Breakfast Networking Event – Myers Orléans Nissan

The Heart of Orléans BIA invites you to kick off your morning with a meaningful blend of networking, breakfast, and inspiration!

This event will take place at Myers Nissan at 1452 Youville Drive in Orléans, from 8:00 to 10:00 AM. Arrive at 8:00 AM to enjoy a light breakfast while connecting with fellow business owners, entrepreneurs, and community leaders. This is a valuable chance to build relationships, exchange ideas, and strengthen the ties that make our business community thrive.

At 8:45 AM, we’ll welcome our keynote speakers. This event will feature speakers from the City of Ottawa’s Economic Development Services team as we come together to celebrate Small Business Month, highlight the strength, innovation and diversity of our small business eco-system, and explore challenges and opportunities to drive economic growth and prosperity in Orléans. Topics will include a high-level demographic and economic overview of Orléans, a short synopsis of the City’s Economic Development Strategy and Action Plan, and a summary of the Integrated Orléans Community Improvement Plan. The City also recently completed a Small Business Needs Assessment and will share recommendations and next steps including the launch of a small business navigator resource on ottawa.ca. This work builds on the Small Business Survey that was shared with BIA members in January and a series of interest holder meetings held with groups across the city.

Speaker Bios:

Eric Hopkins – Eric began his career with the City of Ottawa in 2007, holding a variety of roles with the Ottawa Paramedic Service, Planning, Development, and Building Services, and, most recently, Economic Development Services. He has championed projects to make data about the local economy more accessible and improve the navigability of Ottawa’s small business support ecosystem. These include an Economic Development Dashboard, now available on ottawa.ca, and an online Small Business Navigator launching in late October. Outside of work, Eric enjoys playing soccer and is involved in events that focus on building relationships between the City’s emergency services and diverse community groups.

Mike Bureau – Mike Bureau has more than 15 years’ experience working for the City of Ottawa, which includes political, corporate, and front-line working environments. Mike currently works as an Economic Development Officer where he develops and implements key strategies that foster growth and innovation in the region. His work involves building strong partnerships and collaborating with local organizations such as Business Improvement Areas, the Ottawa Film Office, and the Ottawa Music Industry Coalition. He has also contributed to key committee staff reports shaping Ottawa’s business landscape. Beyond his role at the City, Mike proudly serves as a part-time Board Director and Treasurer for the Civic Institute of Professional Personnel (CIPP) and is involved in community safety initiatives as a Volunteer Firefighter (Paid-On-Call) with Ottawa Fire Services.

Chris Cope – Chris has been an Economic Development Officer with the City of Ottawa for almost 19 years. He leads the City’s Community Improvement Plan (CIP) program which provides incentives to commercial property owners to stimulate redevelopment in targeted areas. Chris also manages LocateOttawa.ca, the City’s online Geospatial Site Selector tool. Prior to joining the City, Chris was the Director of Smart Capital Special Projects at the Ottawa Centre for Research and Innovation (OCRI) where he held the additional titles of Executive Director, EduNET and Executive Director, ORCnet. He is the Past Chair, National Capital FreeNet and is a Director and Treasurer of Telecommunities Canada. Chris was a past Director of the Ottawa Humane Society, held a Board position at Volunteer Ottawa and was Chair of the Nepean Environmental Committee.