CC Connect Is Back: Okanagan Founder & Investor Social Returns August 2nd, 2026
The first one sold out at 96 people.
The second one is already shaping up to be bigger, sharper, and harder to get into.
CC Connect is back for summer 2026, and if you're building something in the Okanagan, or planning to, this is the room you want to be in before August ends.
WHAT IS CC CONNECT?
CC Connect is an annual founder and investor social hosted in Kelowna, BC, presented by CC Connect in partnership with the Kelowna Founders Club. The event is designed for people who are serious about building: entrepreneurs, investors, developers, and community makers who'd rather have a real conversation than collect business cards.
The 2025 edition drew 96 attendees to a Kelowna rooftop. The 2026 edition is capped at 100. It's not a conference. It's not a networking happy hour. It's something in between, designed to make both of those things actually worthwhile.
EVENT DETAILS: CC CONNECT 2026
Date: Sunday, August 2, 2026 (BC Day long weekend)
Venue: Perch Sky Lounge, Kelowna, BC
Time: 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Capacity: 100 guests (General Admission + 30 VIP)
VIP Dinner: Urban Distillery, same evening (walkable from Perch)
Co-hosts: Crystal Lau, Chad Harker, Karsen Koltun
WHAT TO EXPECT
Four short talks (10 to 12 minutes each), followed by Q&A, open networking, and professional headshots on-site.
Here's what makes the format work: every speaker brings a free resource instead of an offer. No pitch decks. No sales scripts. Just builders who've done the thing and want to share what they learned.
Topics on the table this year: real estate development and raising capital, money mindset and wealth building, growth systems for founder-led businesses, and what it actually looks like to operate inside a high-growth venture studio.
THE SPEAKERS
Alex McFadyen
The Mortgage Pug | Flow Mortgage Co.
Topic: Money mindset, real estate & wealth building
Alex McFadyen is a mortgage strategist who talks about money in a way most people in finance don't: direct, honest, and actually useful for people who are building assets while running a business at the same time. His 10-minute talk cuts through the noise on wealth building for founders.
Aubtin Sharifpour
Growth Lead, Martell Ventures
Topic: Growth systems, founder leverage & operating playbooks
Aubtin returns from the 2025 CC Connect event with something sharper to share. As Growth Lead at Martell Ventures (Dan Martell's Kelowna-based venture studio), he works inside fast-growing companies every day. His talk focuses on the operating playbooks that separate founders who scale from founders who grind.
Johannes van Leenen
Founder & President, Fifth Ave Properties
Topic: Real estate development, raising capital & the developer playbook
Johannes is one of the people actively building in the Okanagan. His talk covers how to identify the right project, structure a capital raise, and navigate BC's development landscape. He also leads the VIP dinner session at Urban Distillery the same evening, with a small-group deep dive and a free resource for VIP attendees.
+ One Surprise Speaker
To be announced closer to the date. Follow CC Connect on Instagram to be the first to know.
TICKET TIERS
General Admission — $90
Four talks. Q&A. Structured networking. Professional headshots on-site. A room of 100 people who showed up because they're actually building something.
VIP — $275 (capped at 30 seats)
Everything in GA, plus a private dinner at Urban Distillery following the event. Johannes hosts an intimate developer playbook session with 30 guests. Small tables, honest conversation, and a free resource to take home. VIP will sell before GA does.
WHY BC DAY WEEKEND?
Because the Okanagan is at its best in August, and the people who stayed in Kelowna for the long weekend instead of heading somewhere else are exactly the kind of people who prioritize the work.
This isn't a retreat. It's four hours on a Sunday that you'll reference in conversations for the next year.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
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Founders, investors, developers, and entrepreneurs at any stage who want real conversation about building in the Okanagan. The 2025 event drew a mix of early-stage builders, established business owners, and investors actively looking for the right people.
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No. There is no pitching at CC Connect. Speakers share insight and a free resource. Attendees come to connect, not to close.
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A private dinner at Urban Distillery (walkable from Perch Sky Lounge), with a small-group session hosted by Johannes van Leenen on real estate development and raising capital in BC. Capped at 30 guests.
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The inaugural CC Connect Founder & Investor Social was held August 3, 2025, at a Kelowna rooftop venue with 96 attendees. The format of short talks and open networking was strong enough to build a 2026 sequel.
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Perch Sky Lounge is a rooftop venue in downtown Kelowna, BC. Parking is available in nearby parkades and street parking throughout the area.
INTERESTED IN SPONSORING?
Three sponsorship tiers are available for CC Connect 2026. Each includes brand exposure at the event and across the full promotional campaign leading up to August 2nd. Higher tiers include VIP ticket allocation and dedicated recognition during the event.
Reach 100 of the Okanagan's most engaged founders, investors, and entrepreneurs, in the room and across every piece of content that follows.
GET YOUR TICKETS
100 people in the room. Be one of them.
