Back for the 5th time

Business Sisters Annual Conference 2025

Join us at the Best Western Parkway Inn & Conference Centre in Cornwall for a full day of fresh perspectives, practical workshops, and meaningful connections with women who understand what it takes to run a business in rural Ontario.

Tickets: $299 | Limited to 120 attendees
Monday, November 9, 2026
Cornwall, Ontario
FULL DAY EVENT 8am - 6pm ET
REGISTER FOR THE CONFERENCE

2 dynamic panels.
10 practical workshops.
4 trailblazing women.
Plus a relaxation lounge, exhibits, and meaningful connections.

Join us at the Business Sisters Annual Conference for a full day of fresh perspectives, practical workshops, and meaningful connections with women who understand what it takes to run a business.

Join women entrepreneurs from across Rural Ontario as we challenge old assumptions, share hard-earned knowledge, and explore what building better businesses can look like.

REGISTER FOR THE CONFERENCE

One day.

Plenty to take home.

✧ Conversations that challenge your thinking
‍
Explore new approaches to business ownership, financing, growth, and success through interactive panels and discussions.

✎ Workshops that meet you where you are

‍Choose sessions covering money psychology, marketing, AI, business transitions, personal identity, and more.

♥ Connections beyond swapping business cards

‍Meet women entrepreneurs from different industries, communities, and stages of business. Share experiences, ask questions, and discover opportunities to collaborate.

ϟ Room to recharge

‍Enjoy breakfast, a buffet lunch, refreshment breaks, exhibits, a relaxation lounge, and an end-of-day cocktail reception.

REGISTER FOR THE CONFERENCE

Learn from women who know rural business in Ontario firsthand.

Our speakers bring experience from across entrepreneurship, marketing, finance, business ownership, community development, and personal well-being.

BEA TARBELL
JT Business Services

Opening Panelist & Workshop Speaker

CAROLINE ST-MLEUX
IMPACT ON

Opening Panelist

CHANTAL LAVERGNE
Oh Color Me

Trailblazer

DOREEN ASHTON WAGNER
Business Sisters
LinkedIn

Host & Workshop Speaker

EDEN SPODEK
Spodek & Co.

Workshop Speaker

ERIN GURSKI
Copyrightlaws.com

Workshop Speaker

JENNIFER GLEnN
Pick Plant Prune

Trailblazer

KAT TEPYLO MURPHY
Social Kat Media

Workshop Speaker

LAYLA BENGHAZI
Layla Benghazi

Workshop Speaker

PIERRETTE RAYMOND
Pierrette Raymond

Workshop Speaker

RACHEL ANNE HAMELIN
Rachel Anne Hamelin

Workshop Speaker

REBECCA STANISIC
Writer & Content Strategist

Workshop Speaker

ROBIN PATTERSON
The Crayon Box Collective

Workshop Speaker

SHULAMIT BER LEVTOV
The Entrepreneur's Therapist

Workshop Speaker

SYLVIANE DUTRISAC
Café Butte and Bine Farm

Trailblazer

TARA MACWHIRTER
Garden Path Homemade Soap

Trailblazer

REGISTER FOR THE CONFERENCE
Your day, your way.
With three rounds of workshops, interactive discussions, and opportunities to connect throughout the day, you can choose the conversations most relevant to you.
8:00 AM Registration & Breakfast

Start your morning with breakfast, meet fellow Business Sisters, and explore the exhibits.

8:30 AM Welcome & Opening Ceremony

Join us as we kick off the fifth annual Business Sisters Conference.

8:45 AM Rewriting the Business Mixtape: New Models for a Changing World

Interactive Opening Panel & Roundtable Discussion

Panelists: Bea Tarbell, Caroline St-Mleux & Layla Saligane

Explore new approaches to financing, ownership, and business growth that put people, communities, and long-term sustainability alongside profitability.

Hear from entrepreneurs challenging conventional thinking, then join smaller discussions about what these ideas could mean for your business.

10:30 AM Workshop Round 1: The Bigger Picture

Choose the conversation most relevant to your business.

Money Psychology Secrets Every Business Owner Needs to Know

Shulamit Ber Levtov | EN

Explore money shame, the psychology behind financial decisions, and practical ways to respond.

What's Your Exit Strategy? Buying or Selling a Business

Pierrette Raymond & Erin Gurski | EN/FR

Learn from women with firsthand experience on both sides of business ownership.

Things I Wish I'd Known Starting My Own Business

Layla Benghazi | FR

Insights and lessons from the entrepreneurial journey.

Ask Me Anything About Running a Small Business

Doreen Ashton Wagner | EN/FR

Bring your questions to an open discussion about running a business.

11:45 AM Buffet Lunch & Networking

Enjoy lunch, catch up with new connections, and visit the exhibits and relaxation lounge.

12:45 PM Workshop Round 2: Marketing Your Business

Explore the tools, strategies, and technologies shaping how businesses connect with customers.

From SEO to AI Search Optimization

Eden Spodek | EN

Understand how search is changing and what it means for your business's visibility.

Making Social Media Work for You

Kat Tepylo Murphy | EN

Explore ways to make your social media efforts more purposeful and effective.

Marketing Through Content Creation: Human Intelligence in the Age of AI

Rebecca Stanisic | EN

Discover the value of human creativity and connection in an increasingly automated world.

French-Language Workshop

Presenter and details to be announced | FR

Ask Me Anything About Running a Small Business

Doreen Ashton Wagner | EN/FR

Another opportunity for an open conversation about running a small business.

2:15 PM Workshop Round 3: Taking Care of the Business Owner

Because the person running the business matters just as much as the business itself.

Redefining Success

Rachel Ann Hamelin | EN/FR

Explore what success means to you and how that definition can evolve.

