The Big Picture:

Canada’s Succession Summit, taking place in Calgary on October 17th, is supported by five organizations that each help close a different gap in business ownership transitions. Village Wellth helps buyers find and close on businesses, Business Link Alberta offers free guidance to owners and entrepreneurs, Futurpreneur provides financing and mentorship to young buyers, BDC delivers acquisition capital and research, and Richter advises owners and families through succession. This spotlight covers who they are, the problems they solve, and which partners are speaking at the summit.

With 76% of small business owners planning to exit within the next decade, Canada is at a turning point. Without the right succession plan in place, many of these businesses will close or be sold to foreign buyers instead of staying open, growing, and Canadian-owned.

Canada’s Succession Summit, hosted by Venture for Canada in Calgary on October 17th, brings together business leaders, advisors, investors, capital providers, and policymakers to tackle that challenge. Their shared starting point: successful succession takes more than finding the right buyer. It also requires capital, advice, connections, and training, so that both buyers and sellers know what options and support are available to them.

No single organization can provide all of that, which is why the summit’s sponsors matter. Village Wellth, Business Link Alberta, Futurpreneur, the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC), and Richter each fill a different piece of the puzzle. Here’s who they are, the problems they’re solving, and where you can learn more.

Village Wellth: connecting buyers and sellers across Canada

Who they are: Village Wellth is a Calgary-based deal management platform that provides aspiring entrepreneurs and growth-oriented companies with the tools, guidance, and community they need to successfully acquire a business or expand their business through acquisition. Their platform and services include deal tracking, risk & opportunity analysis, due diligence guidance, and 1:1 advisory support.

What problems they solve: As described on their website, the process of finding and buying a business is slow, complex, and fragmented, made even more difficult because of unclear roadmaps, unqualified buyers, and unnecessary friction from needing to make dozens of choices. Village Wellth’s goal is to “empower the next generation of business owners” by creating a smarter acquisition ecosystem that makes the process transparent and easy to navigate, leading to confident decisions and successful deals.

Their role in business succession: Village Wellth’s platform is designed to make it easier for buyers to find, evaluate, and close on businesses. The platform matches buyers with businesses based on location and criteria, which makes it especially valuable in rural communities, where owners often struggle to reach buyers and advisors.

Liz MacRae, Village Wellth’s co-founder, and Eamonn Gamble, Village Wellth’s Director, Capital & Advisory, will be part of Canada’s Succession Summit: Liz will be moderating The Seller Perspective in Business Transition and participating as a speaker in Building ETA Readiness: Skills, Training, and Ecosystem Capacity, while Eamonn will be moderating Funding the Deal: Where Canadian Acquisition Capital Comes From.

Business Link Alberta: a first stop for Alberta’s business owners

Who they are: Business Link Alberta helps small business owners start and grow their businesses through in-depth guidance services, practical education, online and in-person resources, and community partnerships. Funded by Prairies Economic Development Canada, they support businesses across major cities and rural communities, with a focus on being “accessible, inclusive, and responsive to the needs of Alberta’s diverse business community”.

What problems they solve: Aspiring entrepreneurs don’t always know where to start. Business Link Alberta offers free 1:1 guidance and resources to support owners at every stage of their journey, from ideation to expansion. This includes financial planning, marketing strategies, and access to market research. Providing free, practical, and accessible information reduces the friction and overwhelm often experienced by first-time business owners, especially for newcomers to Canada, one of Business Link Alberta’s core communities.

Their role in business succession: Business Link Alberta’s services and resources help close some of the gaps experienced in business ownership transitions, including discussions around creating business plans, sourcing capital, and understanding their market. Their team can also support current owners as they think about retirement and/or selling their business.

Futurpreneur: helping young Canadians buy their first business

Who they are: Futurpreneur is a national non-profit organization that provides young entrepreneurs (ages 18-39) with the financing, mentorship, and resources they need to start or buy a business. Their goal in doing so is to help foster sustainable and inclusive economic prosperity across Canada’s communities. Since 1996, they’ve helped to launch over 16,000 businesses and provided over $259 million in loan financing.  

What problems they solve: Young, aspiring entrepreneurs often lack the capital, credit history, or financial security to start or buy a business. Futurpreneur’s flexible, equity-free loans reduce one of the biggest barriers to entrepreneurship and give people more confidence in following through on their passions and business ideas. Their mentorship services, resources, and networking opportunities, including programs built specifically for Black, Indigenous, and female entrepreneurs, help lead to a more diverse Canadian economy.

