Understanding the Role of Financial Buyers in Selling, Growing, or Transitioning Your Business As a business owner, there may come a time when you begin considering growth, succession, retirement, or an ownership transition. Understanding your options before that moment arrives can help you make more informed decisions and maximize future opportunities.
Join Innovate Niagara and the St. Catharines Enterprise Centre for a practical discussion featuring experienced investors representing private equity, family offices, and long-term investment groups.
Featured Panelists * Anthony Creo – Head of Investments, Alcorn Partners * Dan Campagna – President, Rowntree Group * Scott Morrison – Banyan Capital Partners Moderator * Karen Fisman – Managing Director, PwC Canada
📅 Wednesday, November 18, 2026
🕛 12:00 PM - 2:00 PM
📍 Coppola's Ristorante & Banquet Facility
🍽️ Lunch Included
🎟️ $20 Registration Fee
Whether you are considering growth capital, succession planning, partial liquidity, or a future exit, this session will provide practical insights from experienced financial buyers active in the lower mid-market.
Have an idea for how AI or analytics could help your business but are unsure how to move forward? Innovate Niagara, AWS, nClouds, and the St. Catharines Enterprise Centre are partnering to deliver the AWS AI Services Challenge, a unique opportunity for businesses to explore AI solutions with direct support from AWS and nClouds experts.
Unlike a traditional pitch competition, selected participants will engage in private, NDA-protected working sessions designed to help validate opportunities, define requirements, and build practical implementation roadmaps.
Participants may be eligible to receive up to $25,000 in solution development services.
📅 Application Deadline: December 1, 2026 📅 Challenge Dates: December 8-9, 2026 👥 Limited to 8-10 selected companies
Your business may have valuable intellectual property and not even realize it.
Join Innovate Niagara on November 11 for a practical workshop with Akiv Jhirad, Founder of Vantage IP Advisory, to learn how to identify, protect, and manage intellectual property within your business.
Topics include trademarks, patents, copyrights, ownership agreements, trade secrets, and strategies for protecting business value.
Whether you are developing a product, building a brand, or preparing for future growth, this workshop will provide practical insights to help safeguard your competitive advantage.
Some of the best ideas emerge when different perspectives come together. Join us for Innovation Hour, a combination of networking and collaborative problem-solving designed to help participants think through challenges, explore ideas, and gain fresh perspectives.
Whether you are working through a business challenge, exploring a new opportunity, or looking for feedback on an idea, Innovation Hour provides a space for meaningful discussion and new insights. The format is simple: ✅ Introductions ✅ Topic exploration ✅ Open discussion ✅ Collaboration opportunities
Your role, title, or industry is not important. If you have a challenge worth discussing, there is value in joining the conversation.
📅 November 26, 2026
🕛 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM 📍 Innovate Niagara Registration required.
Innovate Niagara Featured in Made in Welland: The Innovation Issue
Innovate Niagara is proud to be featured in the 2026 edition of Made in Welland: The Innovation Issue, a publication that highlights the businesses, organizations, and institutions helping drive innovation and economic growth across the region.
The issue showcases stories from across Niagara's innovation ecosystem, highlighting advances in entrepreneurship, research, technology, manufacturing, clean technology, workforce development, and collaboration.
As Niagara's Regional Innovation Centre, Innovate Niagara is honoured to be recognized alongside many of the organizations and companies contributing to the region's continued growth and success.
We thank the City of Welland for highlighting the important work being done to support innovation and entrepreneurship throughout Niagara.
See what our clients & partners are up to this month!
Navigate Applications NOW OPEN!
Have a business idea but aren't sure if it's ready for the market?
Brock LINC's Navigate Program is a free, hands-on entrepreneurship program designed to help aspiring founders explore, validate, and refine their business ideas using the Lean Startup methodology. Over the course of 10 weeks, participants will engage directly with potential customers, gather feedback, test assumptions, and adapt their ideas based on real-world insights.
Through weekly sessions with Brock LINC staff, experienced mentors, and fellow entrepreneurs, participants will gain practical skills and a deeper understanding of what it takes to build a successful venture.
As an added bonus, participants who complete the program will have the opportunity to pitch for one of two $2,500 cash prizes.
📅 Winter 2027 Cohort: January 20 to March 31 📍 Brock LINC, Brock University 💲 Free to Participate
Celebrating Fashion, Entrepreneurship, and Creativity in Niagara
Innovate Niagara is proud to support Fashion in the Vineyard 2026, a new event showcasing the creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurial spirit driving Niagara's growing creative economy.
Founded by local entrepreneur Patience Kyebitondo, the event will bring together designers, creators, business leaders, and community members for an evening featuring fashion, food, wine, entertainment, and networking.
Attendees can look forward to curated runway presentations, local vendors, culinary experiences, and opportunities to connect with Niagara's vibrant entrepreneurial community.
📅 November 28, 2026 📍 Hernder Estate Wines, St. Catharines
Canada’s major projects boom: Opportunities for SMEs
Canada’s major project pipeline represents a significant source of economic growth for SMEs across the country. BDC research highlights how investments in infrastructure, energy, critical minerals and industrial development could unlock up to $670 billion in business investment opportunities by 2030.
Learn which sectors stand to benefit and how businesses can position themselves for long-term growth and competitiveness.
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