Ace Names 2025 Honorary Member

Ace Names 2025 Honorary Member

by | Feb 27, 2025 | Coworking News

ACE Coworking is excited to announce that the recipient of their 2025 Honorary Membership is a wonderful community-building organization: Newcomers Club of Oakville.

ACE Coworking extends a big heart-felt welcome to The Oakville Newcomers Club: our new Honorary Members!  We are excited to connect with this incredible group of volunteers in the weeks and months ahead.

The Oakville Newcomers Club was originally created to help women who were new to town make new friends and settle into the Oakville community. Since then, they have expanded their membership requirements more broadly (see website for details), and today they have over 100 members representing a wide age range and many different nationalities. They provide a supportive network and a wide range of programs designed to help newcomers settle in, build connections, and thrive in their new surroundings.

Learn more about the organization here.

What’s an Honorary ACE Membership?

As a way of giving back to the town, every year at ACE Coworking we donate a free membership, including use of boardroom space, to a deserving local registered charity or NFP. We seek to partner with organizations who:

  • Would benefit from a physical meeting space but lack the budget for it.
  • Contribute to making Oakville a better place to live.
  • Share values that align with our own.

The ACE Honorary Member in 2024 was Bandology and in 2023 Oakvillegreen was chosen.

This year there were many deserving applicants, but ONC’s commitment to building community and creating a sense of belonging is something we at ACE really connected to. It’s what we also do for our members. So, ultimately, ONC was chosen.

Partnering with Community Leaders

We recently had the pleasure of meeting with Sharon Blair (ONC President) and Tane Uribarren (ONC Vice President). Together we came up with a plan for making their board meetings, training sessions, and staff meetings more professional and comfortable thanks to access to our coworking spaces and meeting rooms.

“Oakville Newcomers is thrilled to receive an honorary membership to ACE Coworking!,” said Sharon. “We plan to use this beautiful, top-quality facility for our board meetings and for some events too.” Previously their volunteers met at private homes which often presented challenges to the group.

Sharon added: “Who knows? Maybe we’ll even attract some ACE members to join our club!” Since ACE attracts so many new Canadians and new Oakvillians, we also feel certain that there will be many synergies that follow from this partnership. ACE founder, Nancy Fornasiero, called it “a match made in community-building heaven.”

If you’re interested in the 2026 ACE Honorary Membership, follow ACE Coworking on LinkedIn or Instagram – or sign up for our newsletter – to learn when nominations/applications will open for next year.

If you’d like to get more inspiration and education from the staff and partners of ACE Coworking, sign up for our monthly newsletter. You’ll also stay up to date on the events we run and the amazing promotions we often offer!

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ACE Coworking Partners with 4Ocean: Boosting our Commitment to Sustainability

ACE Coworking Partners with 4Ocean: Boosting our Commitment to Sustainability

by | Jan 3, 2025 | Coworking News

ACE donation support for 4Ocean.

ACE Coworking is excited to announce its partnership with 4Ocean, a leading non-profit organization dedicated to combatting ocean plastic pollution.

This collaboration reflects ACE Coworking’s commitment to sustainability and community engagement, aligning perfectly with the values of both organizations. As part of this partnership, ACE will donate $10 for every new member who joins our community.

Ten dollars may not seem like much, but in fact 4Ocean is able to remove one pound of horrible plastics for every dollar donated. That means if you join ACE Coworking, you can feel a little better knowing that you have triggered 10 pounds of plastic waste being pulled out from the ocean!

By supporting 4Ocean’s mission we are hoping to encourage our members to contribute to a healthier planet right from the start of their journey with us. Other ways we try to demonstrate our commitment to a greener planet is by banning single use plastics in our spaces, recycling responsibly, and supporting local environmental organization, OakvilleGreen Conservation Association.

By joining forces with 4Ocean, we are taking a small, but meaningful, step to combat plastic waste and foster a responsible work environment. We feel aligned with the organization’s mission and ethos to make the world a better place, and in addition, their attitude of “just get it done” is something we can really relate to! We encourage you to read up on the founders’ “scrappy start-up” story.

