Find out more about upcoming events offered by the Small Business Centre that are intended to benefit small businesses.
Charting Your Small Business Path through the Changing Labour Market
Small Business Week Workshop - October 22, 2026
Join local business owners and industry experts to learn how to adapt to the changing labour market.
Thursday, October 22 at The Track on 2, 40309 Range Road 272, Lacombe.
Registration and breakfast start at 7:00 AM. Programming starts at 7:45 AM.
The event will include our keynote speaker, Jon Cornish, hands-on workshops, and an expert panel discussion. Breakfast will also be included.
The event is brought to you by Burman University School of Business. They are committed to equipping future and current business owners with the tools and knowledge to be dynamic and versatile leaders.
Meet our keynote speaker, Jon Cornish!
Chancellor Emeritus Jonathan Michael Seetal Cornish is a Portfolio Manager with RBC Dominion Securities. A first ballot Canadian Football Hall of Famer, Cornish was the winner of the Northern Star Trophy in 2013 as Canada’s most outstanding athlete. A two-time John Hadl award winner (Team MVP) and still single season rushing record holder at the University of Kansas, the Jon Cornish Trophy is awarded annually by Football Canada to the best Canadian NCAA Football player. The son of an Anglican Priest, Jon is a prolific volunteer and started the Calgary Black Chambers, which has channeled half a million dollars of funding into scholarships and mentorship for young professionals, and was selected as the 15th Chancellor of the University of Calgary, the youngest Chancellor in Canadian history.
Jon is the chair of the Finance committee of the Calgary Petroleum Club, a Distinguished Clubs Elite-level professional club, and chairs the Doc Seaman Hockey fund of the Calgary Foundation, which distributes over $1 million to support amateur sport across Canada. Jon's exceptional contributions have been recognized through various honors, including the Queen's Platinum Jubilee Medal, King Charles III Coronation Medal, and Alberta's Friends of Education Award as well as being named to Calgary's "Top 40 Under 40."
Jon is a Chartered Financial Analyst Charterholder.
Meet our moderator, Joe Whitbread!
Joe has spent 30 years as a public speaker and live event host. He's a keynote speaker and school presenter while also representing a variety of organizations as a professional emcee, host, voiceover artist and PA announcer.
The owner of Joe Social Media in Alberta, Joe presents to kids, teachers, educators and parents about personal branding using social media and making a clean digital transition to life's next chapter.
Joe can be seen and heard in many places throughout the year, including minor and professional sports events, awards galas, talent competitions, corporate fundraisers, community events and much more.
Meet our presenter and panelist, Shital Chamadia!
Shital Chamadia is a keynote speaker, business strategist, and finance program facilitator based in Red Deer, Alberta, who helps small businesses and teams get past the mindset barriers that stall growth. A two-time pageant winner, she speaks on leadership, equity, diversity and inclusion (DEIB), talent, and change and works as a career strategist guiding professionals through pivotal transitions. Her work centres on a simple idea: turning survival into strategy.
Meet our presenter and panelist, Martine Varekamp-Bos!
Martine Varekamp-Bos is the Owner and a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC) at Immigration Care, where she leads a team of eight from offices in Red Deer and Picture Butte, Alberta. With more than 18 years of experience, she has built a practice spanning the full spectrum of Canadian immigration, with deep expertise in the Alberta Advantage Immigration Program, the Temporary Foreign Worker Program, and agricultural and rural immigration. Dutch born and a dairy farmer herself, Martine is an active voice in national immigration policy advocacy, guided by her firm’s commitment to brighter futures through responsible immigration.
Meet our panelist, Shauna Feth!
Shauna Feth has served as the President and CEO of the Alberta Chambers of Commerce (ACC) since June 2022. With a career rooted in business leadership and community engagement, Shauna brings extensive experience supporting entrepreneurs, business families, and rural economic development.
Before leading ACC, Shauna spent over 14 years as Executive Director of the Alberta Business Family Institute at the University of Alberta School of Business. A designated Family Enterprise Advisor™ and a third-generation business owner, she has long been an advocate for entrepreneurial growth and the sustainability of family enterprises. As Project Manager for the Creating Pathways for Entrepreneurial Families Initiative, she led outreach programs benefiting over 8,000 rural business owners and communities across Alberta.
