Youth entrepreneurship is on the rise! Here at the League of Innovators (LOI), we ensure that the young Canadian entrepreneurs and future leaders of Canada have barrier-free access to resources and the national community of support that guarantee their success throughout their entrepreneurial journey no matter their background or what they are building. That's why the Labs accelerator program for youth-led startups is free, with no equity, and no strings attached.
Labs is a virtual national accelerator program that starts up again with its seventh cohort on September 7th, 2021. Over the 12-weeks, young entrepreneurs get access to live workshops, ask me anything sessions, coaching, venture huddles, resources, tools, mentorship, and community. New this cohort are two new program streams built into the Labs accelerator. Firstly, the Social Impact Stream with a series of workshops to aimed build conscious leaders and dive deeper with our social entrepreneurs. Secondly, is the Black Youth Entrepreneurs Growth Program which is designed to provide Black Youth Entrepreneurs with access to the entire suite of Labs Accelerator Program benefits, including exclusive content, resources, workshops, peer community, business coaching, and a curated stream of resources and tools built specifically for Black Youth Entrepreneurs in partnership with Black Entrepreneurs and Businesses Society of Canada (BEBC).
The League of Innovators Community will be welcoming a group of 79 founders who are building 41 ventures from across Canada to our sector agnostic and business model agnostic program. Collectively this cohort has raised $916,000 to date to fuel the fire of their startups. This cohort has 20% startups, 11% product-based startups, 23% service-driven businesses, 24% social-good organizations, and 22% software companies.
This cohort consists of 42% female entrepreneurs, 20% are Black, 3% Indigenous and 50% people of colour, 6% neurodiverse founders, 3% physically disabled founders, 6% belong to the LGBTQ+ community, 32% are immigrants and 27% speak English as their second language. Here at LOI, creating a diverse community is critical to creating a learning environment where founders from across the country can learn from each other's lived experiences and expand their network. Read on to learn more about the Labs Batch 7 cohort and the next generation of game-changing Canadian startups.
Founder: Saideep Kumar
6ixplore is a marketplace for local businesses that aims to solve the problem of discovery. We are creating a user friendly app that will help users connect with local businesses and the community. We hope to bring the power of NFTs into daily life and democratize the use of blockchain technology for all local businesses.
@6ixplore
Founder: Nicole Oziel
Awkward Turtle Studios is a media services business working with purpose-driven, social impact entrepreneurs, social enterprises, businesses and organizations to elevate their work and digital marketing strategies through authentic, emotion-centric storytelling. I provide holistic photo and video production services from concept development to distribution. I focus on telling stories from an intersectional perspective that amplifies diverse identities and experiences to advocate for social justice.
@awkturtle_studios
Founder: Catherine Marot
CASE is enabling a circular supply chain model for plastic takeout containers. With our collection bin service, we divert waste from landfills by collecting clean plastic takeout containers to recycle and resell them to restaurants.
@casereuse
Founders: Amanda Adman & Justin Zhang
The digital companion to case competitions - CaseCom gives organizers the tools to host engaging and interactive events anywhere without breaking a sweat.
@casecomapp
Founder: Devinder Sarai
Cequest captures CO2 from the air and ocean via seawater electrolysis for long-term sequestration as a mineral bicarbonate (read: rock) in the sea. This process adds alkalinity to the ocean and helps reverse ocean acidification while also creating hydrogen gas that can be sold or used to produce electricity.
ClinicalVR
Founders: Sanchit Gupta, Kalter Hali & Tyvaughn Holness
ClinicalVR is an early-stage start-up aiming to utilize virtual reality to dramatically reduce pain and anxiety during medical procedures. Our goal is threefold: 1) improve clinical outcomes; 2) enrich patient experience and 3) enhance clinician experience.
Founder: Dymika Harte & Linda Boachie
Clutch App is an online platform that connects new drivers with licensed instructors nearby, with a service marketplace that connects users with relevant products and services like insurance providers and dealerships along their journey as a new to experienced driver.
@clutchapp.ca
Founder: Michelle Yao
ECU Design Careers is an independent community aiming to bridge the gap between art & design education and the creative industry. We help the students connect with industry mentors and provide various mentorship activities for their early careers.