So, with every new ACE member, we are not just growing our community; we are also actively participating in the fight against plastic pollution. Just one more reason why being part of the ACE Coworking family is awesome!

Learn more about benefits ACE members enjoy!

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Big Discounts for ACE Members with Local VA Agency, wrksourcing

Big Discounts for ACE Members with Local VA Agency, wrksourcing

by | Oct 30, 2024 | Coworking News

ACE partnership for virtual assistant services.

Do you know what a VA is? Do you use one? We’ve been hearing about Virtual Assistants (VAs) a lot lately through our entrepreneur networks here at ACE Coworking and are excited to offer our members special benfit discounts for this service. We have worked directly with local VA agency wrksourcing and can vouch for their professional, seamless methods.

Benefits for ACE members.

ACE Members can take advantage of these special wrksourcing benefits:

1 – Exclusive 10% discount on Virtual Support Packages.

  • “We’re in Business” at $855/month (originally $950/month)
  • “Part-time Awesome” at $1,440/month (originally $1,600/month)
  • “Full-Throttle” at $2,700/month (originally $3,000/month)

All packages include: Dedicated Specialist; Client Success Manager; Ongoing Outsourcing Consultation; Secure Client Portal; Data Privacy Assured

2 – 10% off Project-Based Solutions (starting at $500) for projects such as CRM integration, website development, social media management, and more.

3 – Complimentary 30-minute Discovery Call to offer personalized outsourcing guidance and better understand your business needs.

4 – Dedicated Liaison provided by wrksourcing to be the go-to point of contact for any and all requests.

 5 – Access to Secure Communication & Resource Centre: Via Basecamp, ACE Coworking members will benefit from enhanced features on this secure platform. It serves as a convenient and secure space to communicate directly with wrksource’s team, access helpful resources, and manage requests efficiently. Easily find forms, request calls, or tasks, and utilize tools such as SOP templates and best practices, which are regularly updated.

Learn more about benefits ACE members enjoy!

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ACE Coworking Partners with wrksourcing, Oakville Based VA Agency

ACE Coworking Partners with wrksourcing, Oakville Based VA Agency

by | Oct 30, 2024 | Coworking News

ACE partners with virtual assistant agency for entrepreneurs.

We’ve been hearing about Virtual Assistants (VAs) a lot lately through our entrepreneur networks here at ACE Coworking. How about you? Do you use one? Do you know what a VA is? Curious to learn more…? Thanks to our new partnership with local VA Agency, wrksourcing, we can fill you in about “all things VA”!

Discounts for ACE members!

Starting November 2024, ACE members will benefit from discounted rates and special perks when hiring VAs through wrksourcing. “I’m thrilled about our new partnership” says Founder & CEO of wrksourcing, Tyler Cameron, “and I’m confident that it will bring great value to the ACE Coworking community.”

LEARN MORE ABOUT wrksourcing BENEFITS FOR ACE MEMBERS

What’s a virtal assistant?

Virtual Specialists and Assistants can be game-changers for busy small business owners. Whether handling administrative tasks, managing social media, or providing customer service, VAs can help take the weight off a business owner’s shoulders. They allow entrepreneurs to focus on what they do best—growing their business—without getting bogged down in everyday tasks.

Plus, virtual assistants are a cost-effective way to access specialized skills without the need to hire full-time employees, making them a flexible and smart solution for small businesses. Just like coworking offers on-demand and fractional use of space, so do VAs offer a flexible, fractional service.

Why worksourcing?

Sometimes working with a VA involves challenges around training and getting them up to speed with a project. It can also be hard to find a candidate who is reliable and/or a good fit skills-wise. This is why an agency like wrksourcing can make all the difference.

Hiring a VA through wrksourcing offers several advantages over hiring directly:

  • Reliability: they’ll provide backups if your VA is unavailable, ensuring consistency.
  • Pre-screened talent: they vet their VAs, saving you time and ensuring qualified professionals.
  • Support and management: they handle performance monitoring, so you spend less time managing the VA.
  • Scalability: you can easily adjust support as your business needs grow or change.
  • Accountability: they provide quality guarantees, giving you peace of mind that tasks will be completed well.