Maintaining Your Identity Through Entrepreneurship

Bea Tarbell | EN

Navigate the changing relationship between your business and your sense of self.

Nommer l'invisible : transition d'entrepreneures

Sonia Likibi | FR

Explore the transitions and changes that come with entrepreneurship.

Mandalas for Creativity, Mindfulness & Discovery

Robin Patterson, The Crayon Box Collective | EN

Make space for reflection, creativity, and fresh thinking through a guided art activity.

3:45 PM Fireside Chat with Trailblazing Women Business Owners

Presented by the Scotiabank Women Initiative

Featuring: Jennifer Glenn, Tara McWhirter, Sylviane Dutrisac & Chantal Lavergne

Hear from four women who have built businesses, navigated challenges, made difficult decisions, and created their own paths forward.

4:45 PM Closing Remarks & Draw

We'll wrap up the conference and announce the draw.

5:00 PM Cocktail Reception & Networking

End the day with refreshments, conversations, and time to reconnect with the women you've met throughout the conference.

Program, presenters, and workshop availability are subject to change.

Good business happens when we come together.
Some of the most valuable things you'll take away from this conference won't come from a presentation.They'll come from the question someone asks, the experience another business owner shares, or the conversation that gives you a new way to look at a familiar challenge.

That's what Business Sisters is all about.
Monday, November 9, 2026
Cornwall, Ontario
FULL DAY EVENT 8am - 6pm ET
INDIVIDUAL 2026 CONFERENCE PASS
$299
CAD + HST
‍
  • ✔ Full-day conference admission
  • ✔ Opening panel and interactive discussions
  • ✔ Three rounds of workshops
  • ✔ Breakfast and buffet lunch
  • ✔ Coffee and refreshment breaks
  • ✔ Access to exhibits and the relaxation lounge
    ✔ Fireside chat with trailblazing entrepreneurs
    ✔ Evening cocktail reception and networking
  • EARLY REGISTRATION BONUSES
    ‍Register by October 12 at 11:59 PM to receive:
    ‍
  • ✔ Complimentary access to 3 pre-conference webinars
  • ✔ Entry into a draw for a 2027 Business Sisters All-Access Networking Pass
  • ✔ Chance to receive 1 of 10 complimentary registrations to the Scotiabank Women Initiative Mentorship Program with The Forum ($300 value)
REGISTER NOW
TABLE OF 6 - SAVE $49 EACH ($294 TOTAL!)
$1500
CAD + HST
‍
  • ✔ Full-day conference admission
  • ✔ Opening panel and interactive discussions
  • ✔ Three rounds of workshops
  • ✔ Breakfast and buffet lunch
  • ✔ Coffee and refreshment breaks
  • ✔ Access to exhibits and the relaxation lounge
    ✔ Fireside chat with trailblazing entrepreneurs
    ✔ Evening cocktail reception and networking
  • EARLY REGISTRATION BONUSES
    ‍Register by October 12 at 11:59 PM to receive:
    ‍
  • ✔ Complimentary access to 3 pre-conference webinars
  • ✔ Entry into a draw for a 2027 Business Sisters All-Access Networking Pass
  • ✔ Chance to receive 1 of 10 complimentary registrations to the Scotiabank Women Initiative Mentorship Program with The Forum ($300 value)
CONTACT
Questions? We've got answers.
What's the difference between an Individual Pass and a Table of Six?

Individual Pass — $299: Your ticket includes admission to the full conference, workshops, meals, and networking opportunities.

Table of Six — $1,500: Register six attendees together for $250 per person. That's a savings of $49 per person, or $294 altogether, compared with purchasing six individual passes.

Both options include the same conference experience.

To arrange a Table of Six, email hello@business-sisters.ca.

Where is the conference being held?

The Business Sisters Annual Conference takes place on Monday, November 9, 2026, at the Best Western Parkway Inn & Conference Centre.

1515 Vincent Massey Drive, Cornwall, Ontario.

View the location on Google Maps ↗

Are accommodations available for out-of-town attendees?

Yes! The conference venue is also a hotel, making it convenient to stay overnight if you're travelling to Cornwall.

For current room rates and availability, contact the Best Western Parkway Inn & Conference Centre directly. Any special conference rates are subject to availability and booking deadlines.

Are meals included with registration?

Yes! Your registration includes breakfast, a buffet lunch, coffee and refreshment breaks, plus access to the end-of-day cocktail reception.

If you have dietary restrictions or allergies, please share them during registration or contact hello@business-sisters.ca in advance.

What time does the conference start and finish?

Registration and breakfast begin at 8:00 AM, followed by the opening ceremony at 8:30 AM.

The conference program wraps up at approximately 4:45 PM, with a cocktail reception and networking beginning at 5:00 PM.

Do I attend every workshop?

You'll have three rounds of workshops throughout the day, with several sessions offered during each round.

Choose the workshop that interests you most in each time slot. You'll also participate in the opening panel and have opportunities to enjoy the exhibits, relaxation lounge, and networking activities.

The program and workshop availability are subject to change.

Can I attend if I'm not a Business Sisters member?

Absolutely! The conference welcomes women entrepreneurs from across Eastern Ontario and beyond, whether you're already part of the Business Sisters community or joining us for the first time.

Allies are welcome, too.

REGISTER FOR THE CONFERENCE

The economy is shifting, technology is moving quickly, and the definition of success is becoming more personal. Let's talk about it.

You'll hear from experienced entrepreneurs, explore practical ideas, ask questions, and connect with women who have been where you are—or are heading where you want to go. Come for the learning. Leave with new perspectives, useful connections, and ideas worth putting into action.

Connecting businesswomen in rural Eastern Ontario
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