Community Futures Western Ontario

05/26/2026

This morning, CFWO Executive Director Todd Copeland attended the in London, Ontario, connecting with businesses, partners, and industry leaders from across the region’s food and beverage sector.

It was a morning full of conversations, connections, and learning about the exciting work happening across Southwest Ontario’s agri-food industry.

Thank you to the London Economic Development Corporation (LEDC) for putting together such a great event.

05/26/2026

Yesterday was a great day, and I hope everyone who attended left feeling more confident and excited about using AI tools to support their work.

When many people think of AI, they often think about marketing content, emails, or creating fun images. But yesterday’s session showed just how powerful tools like Microsoft Copilot and NotebookLM can be in helping Loan Officers and Business Advisors save time, streamline workflows, strengthen client support, and work more efficiently.

A huge thank you again to Sofie Andreou M.Eng for leading such an engaging and insightful session, and thank you to everyone who attended and contributed to the great conversations throughout the day.

Exciting to see our network continuing to learn, adapt, and embrace new tools that help us better support entrepreneurs and communities across the region.

05/25/2026

CFWO had the pleasure of hosting Loan Officers from across the region for a hands-on AI training session focused on improving efficiencies in day-to-day work and exploring practical ways AI can support the work we do every day.

A huge thank you to the amazing Sofie Andreou - Newhook for leading such an engaging and insightful session, and thank you to everyone who attended, participated, and helped make the day such a success. It was great to see so much collaboration, learning, and excitement around innovation and new tools. A special shout-out to Volker Loetfering for all of his help with the development of the case studies used. 👏

Exciting to see our network continuing to grow, adapt, and embrace new ways to better support our communities and entrepreneurs.

05/21/2026

Join us in congratulating two of our region’s Community Futures offices, Enterprise Brant o/b Brant Community Futures Development Corporation and Two Rivers Community Development Centre, on being recognized with Gold and Silver in the Inc Brantford 2026 awards! 🎉

For more than 30 years, both Enterprise Brant and Two Rivers Community Development Centre have played an important role in supporting businesses and entrepreneurs across Brantford-Brant and Six Nations of the Grand River through the Community Futures Program.

Their continued dedication to providing business support, financing, and fostering economic growth within their communities is making a lasting impact across both communities.

Congratulations to both teams on this well-deserved recognition, and thank you for your ongoing commitment to the communities you serve. Keep up the incredible work!

05/21/2026

We are pleased to help share this opportunity from the London Economic Development Corporation and Fanshawe College for organizations looking to strengthen their supply chain and logistics operations through experiential learning.

Initiatives like this create valuable connections between local businesses and emerging talent, while giving students meaningful, hands-on experience solving real-world operational challenges.

If your organization could benefit from fresh perspectives in areas such as inventory management, logistics, procurement, forecasting, or operational efficiency, we encourage you to learn more about the SILEx experiential learning initiative below.

Thank you to the London Economic Development Corporation and Fanshawe College for supporting workforce development and industry collaboration across the region.

Local organizations looking to strengthen their supply chain operations now have an opportunity to collaborate with emerging talent through Fanshawe College’s SILEx experiential learning initiative. ⚙️📦

Through the Supply Chain Management – Logistics Graduate Certificate program, student teams work directly with businesses on real-world challenges involving inventory management, logistics, procurement, forecasting, operational efficiency, and more.

Projects are guided by faculty and designed to create value for both the organization and the students through hands-on experiential learning. If your organization is interested in participating, contact:

SCM Coordinator & Professor Steven Levson
T: 519-452-4430 x12882
E: [email protected]

05/18/2026

We hope everyone is enjoying their long weekend! Our office is closed today and will return to regular business hours tomorrow, Tuesday, May 19.

05/15/2026

The May long weekend is upon us. As many of you hit the road for the cottage, make sure to stop and take in the wonderful rural towns along the way.



Please note our office will be closed on Monday, May 18, and will reopen on Tuesday, May 19 at 8:30 AM.

05/14/2026

Big ideas don’t have to stay on the drawing board.
A simple chat with us can turn them into action. , funded by through FedDev Ontario.

05/06/2026

🎙️ New podcast alert: The Local Edge

The Saugeen Economic Development Corporation has launched The Local Edge, a new podcast highlighting the people, projects, and ideas shaping local communities.

The first episode drops this Friday, May 8, 2026, with new episodes coming every couple of weeks—an easy add to your playlist if you care about economic development and community impact.

Take a listen and share it with your network 👇

▶️ YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsJYf5F0RDLmvgYlqdkbkifFIeL6f3CN0&si=j2-LRoSIWAqZUhmk

🎧 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/32Q17s7xbGkZiC4uCjwpjf?si=3NtdApqDRgW65V8gU1aMAg

🍎 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sedc-the-local-edge/id1896269457

Let’s help get the word out on this one.

04/23/2026

Community Futures Western Ontario is proud to celebrate innovation happening in Oxford County 👏

Seven outstanding businesses and organizations have been selected as recipients of the 2026 Tourism Innovation Grant, each bringing fresh ideas, creativity, and new visitor experiences to the region.

From immersive food experiences to international events and community-focused attractions, these projects showcase the strength and potential of rural tourism. Thank you to Community Futures Oxford, Tourism Oxford and Rural Oxford Economic Development.

👉 Read the full announcement and meet all the recipients: https://cfwesternontario.ca/community-futures-oxford-2026-oxford-tourism-innovation-grant/