society that does not offer everyone the same starting points, the hardest trajectories to climb are statistically those of racialized people, children of immigration, and young people from working-class or single-parent backgrounds. When these people succeed against all odds, their journey commands respect.
The circle of members reflects this reality. Some groups are overrepresented within it — not by policy, but because they are the ones who cleared the most obstacles to get there.
The circle is open, write to us.
If the five criteria fit you, and if the binding commitment truly commits you — not as a formula, but as a promise — the circle is waiting for you.