Every month our team compiles a list of startup and small business events in Toronto and Southwestern Ontario that we’re interested in attending and think will be useful to the startup and small business community.
Some of these events may fill up fast, so if you’re interested in attending please register quickly. Business events are generally free of charge unless a price is listed. If you’re hosting an event or come across one that you think should be included here, feel free to contact us with your suggestion(s).
TORONTO AND GTA EVENTS
Venture for Canada’s BDC Canadian Scale-Up Speaker Series
As part of Venture for Canada’s BDC Canadian Scale-Up Speaker Series, come join us for a conversation with Bianca Lopes, Heather Payne, and Steven Uster on what is involved with scaling a Canadian technology company.
When: May 2, 2017, 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Where: 77 King Street West, Toronto, ON
Price: $10.00
StartupTech Unleashed Inc
StartupTech Unleashed Inc was created by the need of new and existing business startups to help them foster growth and to nurture their idea from the ideation stage to global domination. We will be focusing on Startup, Tech & Social Innovation.
Event: StartupTech Unleashed Meetup
When: May 2, 2017, 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Where: Liberty Village, 67 Mowat Ave., Suite 101, Liberty Village, Toronto. ON
Price: $10.00
Camp Tech
Camp Tech is a tech skills training hub. They provide half and full-day in-person workshops for adults who want to learn website and digital skills. They create a welcoming environment for those who are hesitant around technology, and emphasize skills that can be put into practice right away.
Event: Digital Marketing on a Shoestring Budget
When: May 3, 2017, 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Where: 455 Spadina Avenue, Suite 304, Toronto, ON
Price: $99.00
Mississauga Business Enterprise Centre
Whether you are starting or growing a small business, or just thinking about it, the Mississauga Business Enterprise Centre (MBEC) can help you.
Event: Start Your Business – The Basics
When: May 4, 2017, 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Where: Central Library, 301 Burnhamthorpe Rd W, Mississauga, ON
Price: TBA
Toronto Public Library
Event: Create a Facebook Page For Your Business
When: May 4, 2017, 2:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Where: 35 Fairview Mall Drive, Toronto, ON
Price: Free
TechToronto
Each month, TechToronto Meetup is designed for Toronto technologists to learn something new and meet someone new. You’ll learn something new from one of our 5x5s, or five presentations of five minutes each.
Event: TechToronto Meetup + Afterparty
When: May 8, 2017, 6:00 p.m.
Where: RBC WaterPark Place Auditorium, 88 Queen’s Quay West, Toronto, ON
Price: $15.00
MaRS Discovery District
MaRS is where entrepreneurs get the help they need, where all kinds of people meet to spark new ideas, and where a global reputation for innovation is being earned, one success story at a time. The often-free events at MaRS are ideal for start-ups, science, technology and social entrepreneurs looking to make connections and learn more about a particular aspect of business.
Event: MaRS Summer Intensive: Fly your startup to new horizons
When: May 9, 2017, 9:00 a.m.
Where: MaRS Discovery District, 101 College Street, Toronto, ON
Price: $199.00
Ladies Learning Code
Have you taken their HTML and CSS workshop? Looking to expand your web development skills? Wonder what all this CSS3 stuff is about? CSS is a powerful language used to create layout and design for web pages. Without CSS, the web would not be as pretty!
Event: HTML and CSS for Beginners: Build a One Page Website from Scratch
When: May 9, 2017, 6:00 p.m.
Where: UrbanArts Community Arts Council, 5 Bartonville Avenue East, Toronto, ON
Price: Free
RIC Centre
As the Entrepreneur and Innovation Hub for Mississauga, Brampton, and Caledon, the RIC Centre offers a comprehensive range of support services to entrepreneurs for free, including mentorship and advisory services, hands-on workshops and networking events.
Event: RIC Centre Startup Boot Camp
When: May 10, 2017, 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Where: Xerox Research Centre of Canada, 2660 Speakman Drive, Mississauga, ON
Price: Free
SalesTO – Sales: State of the Union
Each SalesTO Meetup is designed for Toronto technologists to learn how to improve their selling and connect with other industry professionals. Panel discussions consist of a diverse selection of leading sales people from Toronto technology companies, big or small.
When: May 15, 2017, 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Where: TBA (Toronto, ON)
Price: $20.00
Enterprise Toronto
Enterprise Toronto is a one-stop source to start and grow your small business. Their team of small business advisors can help you make the right decisions during your business start-up and help develop your management capabilities as your business venture grows.
Event: Marketing & Sales Boot Camp
When: May 16, 2017, 9:00 a.m – 12:30 p.m.
Where: Toronto City Hall, 100 Queen St W., 2nd Floor, Committee Room 3, Toronto, ON
Price: $15.00
Startup Toronto
Startup Toronto is a grass roots entrepreneur-led community of Startup Canada. We connect our members to the startup ecosystem in Toronto, foster a supportive home for all entrepreneurs, and provide programs and tools that help entrepreneurs accelerate their business growth.
Event: Startup Toronto Disrupters – Women Edition
When: May 24, 2017, 5:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Where: Ted Rogers School of Management, 55 Dundas Street West, 7th Floor Cara Commons, Toronto, ON
Price: Free
BrainStation
BrainStation is a progressive educational institution that is powering the next generation of creators. BrainStation is education for the 21st century, where business, creativity, and technology collide.
Event: Design Toronto | A Panel Discussion On Digital Design
When: May 25, 2017, 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Where: BrainStation Toronto, 460 King Street West, Toronto, ON
Price: $45.00
Toronto Tech Summit 2017
An event that focuses on Customer Experience, Always-On Voice, Innovation, IoT, Virtual Reality, and more!
