About this Event
There's no single path to entrepreneurship.
Some people build businesses from the ground up. Some buy businesses and carry them into their next chapter. Others focus on growing and scaling established companies. Different journeys, different goals, different stages, but all contributing to the same local economy.
Join WeBC and our community partners for an evening of conversation, connection, and shared experience. Build, Buy, Belong brings together local entrepreneurs, business owners, aspiring owners, and the organizations that support them. Developed in collaboration with partners from across the region, this event recognizes that just as there are many paths into entrepreneurship, there are many doorways into support.
Entrepreneurship can be rewarding, challenging, and occasionally lonely. Join us to hear honest stories from local business owners about the realities of buying and building a business, navigating uncertainty, seizing opportunities, and finding support along the way.
Their stories are a reminder that success isn't built through determination alone. Many of the entrepreneurs you'll hear from found strength, support, and opportunity through communities where they felt seen, understood, and connected.
Together with organizations rooted in communities across the region, we're opening the door to the people, resources, and networks that help entrepreneurs thrive.
Join us to discover new opportunities, make meaningful connections, and find the community where you belong!
Featured Speakers
Hear from local entrepreneurs who have taken different paths to business ownership and growth.
Speakers to be announced.
Community Partners
Build, Buy, Belong is presented by WeBC in collaboration with organizations committed to supporting entrepreneurs and strengthening local business communities.
- Black Business Association of BC (BBABC)
- Queer Business BC (QBBC)
- Société de développement économique de la Colombie-Britannique (SDECB)
- Latincouver
- OCCA Communities Association (OCCA)
Agenda
🕑: 04:45 PM - 05:15 PM
Registration & Local Showcase
🕑: 05:15 PM - 05:30 PM
Welcome
🕑: 05:30 PM - 06:15 PM
Panel Discussion: The Many Doorways to Support
🕑: 06:15 PM - 06:45 PM
Dinner & Local Showcase
🕑: 06:45 PM - 07:15 PM
Fireside Chat: Local Growth Stories
🕑: 07:15 PM - 07:30 PM
Wrap-Up
🕑: 07:30 PM - 08:00 PM
Networking & Local Showcase
Event venue & nearby stays
Nanaimo Golf Club, 2800 Highland Boulevard, Nanaimo, Canada
Concerts, fests, parties, meetups — all the happenings, one place.