@ecu_design_careers
Founders: Faizah Balogun, Oluwatomiwa Olasoko & Toluwanimi Alebiosu
Envly Inc. is a one-stop digital mall for access to eco-friendly products. This app makes shopping what it should have always been - sustainable and intentional.
@envlyco
Founders: Dolma Tsundu & Shenghui Karen Lim
Flutter Care is a digital health company on a mission to make pregnancy, birth, and postpartum safer and more informed for every expectant individual.
@fluttercareinc
Founders: Samir Hamadache & Shea Tough
Forest City SynBio is building an incubator and accelerator to support the next generation of synthetic biology innovators. We equip early-stage life science startups with the resources they need to bring their ideas to life and grow the Canadian bioeconomy.
@FC_SynBio
Free Periods Canada Foundation
Founder: Zeba Khan
Free Periods Canada is a grassroots non-profit organization that promotes intersectional period equity, education and access to essential reproductive and menstrual supplies.
@freeperiods.ca
Founders: Mia Nguyen & Roshni Thawani
Students find the process of going abroad confusing, time-consuming, costly, and for those who have been through the process frustrating by the lack of guidance in funding the experience. GOmana is designed to streamline the information with student budgets and partners to provide one universal platform. With information on funding resources/deadlines, time management, logistical paperwork, and experienced peers to shed insight on the process, our goal is to make it so easy; no one can say no to GOmana!
Founders: Peter Chen & Zhen Chen
Heka is web platform powered by AI that helps people who have physical discomfort or pain understand the options that exist to help them fix their pain. It then matches them with the ideal physiotherapist who has the expertise for that specific problem, so that people can get back to a pain free life as fast as possible.
Founders: Deborah Mepaiyeda, Jacqueline Chung & Vani Anand
International Hub is an online community and database that contains sourced opportunities that empower Canadian and international students and early-career professionals with professional development resources to achieve their dream careers.
@internationalhub
KINactivity
Founder: Shaquelle Hibbert
The KINactivity spaces was created for women to cleanse themselves of diet-culture and learn how to accept and love their bodies while living a healthy lifestyle.
@kinactivity
Founder: Kira Chong
Kira Made This (KMT) is a custom sneaker/footwear art brand. KMT offers a customization service to clients and corporations, along with creating art-based content on social media platforms. KMT specializes in art influenced by music/musicians, organic textures, and Asian art/culture.
@kiramadethis
Founders: Eugine Ncube, Gallican Kalimuvumba Buki, Omonosifon Udo, Patrick Cajina Cortez & Ivan Wilfried Ulrich Ngandjui Touko
La Connexional’s mission is to promote development, social integration, social inclusion and multicultural understanding between African, Black, Caribbean, Latinx and Canadian communities. We achieve this mission by being a source of historical and cultural education, as well as creating unique experiences such as culturally relevant dance workshops, networking events and festivals.
@laconnexional
Founder: Michael kim
Lifeplanting is a financial education business aimed to help young professionals in Canada learn how to have mastery over their money and start living a life of financial freedom.
@michaeleekim
Founder: Roaa Mashaleh
MODASTY is set to be your one-stop online marketplace for modest fashion. Inspired by the shopping challenges of all women who shop for modest fashion, MODASTY aggregates modest inventory from sellers all over the world and brings it onto one online space for one seamless checkout.
@modasty_en
Founders: Prabhakara Subramanya Jois, Meiqi He & Dan Huy Tran
At OpAI Innovations, we are developing a smartphone app which plastic surgeons can use to scan their patients' breasts during surgery and obtain information on the symmetry of the breasts.
@innovopai
Founders: Carmen Johanson & Kimberley Baldwin
PayTrail is a platform committed to eliminating paper receipt waste. We partner with retailers and point of sales systems to allow customers to send, track, organize and search all of their receipts in one universal location, without ever printing a receipt.
Founders: Juan Buitrago
Healthy, ready-to-eat meals delivered right to your door. Similar to HelloFresh but save the extra hour of cooking, just heat and eat!
@prepdfresh
Founders: Christopher Tran, Nathan Knight & Fardeen Chowdhury
From the first contact to the final donation, Prospr helps you engage your donors, all without making it feel like a chore.
Delivering a great experience for your donors shouldn't be cost-prohibitive. That's why we're building a robust platform that helps organizations maximize their impact.
