{"id":575575,"date":"2026-04-01T17:23:10","date_gmt":"2026-04-01T17:23:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/575575\/"},"modified":"2026-04-01T17:23:10","modified_gmt":"2026-04-01T17:23:10","slug":"alberta-companies-go-global-as-trade-accelerator-program-reaches-50-cohorts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/575575\/","title":{"rendered":"Alberta companies go global as Trade Accelerator Program reaches 50 cohorts"},"content":{"rendered":"

Alberta companies are building locally and expanding beyond Canada, and Calgary Economic Development\u2019s Trade Accelerator Program (TAP) is helping them do both.\u00a0<\/p>\n

With the completion of its 50th cohort, TAP Alberta has now supported more than 660 companies, helping secure more than 200 trade deals and expand into over 50 international markets. That success will also be a key part of the conversation at Calgary Economic Development’s Report to the Community<\/a> on April 8, where the city\u2019s approach to trade and global growth will be in focus. \u00a0<\/p>\n

As global markets shift and competition intensifies, Calgary\u2019s economic future depends on more local companies competing on the international stage. \u00a0<\/p>\n

At Calgary Economic Development, trade and global expansion go beyond the traditional idea of simply exporting goods. For many companies, it can mean opening an office in a new market, hiring talent internationally or delivering services across borders. \u00a0<\/p>\n

Programs like TAP help make that happen \u2014 turning local ambition into international growth and advancing Calgary\u2019s long-term focus on trade and diversification through the city\u2019s economic strategy, Uplook: An Action Plan for Our Economy<\/a>. \u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen Calgary companies win in new markets, this city wins,\u201d said Shona Reilly, Director of Trade at Calgary Economic Development. \u00a0 \u00a0<\/p>\n

Why Alberta companies are expanding into global markets\u00a0<\/p>\n

Hosted across multiple sessions throughout March, the milestone cohort brought together 19 Calgary-based companies, each generating between $1 million and $10 million in annual revenue and preparing to grow beyond Canada. \u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Among them was William Toussaint, founder of TeeTime<\/a>, a soon-to-launch social networking service for golfers, who said he enrolled in TAP because he believes \u201cit is essential to slow down to speed up.\u201d \u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cUnderstanding that as an owner you have blind spots, and your best weapon is education,\u201d he said. \u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are truly thankful for the CED team, and community who have helped direct and shape our strategy and vision for international expansion. It is an elite network we are excited to forever be a part of and give back to.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

TAP exists because diversification doesn\u2019t happen by accident. It takes deliberate effort to help companies navigate new markets, build relationships and manage risk. That work pays off \u2014 not just for individual businesses, but for the broader economy.\u00a0<\/p>\n

When Calgary companies grow their exports, they create jobs, bring new revenue into Calgary and reduce the risk of over-reliance on any single market. Over time, that builds a stronger, more stable economic foundation.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cEconomic diversification happens when we back founders, share hard-earned expertise and help great local companies see what\u2019s possible beyond our borders,\u201d said Reilly.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The program itself isn\u2019t about theory \u2014 it\u2019s about execution. Each cohort brings together companies that are ready to expand beyond Canada but need the right strategy, connections and insights to do it effectively. \u00a0<\/p>\n

Through mentorship, market validation and hands-on planning, participants leave with a clear path to global growth.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

A participant works during a Trade Accelerator Program session in 2024. Photo: Britta Kokemor<\/p>\n

A milestone moment for Alberta companies going global\u00a0<\/p>\n

Joseph Schow, Alberta\u2019s Minister of Jobs, Economy, Trade and Immigration, said the milestone is a \u201ctestament to the ambition and drive of Alberta\u2019s small businesses.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cTAP highlights how important trade is for our economy, and why Alberta\u2019s government has invested nearly $3 million over five years to support job creators selling Alberta-made products to the world,\u201d he said. \u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cOur government is proud to support entrepreneurs who are growing their companies, entering new markets and helping build a strong Alberta economy.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

The next phase of Calgary\u2019s growth will be shaped by how well local companies compete globally and how effectively the city supports them in doing so. That means helping more companies move from early export plans to sustained international growth, while continuing to open doors in new and emerging markets.\u00a0<\/p>\n

TAP will continue to play a role, building on 50 cohorts of experience to help the next generation of companies expand, adapt and compete globally. As part of that evolution, Calgary Economic Development is preparing to launch Level Up in 2026 to help TAP alumni build on their export success and navigate more complex global markets.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Calgary\u2019s approach to trade and global growth will also be part of the conversation at Calgary Economic Development\u2019s Report to the Community<\/a> on April 8, where business and community leaders will explore what comes next. Get your tickets here.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Alberta companies are building locally and expanding beyond Canada, and Calgary Economic Development\u2019s Trade Accelerator Program (TAP) is…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":575576,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[194293],"tags":[49,2798,48],"class_list":{"0":"post-575575","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-calgary","8":"tag-ca","9":"tag-calgary","10":"tag-canada"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/575575","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=575575"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/575575\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/575576"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=575575"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=575575"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=575575"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}