Cheerful Connections: A Winter Gathering for Women Entrepreneurs

Step out of the cold and into community at Cheerful Connections, a cozy evening designed to bring women entrepreneurs together before the year wraps up.

Enjoy a relaxed night of snacks, networking, and trivia as you meet new faces, share stories, and celebrate your accomplishments from the year. Whether you’re looking to make new connections, unwind with fellow business owners, or simply enjoy good company, this event is your chance to recharge and reconnect before stepping into a fresh new year. You will also have the opportunity to do some shopping with our Pop-Up Vendor market!

It can be easy to get lost in everything that has happened in a year, which is why these networking events are great for reflecting on how far you have come. These events can also be a great way to establish some new connections that can help you in 2026.

Look back at last year's December Connector!

Guest Speaker: Katie Kelly

Katie Kelley is the Founder and CEO of Maritime Interpreting & Translation, an Atlantic Canada–based language services provider offering interpreting and translation in over 50 languages. At Cheerful Connections, she will share her perspective on the rise of AI in the language services sector, exploring how emerging tools are influencing translation and interpretation, what opportunities and concerns they present, and how entrepreneurs can navigate this rapidly evolving landscape with clarity and confidence.

Business Show and Tell Presenters:

• Nikhila Shaju, Founder of Cakes For You
• Arezoo Zomorrodijou, Founder of Secrets of Clay
• Victoria Yadvizhyna, Founder of Hakta Homes
• Emily Sollows and Meghan Doucette, Founders of Lemonade Co.

About the Start Now Incubator

An ONSIDE project, The Start Now Incubator supports Canadian women entrepreneurs trying to build or grow a business, with a focus and commitment to rural, indigenous, diverse, and underserved women. Within a hybrid community of intersectional women, you’ll unearth renewed confidence and tactics to help you start and grow your dream business.

With funding and support from the Women Entrepreneurship Strategy Fund (WES), Start Now Incubator will strengthen capacity and address ecosystem gaps for diverse populations of women entrepreneurs, including rural and underserved women.

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About ONSIDE

A community accelerator empowering rural and underrepresented groups through inclusive innovation-driven entrepreneurship and collective impact.

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