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LIFT Startups

A new way to market and network your local Vancouver Island business!

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Vancouver Island Grassroots Entrepreneur Network

community – connection – opportunity – empowerment

The myth of the individual entrepreneur is just that – a myth. Whatever you call yourself – a business owner, creator, founder, innovator or entrepreneur – research shows that we do better when we work together and support each other: when we are part of a community of like-minded people.

CONTACT US

“If your run your own business, and especially if you’re new to the valley, LIFT is essential for your network.”

—ARZEENA HAMIR

Connect with us.

Led by Leif Jason, LIFT is a passion project focused on growing an inclusive entrepreneurial community on Vancouver Island. We want to help you to grow your business and have fun doing it.

“LIFT has been a great part of establishing an entrepreneurial community that has been so beneficial not only for me but hundreds of others! Always great event, parties, online influence.”

—Jabin Postal

Inclusive

Whether you head up a business with 50 employees or you are a solopreneur; whether your product or service is unique or there are others offering similar things; whether you are just starting out or have been in business for 10+ years; whether you’re an introvert or extrovert…

If you’re community minded, ready to grow personally and professionally, and want to surround yourself with great people, you’re a good fit for LIFT.

Innovative

If traditional networking and the idea of handing out business cards to strangers while you make small talk has you running for the hills, well we get it! Time to adjust how you think about networking.

In LIFT you get to know people through innovative facilitated events and discussion, where we work together on real businesses and real issues. We guide and support each other while building real relationships and learning valuable skills. This is not small talk, it’s REAL talk.

“This group is a great place to come if you want to be surrounded with big thinkers. It’s unique because it’s a very collaborative and supportive atmosphere. Come on out and see what it’s like!!”

—Amy Englemark

liftstartups

Vancouver Island Local Business Network
#WeAreVanIsl ✊#networkingbetter
By @mastermynde

Get @reshare_app • @northislandemployment We’re gr Get @reshare_app • @northislandemployment We’re growing our team at North Island Employment Foundations Society (NIEFS).

If you’re passionate about helping people succeed, supporting strong communities, and contributing to workforce development across the North Island, we’d love to hear from you.

We’re currently hiring for:
📍 Employment Counsellor – Port Hardy
📊 Finance & Data Quality Assistant - Campbell River 

At NIEFS, you’ll join a dedicated team committed to creating opportunities for individuals, supporting employers, and building stronger communities throughout our region.

View job descriptions and application details on the Careers page at https://lnkd.in/gdVeYvDy 

#Hiring #CareerOpportunity #EmploymentServices WorkforceDevelopment #PortHardy #VancouverIslandJobs NIEFS
Get @reshare_app • comoxvalleychamber Only 10 tick Get @reshare_app • comoxvalleychamber Only 10 tickets left for next Thursday’s Business After Business Mixer!

Join us for an evening of rooftop views, conversation and local collaboration 🤝

Guests will gather on the rooftop terrace of the @treeislandyogurt facility at Bevan: A Living Workplace. Enjoy live music, local wine from Beaufort Vineyard & Estate Winery, artisan charcuterie, and relaxed networking as the sun sets over the Comox Valley.

Don’t miss out, register now at comoxvalleychamber.com/events or visit the link in bio 🎟️ 

#BuildingGoodBusiness #BuildingGreatCommunity 
#comoxvalleybc #cumberland #chamberofcommerce
Get @reshare_app • @mycommunityfutures Here’s what Get @reshare_app • @mycommunityfutures Here’s what’s coming up next week at myCommunityFutures! 

Explore upcoming learning opportunities to support your business or organization: 

🔹 Jun 16: Money Nerves: Pricing, Invoicing & Collections Without Meltdown 
🔹 Jun 17: Intro the Meta Business Suite 
🔹 Jun 18: Ideal Client / Target Persona 

📌 Business training from Community Futures is free of charge within select CF-service regions. Check eligibility at mycommunityfuturesbc.ca 

#mycommunityfutures #cfbc #onlinebusinesstraining #bcentrepreneurs

@communityfuturesbc
Get @reshare_app • @campbellriverchamber Join us f Get @reshare_app • @campbellriverchamber Join us for our next B2B Mixer at the Habitat for Humanity Vancouver Island North ReStore on Thursday, June 26!

Connect with fellow business owners, professionals, and community leaders in a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere.

Enjoy great conversations, make new connections, and experience a fun twist on traditional networking with a light interactive activity inspired by an upcoming fundraiser. It’s the perfect opportunity to break the ice, share a few laughs, and build meaningful business relationships.