We have worked directly with wrksourcing and can vouch for their professional, seamless methods.

Learn more about wrksourcing and how virtual assistants can help your business.

On Wednesday, November 20, 2024, ACE Coworking is co-hosting a free Lunch & Learn Session with Tyler Cameron from wrksourcing. Attendees will get educated on what it’s like to work with a VA and have all their questions answered.

Sign Up Here

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ACE Coworking Celebrates Haltech’s Hi5 Pitch Competition Winner – Catapult Tactical XR

ACE Coworking Celebrates Haltech’s Hi5 Pitch Competition Winner – Catapult Tactical XR

by | Sep 27, 2024 | Coworking News

By Nancy Fornasiero

ACE Coworking is pleased and proud to be supporting an exciting new Ontario start-up dedicated to making our fire fighters safer. Catapult Tactical XR was the People’s Choice Winner at Haltech’s Hi5 Pitch Competition, which was sponsored in part by ACE Coworking. Part of the prize was an ACE membership, and that’s how the relationship started. Once we had a chance to experience their cutting-edge technology first-hand in a demo at our space, we became convinced that they are onto something unique and very effective. To say that we were impressed is an understatement.

Founded by a team of innovative tech experts and real-world fire fighters, Catapult Tactical XR emerged from the recognition of the need for better and safer training for all emergency responders. Recognizing that mixed reality can provide innovative and engaging training solutions, their first modules were designed.

CEO and Co-founder, Robyn Simpson, explains, “Fire fighters perform a dangerous job which requires extensive and ongoing training, but the training itself is expensive, destructive, dangerous, and less available than ever before due to safety and legislative concerns.” In her view, some scenarios are simply impossible to reproduce in a training environment.

Catapult Tactical creates mixed reality training tools that provide participants with a lived experience, or embodied cognition. This experiential learning helps form the muscle memory that is so critical to safety. With the brain tricked into believing the scenario is real, some participants even have visceral comments like “it was really warm in there.”

On Wednesday October 16, 5 to 8PM, Catapult Tactical, in cooperation with ACE Coworking, will be holding an information evening complete with demonstrations. Anyone interested in investment opportunities, fire safety education, or VR technology is welcome to attend.

Their target markets are both fire suppression and fire education organizations. They stand apart from their competitors for both immersion and realism. The start-up is currently raising money in a “Friends & Family” round.

For more information visit www.catapultdesignstudios.com

Or email Robyn.Simpson@CatapultDesignStudios.com

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60 Artists Collaborate with Residents and Businesses of Old Oakville

60 Artists Collaborate with Residents and Businesses of Old Oakville

by | Aug 21, 2024 | Coworking News

By Nancy Fornasiero

Again this year, ACE Coworking is excited to support a favourite event of ours: ART IN MY GARDEN. This wonderful neighbourhood initiative is the brainchild of one of our creative ACE members, Rachel Williams, who launched it back in 2021 as a joyful outdoor antidote to the pandemic shutdowns.

This year, almost 60 artists will be sharing work across 30 gardens in the picturesque, tree-lined neighborhood just south of our flagship location on Robinson Street in Old Oakville. Everyone is invited to take an afternoon to immerse themselves in an afternoon of art appreciation. 

In 2023, over 1500 visitors attended and enjoyed paintings, textiles, mosaics, letterpress activities, and captivating sculptures, with local homeowners and some St. Jude’s Church parishioners also contributing their own artistic flair.

ACE Coworking Counted as Community Sponsor

Many downtown Oakville businesses are supporting the event, with lead sponsors being local businesses: Niblock Real Estate, Proscape Land Design , and Chervin Kitchen & Bath. ACE is proud to be counted among the community sponsors. “This is what ACE Coworking does consistently – build community. Thank you for creating a space that fosters and supports local entrepreneurship and creativity!” says Rachel Williams.

