Stéphane Grenier

Founder and CEO

Stéphane is an internationally known mental health innovator, advocate, speaker, author and entrepreneur. 

In 2012, after successfully leading the development of a national peer support network for Canadian Armed Forces members, veterans and their families, being seconded to the Mental Health Commission of Canada to develop Standards of Practice for peer support, Stéphane founded Mental Health Innovations (MHI) to develop non-clinical mental health interventions as a compliment to traditional clinical care for all types of North American civilian organizations.

In 2015, Stéphane was awarded an (honorary) Doctor of Laws degree by the University of Guelph and Humber College, for his contributions in the field of workplace mental health. In 2018, he was appointed to the Order of Canada and published his autobiography, After the War: Surviving PTSD and Changing Mental Health Culture.

Leslie is focused on supporting organizations that prioritize workplace mental health. She uses her skills and expertise to assist clients in addressing the issue of mental health in workplaces by implementing the National Standard of Canada for Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace, supporting organizations to create a workplace culture of compassion and designing and implementing social support (workplace peer support) programs within highly complex systems. Leslie focuses on eliminating barriers and supporting clients to build the case for a mentally healthy work environment. She is a volunteer working with people who have lived through mental illness.

When she’s not working with MHI, Leslie is still “re-humanizing workplaces” in other ways. She is the Canadian Regional Lead for The Stability Network– a growing movement of people living and working with mental health conditions and sharing their stories to inspire others to change how people think about mental health.

In 2007, Leslie made a life-changing decision to be open about her experience living with bipolar disorder. After concealing her mental illness for 10 years, she now speaks and speaks and writes about her journey through her LinkedIn profile. Leslie has a Bachelor of Commerce in Hospitality and Tourism Management from Ryerson University; Professional Coach Certification (PCC); is a CultureSync™ Approved Tribal Leader, Certified Psychological Health and Safety Advisor; and is also a Certified Dare to Lead™ Facilitator.

Taryn supports the vision and mission of MHI by developing strategic research partnerships and ensuring programs and services are consistently evaluated and achieve a high level of scientific integrity. She is committed to the advancement of evidence-based solutions for mental health challenges and is focused on integrating research and application to support the well-being of individuals, families, organizations, and communities.  Taryn is a mental health entrepreneur, researcher, educator, and family caregiver. She has taught, given numerous presentations, delivered workshops, received grant support, and published on diverse topics in mental health.

She is an academically trained researcher who spent over 20 years leading and implementing research and evaluation programs in university, hospital and community settings, and social enterprises. Taryn holds a PhD in Applied Psychology from the University of Toronto and is an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Toronto.