24/8/2026
With Manuel Sainsily as ambassador and spokesperson, and Steve Daniel as host: the Afro-descendant cultural entrepreneurship event returns on October 23 and 24 at the PHI Centre in Montreal.
MONTREAL, August 24, 2026 – The Fondation Dynastie announces the 3rd edition of the Nation Forum, to be held on October 23 and 24, 2026, at the PHI Centre in Montreal. Presented by SODEC, the two-day event brings together creators and entrepreneurs from the cultural sector around three main themes: artificial intelligence, export and new markets, and cultural entrepreneurship. The Nation Forum is free and open to all, with registration required.
“There is a before, where we think about culture as spectators. There is an after, where we undertake it as actors. The Forum is this tipping point, both physical and symbolic,” summarizes the premise of the event, the only event of its kind in Quebec bringing together artists, creators and professionals from the Afro-descendant cultural industry.
“The Nation Forum has evolved. We no longer simply talk about culture; we give artists and cultural entrepreneurs the tools to make a living from it: structuring a business, financing a project, exporting a work. Conversations remain at the heart of the Forum, but our intention is clear: that everyone leaves with concrete means to move their project forward.” — Carla Beauvais, Executive Director of the Fondation Dynastie .
There Fondation Dynastie is pleased with the involvement of Manuel Sainsily . Creative director, designer, TED speaker and educator specializing in the intersection between artificial intelligence, design and cultural heritage, Manuel acts as ambassador and spokesperson for this 3rd edition.
“ Being an ambassador and spokesperson for the Nation Forum is both an honor and a responsibility for me. It’s an opportunity to lend my voice to an essential space where our creators, artists, and entrepreneurs can meet, share their knowledge, broaden their perspectives, and, above all, empower themselves to build together. Events like the Nation Forum are important because they create the connections, tools, and conversations that allow our ideas to become concrete projects. Technology evolves, markets change, but the question remains: who will have the power to create, to tell stories, and to build? Preserving our heritage means asserting our cultural sovereignty and ensuring that the future is also written with us.”
The two days will be hosted by Steve Daniel , a Montreal-based host, content creator and entrepreneur known for his energy, curiosity and inclusive approach.
The 2026 program is structured around three complementary axes:
A packed program over two days
The Nation Forum offers two days punctuated by panels, "open mics" and Great Conversations on the main stage (the Agora), as well as practical workshops divided between the AI Lab and the Business Lab, where speakers and experts share concrete tools and feedback around the three main themes.
The two-day event also features the Nation Lounge, a space for networking and cultural breaks, as well as the Aura Studio, which offers participants online positioning services (professional photos, digital audit, profile optimization). Each day concludes with a networking session. The full lineup of speakers will be revealed on September 3; until then, details of the panel topics, workshops, and discussions can be found at nation-forum.com/programmation .
This year, Pitch Zone is highlighting the screen industries (film, television, digital media). Twelve finalists will be selected following a call for applications. The selected candidates will have three minutes to present their projects to a mystery jury. Five of them will share $27,000 in grants ($10,000, $8,000, $5,000, $3,000, and $1,000) and will join the Nation Lab – Make It Real, a micro-incubator offering personalized mentorship, access to experts, and training workshops during the winter of 2027.
Applications for Pitch Zone are open from August 17, 2026 until September 30, 2026. The twelve finalists will be announced on October 12, and the winners revealed on October 24, live from the Nation Forum.
To apply: https://www.nation-forum.com/le-pitch-zone
The Nation Forum is free and open to all. Each day requires a separate registration, along with a refundable $15 deposit. Registration is non-transferable and assigned to a specific individual. Workshops in the AI Lab and Business Lab require an additional registration, confirmed by email.
Booking: zeffy.com/fr/ticketing/nation-forum--2026
The Nation 2026 Forum is presented by SODEC with the support of the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec (CALQ), the City of Montreal, Canadian Heritage, the Canadian Race Relations Foundation, the Canada Media Fund and Loto-Québec.
Organized by the Fondation Dynastie , the Nation Forum (formerly Sommet Dynastie ) is the meeting place for Afro-descendant creators and entrepreneurs who are transforming culture into an economic force. The only event of its kind in Quebec, it brings together artists, creators and industry professionals around panels, practical workshops, a pitch competition and networking spaces, with the ambition that the connections made there last and that the projects come to fruition.
Information: nation-forum.com
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Fondation Dynastie
communications@fondationdynastie.com
Media accreditation: https://www.nation-forum.com/accreditations