Join us for Small Business Week 2026, from October 19 to 23. Five days of connection, learning, and inspiration in Cochrane.
Take part in workshops, hear from engaging panels and speakers, and connect with local business owners, organizational leaders, entrepreneurs, board members, non-profit champions, and community builders. Each day offers a new focus to help us grow and thrive together.
Browse the events below or visit the Full Events Calendar to see details and register. Where pricing applies, fees are clearly noted. Space fills up fast, so register early to secure a spot.
Small Business Week Registration is Now Open!
Kick off Cochrane Small Business Week by celebrating local connections, fostering meaningful partnerships, and strengthening the network that helps our business community thrive together.
OPEN FOR BUSINESS • 9:00 am - 10:15 am • The Station at Cochrane Crossing Â
Ready to kick off Small Business Week? Join community leader Reid Kimmet and Mayor Morgan Nagel as we officially launch Cochrane Small Business Week 2026 and celebrate the entrepreneurs, businesses and people who help make our community thrive. Come connect, get inspired and start the week with us! Learn all about the team behind Small Business Week and how together we support the small business ecosystem. Light refreshments will be served. This session is FREE, however, registration is required. Limit: 30 participants. Register here.
Town of Cochrane Economic Development Update: Services, Strategy and Upcoming Initiatives • 10:30 am - 11:30 am • The Station at Cochrane CrossingÂ
Join Nicole Hannay, Manager of Economic Development at the Town of Cochrane, for an overview of the department’s role, services, and key areas of focus. The session will provide a summary of Cochrane’s recently completed 10-year Economic Development Strategy, including its purpose, the key pillars and sectors identified in the work, and next steps. Attendees will receive an update on upcoming economic development initiatives and have an opportunity to learn how current projects and programs support Cochrane’s business community and broader economic objectives. Stay informed about the plans, initiatives and priorities that will help guide Cochrane’s economic development! This session is FREE, however, registration is required. Limit: 30 participants. Register here.
Bringing Community to Your Business• 12:00 pm - 2:00 pm • The Station at Cochrane CrossingÂ
Business is better when community is at the heart of it. Hear from this year’s Business Excellence Award finalists as they share how they’ve put community at the centre of what they do — and how giving back, building connections and being part of something bigger has shaped both their businesses and their lives. Come hear the stories, get inspired and discover what happens when business and community grow together. $30 includes lunch. Limit: 30 participants.Register here.
Fall Job Fair • 3:00 pm - 6:00 pm • The Station at Cochrane CrossingÂ
Great businesses are built by great people. Our teams are often our community — and the backbone of every successful small business. This Small Business Week, we’re bringing businesses and job seekers together for our first Small Business Week Job Fair! Thanks to our CCIT Partners, Cochrane Immigrant Services, the Government of Alberta and the Alberta Chambers of Commerce, we’re excited to connect local employers with talented people looking for their next opportunity. Come connect. Meet local employers. Find your next opportunity. If you are an employer looking to hire, please use this link to register for FREE here.
Build a resilient future for your business with practical insights into financial management, strategic planning, and essential operational tools. Today is all about strengthening your business core so you can navigate growth with confidence and financial stability.
Founders Coffee • 7:00am - 9:00am • Sunny Side UpÂ
Start your day with coffee, conversation, and connections. Founders Coffee is a casual drop-in at Sunny Side Up where local entrepreneurs share ideas and stories. Coffee & breakfast available for purchase. This session is FREE, however, registration is required. Register here.
 Know Your Numbers: Panel Discussion • 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm • The Station at Cochrane Crossing
Explore the financial fundamentals of starting or growing a business through hands-on exercises and an introduction to Glinda AI. Then, a panel with local banking experts will share what lenders look for and the financing options available for your business. Speakers: Kim Elsinga, Senior Account Manager, BDC; Carolina Corona de Doslic, Business Advisor, ATB; Paul Fedossow, Relationship Manager, BMO. $30 includes lunch. Limit: 30 participants. Register here.
What Banks Really Want: Small Business Financing Unpacked • 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm • The Station at Cochrane CrossingÂ
Thinking about financing your business? Get the inside scoop from local banking experts on what lenders look for, how to prepare and what financing options may be available for you. This session is FREE, however, registration is required. Limit: 30 participants. Register here.
