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Calgary Herald

New LGBTQ+ businesses coming to the Bow Valley thanks to federally funded SMARTstart program

Article content A wave of LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs will be making their way to the Bow Valley this fall, thanks to local pride networks bringing the SMARTstart program to the region. Article content SMARTstart is an Albertan entrepreneurship program that has found success in municipalities across the province. Thanks to the The Ecosystem Fund, offered by the CGLCC and supported by the federal government, that same program will be offered to members of the LGBTQ+ community for free. Article content Article content Article content 'The town of Canmore charges $300 per applicant,' said Jeffrey Carpenter, executive director of Banff Pride. Article content Article content The free program launched earlier this year, and is now seeking up to 15 new applicants for the second cohort running this fall. Applicants don't need to live in the area already, as long as they're looking to base their business in the Bow Valley. Article content 'With our programming and thankfully through the funding of the CJLCC, it is completely free for entrepreneurs,' said Carpenter. Article content The program offers workshops, business plan development and one-on-one mentorship from business owners in the community. The 8-month version offered by the pride networks is particularly tailored to the needs of queer entrepreneurs. Article content One of those workshops includes networking training, specifically in group settings, to help break through the 'nervousness or the barriers that they might have walking into a room as a queer person,' Carpenter said. Article content He added that there's enough uncertainty for entrepreneurs of all stripes, dealing with the fear of a business failing, 'let alone the challenges of walking into a business meeting with the bank and being queer presenting.' Article content Of course, the core tenants of the program remain the same, with a focus on tangible, business-based learning from locals who have spent their lives working in the area. Article content 'Some of the workshops are probably gonna be the same whether you're queer or not because, you know, accounting is accounting,' said Carpenter. Article content Article content View this post on Instagram A post shared by Bow Valley Pride Network (@bowvalleypridenetwork) Article content The first wave launched in January, 2025, with three businesses coming out the other side of the six-month pilot program: Beau Valley Circus, Radical Mullet Tea Co., and Chill Audio Visual Solutions, a Banff-based company owned by entrepreneur Allan Buckingham. Article content Buckingham heard about the program through their involvement with Banff Pride. While they'd dipped a toe in the water of audio equipment work previously, the free-entryway gave them the kickstart they needed to build out a business at scale. They rent speakers microphones, projectors and screens, and provide queer-friendly technicians to run operations smoothly. Article content 'It's cool to encourage more folks to be like, yes. Entrepreneurship is a thing you can do as a queer person,' Buckingham said. 'One of the the best parts to me was getting some knowledge from somebody who has done this stuff before.'