OCCA Communities Association

Women Entrepreneurs Session 7: Practical AI Tools for Entrepreneurs
2026-03-11 18:00 - 20:00 (America/Vancouver) | Online, Canada
Join us for an engaging online workshop designed to help entrepreneurs discover practical ways to use AI in their daily business operations.
In this session, Dan (Danny) Fan will introduce simple and effective AI tools that can help small business owners save time, improve productivity, and work more efficiently. Participants will learn how AI can support tasks such as marketing, research, customer communication, and everyday business management.
This workshop is designed especially for minority and equity-deserving entrepreneurs, including newcomers and racialized small business owners, and no technical background is required.
Through clear explanations and live demonstrations, you will learn:
• What AI can (and cannot) do for your business• How to write effective prompts using a simple framework• Practical AI tools for marketing, research, customer replies, and daily tasks• Real business use cases you can apply right away
📅 Date: Tuesday, March 11, 2026⏰ Time: 6:00 – 8:00 PM (Pacific Time | Kelowna)💻 Format: Online via Zoom🎤 Facilitator: Dan (Danny) Fan
What you will get
1. Understanding AI:
What It Is and What It Can (and Can’t) Do for Your Business
A simple introduction to how modern AI works, where it comes from, and how AI assistants generate responses. This section explores practical ways AI can support daily business operations such as research, content creation, and customer communication, while also highlighting its limitations.
2. Designing Prompts That Actually Work
Learn a simple framework for writing clear, tailored prompts that generate useful, business-specific results. Through practical examples, participants will see how better prompts can dramatically improve AI outputs without requiring any technical background.
3. AI Tools in Action: Live Demonstrations and Business Use Cases
Hands-on demonstrations of modern AI tools and features, including AI copilots, real-time voice interaction, and AI-assisted project creation. Participants will see how entrepreneurs can apply these tools for marketing ideas, quick research, and everyday business tasks.
🔗 Register Now
If you already registered, please check your email for the Zoom link.

OCCA 16th Free Tax Filing Seminar – Learn to File Your Taxes with Confidence
2026-03-14 14:00 - 15:00 | landmark 6, Kelowna, BC, Canada
OCCA is pleased to support the 16th Free Tax Filing Seminar, a practical and beginner-friendly session designed to help community members confidently manage their personal tax returns in Canada.
This free seminar introduces participants to free tax-filing software and guides them step by step on how to complete their tax returns independently. In addition, OCCA will provide on-site tax-filing support for low-income individuals and families, ensuring access to free and reliable assistance.
The session is ideal for newcomers, families, students, and anyone looking for a clearer, more stress-free tax-filing experience.
📅 Event Details
Date: Saturday, March 14, 2026
Time: 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM
Format: Hybrid – Online (Microsoft Teams) & In-person ( Landmark 6, Kelowna)
Cost: Free (registration required)

📌 What You’ll Learn

How to use easy tax-filing software step by step
Common tax issues and how to avoid mistakes
Live Q&A with experienced tax and financial professionals
On-site tax-filing support for low-income individuals and families (3:00 pm-4:00 pm)

👩‍🏫 Guest Speakers

Zhengjun Liang, CPA® – International Certified Senior Accountant, Manager at RHN CPA, with over 20 years of professional experience
Lingna Cai, CFP® – International Certified Financial Planner, Senior Advisor at IGM, with 15 years of experience in major Canadian banks, demonstrating how to complete a tax return in just 3 minutes

🌐 Language & Accessibility

Seminar delivered in Chinese
AI-powered simultaneous English subtitles provided

🎟 This event is free and open to the public.
📌 In-person seats are limited—early registration is encouraged.
🎁 A limited number of participants will also have the opportunity to receive free one-on-one consultations on a first-come, first-served basis.
👉 Register for the Seminar now:
https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/1288822565989?aff=oddtdtcreator
👉 Register for One-on-One Consultation (On-Site): Register for One-on-One

OCCA 第十六届免费报税讲座｜轻松学会自己报税
OCCA 很高兴支持并举办 第十六届免费报税讲座。本次讲座是一场实用、易懂、适合初学者的社区活动，旨在帮助社区居民更有信心地完成加拿大个人报税。
本次 免费讲座 将向参与者介绍免费的报税软件，并以清晰的步骤讲解如何自行完成报税。同时，OCCA 也将为符合条件的低收入个人及家庭提供现场免费报税支持.
本活动适合新移民、家庭、学生，以及任何希望拥有更清楚、更轻松报税体验的朋友。