Rachel attributes her event’s success mainly to the unwavering support of her local friends and neighbours who generously share their gardens: “The wonderful thing about how things have grown is that we have a list of local homeowners keen to be involved, and different artists applying to take part every year. We know it’s appreciated by everyone who comes, and by the artist community who have this amazing opportunity to share their work. This year more local businesses are becoming involved too and the day promises to have new art and interactive opportunities for everyone to try.” 

If you believe in supporting local artists and love to look at beautiful things, then you should definitely save the date for this fabulous FREE event: Saturday, September 7, 12–3pm.⁠ (Rain date Sunday September 8.)

This is Oakville at its best – offering a free, community-based arts initiative that was created to foster a sense of goodwill, celebrate local talents and inspire everyone to go a little slower to appreciate what we have right here at home.

 See the map of host locations to plan your day by visiting the event’s website. Stay in touch via their mailing list or watch Instagram (@artinmygarden)  for announcements. Hope to see you there!

If you’d like to get more inspiration and education from the staff and partners of ACE Coworking, sign up for our monthly newsletter. You’ll also stay up to date on the events we run and the amazing promotions we often offer!

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Ace Coworking Celebrates Coworking Day 2024

Ace Coworking Celebrates Coworking Day 2024

by | Aug 6, 2024 | Coworking News

By Nancy Fornasiero

Coworking Day, celebrated annually on August 9th, recognizes the collaborative spirit and innovative nature of coworking spaces worldwide. Coworking spaces are more than just a place to work; they are vibrant communities that offer numerous benefits to enhance your professional and personal life.

coworking space hot desks

5 Reasons Coworking Makes Your Life Better

1 Enhanced Productivity

Free from the distractions of home or your local coffee shops, all ACE locations are equipped with ergonomic furniture, high-speed internet, and essential office supplies waiting to get your day started whenever you are. You focus on the work, ACE takes care of keeping the office.

2 Improved Work-Life Balance

Even the most disciplined among us are challenged to maintaining a healthy work-life balance in the face or remote work. Blurred personal and professional lines often lead to longer work hours and increased stress. A dedicated workspace away from home, keeps work at the office where it belongs. We constantly hear from our members how their personal well-being has improved since working in our spaces.

3 Networking Opportunities

Over the years we have seen so many new businesses launch after a connection was made in our ACE community. Often, it’s the casual conversations in our lounges and around the coffee stations that lead to word-of-mouth marketing and new business opportunities.

4 Cost-Effective and Flexible Solutions

Traditional office spaces can burden freelancers and small businesses with high overhead costs and long-term leases. Coworking spaces offer cost-effective alternatives with flexible membership plans that cater to different needs and budgets — most beneficial for startups and entrepreneurs who may need to scale their operations up or down quickly without being tied to a long-term commitment.

5 Access to Premium Amenities

Coworking spaces come with a range of amenities that can enhance your work experience. These include high-speed internet, printing services, conference rooms, private phone booths, and even free coffee and snacks. At ACE we also offer a full calendar of networking, personal development, and wellness events. Partnering with local business groups helps our members expand their networks and boost their business successes!

Celebrate Coworking This Month with Ace Coworking!

Coworking spaces are more than just a place to work; they are vibrant communities that offer numerous benefits to enhance your professional and personal life. Members can choose from various options, such as daily passes, monthly memberships, or dedicated desks. Our offices can be rented by the day or for terms as short as 6 months. Jump aboard the Coworking bandwagon and celebrate National Coworking with us this month!

If you’d like to get more inspiration and education from the staff and partners of ACE Coworking, sign up for our monthly newsletter. You’ll also stay up to date on the events we run and the amazing promotions we often offer!

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ACE & OFFA 2024

ACE & OFFA 2024

by | May 29, 2024 | Coworking News

By Nancy Fornasiero

Again this year, ACE Coworking is excited to support a favourite event of ours: ART IN MY GARDEN. This wonderful neighbourhood initiative is the brainchild of one of our creative ACE members, Rachel Williams, who launched it back in 2021 as a joyful outdoor antidote to the pandemic shutdowns.

