Every month our team compiles a list of startup and small business events in Toronto and Southwestern Ontario that we’re personally interested in attending and think will be useful to anyone in 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). We hope to see you there!
TORONTO EVENTS
Ryerson Startup School
Startup School provides fundamental entrepreneurial education to aspiring and emerging entrepreneurs alike. This term, students and founders can take advantage of practical education on topics curated to accelerate a startup’s growth. Join top industry experts, academic thought leaders and seasoned entrepreneurs as they lead sessions on the topics crucial to entrepreneurial success.
Event: Startup School: Managing Investors
When: April 3, 2018, 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Where: Ryerson University Student Learning Centre (SLC), 341 Yonge Street, Room 312, Toronto, ON
Price: Free
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 TO: Meetup April 2018
When: April 3, 2018, 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Where: Spaces Queen West, 180 John Street, Toronto, ON
Price: $15.00
LaunchYU
LaunchYU is York University’s entrepreneurship program, where entrepreneurs across campus and in the surrounding community can: CONNECT . COLLABORATE . LEARN . SUCCEED. If you’re interested in exploring entrepreneurship as a viable career option; if you have an idea for a business and need assistance in getting started; or if you have a business but want support in growing it, then LaunchYU is the place for you!
Event: An Evening with Alex Ikonn: From Wantrepreneur to Entrepreneur
When: April 5, 2018, 6:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Where: Schulich School of Business (Executive Dining Room), Seymour Schulich Bldg.
111 Ian MacDonald Blvd, North York, ON
Price: Free
Ladies Learning Code
Have you taken their HTML and CSS workshop? Looking to expand your web development skills? CSS is a powerful web development language that’s used to create the layout and design for web pages. Without CSS, the web would not be as pretty!
Event: HTML & CSS for Beginners: Learn to Build a One Page Website From Scratch
When: April 7, 2018, 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Where: TBD, Toronto, ON
Price: $55.00
Toronto Public Library
Toronto Public Library provides free and equitable access to services which meet the changing needs of Torontonians.
Event: Marketing for Small Business
When: April 9, 2018, 6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Where: Toronto Reference Library, 789 Yonge Street, Toronto, ON
Price: Free
TorontoStarts (formerly Startup Toronto)
Connecting Toronto’s startup community of entrepreneurs, visionaries, hustlers, disruptors, hackers and incurable risk-takers!
Event: SEO Crash Course with The Startup Coach
When: April 10, 2018, 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Where: TribalScale, 200 Wellington Street West, #Suite 900, Toronto, ON
Price: $50.00
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: Future of Marketing TO | A Discussion with Creative Directors
When: April 12, 2018, 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Where: BrainStation Toronto, 460 King Street West, Toronto, ON
Price: $45.00
Camp Tech
Camp Tech is a technical skills training hub. They provide half and full-day in-person workshops for adults who want to learn digital skills. They create a welcoming environment for those who are hesitant with technology, and emphasize skills that can be put into practice right away.
Event: Successful Sales Strategies and CRM Tools
When: April 12, 2018, 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Where: 455 Spadina Avenue, Suite 304, Toronto, ON
Price: $99.00
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 Sales ABC Workshops
When: April 12, 19 & 26, 2018, 9:00 a.m.
Where: Collaboration Centre, CR2, 101 College Street, MaRS Discovery District, Toronto, ON
Price: $100.00
TechToronto
Each month, the TechToronto Meetup is designed for Toronto technologists to learn something new and meet someone new. You’ll learn from one of the 5x5s: five presentations of five minutes each.
Event: TechTO & Afterparty – April Edition
When: April 16, 2018, 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Where: RBC WaterPark Place Auditorium, 88 Queen’s Quay West, Toronto, ON
Price: $22.00
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: BEYOND BUSINESS BASICS: How to Start Lean Using Business Model Canvas
When: April 19, 2018, 5:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Where: Mount Pleasant Village Library (The Paul Hunt Room), 100 Commuter Drive, Brampton, ON
Price: $10.00
Startup Grind
Startup Grind is a global startup community designed to educate, inspire, and connect entrepreneurs. We host monthly events in 200 cities and 85 countries featuring successful local founders, innovators, & investors.
Event: ScaleUp Conference – Technology, Strategy, Marketing for Growth
When: April 19, 2018, 8:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Where: MaRS Discovery District, 101 College Street, Toronto, ON
Price: $249.00
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 for your business start-up and help develop your management capabilities as your business venture grows.
