Accelerate Okanagan

10/15/2026

Where can innovation make the biggest difference in Okanagan agriculture?

Our new interactive report, Nobody Grows Alone, puts that question to the people closest to it. Grounded in conversations with growers and agriculture leaders across the valley, it names eight areas ready for new ideas:

💧 Water & Weather
🍎 Local Food
👩‍🌾 Labour
📋 Red Tape
🗣️ Engagement
📚 Knowledge & Learning
🌱 Land & Succession
🤝 Working Together

Each area traces the challenges growers face, the opportunities they see and the bright spots already underway. Some ideas are ready to build now, like a multilingual tool for navigating regulations or an app that sends local pest guidance straight to a grower’s phone.

None of them move forward alone. They need growers, builders and partners working on them together.

Explore the report and find where you fit >> https://hubs.la/Q04BlW6B0

Co-created with Kevan Gilbert of https://hubs.la/Q04BlVKT0.

10/14/2026

The OFFSITE speakers have landed.

OFFSITE, presented by TELUS Business, brings together founders and leaders who have built, scaled, and led companies for a day of keynotes, a founder panel, and a two-hour workshop on pushing past the comfort zone.

Who will be in the room on November 5:

✈️ Jon Warner, Founder and Lead Coach of CoreEQ
✈️ Laurie Clark, CEO and Founder of Onyen
✈️ Chris Pinkerton, Managing Director of Employment Hero Canda
✈️ Eric Doucet, CRO and Co-Founder of The Sales Factory
✈️ Jillian White, President and CEO of MAKR Play Group
✈️ Barry Lapointe, Founder and Chairman of KF Aerospace
✈️ Paolo Moretti, Manager, AI Commercialization at TELUS
✈️ Debbie da Silva, Partner at KPMG Canada
✈️ Ty Summach, Growth Advisor at Accelerate Okanagan

🕐 Thursday, November 5 • 8 AM – 4 PM
📍 The KF Centre for Excellence, Kelowna, BC

Members $275. General admission $350.
Free Ticket for Tech Pro Members.

Boarding is open. See the full agenda and get your tickets >> https://hubs.la/Q04B8rfb0

10/09/2026

Startup Drinks is back, and this month FH&P Lawyers is hosting us at their office in the Landmark Building.

Come meet new people, catch up with familiar faces, and take a mid-week break with the Okanagan's startup community. FH&P is covering the food. You bring the conversation.

No pitches and no pressure, just good people in the room.

🗓️ November 4
🕓 4 PM to 6 PM
📍 FH&P Lawyers, Landmark 4, 4th Floor, 1628 Dickson Ave, Kelowna

Free and open to everyone. Founders, students, job seekers, and anyone curious about tech are welcome. 19+, please bring ID.

Save your spot >> https://hubs.la/Q04zFJZn0

Thanks to FH&P for opening their doors to the community.

10/08/2026

Keep it growing.

That is the work in front of Okanagan agriculture right now, and it is not a given. Growers and farmers here are carrying generations of effort into seasons that get harder every year.

It starts with understanding.

Kevan Gilbert, Facilitator and Founder of https://hubs.la/Q04zDqSt0, is leading this work as AO's Agriculture Advisor. He has been sitting down with growers, farmers, industry leaders, and local food ambassadors to understand what today's reality looks like.

Those conversations are being compiled into a listening report called "Nobody Grows Alone," which will be released later this month.

Read Kevan's first post here >> https://hubs.la/Q04zDqFV0

10/08/2026

Kevan Gilbert: In a Flash 📸

As Lead Facilitator and Founder of https://hubs.la/Q04zv0Xx0, Kevan designs and facilitates processes of listening, storytelling and creativity, helping groups co-create new plans and find new ways forward.

He spent almost twelve years at a digital agency, consulting with everyone from universities to local governments. No matter what was being built, it was the human conversations that brought people together to spark change. When the agency was acquired in 2022, he took the leap and started https://hubs.la/Q04zv0Xx0.

In this In a Flash feature, Kevan shares what change actually feels like when it finally arrives, why he dreads being asked what he does at the dentist, and the two things he would tell a founder just getting started here: learn math, practice magic.

📰 Read Kevan's full Q&A >>https://hubs.la/Q04zv10h0 (https://hubs.la/Q04zv10h0)
🎬 Watch more videos and follow us on Instagram >> https://hubs.la/Q04zv0yy0 (https://hubs.la/Q04zv0yy0)

09/29/2026

OFFSITE is back on November 5, and we're taking it to new heights at the The KF Centre for Excellence home to one of Canada's leading aerospace collections.

Join founders and senior leaders who have already built something that works and are deciding what comes next. You can expect a mix of keynotes and panels, with a two-hour workshop in the afternoon facilitated by Jon Warner of Core EQ.

Presented by TELUS Business

🕐 Thursday, November 5, 8 AM to 4 PM
📍 KF Centre for Excellence, Kelowna, BC

Members $275. General admission $350.

Get Your Tickets >> https://hubs.la/Q04yGyl_0

09/28/2026

Thank you to everyone who came out to Startup Drinks on the rooftop ☀️. Between the sunshine and a handful of live hiring announcements from the open mic, it was one for the books.

And big thanks to our sponsors, Scotiabank, Trellis.org, and the Kelowna Innovation Centre, for making it possible.

The next Startup Drinks is happening November 4 at FH&P. If you want an early invite, make sure you're signed up as a member:

Become a member >> https://hubs.la/Q04ysH3S0

09/28/2026

Thank you to everyone who came out to Startup Drinks on the rooftop ☀️. Between the sunshine and a handful of live hiring announcements from the open mic, it was one for the books.

And big thanks to our sponsors, Scotiabank, Trellis, and the Kelowna Innovation Centre, for making it possible.

The next Startup Drinks is happening November 4 at FH&P. If you want an early invite, make sure you’re signed up as a member >> Link in bio 🔗

09/17/2026

Angela Nagy: In a Flash 📸

At 18, Angela decided her purpose was to help save the world through business.

Angela is the President and CEO of GreenStep, which she started in 2008. GreenStep helps businesses and organizations measure, manage, and improve their sustainability performance.

📖 Read Angela's full Q&A on our blog >> https://hubs.la/Q04xySDh0
🎥 See more conversations and follow

09/16/2026

Spending more time reconciling receipts than running your business? That’s a trade-off worth fixing.

On September 23, Accelerate Okanagan is hosting Brenton Born, CPA and Co-Owner at Agile Bookkeeping, for a practical look at the modern finance stack: tax accounts, banking, accounting, and payroll. More importantly, Brenton will show you how to get these tools working together, so your finance systems create less manual work and give you a clearer picture of your business.
This session is built for entrepreneurs managing their own books, early-stage teams figuring out which tools are worth investing in, and anyone ready to make their financial operations easier to manage. Expect practical examples, time to dig into your questions, and a chance to connect with other local founders.

September 23 is also our monthly Co-working Day. Stick around after the session, work from the lounge, grab a coffee, and connect with the community.

📅 Wednesday, September 23
🕙 10:00–11:30 AM
📍 Accelerate Okanagan

Register >> https://hubs.ly/Q04xBT-b0

Build a finance technology stack that actually works: tax, banking, accounting, and payroll, hosted by Agile Bookkeeping's Brenton Born.