What's Your Next Step? Meet Pathfinder • 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm • The Station at Cochrane CrossingÂ
You don’t have to figure out business alone. Whether you’re exploring an idea, building something new, growing your business or wondering what comes next, knowing who to talk to and where to turn can make all the difference. Meet Pathfinder, your guide to navigating the people, programs, resources and opportunities available to support your business. Discover how Pathfinder can help you find the support that fits, make the right connections, and take your next step with confidence. Your business. Your path. Let’s find your next step.
This session is FREE, however, registration is required. Limit: 30 participants. Register here.
Elevate your brand and expand your customer base with actionable marketing strategies, storytelling techniques, and targeted promotional tools. Today is all about boosting your visibility, driving engagement, and connecting your business with the right audience to propel sustainable growth.
Steal This Idea: Marketing that's Working Right Here in Cochrane • 8:00 am - 10:00 am • The Station at Cochrane Crossing
Some of the best marketing ideas come from other business owners. Join us for an interactive idea exchange where local entrepreneurs share what’s actually working for them, followed by a panel of marketing professionals who’ll unpack why these ideas work and how you can adapt them for your own business. Come ready to share, ask questions and leave with practical marketing ideas worth stealing. Refreshments will be served. This session is FREE; however, registration is required. Limit: 30 participants. Register here.
Walk, Talk & Connect: Enjoy a Wellness Break • 11:15 am - 12:00 pm • The Station at Cochrane CrossingÂ
Step away from the desk and into the fresh air! Join fellow local business owners and professionals for a casual networking walk where the conversations are easy, the connections are genuine, and there’s no awkward standing around wondering who to talk to. Lace up your shoes and join us for a walk, a few laughs, and some great conversations along the way. No presentations, no pitches, no pressure — just a fun way to meet new people, share ideas, and build connections while getting a little movement in. Come for the walk, stay for the connections. You never know who you’ll meet along the way!
Limit:30 participants. This session is FREE; however, registration is required. Register here.
Exploring Different Marketing Channels • 12:00 pm - 1:30 pm • The Station at Cochrane CrossingÂ
Info to come. Limit: 30 participants.
Finding your Next Customers • 7:00 - 8:30 pm • The Station at Cochrane CrossingÂ
Discover practical ways to find potential customers and create a steady flow of new sales opportunities for your business.
Sarah Morrill is a dynamic leader with over 20 years of experience working with big brands, early-stage startups, and tech ecosystem organizations. She excels in guiding teams from strategy development to execution, leveraging her extensive background in product marketing, brand building, and business development. This session is FREE; however, registration is required. Limit: 30 participants. Register here.
Embrace the future of business by exploring cutting-edge AI tools, innovative technologies, and agile strategies designed for an evolving marketplace. Today is all about staying ahead of the curve, streamlining your operations, and turning technological change into your biggest competitive advantage.
Morning Sound Bath • 8:00am • StarLight Portal
Info to come.
Beyond the Prompt: Build Your AI Email Assistant • 10:00 am - 11:00 am • The Station at Cochrane Crossing
Start your day knowing which clients are waiting for a response, which estimates need a follow-up, which payments have come in, and what can wait until later. In this practical session, our speakers Dasha White and Vladimir Mosk, co-founders of Orange Space AI, will show small business owners how to set up a personalized AI email assistant that reviews incoming messages, identifies what needs attention, and prepares draft replies based on how their business actually works. It can also provide a short morning briefing, helping the owner begin the day with a clear plan instead of spending the first hour sorting through email. The session will cover setup, instructions, privacy and security considerations, and how to keep the business owner in control before anything is sent. Attendees will leave with a starting prompt and a step-by-step structure they can adapt for their own business. This session is FREE; however, registration is required. Limit: 30 participants. Register here.
Analog Innovation for the 21st Century - Juli Rohl (Revivis) • 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm • The Station at Cochrane Crossing
You can spend a lot of money, time, and AI processing on solving the wrong problem. Put down the laptop and pick up the pencil! Let's learn how to fall in love with finding the problem that actually needs to be solved. This session is FREE; however, registration is required. Limit: 30 participants. Register here.
