Every entrepreneur faces moments when survival feels uncertain. For Mike and his team at Manitoba Harvest, that moment lasted more than two years. The company was in negative equity (its liabilities outweighed its assets) and it was relying heavily on trade credit to keep operations alive. For many leaders, this would have been the time to go quiet, hide from creditors, and hope for a turnaround. Mike chose the opposite path.

Ari Pandes, Associate Professor of Finance and Associate Dean of Professional Graduate Programs at the Haskayne School of Business, University of Calgary, is sounding the alarm on a troubling trend in Canada’s economy: the steady decline of operating companies listed on public markets, and the broader failure to scale up domestic businesses.

When we launched the very first Business Transitions Forum in 2015, it was driven by one idea: founders needed a better way to prepare for what’s next. Ten years later, that idea has grown into a national series of events and a trusted place for entrepreneurs, advisors, and investors to gather, learn, and connect. To mark the 10-year milestone, I sat down to reflect on how BTF started, what we’ve learned along the way, and where we’re headed next.

After nearly two decades at the helm of Southwest Doors and Hardware based in London, ON, Chantal Hampson, a seasoned business leader and recent retiree, is reflecting on a journey defined by family legacy, grit, and smart succession planning. A featured speaker in the May 21 session “Through the Buyer’s Lens” at Toronto’s Business Transitions Forum, Chantal offered candid insights into transitioning out of a family-run enterprise—and what others can learn from her experience.

Sean Stephens, CEO of digital transformation agency Treefrog, is in the business of helping companies grow. Based in Ontario and founded in 1989, Treefrog has grown into a collective of companies specializing in digital strategy, tech, marketing, and transformation. Stephens joined in 1997, bought the business in 2002, and has been leading it for over two decades.

After selling two businesses over the span of his career, Mike Mann, a Moncton-based entrepreneur, is taking time to reflect—not just on the numbers, but the emotional toll that comes with stepping away from something you’ve built. Speaking during a recent interview following his appearance at the Atlantic Business Transitions Forum in Halifax, Mann shared insights from his experience, emphasizing the human side of selling a company.