This year, almost 60 artists will be sharing work across 30 gardens in the picturesque, tree-lined neighborhood just south of our flagship location on Robinson Street in Old Oakville. Everyone is invited to take an afternoon to immerse themselves in an afternoon of art appreciation. 

In 2023, over 1500 visitors attended and enjoyed paintings, textiles, mosaics, letterpress activities, and captivating sculptures, with local homeowners and some St. Jude’s Church parishioners also contributing their own artistic flair.

ACE Coworking Counted as Community Sponsor

Many downtown Oakville businesses are supporting the event, with lead sponsors being local businesses: Niblock Real Estate, Proscape Land Design , and Chervin Kitchen & Bath. ACE is proud to be counted among the community sponsors. “This is what ACE Coworking does consistently – build community. Thank you for creating a space that fosters and supports local entrepreneurship and creativity!” says Rachel Williams.

Rachel attributes her event’s success mainly to the unwavering support of her local friends and neighbours who generously share their gardens: “The wonderful thing about how things have grown is that we have a list of local homeowners keen to be involved, and different artists applying to take part every year. We know it’s appreciated by everyone who comes, and by the artist community who have this amazing opportunity to share their work. This year more local businesses are becoming involved too and the day promises to have new art and interactive opportunities for everyone to try.” 

If you believe in supporting local artists and love to look at beautiful things, then you should definitely save the date for this fabulous FREE event: Saturday, September 7, 12–3pm.⁠ (Rain date Sunday September 8.)

This is Oakville at its best – offering a free, community-based arts initiative that was created to foster a sense of goodwill, celebrate local talents and inspire everyone to go a little slower to appreciate what we have right here at home.

 See the map of host locations to plan your day by visiting the event’s website. Stay in touch via their mailing list or watch Instagram (@artinmygarden)  for announcements. Hope to see you there!

If you’d like to get more inspiration and education from the staff and partners of ACE Coworking, sign up for our monthly newsletter. You’ll also stay up to date on the events we run and the amazing promotions we often offer!

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March 8 is International Women’s Day – Let’s Celebrate Together!

March 8 is International Women’s Day – Let’s Celebrate Together!

by | Feb 27, 2024 | Coworking News

By Nancy Fornasiero

International Women’s Day is a time to honour the achievements of women entrepreneurs, so naturally a women-owned business like ACE Coworking is excited to take part in the celebration!

We’re proud to support and serve 50 amazing “Acer” women in our community. We have the privilege of seeing them up close ­– creating, innovating, collaborating, and building impactful businesses and careers.

IWD is also a time to shine a light on female resilience, while at the same time serving as a platform to raise awareness about gender equality and systemic issues that still hinder the advancement of women all around the world. This year’s theme – “Inspire Inclusion” – reminds us that we still have work to do.

Most of all, celebrating this day fosters a sense of solidarity, encouraging women entrepreneurs to network, share experiences, and empower one another. Speaking of empowerment, we have a number of Oakville events to recommend this year that are sure to lift you up…

OFFA’s 4th Annual IWD Film Event

ACE is a long-time partner of the Oakville Film Festival (OFFA). Every year in March, OFFA celebrates women in film and the arts, and this year is no exception. There will be live music by award-winning singer/songwriter Sydney Mae, a presentation by Grandmother’s Voice and Butterfly Spirit Drum Circle of Women, and of course the main attraction, a critically acclaimed documentary: “500 Days in the Wild.” In it, award-winning director, cinematographer, and author, Dianne Whelan, recounts her personal story of resilience. The doc highlights issues related to conservation, climate change, diversity, and one woman’s unscripted personal journey of discovery: hiking, biking, paddling, snowshoeing and skiing across our breathtaking country! Partial proceeds from ticket sales go to The Women’s Centre of Halton, an important community organization that supports local women in crisis.