The Engine Room – Showcase • 4:00 pm - 6:00 pm • The Station at Cochrane Crossing
Meet the entrepreneurs, mentors and staff behind The Engine Room and hear how local business owners are growing their businesses with support from Cochrane's business incubator. Limit: 30 participants. Register here.
"The Creative Economy" • 7:00 pm • The Common Works
Info to come. Limit: 110 participants.
Empower your business to weather any storm by cultivating mental toughness, leadership strength, and sustainable wellness strategies. Today focuses on building personal and organizational endurance, overcoming challenges, and thriving through every cycle of entrepreneurship.
Coffee and Manifesting Your Future • 9:00 am - 10:00 am • The Station at Cochrane CrossingÂ
Grab a coffee, take a step back from the day-to-day, and start dreaming about what’s next. This Small Business Week session is all about looking beyond the hustle and getting intentional about your future. We’ll explore your vision, where you want your business to go, and what it will take to turn those big ideas into reality. Come ready to reflect, dream big, set your intentions and create a vision for the future you want to build. Because great businesses don’t just happen — they start with a vision. Coffee in hand. Vision on paper. Future in motion.
Limit: 30 participants. This event is FREE; however, registration is required. Register here.
Unlocking Your Superpower: Neurodivergence and Entrepreneurship • 10:00 am - 11:00 am • The Station at Cochrane CrossingÂ
What if the way your brain works isn't a hurdle to work around, but your biggest competitive advantage? This panel explores the reality of neurodivergent entrepreneurship, celebrating traits like hyper-focus, creative innovation, and high-level agility, while having honest conversations about burnout, administration bottlenecks, and focus fatigue. Hear directly from a panel of local entrepreneurs about their struggles, their superpowers, and the experiences that have shaped how they do business. Hear directly from local founders about the systems, tools, and mindsets they use to leverage their natural superpowers and build thriving, resilient businesses on their own terms. This session is FREE; however, registration is required. Limit: 30 participants. Register here.
From Busy to Built, It's More than a Job. It's Your Legacy • 12:00 pm - 2:00 pm • The Station at Cochrane CrossingÂ
You built the business. But have you built a business that can thrive without you?
Join us for an inspiring and practical Small Business Week session focused on moving from working in your business to building a business with lasting value. We’ll hear from Robert Michael Welke, business growth strategist, Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA), and co-founder of MExit Inc. He’ll share insights on what it takes to build a business that is valuable, transferable and positioned for the future — whether your exit is five years away or not even on your radar. We’ll then hear from a panel of local business owners and entrepreneurs who have successfully exited their businesses, sharing the real stories behind their journeys — what they planned, what surprised them, what they would do differently and what they learned along the way.
This is a session for business owners who are ready to think beyond the next sale, the next employee or the next busy season — and start building something that has value beyond their own time and energy. Come for the stories. Leave with a new perspective on what you’re building. From busy to built. From business owner to legacy builder. Limit: 30 participants. $30 includes lunch. Register here.
Building Without Breaking & Closing Mixer • 6:30pm • Found Books & ShopÂ
Every small business owner knows the common feeling: the to-do list that never ends, the years of pouring everything in, wondering what's left of you at the end of it. Jamila Godfrey has lived both sides of that question, over twenty years in the corporate sector and leadership before founding Village of Play, where she now helps individuals and organizations build real capacity instead of running on empty.
In this closing keynote, Jamila brings her executive-function framework out of the boardroom and into the small business world. Expect practical tools for protecting your energy while you build, spotting the warning signs before burnout hits, and growing a business on a foundation that can actually hold its weight. This is a session about ambition that doesn't cost you your health, ambition that lasts long enough to enjoy. Leave with a clearer sense of what sustainable growth actually looks like, and the first steps to build it.
6:30 PM – 7:30 PM | Closing Keynote
Join us for Jamila Godfrey’s closing keynote and discover practical tools for building a business — and a life — that can actually hold its weight.
7:30 PM – 9:00 PM | Networking & Light Appies
Stick around to connect, celebrate, and close out Small Business Week 2026 with fellow entrepreneurs, business leaders, and members of our business community.
This session is FREE; however, registration is required. Register here.