Founder: Evan Wildman
Ram Canyon Industries produces uncommon gear from uncommon materials for uncommon folks with a taste for the extreme and a passion for planet earth. We use discarded and up-cycled materials to produce ultra-durable Canadian-made adventure gear.
@ramcanyon
Founders: Dany Cheong Cheong, Jordan Smith & Dennis Cheong Cheong
Renterii is a peer-to-peer rental platform - where you can list, discover, and rent out everyday items + spaces directly from locals.
@renteriiapp
Founders: Julia St.Amand & Abdullah Sarhan
RetinaLogik is a social enterprise that centralizes virtual eye exams, making screening effortless, and facilitates earlier detection of retinal conditions such as glaucoma. Our portable exams cost significantly less, enable remote diagnosis, and have advanced eye health analysis. Our mission is to enhance access to eye exams for 2 million people by 2026. Help us change lives and save vision, in and outside Canada.
Founders: Anastasia Kiku & Jason Hawkins
Reusables.com is a packaging-as-service platform for zero waste food retail. Reusables enables restaurants, cafes, and grocers to easily transition from single-use packaging to reusable packaging. Our vision is zero waste.
@reusables_takeout
Founders: Heidi Ye & Rachel Wong
Rocketbrew is an e-commerce dashboard that tracks competitive changes. We help online sellers grow faster by aggregating sales and traffic data into insights.
@therocketbrew
Founder: Moses Lee
Helping enterprises optimize desk work via virtual spine care.
@shift.clinic
Founders: Stephen Donald & Jaran Pararajasingham
ShopMe is an e-commerce platform that allows its users to automatically capture customizable order details instead of need to deal with the hassle of direct message inquiries.
@shopme.to
Founders: Zuberi Attard, Scott Braddon & Brent Colby
We help students thrive in their personal and academic life by getting them access to services that help them with their finances, wellbeing, and academics for up to 90% off. We're making the term "struggling student" a thing of the past.
@studentsupport
Founder: Genelle Pollydore
Swen Equity is dedicated to the achievement of health equity. We enhance health and social service practitioners and organizations through innovative strategies and specialized training that advances inclusive care and transforms inequitable practices.
@genelleashleyy
Founders: Anya Bhopa & Shania Bhopa
The Canadian Courage Project strives to support youth and their animal companions transitioning out of shelters into independent housing. Through wellness workshops, departure kits and mental health resources, 1000 youth have been supported to date.
@thecanadiancourageproject
Founders: Carolyn Burton & Monica Snow
We sell ethical jewelry, clothing, and bags. Our products are made around the world and each piece is helping someone to overcome extreme poverty.
@thesolcompany
Founder: Alfred Burgesson
Tribe Network is Canada’s BIPOC Entrepreneurship & Innovation Hub. Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour can access our knowledge hub, opportunities portal, and community.
@bipoctribe
Founder: Parker Kump
TUFF Media specializes in scaling business with digital advertising and performance-based services. Our custom-built campaigns provide solutions for a range of businesses: e-commerce, lead generation, user acquisition, brand awareness, and more.
@tuffmediayvr
Founders: Daniaal Mahmood, Felix Chan, Daniel Jiang, Allan Wu & Brice Zhao
Visuo is a video production company that specializes in providing quality and accessible video marketing services to startups and small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs). Our business model leverages student talent, streamlines the production process, and serves overlooked clients in the videography market.
@visuostudios
WellbyShania
Founder: Shania Bhopa
WellbyShania hopes to fill the gap in the children's book market with health-focused educational books. Peer-reviewed books by Shania's naturopath mother and physician sister engage with each human body element, with their first launched book Gurk the Gut and Bianca the Brain on a path to mindfulness.
@wellbyshaniabhopa
Founders: Amean Asad & Liam Hough
Yasa is democratizing personalized fitness instruction at home, starting with yoga. Without the cost of a human yoga instructor, Yasa allows for live audio and visual feedback while you complete personalized yoga sessions at home. With enhanced movement tracking via the user's camera, users can have real-time recommendations allowing you to practice at any time and have tailored sessions.
@joinyasa
Founders: Nathan Freisen & Cindy Van Sas
Yögels sells healthy and delicious bagels. Our bagels are half the calories, half the carbs, and higher in protein than traditional bagels. We believe that healthy food shouldn't have to sacrifice taste.
@yogelsbagels