Monday, March 4, 6:15 PM – 10 PM
Film.ca Cinemas, 171 Speers Rd
Get your tickets here

TogetHER Evening

Downtown Oakville BIA is celebrating IWD2024 with their inaugural event: TogetHER. The event highlight will be a panel featuring three inspiring female founders: Ruth Tal (Fresh Kitchen & Juice Bar), Christine Peters (Lemonwood), and Hailey Bogaert (HB Face). All of these women launched their businesses locally and have scaled them to impressive heights. ACE founder, Nancy Fornasiero, will moderate the panel discussion and lead the Q&A. After the panel, attendees will enjoy cocktails and charcuterie, networking, and complimentary headshots. End the evening by sipping, shopping, and celebrating at a variety of Downtown Oakville businesses. Ticket revenue will be donated to the Oakville Zonta Club, which empowers women worldwide through service and advocacy. 

Friday, March 8, 4–6:30PM
Oakville Club, 56 Water St.
More info here

HERhalton Women’s Day Breakfast

Hosted by HALTECH, our local regional innovation center, this annual event always brings together the innovation and entrepreneur community from across Halton and beyond. (ACE Coworking is a proud community partner of the event again this year.) This is an event we never miss: a superb chance to hear inspiring stories, meet new interesting people, and celebrate the success of local women-led businesses. This year’s keynote speaker is Miryam Lazarte, Founder of Global Startups Accelerator and General Partner of GSA Ventures, a fund committed to investing in immigrant technology entrepreneurs. It’s sure to be a worthwhile morning of connecting and learning.

Thursday, March 21, 9–11AM
Burlington Golf & Country Club, 422 North Shore Blvd E
Sign up here

If you’d like to get more inspiration and education from the staff and partners of ACE Coworking, sign up for our monthly newsletter. You’ll also stay up to date on the events we run and the amazing promotions we often offer!
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2024 Honorary Ace Membership awarded to local not-for-profit, Bandology.

2024 Honorary Ace Membership awarded to local not-for-profit, Bandology.

by | Feb 7, 2024 | Coworking News

By Nancy Fornasiero

ACE Coworking is excited to announce that the recipient of our 2024 Honorary Membership is a wonderful local not-for-profit: Bandology.

“Bandology was willed into being by people who understand the multiple life-long benefits that music provides. United by common goals while participating in a high school music parent association, the co-founders were inspired to go beyond the classroom and into the community to help spread the love of music.”

The organization’s goal is simple: more music for more kids!

Since 2017, Bandology has been offering free resources and services to kids who would not otherwise have access to music education. Music workshops; percussion parties; support, resources and workshops for music educators; research initiatives; an instrument lending library; and most famously, Band Camp, in which students spend a week of the summer playing and interacting with other musicians their age. Unbelievably, this is just a fraction of all they do – visit their website to learn more. 

What’s an Honorary ACE Membership?

As a way of giving back to the community, every year at ACE Coworking we donate a free membership, including use of boardroom space, to a deserving local registered charity or NFP. We seek to partner with organizations who a) would benefit from the ability to meet in person but don’t have budget for space, b) help to make Oakville a better place to live, and c) possess values closely aligned with our own.

2023’s Honorary Member was Oakvillegreen, and we continue to have a friendly and supportive relationship with them!

This year we had many deserving applicants, but you might say that Bandology’s application really “struck a chord” with us – we knew that they’d be a great fit as we are also music lovers and big believers that the arts can enhance the lives of children and youth immeasurably. We are so honoured to be able to support the staff and volunteers that make Bandology tick.

Partnering with Community Leaders

We recently had the pleasure of meeting with Lisa Michaels, the Executive Director and Co-Founder of Bandology, along with her colleagues, Sandy Wright (Education Manager and Head of Programming) and Julianna Rutledge (Innovation Manager and Head of Operations). Together we came up with a plan for making their board meetings, training sessions, and staff meetings more professional and comfortable thanks to access to our coworking spaces and meeting rooms.

We looking forward to this exciting collaboration!

If you’re interested in the 2025 ACE Honorary Membership, follow ACE Coworking on LinkedIn or Instagram – or sign up for our newsletter – to learn when nominations/applications will open for next year.

If you’d like to get more inspiration and education from the staff and partners of ACE Coworking, sign up for our monthly newsletter. You’ll also stay up to date on the events we run and the amazing promotions we often offer!
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