Former Shopify COO Toby Shannan to headline Carleton Place business summit
CARLETON PLACE — If you’ve been waiting for a sign to get your business brain out of survival mode and into something sharper, this might be it.
Tickets are now on sale for the Carleton Place and District Chamber of Commerce’s 2026 Business Summit, set for May 14 at Evermore Weddings and Events near Almonte. This year’s message is clear: stop overthinking and start using what’s already in front of you.
“This year’s summit is about stepping back from the day-to-day grind and getting clear on what actually moves the needle,” said chamber general manager Jackie Kavanagh.
The half-day event, co-presented by Valley Heartland Community Futures, is built around the theme “Maximize the Moment,” aimed at business owners juggling multiple demands while trying not to miss the opportunities in front of them.
Headlining the morning is Toby Shannan, former chief operating officer of Shopify, who helped scale the Canadian tech company into a major player. He is expected to speak about what fuels growth, including the behind-the-scenes systems and decisions that can make or break a business when it is ready to level up.
Beyond the keynote, the summit will feature practical discussions on pricing, sales, operations and building a customer pipeline that can withstand uncertain times.
“We are just working to confirm our final speakers and should fully have the agenda developed by next Monday. There will be another speaker as well as a panel of professionals that will cover an ‘ask me anything’ lightning round of questions,” said Kavanagh, adding that no matter where people are in their business, they will be able to ask specific questions.
The event will also include time for networking, along with opportunities to share ideas and experiences with other business owners.
Early bird tickets are $99 until April 1, after which prices will increase. The chamber expects another strong turnout, with the summit shaping up again as one of its marquee events.
This is the chamber’s third annual business summit.
“Both previous years we have welcomed more than 100 local business leaders and it’s a mix of all size businesses across the region including Carleton Place, Beckwith and Mississippi Mills,” said Kavanagh.
Early bird tickets are on sale until April 1. More information and tickets are available online.
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