TORONTO, ON / ACCESS Newswire / October 30, 2026 / Nrth, formerly Elevate, and the Canadian Chamber of Commerce announced a national partnership to help small and medium-sized businesses adopt artificial intelligence to improve productivity and grow. Supported by funding from Google.org, the initiative will connect businesses with training and practical support through the Canadian Chamber's national network of more than 400 chambers of commerce and boards of trade.

The partnership marks a significant step in Nrth's expanded year-round mandate to help founders and industry leaders navigate technological change. Building on its work connecting Canada's technology ecosystem, Nrth is expanding its hands-on programming to help established businesses adopt new technologies and strengthen their competitiveness.

"Canada has exceptional technology companies and expertise, but too many established businesses still struggle to access the support they need to benefit from them," said Lisa Zarzeczny, CEO of Nrth. "Nrth has an important role to play in bringing those communities together. Through this partnership, we can help business leaders move from exploring AI to testing practical applications, while building stronger connections between our technology ecosystem and the broader economy."

The initiative offers three types of support:

• AI Essentials: Foundational online learning to help business owners and employees understand AI and use it in their daily work.
• AI Integration: Locally delivered workshops that help businesses identify a practical AI application and develop an implementation roadmap.
• Transformational AI: Hands-on cohorts that help business leaders assess, test and plan how to embed AI into a specific department or operational workflow.

Nrth will design the AI Integration curriculum, train 60 local facilitators and lead the delivery of 20 Transformational AI cohorts for 540 established businesses and 70 chamber leaders. Working with provincial and regional chamber partners, Nrth will help participants identify business priorities, develop and test AI applications, and build the capabilities and safeguards needed to support adoption. By training local facilitators, the initiative will build expertise within communities to support businesses beyond the program.

"Canada has invested in becoming a leader in AI. The opportunity now is to bring the benefits of that leadership to businesses in communities across the country," said Candace Laing, President and CEO of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce. "Local members know those businesses and understand the pressures they face. Connecting them with Nrth's expertise will help owners and their teams develop the skills to put AI to work and strengthen their operations."

Krista Jones joins Nrth to lead AI adoption and policy

To lead this growing area of work, Nrth is welcoming Krista Jones as Head of AI Adoption & Policy. Jones will oversee Nrth's delivery of the Canadian Chamber initiative and build its broader AI adoption strategy and programs, helping connect business needs with expertise across Canada's technology ecosystem.

Jones previously served as Chief Delivery Officer and Interim CEO at MaRS Discovery District, where she spent 15 years supporting technology companies and building programs connecting innovation with industry. Through her advisory practice, she helps small and mid-market business leaders apply AI in a values-based, human-led way that creates real value for growth.

"Business leaders need a clear connection between AI and the priorities they are already responsible for, whether that is serving customers, managing costs or growing their business," said Jones. "Our role is to help them find where AI can make a real difference, test it on their own terms and stay in control of how it is used, so their teams adopt it with confidence."

Jones will also help translate lessons from program delivery into research and policy recommendations on the barriers Canadian businesses face in adopting AI.

Participation will open in January 2027. Businesses and chamber leaders can express interest through the Canadian Chamber of Commerce's AI Adoption Program page to receive updates and learn when applications open.

About Nrth

Nrth is a Canadian non-profit helping founders and industry leaders navigate technological change. We provide the insight, connections and hands-on opportunities to understand and adopt emerging technologies and build and grow companies. Our vision is a Canada where innovation becomes our greatest competitive advantage. For more information, visit nrth.ca.

About Canadian Chamber of Commerce

The Canadian Chamber of Commerce is Canada's largest and most activated business network - representing over 400 chambers of commerce and boards of trade and more than 200,000 business of all sizes, from all sectors of the economy and from every part of the country - working to create the conditions for our collective success. The Canadian Chamber of Commerce is the undisputed champion and catalyst for the future of business success. From working with government on economy-friendly policy to providing services that inform commerce and enable trade, we give each of our members more of what they need to succeed: insight into markets, competitors and trends, influence over the decisions and policies that drive business success, and impact on business and economic performance.

Media Contacts:

Liane Coulahan
Director of Marketing
Nrth
Email: liane@nrth.ca

Shane Mackenzie
Vice President, Media and Stakeholder Communications
Canadian Chamber of Commerce
613.302.7683
smackenzie@chamber.ca

SOURCE: Nrth