2026 Faith Driven Entrepreneur Conference
Applause builds empires.
Humble ambition builds the Kingdom.
Hundreds of watch parties gather around the world on September 18. This is the Coquitlam one: a full room at Hillside Church, a table of eight who run businesses like yours, and a panel of founders from around here.
$50 CAD early bird until Sept 1 · $70 after · tables of eight available
From a living room to a full room
It was always meant to be watched together.
A lot of watch parties are a living room and a few friends, and that's a good day. We started that way too, until word got around the Tri-Cities and we needed a real room, real tables, and someone running the clock.
The talks, plus the argument
Every session is followed by table discussion. The ideas get tested against real payroll, real customers and real BC costs before you drive home.
Eight people who get it
From startup founders to owners forty years in. Tables are assigned so you're sitting with people at a similar stage, and hosted so nobody dominates and nobody hides.
A local panel, unscripted
"Nice bosses finish last?" Founders from the Tri-Cities on leading with faith without sinking the business. Hosted by Enoch Weng.
Who this is for
People who run something, close to home
If two or three of these sound like you, you will feel at home in this room.
You own the decisions
A practice, a trades outfit, a shop, a small team, or a business you started last year. Payroll, pricing and hiring land on your desk.
You want people nearby
Owners twenty minutes away in Coquitlam, Port Moody or Burnaby. Grab coffee with them next month.
Faith belongs in the work
You would rather talk about Monday than theory. Your church is part of your life, and you want that connected to how you run the business.
You can spare a Friday
Twenty minutes from home, done by two o'clock, back in time for the school pickup.
Straight up: this is a Christian gathering of local business owners, run by local business owners. Folding chairs, drip coffee, and people who actually show up every year.
On screen
The lineup, streamed to the room
The global conference stage, including John Maxwell and Chris Tomlin, plus video stories from entrepreneurs around the world.
This year's panel
Nice bosses finish last?
How to lead with faith without ruining your business. Is it wrong to raise prices? Should a Christian boss ever fire someone?
Running a business on your values can feel like a choice between being too soft and being ruthless. This is an honest conversation with owners from around here about firing well, protecting cash flow and the risks they took on conviction. Guts and grace, no Sunday school answers.
- Firing with grace
- Raising prices
- Protecting cash flow
- Turning down the shady deal
- Nice vs. kind leadership
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Enoch
WengPanel host, Co-founder for Rise Above Finance
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Stephen
KellowayCo-founder of Animism Studios. Impacted by COVID.
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Coming
soonSubscribe to hear first
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Coming
soonSubscribe to hear first
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Coming
soonSubscribe to hear first
The shape of the day
Five and a half hours. Half of it is you talking.
Doors open
Registration, refreshments and networking. Come early. Half the good conversations happen in the hallway.
Welcome and opening remarks
Your host sets up the day and gets tables introduced.
Morning sessions
Keynote videos streamed from the global conference, table discussions and speed networking.
Lunch and panel: Nice bosses finish last?
Included lunch break with a live local panel. Tri-Cities owners on grace, hard calls and business survival, with audience questions.
Afternoon sessions
Final keynotes and peer networking groups.
Closing remarks and prize giveaways
What happens between now and next September, and how to stay connected close to home.
Venue open for continued connection
No rush out the door. Stick around and keep talking.
Draft schedule. Session times follow the global stream and get confirmed closer to the date.
Peer advisory rounds
Pick your table topic
Seven hosted conversations. Pick the one that matches the problem on your desk right now. Each one ends with a single thing to do next week.
- ● Core business
- ● Modern workplace & tech
- ● Leadership & faith
Core business · Leadership & team culture
Breaking the founder bottleneck
Delegation and underperformance: how to be gracious and still hold the line, plus the conversation you keep putting off.
Modern workplace & tech · A.I.
Practical A.I. and automation
Automating the admin, and holding your value when a client asks whether AI could just do it cheaper.
Core business · Sales & revenue
Closing deals in frozen budgets
Selling to cautious buyers: holding your price without discounting, creating urgency, and teaching someone else to sell like you do.
Core business · Finances
Margins, pricing and cash flow
When to raise prices, how to handle clients who pay in 90 days, and what to cut first when costs climb.
Modern workplace & tech · Workforce
Managing across generations
Keeping good people, and managing expectations and morale on a team that spans three generations, while staying flexible without lowering your standards.
Leadership & faith · Resilience
The burnout epidemic
Boundaries between the business and the rest of your life, spotting fatigue early, and rest that actually holds.
Leadership & faith · Values
Generosity and conviction
Giving when money is tight, walking away from the wrong contract, and living your faith at work without turning it into a sermon.
You pick your topic when you arrive and change tables when it starts.
Who was here in 2025
41 businesses. Mostly small, mostly past the beginning.
A real mix. People who own the professional practices, trades outfits and small teams around here, plus founders still building the first version of the thing.
24
Professional services
18
Teams of five or fewer
17
In years four to seven
6
Skilled trades
Plus 7 personal services, 2 community organizations, retail and security. Five have been running 41 years or longer.
Getting there
Hillside Church, Austin Ave
- Venue
- 1393 Austin Ave, Coquitlam, BC V3K 3P6
- Parking
- Free on-site parking.
- Transit
- Bus routes along Austin Ave; nearest SkyTrain is Burquitlam.
- Accessibility
- Step-free entry and accessible washrooms. Tell us what you need on the registration form.
- Dietary
- Breakfast and lunch are included. Note allergies when you register.
Before you register
Common Questions
Why come to a watch party instead of streaming solo?
Because the sessions are built to be paused and talked about, and that only works with people in the room. Ours adds hosted tables, meals and a local panel on top of the stream.
How is this different from other watch parties?
Same conference, bigger room. Expect eighty to a hundred people, tables of eight with hosts, peer advisory rounds, a local founder panel, and breakfast and lunch. Plus a chapter that keeps meeting long after September 18.
What does it cost?
$50 CAD early bird until September 1, $70 after. That covers all streamed sessions, table discussions, the founder panel, breakfast and lunch. You can see more options on the registration page.
Can I buy a whole table?
Yes. Tables seat eight, so bring your leadership team, your partners, or a few owners you want in the room with you. You can do so on the registration page.
Do I have to be a Christian to come?
No. The day is openly Christian, and you will hear that from the front. But you are welcome exactly as you are, and nobody is going to corner you.
Do I need to go to Hillside Church?
No. Hillside hosts us, but most of the room comes from across the Tri-Cities and beyond.
What if I don't like table discussions?
Every table has a host who keeps things useful and on track. You will talk more than at a normal conference and less than at a networking event.
My business is small. Is this for me?
Most of the room is five people or fewer, and plenty are still early-stage. Tables are grouped by stage so you won't spend the morning listening to someone else's exit story.
Can I bring my business partner or spouse?
Please do. Register each person separately so we can seat you well.
What if the cost is a problem?
Email us. We keep a few discounted seats each year, no explanation needed.
Refunds?
Full refund up to 14 days before. After that you can pass your seat to someone else. Just send us the name.
Made possible by
Local businesses backing local business owners
Sponsorship keeps the ticket affordable and the room full. We expect 80 to 100 owners this year, and a few spots are still open.
Bronze
$300
- 2 tickets included
- Sponsorship mention on program
- Impact others' faith through work
Gold
$600
- 4 tickets included
- Sponsorship mention on program
- Sponsorship mention on podium
- Booth / table set-up
- Impact others' faith through work