📍 Habitat ReStore
1725 Willow Street, Campbell River
📅 June 25
🕔 5:00 PM – 6:30 PM

Whether you’re looking to expand your network, reconnect with familiar faces, or simply enjoy a summer evening with other local professionals, we’d love to see you there.

🎟️ Free Registration but spots are limited - RSVP here: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/summer-community-networking-mixer-tickets-1989334258318?aff=oddtdtcreator#

#campbellriverbusiness
Get @reshare_app • @westshorechamber Did you know Get @reshare_app • @westshorechamber Did you know that before the now very popular Best of the WestShore Awards, the WestShore Chamber of Commerce used to do a members-based Business Excellence Awards? (As seen here at @royalroadsu in 2008.) Is this something you’d like to see us add back into our calendar of events? Go to our 70th anniversary page at www.westshore.bc.ca/70years to let us know!

Keep an eye out for more “Did You Know?” posts to collect answers for our upcoming Quiz Night that will take place on September 18. Follow along on our social channels for ways to celebrate, commemorate, and get involved all year long.

Thanks to our 70th Anniversary Task Force, board of directors, and social media guru members for spreading the word!

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#70Anniversary #DidYouKnow #WestshoreChamber #70YearAnniversary #QuizNight
Get @reshare_app • @iwist_org ☀️ iWIST Summer Sols Get @reshare_app • @iwist_org ☀️ iWIST Summer Solstice Celebration ☀️ Happening SOON ON JUNE 25, 2026!!!
Members-only tickets are officially live!

We’re bringing together women in STEM for an evening of connection, community, music, appetizers, drinks, and summer celebration ✨

Take a look back at some moments from last year’s event 💜 and join us again this year for another unforgettable evening with the iWIST community.

📍 University Club Victoria
🗓 Friday, June 25, 2026
🕔 5 PM – 8 PM

Limited tickets available!

#womeninbusiness #vancouverislandbusiness #victoriabcbusiness
Get @reshare_app • @oceansidecollectivemag Join us Get @reshare_app • @oceansidecollectivemag Join us in celebration for the launch of Oceanside Collective’s first ever volume, “Chapter One”! 🎊

Pick up YOUR fresh-off-the-press copy of the newest magazine! Grab a refreshing beverage and/or tasty snack with friends, neighbours, colleagues, and fellow contributors while sharing stories and enjoying some live music. Also, take your chance at our draw prizes supplied by some of the generous local businesses who make this publication possible! 

We welcome contributors and supporters, community partners NEW & OLD, as well as any/all Collective Mag lovers!

We hope to see you there 👀

#qualicum #qualicumbeach
Get @reshare_app • @tedxvictoria.ca Where the map Get @reshare_app • @tedxvictoria.ca Where the map ends, ideas begin. 🧭

Introducing UNCHARTED, the theme for TEDxVictoria 2026.

Our world is shifting rapidly, and the maps we’ve inherited no longer guide us forward. This year’s theme asks us to embrace the possibility of the unknown rather than fear it, and chart a course into a bold new future. 

Join us on October 7, 2026 at the UVic Farquhar Auditorium for a day of bold ideas, big questions, and new ways forward.

🎟️ Sign up for early bird access at tedxvictoria.ca (link in bio).

#TEDxVictoria2026 #Uncharted #TEDx
Get @reshare_app • @cvimsnanaimo Join the Nanaimo Get @reshare_app • @cvimsnanaimo Join the Nanaimo Local Immigration Partnership (NLIP)!
 
Are you passionate about building a welcoming and inclusive community? The Nanaimo Local Immigration Partnership (NLIP) is looking for community members who have gone through the newcomer journey to help shape a more connected and inclusive Nanaimo.
 
By joining the Newcomer Advisory Table, you’ll have the opportunity to collaborate with local partners, share your perspectives, support community-driven initiatives, and help improve services and opportunities for newcomers. Together, we can foster cultural awareness, strengthen community connections, and create a place where everyone feels they belong.
 
Interested in getting involved? We’d love to hear from you!
 
 Building a welcoming community starts with all of us.
 
#NanaimoLIP #NLIP #WelcomeNanaimo #CommunityBuilding #Inclusion Diversity Belonging NewcomersWelcome Nanaimo CommunityEngagement StrongerTogether
Get @reshare_app • @thewebc Our One-to-One Mentori Get @reshare_app • @thewebc Our One-to-One Mentoring Intake is now OPEN for 3 days only!