Their role in business succession: In addition to their loan financing, mentorship services, and resources, Futurpreneur’s free #OwnersWanted program helps young entrepreneurs buy existing businesses. It covers acquisition insights, first-hand succession stories, and practice negotiations, and is open to both buyers and sellers.

Mo Al-Taqatqa, the Regional Director, Business Development (Alberta) at Futurpreneur, will be joining Canada’s Succession Summit as one of the speakers during the Building ETA Readiness: Skills, Training, and Ecosystem Capacity session.

BDC: capital and research for Canada’s ownership transition

Who they are: The Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) is a financial institution dedicated to Canadian entrepreneurs. They offer business loans, investment capital, consulting services, and specialized support to help businesses thrive and “weather economic uncertainty”. They also have numerous online resources like loan calculators, business plan templates, and free courses and assessments.

What problems they solve: Even when a buyer and seller agree on a deal, financing is often where it falls apart. Many aspiring owners don’t have the capital or collateral to fund an acquisition on their own, and lenders can be cautious about first-time buyers. BDC helps close that gap with financing built specifically for buying and transferring businesses, along with advisory services that help owners prepare to sell and buyers evaluate opportunities. Their research also gives the wider ecosystem a clearer picture of what’s at stake.

Their role in business succession: BDC is both a funder and source of economic research, including their recent study on business acquisition in Canada. Their related initiatives include the Business Purchase or Transfer Loan, the Thrive Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition (ETA) Fund, and the Community Banking Initiative with First Nations Bank of Canada.

Richter: guiding owners and families through transition

Who they are: Richter’s business and family office services focus on “providing strategic advice on business matters and on families’ financial and personal objectives across generations”. Richter Consulting in particular provides services that help businesses navigate critical challenges and achieve strategic growth, including valuation, risk management, taxes, and succession planning.

What problems they solve: Only 9% of Canadian business owners have a formal succession plan, leaving many open to potential gaps or risks that affect the transition or their retirement. Richter’s dedicated service focusing on transition and succession planning means owners don’t have to go through the process alone or without expert advice. They help to provide clarity around ownership options, leadership planning, deal-making, and transition timelines, with a free checklist to help sellers get started.

Their role in business succession: Richter helps business owners plan transitions, whether passing the business to the next generation, transitioning to trusted leadership, or pursuing a strategic sale. Their integrated model across their Business Advisory and Family Office services aims to keep the owner’s values, vision, and wealth aligned through the process.

Stronger together: why these partnerships matter

Taken together, these five organizations cover much of what a successful business transition needs:

• Village Wellth helps buyers find, evaluate, and close on the right business.
• Business Link Alberta helps owners and entrepreneurs take the first step.
• Futurpreneur gives young buyers the financing and mentorship to get started.
• BDC provides acquisition capital and the research that shows what’s at stake.
• Richter guides owners and families through the decisions that come with stepping away.

Many of these partners are already working together and with Venture for Canada. Futurpreneur’s loans include financing from BDC, VFC co-authored an article with Futurpreneur and Social Capital Partners about keeping Canadian businesses in Canadian hands, and Village Wellth’s co-founder, Liz MacRae, was a past instructor for one of VFC’s ETA programs. At the summit, speakers from Village Wellth and Futurpreneur will share the stage during the Building ETA Readiness: Skills, Training, and Ecosystem Capacity session.

This kind of collaboration is what Canada’s Succession Summit is built for: connecting the people and organizations whose work makes ownership transitions succeed, so that more Canadian businesses stay open, growing, and locally owned.

Join us in Calgary on October 17, and view the full schedule to see when each partner will be speaking.

FAQ

What is Canada’s Succession Summit?

Canada’s Succession Summit is an in-person event on October 17, 2026, at The Brownstone in Calgary, Alberta. Hosted by Venture for Canada, it brings together operators, investors, lenders, advisors, and policymakers to strengthen Canada’s ETA ecosystem and help keep Canadian businesses in Canadian hands.

Which organizations are helping to support buyers and sellers in Canada’s business succession ecosystem?

Village Wellth is a deal management platform that provides resources that aspiring entrepreneurs need to successfully acquire a business or expand their business through acquisition. Business Link Alberta offers guidance services, education, and partnerships to small business owners looking to start and grow their businesses. Futurpreneur is a national non-profit organization that provides young entrepreneurs with the financing, mentorship, and resources they need to start or buy a business. The Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) is a financial institution that offers loans, capital, and support to help businesses thrive. Richter’s business consulting services help businesses navigate critical challenges and achieve strategic growth, including valuation and succession planning. These organizations are also sponsoring Canada’s Succession Summit, bringing together the business succession community to solve the challenges of ownership transition planning.