When: May 26, 2017, 12:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Where: MaRS Discovery District (Auditorium)101 College Street, Toronto, ON
Price: $25.00
HackerNest Tech Socials
HackerNest Tech Socials are a fun, relaxed way to connect with your local tech community. Atmosphere: chill, friendly, unpretentious, agenda-free (no sales pitch), and brimming with Ultra Smart People.
When: May 29, 2017, 8:00 p.m. – 10:30 p.m.
Where: 483 Queen St West, Toronto, ON
Price: Free
WATERLOO REGION EVENTS
Communitech
Founded by a group of dedicated entrepreneurs in 1997, Communitech is Waterloo Region’s hub for the commercialization of innovative technologies. Over the years, they have supported and helped build a tech cluster of nearly 1,000 companies that now generates more than $30 billion in revenue.
Event: Tech Leadership Conference 2017
Communitech’s Tech Leadership Conference brings the best entrepreneurs, innovators and thought leaders to connect, learn and help shift the power and control of technology in the right direction.
When: May 10 – 11, 2017, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Where: TBA (Waterloo Region)
Price: $400.00
HackerNest Kitchener-Waterloo May Tech Social
HackerNest Tech Socials are a fun, relaxed way to connect with your local tech community. Atmosphere: chill, friendly, unpretentious, agenda-free (no sales pitch), and brimming with Ultra Smart People.
When: May 8, 2017, 8:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m.
Where: TD Waterloo Technology Centre, 55 Columbia Street East, Waterloo, ON
Price: TBA
Waterloo Region Small Business Centre
The Waterloo Region Small Business Centre encourages and contributes to the enterprising spirit and economic vitality of our community by assisting entrepreneurs with the development of new or existing businesses.
Event: Startup Business Basics
When: May 10, 2017, 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Where: 50 Dickson Street, Cambridge, ON
Price: Free
Hive Waterloo Region
Hive Waterloo Region works with partners and stakeholders in our community to promote digital literacy for all and build diversity in the tech sector. We are a not-for-profit, official Mozilla Foundation Learning Community.
Event: Social Media for Business
When: May 16, 2017, 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Where: Kitchener Public Library Central Branch, 85 Queen St N, Kitchener, ON
Price: Free
HAMILTON EVENT
Innovation Factory
Innovation Factory helps advance Hamilton’s innovation community and serves as an inspiring, expert resource for entrepreneurs that fosters connections across the community and accelerates growth.
Event: Social Media for the Sales Team – IF’s May Sales Peer2Peer
When: May 10, 2017, 8:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
Where: McMaster Innovation Park, 175 Longwood Road South, #101a, Hamilton, ON
Price: Free
HALTON EVENTS
Silicon Halton
Silicon Halton organizes a number of events throughout the year in the region Halton which including Burlington, Oakville, and Milton. Their monthly meetups and Peer2Peer has three main components; a key notes presentation, a get to know a member presentation, and time set out for networking. These events are catered to anyone at a startup – especially in the tech industry – that want to learn more about business best practices.
Event: Strategic Social Media For Your Business
When: May 9, 2017, 7:00 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.
Where: TBA
Price: Free
HalTech
HalTech is the leading source of support and personal service for tech and advanced manufacturing entrepreneurs in Halton. They assist Halton’s entrepreneurs and technology companies with developing their ideas, commercializing their products/services and establishing and expanding their businesses.
Event: Finance & Funding Meetup
Haltech’s Finance & Funding Meetup is intended to help entrepreneurs understand finance fundamentals, cashflow management, and discover available funding opportunities.
When: May 11, 2017, 8:30 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.
Where: Halton Hive, 901 Guelph Line, Burlington, ON
Price: Free
GUELPH EVENTS
Innovation Guelph
Innovation Guelph is building prosperity for community wellbeing by providing mentorship and business support programs and services to help innovative enterprises start, grow and thrive
Event: Start Your Engines
Attending our Start Your Engine introductory session is the best way to learn more about SPEEDWAY, our signature business coaching and education program for both start-ups and small-to-medium-sized businesses.
When: May 16, 2017
Where: TBA
Price: Free
Guelph Business Networking Event
When: May 17, 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Where: Fionn MacCool’s, 494 Edinburgh Rd S., N/E corner of Stone and Edinburgh, Guelph, ON
Price: $15.00
NIAGARA EVENTS
St. Catharines Enterprise Centre
The St. Catharines Enterprise Centre provides the information, tools and resources that entrepreneurs need to launch and grow their business. Aspiring and existing entrepreneurs are serviced through many support services, including a number of informative seminars and events.
Event: Sales and Marketing Seminar
When: May 17, 2017, 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Where: 1 St. Paul Street, 3rd Floor, Suite A301, St. Catharines, ON
Price: Free
Innovate Niagara
Innovate Niagara is a member of the Ontario Network of Entrepreneurs, a network of regional and provincial not-for-profit organizations that deliver services and programs to help entrepreneurs succeed.
Event: Sales A.B.C
When: May 26, June 2, and June 9, 2017, 12:00 p.m.
Where: Cairns Building, Room 207, Brock University, 1812 Sir Isaac Brock Way, St. Catharines, ON
Price: $100.00
Startup Drinks Niagara
Startup Drinks is a monthly networking event for Niagara Startups and those interested in the Niagara business community. Startup Niagara is a place for budding and seasoned entrepreneurs alike to gather, learn from each other and get access to invaluable resource and programming. We are entrepreneur-led and committed to the long-term success and sustainability of our community.
When: May 31, 2017, 7:00 p.m. (last Wednesday of every month)
Where: TBA (Niagara, ON)
Price: Free
Are we missing any startup or small business events? Let us know and we’ll add it to the list.
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