Our Mentors are experienced entrepreneurs who understand the ups and downs of owning a business and can share their hard-earned knowledge. A Mentor can help you:
🌟 Feel less isolated as a business owner
🌟 Validate ideas and make decisions with confidence
🌟 Gain fresh ideas and perspectives
🌟 Shorten the growth learning curve so you can avoid costly mistakes

With a network of 100+ mentors across BC, we’ll personally match you with someone whose experience aligns with your unique business needs. 

Applications close at midnight on June 11, and spaces are very limited. Learn more and apply by visiting the link in our bio or : go.we-bc.ca/1to1Mentoring

 #OneToOneMentoring #BusinessMentorship #EntrepreneurSupport #BusinessGrowth #MentorshipProgram
Get @reshare_app • comoxvalleychamber Meet the Com Get @reshare_app • comoxvalleychamber Meet the Comox Valley Chamber Team 🤝

Tracey is a collaborative leader known for connecting people, ideas, and resources to create lasting community impact. Previously, as Executive Director of the Downtown Courtenay BIA, she conceived and brought to life the award-winning Downtown Courtenay Poetry Walk which continues today. 

She also helped lead the BCEDA award-winning AI in Aquaculture workforce development initiative. Tracey serves on the boards of the Vancouver Island Economic Alliance and Canadian Chamber Executives of British Columbia and holds a Digital Transformation Leadership certificate from SFU Beedie School of Business.

If you’d like to meet Tracey & the team, learn how to unlock the benefits of your Chamber membership, and meet other Chamber members, join our free ‘Member 101’ session on June 11!

Register now at comoxvalleychamber.com/events 🎟
 
#BuildingGoodBusiness #BuildingGreatCommunity 
#comoxvalleybc #chamberofcommerce #comoxvalleybusiness
Get @reshare_app • @northislandemployment FEELING Get @reshare_app • @northislandemployment FEELING STUCK?
No job?
Not in school?
That’s okay.

If you’re 17-24 and living in Campbell River, this could be the opportunity you have been waiting for!
There’s a unique 10 week program starting at the end of June over at The Foundry in Campbell River called IMM+ that can help young people:
✔ Build confidence
✔ Learn useful skills
✔ Figure out what’s next

Why not connect for quick info session to find out what it’s all about?

While you are in the program, they can help out with food and transportation costs and you can earn a daily stipend for participation.

No pressure. Just an invitation to come check it out.

For more information:
Call Natasha or Charlene toll free at 1-866-286-6788
Cell/Text: 250-204-3739
Email: natasha.prosser@niefs.net or charlene.kadzunge@niefs.net
Get @reshare_app • @comoxvalleywbn Relationships a Get @reshare_app • @comoxvalleywbn Relationships are the way to sell; we have heard that before. But how do you build loyalty? 

In this session, you’ll be given ideas on how to make customers
the centre of your business. You will learn that your attitude and that of your employees is the key to your success.

In this passionate presentation you’ll also discover that learning as much as you can about your customers, will help you demonstrate your commitment to them and ultimately increase their spend and loyalty with you.

As a result of attending this dynamic program, you will:
• understand the 6 basic customer needs
• categorize your current clients
• identify your ideal client and create a plan on how to acquire them
• discover the building blocks to customer loyalty
• analyze your own “customer focus” attitude
• be introduced to the different types of communication and their impacts

👩🏻‍💻 Get your tickets to this event 
https://www.cvwbn.org/store/dinner-meet-up

#comoxvalleybusiness #vancouverislandbusiness #womeninbusiness #businesswomen
Get @reshare_app • @tofinochamber Not too late to Get @reshare_app • @tofinochamber Not too late to catch our Mastering Marketing Series hosted at the Tofino Chamber in collaboration with @spritzsessions 

Our next workshop is on Tuesday hosted by the amazing @laurenarchi where we will learn about putting paid aids into practice!

Special thanks to @dreturner & @larapalm for kicking things off yesterday and sharing their passion and creativity with the business community. 

June 9th, 2pm,  331 Main St, register at tofinochamber.org/mastering-marketing

#tofinobusiness
Get @reshare_app • @nanaimochamber LIMITED SPOTS A Get @reshare_app • @nanaimochamber LIMITED SPOTS AVAILABLE — REGISTER TODAY!

We’re excited to host our June Business After Business at Vancouver Island University.

Join us on June 16 at the Malaspina Theatre (Building 310) for an evening of networking, connection, and insight into VIU’s Career Studio — a valuable resource supporting students, employers, and career growth in our community.

