Hey Amigos,

📰 It's March: everyone’s stressing about taxes, forgotten about Usher’s halftime show, 40% through David Goggins's book and deeply in need of some sunshine in the forecast. Well, know that you’re not alone founder. In fact, LOI alumni Vin Diesel from 2013 once said: “At this accelerator, I didn’t find friends, I found my family.” 🥺 

“Well Vin, we couldn’t agree more.”

So to the 100+ founders (from Labs Batch 12 and Boost 2024) that have just joined the LOI fam, welcome ☕️

And buckle up. 2024’s gonna be a ride and a half. 🚗💨

In other LOI news:

• 🎉 Meet the 80+ founders that joined Labs Batch 12

• 💵 94% of you can’t wait to pitch Sam and Ryan on March 19th

• ☕️ T-2 hours until 40 LOIers meet for coffee in Toronto today

• ❤️ We just signed on Baker Tilly as a new programming title sponsor

• 🤫 We’re already dreaming up our speaker list for YEY 2024

• 🐉 600+ of you hung out with Arlene Dickinson last month (recording)

• 👟 LOI’s #fitness slack channel is exploding; reply if you want an invite

• 🔥 You still need to RSVP to Wes Kao’s fireside chat on March 15h 

• 🥁 The 2024 Boost cohort met for the first time on March 1st (LFG!)

You listened to their podcast and you’ve tried their products. But have you pitched Ryan or Sam your startup idea yet? Didn’t think so.

So we put this event together with our friends at Kernal to make that happen. RSVP below or forever hold your peace 🔗

Sick of hearing your friend brag about Bitcoin prices in the group chat? Skim these upcoming events to clean your conscience:

📰 Events & Opportunities

• 🗓 HAPPENING MARCH 15TH: Looking to grow your personal brand, operation chops or fundraising playbook? This Wes Kao AMA is for you. She’s co-founded startups with Seth Godin and raised $20m from A16z when she was building Maven.com. She just announced she’s taking time off to decide on her next startup. So she graciously agreed to do an AMA with our community March 15th @ 10AM. Come meet here and learn how she became the powerhouse founder she is. Wanna brush up on her stories? Browse her blog.

• 🗓 HAPPENING MARCH 19TH: You know the podcast, but you’ve never met the creator. Well, March 19th is your lucky day. Wanna join Sam Parr and Ryan Holmes for an AMA on life and business? Maybe even apply to pitch them your startup idea? Be our guest and sign up here.

• 🎟 Email LOI to score free tickets to Uniting the Prairies Conference. You heard us right. We’re partnering with UTP this year. Want a ticket? Email [email protected]

• 🤫 Want a free ticket to Collision this year? Well, for being part of the LOI community, you get first dibs. Apply here and we’ll put in a good word.

• 🎟 Want a free ticket to LOI’s YEY 2024 event in Toronto? The clock is ticking. And we’re not just saying that. The “YEY2023” promo code will be expiring March 10th so grab your ticket now.

• 🎉 Meet LOI’s latest accounting sponsor, Baker Tilly! Looking for a nationally trusted, industry-leading audit, tax and advisory firm that has offices in Vancouver and Toronto? Well, Baker Tilly is your new best friend. Huge thanks to Baker Tilly for coming on board as LOI’s latest Title Sponsor for the Labs/Boost 2024 Cohort.

• 💸 Need accounting support ASAP? Email ([email protected]) and we’ll get you connected to the Baker Tilly fam. They’re putting together a discounted startup package that’ll be accessible to all LOI founders/alumni soon.

📰 Founder Wins of the Month

• 🎉 We just wrapped up our first 2024 Boost Meeting on Team Building + Leadership: thanks to Monty and Dan for stepping up to be our speakers

• ☕️ Our watch party of Arlene and Ryan in Vancouver last month was a hit. We’re still thinking on this quote Arlene dropped on everyone at the end.

• 🚨 Benny made it into a Forbes feature: and acted like it was nothing

• 🥊 Wicked Rose (founded by Christina) is dropping a new product soon: keep a lookout for their Kickstarter coming soon.

• 🤩 LOI alumni Blossom Social passed 100,000 users on their app and deserves one hell of a steak dinner out to celebrate

• 📣 Got plans for International Women’s Day? If you’re in Toronto, one of our alumni Liv Han is hosting an event on March 8th from 6-8pm that you don’t want to miss. It’s got one heck of a panel line-up confirmed.

• 🏆 Our Labs Batch 12 crew got to soak up a private AMA with Ryan Holmes last week; big ups to Cameo for winning the 1-1 coffee meeting giveaway

• 🤯 Anthony from Spontvily spoke on a panel with Cathie Wood from ARKInvest

• 💸 LOI Venture invested in Superpanel.io: Founded by Julien Emery and Dingyu Zhang, Superpanel creates “AI workers” that automatically review unstructured sales data and transform it into structured documentation and CRM updates.

• ☕️ YEY Awards Winner Justin Tse has an event in Vancouver March 7th: Justin (26) turned his passion for YouTube into a seven-figure business annually where he’s inked deals with brands like Apple, Dyson, Mercedes Benz, Four Seasons, and hundreds more. RSVP to the event to meet him and learn his creator playbook.

💵 LOI Discounts & Offers

• 💻 Engyne is an all-in-one SEO platform for startups. We make it easy to launch a professional SEO-optimized blog and manage content planning, writing, publishing, and analytics all in one place — using AI to help you save time and drive results faster. They are offering members of the LOI community a 50% discount for the first 6 months of using the platform. Just mention LOI when you sign up to access the discount.

• ⏰ DOUBL is launching a Kickstarter @ the end of April. Don’t know who they are? They’re the LOI founders making the first to market made-to-measure bra that is ordered and fitted directly from your smartphone. Sign up for DOUBL's newsletter to be the first to be notified at their launch! You can also lock in the lowest VIP price for their Kickstarter here

• 💰 Looking for grant money? Pause your scroll, founder. The Rideau Hall Foundation’s Ingenious+ application deadline has been extended to March 10. Head here to submit your application.

• 🇨🇦 Wanna represent LOI at the G20 YEA? 2024 applications are underway. Apply online here and mention that the LOI fam sent ya.

Want your startup featured in the next email round-up? Post a Slack update in our #amplify channel or click below.

🤌 Founder Swipes of the Week

Your startup bestie-boos,

💙 The LOI Fam

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