AI Pathway Grow Smarter: Workshop Series (5 topics, 5 dates)
ABOUT THE SERIES
This session is the first event in Grow Smarter: The AI Pathway, a five-part workshop series designed to you use AI as a practical business tool to move the needle on common business problems.
Each event combines:
- Pre-session materials and preparation exercises
- Expert-led instruction
- Mentor-supported hands-on application
- Participant workbook activities
- A practical business deliverable you can implement immediately
- Networking opportunities and light refreshments
Attend individual sessions or join the full series to build an AI-enabled growth plan for your business. Register with your team and get 10% off: for 2+ tickets use code TEAM10
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THE WORKSHOPS
AI for Market Strategy & Product-Market Fit: September 24, 2026 | 9:30am-12pm
AI won’t fix a fuzzy strategy. It just produces polished noise faster.
Use AI to get sharp on who you serve, why they buy, and where you stand against the competition before spending a dollar on marketing.
You’ll build a Product-Market Fit Snapshot for your own business that you can immediately begin testing.
Whether you’re launching something new, struggling to attract the right customers, or looking to grow an established business, this session will help you replace assumptions with evidence and leave with a clearer strategy for moving forward.
AI for Demand Generation: October 14, 2026 | 9:30am-12pm
Creating more content won’t grow your business. Creating the right content will.
Use AI to build a focused, differentiated demand generation engine from awareness through nurture without sounding generic.
Creating more content does not always create more customers. Successful marketing starts with understanding your audience, delivering the right message, and consistently showing up where your customers are looking. This session will show you how AI can help you do that more efficiently while keeping your marketing authentic and aligned with your business.
You will create a practical AI assisted marketing campaign tailored to your business.
Whether you are promoting a new business, growing an established company, or looking to improve your current marketing efforts, you will leave with practical tools and a campaign you can continue building after the session.
AI to Automate Key Processes: November 4, 2026 | 9:30am-12pm
Before you ask AI to do more, decide what’s actually worth doing.
Use AI to identify the highest value opportunities to improve productivity and understand where to use assistants, automation, agents, or vibe apps.
You’ll redesign a real business workflow and build a Productivity Use Case Blueprint you can begin implementing immediately.
Whether you’re overwhelmed by repetitive tasks, looking to improve efficiency, or exploring how AI can support your team, this session will help you identify practical opportunities to save time, improve consistency, and focus on higher value work.
AI for Financial Planning: Nov 19, 2026 | 9:30am-12pm
AI won’t replace financial judgment. It helps you strengthen it.
Use AI to strengthen your financial planning by testing assumptions, exploring scenarios, and telling a clearer financial story.
You’ll build a Financial Planning Scenario Snapshot that helps you make more informed business decisions.
Whether you’re planning for growth, evaluating new opportunities, or trying to better understand the financial impact of your decisions, this session will show you how AI can become a valuable thinking partner while keeping professional financial advice where it belongs.
AI for Succession Planning & Growth: Nov 25, 2026 | 9:30am-12pm
AI won’t replace leadership, but it can help you build a business that lasts.
Use AI to build a more resilient business by reducing owner dependency, documenting critical knowledge, and planning for long term growth.
You’ll create a Succession and Growth Readiness Roadmap tailored to your business.
Whether you’re planning for retirement, preparing your business for future growth, or simply looking to create stronger systems and leadership capacity, this session will help you think strategically about the future while identifying practical steps you can begin taking today.
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WHO SHOULD ATTEND?
These sessions are designed for:
- Small business owners
- Entrepreneurs and startups
- Business managers and team leaders
- Professionals responsible for sales, marketing, or business development
- Operations, administration, and project management professionals
- Anyone responsible for budgeting, planning, or business strategy
- Family business owners
- Anyone planning for long term growth, succession, or business continuity
- Anyone looking to make better business decisions using AI
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This program is made possible through support from the Entrepreneur Innovation Fund, delivered by Simcoe County Economic Development, as well as county-wide partnerships and the Georgian Bay Business Accelerator’s foundational funders: the Town of Collingwood and the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario).