📅 活动信息
日期： 2026 年 3 月 14 日（周六）
时间： 下午 2:00 – 3:00
形式： 线上（Microsoft Teams）＋ 线下同步进行（ Landmark 6）
费用： 全程免费（需提前报名）

📌 讲座内容

手把手教学：使用简单易用的报税软件完成个人报税
常见报税问题解析，避免常见错误
税务与理财专家现场答疑
为到场低收入个人及家庭提供现场免费报税支持

🎁 一对一报税支持：点击登记
👩‍🏫 主讲嘉宾

梁正君 CPA®
国际注册高级会计师，RHN CPA 会计师事务所经理，拥有 20 年专业会计与报税经验
蔡凌娜 CFP®
国际注册金融策划师，IGM 高级理财顾问，金融管理双硕士，15 年加拿大五大银行工作经验，现场示范 3 分钟自己搞定报税

🌐 语言与无障碍服务

中文讲解
AI 英文字幕同步翻译，方便不同语言背景的参与者

🎟 活动完全免费，欢迎公众参加
📌 线下名额有限，建议提前报名
🎁 免费一对一咨询或报税协助 （3:00pm-4:00pm）（先到先得）
👉 立即报名讲座：
https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/1288822565989?aff=oddtdtcreator
👉 现场一对一咨询登记：点击登记

JCF Expansion Workshop Session 10: From Busy to Brilliant, A Practical Guide to Goals That Stick
2026-03-17 05:30 - 19:30 | Okanagan Regional Library 2nd Floor Great Room, 1380 Ellis St., Kelowna, BC, V1Y 2A2, Canada
Do you often feel busy all day but not make real progress toward your goals?
In this practical and interactive workshop, you will learn simple strategies to set clear goals, manage your time more effectively, and stay focused on what truly matters in your career and daily life.
Through guided reflection, real-life examples, and practical tools, you will leave the session with a clear action plan you can start using immediately.

📅 Workshop Details
Date: Tuesday, March 17, 2026
Time: 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM
Location: Kelowna Downtown Library
📍 1380 Ellis St, Kelowna, BC V1Y 2A2
Facilitator: Mike Penninga

🎯 What You Will Learn
✔ How to set clear and achievable goals for your career and personal growth
✔ How to manage your time effectively and avoid feeling overwhelmed
✔ How to stay motivated and focused even when facing challenges

🎁 Participant Benefits

Free workshop (no interview required)
$25 Gift Card for participants who attend (limited quantity, first-come, first-served)

👉 Register Now!
Or scan the QR code on the poster to register

Women Entrepreneurs Vernon Gathering
2026-03-21 10:30 - 14:30 | Kawakubo Japanese Restaurant, 1460 Inkar Rd, Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada
Our We Thrive BC women entrepreneur support program will be concluding with its final sessions over the next couple of weeks, and our community greatly appreciates the valuable support provided by WeBC. An in-person gathering in Vernon is scheduled for March 21, and I wonder if any member of your team would be interested in attending. There will be 24 participants, and a free lunch will be provided.
Women Entrepreneurs Gathering in Vernon
Date: Saturday, March 21, 2026
Time: 10:30 AM – 2:30 PM
Location: Kawakubo Japanese Restaurant
3315 30th Ave, Vernon, BC
This in-person gathering is a welcoming opportunity for women to connect, share experiences, exchange ideas, and build meaningful local relationships.
Free lunch will be provided.
Registration is required to attend.
https://forms.office.com/r/EuHQp9pL1P?origin=lprLink

Women Entrepreneurs Session 8: AI Tools for Everyday Business: A Practical Guide for Entrepreneurs
2026-03-31 18:00 - 20:00 | Online, Canada
Doing everything yourself in your business?
No marketing team. No designer. No extra time.

If creating content, making visuals, replying to clients, and staying organized keeps piling up, this free webinar is for you.

Join Session 8 of the We Thrive BC Women’s Entrepreneurship Program and learn practical ways AI can help you save time, create faster, and handle everyday business tasks more efficiently.