Event: Digital Main Street Forum
When: April 20, 2018, 9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Where: Toronto City Hall, 100 Queen St. W, 2nd Floor, Committee Room 3, Toronto, ON
Price: $25.00
MarketingTO April Edition
MarketingTO is an event that brings together the worlds of technology, advertising and marketing. Our goal is to share stories and learnings about the collisions and collaborations that happen when we integrate these three interdependent ecosystems.
When: April 23, 2018, 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Where: MaRS Discovery District, 101 College Street, Toronto, ON
Price: $30.00
Digifest 2018
Digifest fosters connections by bringing together industry, academia and the public, to inspire us to think about how digital tools and technology will shape our lives and our future. From architects to designers, creators and entrepreneurs take centre stage to share their stories and showcase the digital and technological discoveries that will re-shape some of today’s pressing challenges. Digifest is organized by the Digital Media & Gaming Incubator at George Brown College.
When: April 26 – 28, 2018, 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Where: 25 Dockside Drive, Corus Quay, Main Atrium, Toronto, ON
Price: $100.00
HackerNest
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.
Event: HackerNest Toronto April Tech Social
When: April 30, 2018, 8:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m.
Where: Spaces Queen West, 180 John Street · Toronto, ON
Price: $10.00
WATERLOO REGION EVENTS
HackerNest
HackerNest Tech Socials are a fun, relaxed way to connect with your local tech community. Atmosphere: chill, friendly, unpretentious, agenda-free (no sales pitch, yo), and brimming with Ultra Smart people.
Event: HackerNest Kitchener-Waterloo April Tech Social
When: April 9, 2018, 8:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m
Where: 20 Beasley Drive, Kitchener, ON
Price: $10.00
Accelerator Centre
The Accelerator Centre is an award winning startup accelerator/incubator dedicated to building and scaling sustainable, globally competitive technology firms, commercializing advanced research technologies emerging from academic institutions, and enabling corporation to pursue innovation initiatives in a way that is both effective and efficient.
Event: Marketing for Start-Ups: Your Brand and Culture
When: April 10, 2018, 10:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m
Where: TBD
Price: TBD
Communitech: Sales Leaders P2P
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: Sales Enablement with Karl Ortmanns, Sales Enablement Manager at Clearpath
When: April 16, 2018, 8:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
Where: Communitech Hub – Charles Xavier Room, 151 Charles St W · Kitchener, ON
Price: Free
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: Digital Marketing
When: April 18, 2018, 4:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.
Where: 200 King ST W., Kitchener, ON
Price: $20.00
HALTON EVENTS
HalTech
HalTech is the leading source of support and personal services for tech and advanced manufacturing entrepreneurs in Halton. They assist Halton’s entrepreneurs and technology companies with developing their ideas and commercializing their products/services as well as establishing and expanding their businesses.
Event: Get on board with Haltech & Halton Region Business Programs
When: April 12, 2018, 9:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
Where: MEV Innovation Centre, 555 Industrial Drive, Milton, ON
Price: Free
Silicon Halton
Silicon Halton organizes a number of events throughout the year in the Halton region, including Burlington, Oakville, and Milton. Their monthly meetups and Peer2Peer events have three main components: a key note 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 wants to learn more about business best practices.
Event: Women In Tech Peer2Peer – April 2018
When: April 17, 2018, 7:00 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.
Where: 3330 South Service Road, Burlington, 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: Brand Strategy
When: April 11, 2018, 8:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
Where: 175 Longwood Rd S, Hamilton, ON
Price: Free
GUELPH EVENT
Guelph Business Networking Event
When: April 4, 2018, 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
Startup 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 resources and programming. They are entrepreneur-led and are committed to the long-term success and sustainability of our community.
Event: Startup Drinks Niagara
When: April 25, 2018, 7:00 p.m.
Where: TBA (Niagara, ON)
Price: Free
The A to Z Steps to Starting a Business
The Niagara Falls Small Business Enterprise Centre runs a variety of events geared towards both new start-up businesses as well as existing businesses. Whether you are looking for information about writing a business plan, or perhaps looking at new avenues for marketing your business – they have a seminar for you.
Event: How to Write A Business Plan
When: April 26, 2018, 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Where: 4321 Queen Street, Niagara Falls, 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: Innovate Niagara: Sales ABC
When: April 27, May 4 & 11, 2018, 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Where: Cairns Building, Room 207, Brock University, 1812 Sir Isaac Brock Way, St. Catherines, ON
Price: $100.00
Are we missing any startup or small business events? Let us know and we’ll add it to the list.
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