📅 Tuesday, June 16, 2026
⏰ 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM
📍 Malaspina Theatre (Building 310), VIU, 900 Fifth Street, Nanaimo BC

Please review the event map before arriving for parking details and directions to Building 310. VIU parking is monitored, and a parking pass is required.

Come build connections, exchange ideas, and discover how VIU’s Career Studio is helping prepare the future workforce.

Register today through the link in our bio!

#nanaimochamber #businessafterbusiness #nanaimoevents #nanaimonetworking
Get @reshare_app • @infinitehorizonsfoundation Som Get @reshare_app • @infinitehorizonsfoundation Some of the best ideas don’t start in a boardroom. They start around a table. The Infinite Horizons Foundation was built on a simple belief: when good people come together, good things happen.

This week, Corey Sawchuk and Amanda Conly are launching The Infinite Table — a series of gatherings where philanthropy meets hospitality, meaningful conversations flow as easily as the wine, and every seat has the potential to make a difference.

To kick things off, we’re hosting Uncorked sponsored by RBC. Join us on Friday, June 5th at @comoxvalleyhyundai for an evening of great people, fine wine, and the opportunity to hear a little more about what we’re building and why we’re so excited about it.

Bring your friends. Bring your curiosity. Bring that person who always orders the best bottle. We’ll take care of the rest. Because changing the world doesn’t always begin with a grand gesture. Sometimes it starts with a great conversation, a shared table, and a glass raised to what’s possible.

Book your tickets now - see you Friday!
https://www.infinitehorizonsfoundation.ca/events

Corey Sawchuk Amanda Conly

#comoxvalleybusiness #vancouverislandbusiness
Get @reshare_app • comoxvalleychamber Bites & Insi Get @reshare_app • comoxvalleychamber Bites & Insights is a monthly breakfast speaker series hosted by the Comox Valley Chamber of Commerce. 

The session combines professional learning with relationship-building. Attendees enjoy a hot breakfast while networking with fellow business professionals and gaining knowledge to help strengthen their businesses and the local economy.

On June 18, WorkSafe BC will be presenting on WSBC programs and services that are available to businesses and organizations when looking to hire employees. We will be joined by Tricia Habermehl, Job Developer and Employment Specialist, and Ken Crystal, Vocational Rehabilitation Consultant.

WorkSafeBC will be presenting the benefits of hiring WorkSafeBC workers and share how businesses may access and tap into cost savings and more with WSBC programs and services such as:

• Access to skilled workers
• Wage reimbursements
• Work assessments
• Ergo-aids expense coverage
• Training expense coverage
• Online job board

Come along, ask questions, learn what’s available to your business, and leave with new professional connections

Spaces are limited, register now at comoxvalleychamber.com/events 🎟

#BuildingGoodBusiness #BuildingGreatCommunity 
#comoxvalley #comoxvalleybusiness #chamberofcommerce
Get @reshare_app • @westshorechamber Members, plea Get @reshare_app • @westshorechamber Members, please join us on Wednesday, June 17, 2026 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM to eat, drink, and be merry! This event is a great way to connect with the WestShore Chamber community while getting to know our host @hsminsurance1983 (Westshore).

🎟 Link in bio to register!

📍 Hendry, Swinton, McKenzie Insurance Services (Westshore) Inc. - 963 Langford Parkway
📆 Wednesday, June 17, 2026
⏰ 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM

Please read through all of the details on the events page before registering!

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#yyjevents #networkingevent #cityoflangford #westshorebc langfordbc victoriabc communityevents yyj yyjbiz colwoodbc WestshoreChamberofCommerce westshorechamber
Get @reshare_app • @jaimestkirk Pictured are the p Get @reshare_app • @jaimestkirk Pictured are the proposed Business Licence fee Changes. Can anyone explain to me why multinational banks would be subsidized by a home-based biz? Anyone wanna explain why best buy is the same level as the small biz? Anyone else see an issue with loblaws, Walmart, sobeys, being charged the same as goods grocer or garlic and pepper? Tim Hortons the same as big foot? 

Let the banks and the corporations subsidize the mom n pop shops. The heart of this and every community.

#comoxvalleybusiness #comoxvalley
Get @reshare_app • @iwist_org Hey! time is running Get @reshare_app • @iwist_org Hey! time is running out! if you have someone in your circle who could use support during their learning journey in STEM then share this information with them! ⭐️⭐️⭐️

More info at iwist.ca/scholarship

#vancouverislandbusiness
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