✅ Create content more quickly
✅ Make simple visuals without starting from scratch
✅ Improve outreach and communication
✅ Reduce time spent on admin and daily tasks

Completely free to attend

📅 March 31, 2026
🕕 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
💻 Online via Zoom
🎟️ Free registration required
👩‍🏫 Facilitator: A K M Amanat Ullah
Topics:
Managing social media. Use AI to write post captions and suggest hashtags. Take one piece of content and adapt it for Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn instead of writing three separate posts. Generate simple graphics with AI image tools such as Canva and Gemini.
Email. Draft professional emails faster for replies, follow-ups, or initial reach out. Summarize long email threads so you can summarize and understand what are the requirements. Build reusable templates for the messages you send most often: inquiries, invoices, thank you.
To-do lists and productivity. Hand AI a messy list of everything on your plate and get back an organized plan sorted by urgency. Break a big goal (“launch my online store”) into actual steps you can work through day by day.
Managing your calendar. Use Calendars to find open slots, avoid double-booking, and block off time for focused work. Set reminders for deadlines so nothing slips through.
Marketing. Write product descriptions and ad copy without staring at a blank page. Come up with campaign ideas aimed at your local audience. Put together a simple email newsletter. Figure out who your target customers actually are using a few well-crafted prompts.
Translating content to English. Translate business materials (menus, flyers, product labels) into clear English. Check grammar and tone so everything reads professionally. Create bilingual (both English and a different language such as Chinese) social media posts for multilingual audiences.
Collecting news, ideas, and opportunities. Get AI to pull together summaries of industry trends. Search for local grants, events, and networking opportunities you might otherwise miss. Look into what competitors are doing or whether a new market is worth exploring.
Analyzing information and planning. Summarize customer feedback or survey responses to spot patterns. Compare pricing or supplier options side by side. Draft a simple business plan or pitch outline. Make sense of basic financial numbers without a spreadsheet headache.

A K M Amanat Ullah
A K M Amanat Ullah is a PhD candidate in Computer Science at the University of British Columbia, with over four years of university-level teaching experience. He has taught courses in Human-Computer Interaction, Machine Architecture, and Parallel Computing at UBC, and has lectured at multiple universities. His research focuses on user interaction and emerging technologies including virtual reality. Amanat has published 15 papers, including work at top venues such as ACM CHI and IEEE VR. He is also a VR developer and has experience building practical technology solutions for healthcare and housing.

Asian Heritage Month 2026 Opening Forum
2026-05-02 14:00 - 16:30 | Trinity Church, 1905 Springfield Rd, Kelowna, BC, V1Y 7V7, Canada
Asian Heritage Month 2026 Opening Forum
Celebrate the start of Asian Heritage Month 2026 with an inspiring and community-driven Opening Forum, hosted by the OCCA Communities Association. This in-person event brings people together to explore the rich histories, cultures, and contributions of Asian communities in a welcoming and engaging setting.
Rooted in Tradition, Connected by Legacy The forum will commence with a traditional Indigenous Welcome by a Syilx Okanagan Elder, honoring the land that sustains our diverse stories. As we delve into our 2026 theme, “Heritage as Social Capital,” we invite you to experience a profound cultural exchange. Through the wisdom of our community knowledge keepers and an intergenerational dialogue, we will explore how our ancestral roots serve as a powerful foundation for our collective future in the Okanagan.
Begin the afternoon with a warm VIP greeting and connect with community leaders, special guests, and fellow attendees through meaningful networking. Take part in a dynamic heritage dialogue and discussion, where diverse stories, perspectives, and lived experiences come to life through thoughtful conversation. Enjoy vibrant cultural performances from a variety of Asian traditions, showcasing music, dance, and artistic expression that highlight the richness and diversity of Asian heritage.
Enjoy complimentary refreshments as you mingle, learn, and celebrate in a vibrant atmosphere designed for connection and discovery. All guests who register through Eventbrite will also receive a prize draw ticket for a chance to win exciting giveaways.
Register now to reserve your spot and enter the free prize draw!
Event Details:
📍 Location: Trinity Church – Family Room, 1905 Springfield Rd, Kelowna, BC V1Y 7V7
📅 Date: May 2nd
⏰ Time: 2:00 PM – 4:30 PM (Doors open 1:30 PM)
This event is free to attend and open to all—everyone is welcome.
Learn more at www.asianheritage.ca
or
2026 Asian Heritage Month Okanagan

For sponsorship and partnership inquiries: heritage@occabc.ca
Don’t miss this opportunity to engage, learn, and celebrate together as we kick off a month of culture and community.
Please note that photography will take place during the event.
