LILSIS.CA

What LILSIS.CA does

LilSis (LIL SIS Organization) is a Toronto-based non-profit founded in 2020 by Kamilah Apong as a youth-led artist resource centre serving BIPOC and 2SLGBTQ+ youth artists aged 29 and under in Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area. The organization delivers free programming centered on the Hummingbird open mic series (40+ events since 2015, featuring live band support across genres including house, hip-hop, rap, jazz, pop, R&B, rock, and poetry) and a portfolio of educational workshops (press kits, fear in artmaking, values/boundaries/goals, self-defense, legal basics for musicians, digital media), community events (headshot sessions, sing-alongs, focus groups), and a 2018 community-based QTBIPOC research report. Programming is offered at no cost to reduce participation barriers, with paid stipends available for some focus group participants.

The organization has no proprietary technology platform; its stack is a WordPress website, Mailchimp newsletter, Zeffy donation embed, and Zoom for virtual events. The operating model is community-led: programming is co-delivered with partner organizations including Mapping the Music Industries (MMI), Artists' Legal Aid Services (ALAS), the George Chuvalo Neighbourhood Center, and Youth Project, and promoted through Instagram, TikTok, and direct community networks. The team is small (approximately 6 people, including 3 core members) and the founder-led structure is mission-driven rather than commercially scaled.

Revenue is generated exclusively through non-commercial sources: a City of Toronto grant funding Year 1 of the organization's first Strategic Plan (2025), and tax-receiptable donations via Zeffy. All programming is free to participants. The organization achieved official non-profit status in 2025, which is the foundation for its current push to access institutional and government funding and scale programming beyond Toronto.

Name

LILSIS.CA

Legal name

LIL SIS Organization

Website

https://lilsis.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

LilSis (LIL SIS Organization) is a Toronto-based non-profit founded in 2020 that delivers free performance opportunities, workshops, and community programming for BIPOC and 2SLGBTQ+ youth artists aged 29 and under in Toronto and the GTA.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Toronto

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Municipal Government Funding: LilSis received funding from the City of Toronto to support Year 1 of their Strategic Plan and has achieved official non-profit status, which enables access to government and institutional funding.
2. Donations: The organization accepts donations through a Zeffy donation form on their website, allowing community members to financially support their programming.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

LIL SIS is a youth-led non-profit artist resource centre that delivers free programming for BIPOC and 2SLGBTQ+ youth artists (29 and under) in Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area. Its core offerings include the Hummingbird open mic series (with live band support), thematic workshops on artist skills and self-advocacy, community events such as headshot sessions and sing-alongs, focus groups, and a community-based research report on QTBIPOC youth artist experiences. Programming is offered free of charge to reduce barriers in the arts and entertainment industries.

Product overview

LIL SIS is a grassroots, youth-led artist resource center offering a portfolio of programs including the Hummingbird open mic series (the core product since 2015), educational workshops (Boast on a Budget, All About Fear, Knuck if You Buck, Holy Trinity, Check Your Lipstick Before You Book Me, Show Me What You're Working With), community events (Headshot Sessions, Beyoncé Sing Along, Focus Groups), and research publications (QTBIPOC Research Report). The organization operates as a non-profit supporting BIPOC and 2SLGBTQ+ youth artists through free programming that reduces barriers in the arts and entertainment industries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Hummingbird: A youth and community focused open mic series providing performance opportunities for artists of all levels and genres. Since 2015, Hummingbird has hosted over 40 open mics featuring dozens of Toronto artists.

Products and services

• Hummingbird Open Mic Series A youth and community-focused open mic series established in 2015, providing performance opportunities for musicians and artists across genres including house, hip-hop, rap, jazz, pop, R&B, rock, and poetry, with live band accompaniment. Free to participate.
• Show Me What You're Working With A workshop series connecting local musicians including writers, poets, vocalists, instrumentalists, producers, and DJs to share their current work and receive feedback from fellow creatives. Aimed at youth artists in Toronto and the GTA.
• Boast on a Budget A workshop helping performing artists create press kits and Electronic Press Kits (EPK) on a limited budget, covering tools and resources for booking opportunities.
• All About Fear A workshop exploring how fear and anxiety impact artmaking careers, examining the role of ego in protecting, supporting, or blocking artistic success.
• Knuck if You Buck A workshop teaching artists self-defense tactics and self-advocacy in the music industry, hosted by artists Sydanie and R. Flex.
• Holy Trinity A workshop covering the artist's holy trinity: Values, Boundaries and Goals, helping artists balance honoring their craft with professional success while staying authentic.
• Check Your Lipstick Before You Book Me A workshop in partnership with Artists' Legal Aid Services (ALAS) providing legal knowledge for musicians on gig fees, bookings, and contracts, including a Q&A with a lawyer.
• Community Headshot Sessions Community photoshoot events providing headshots for aspiring artists' portfolios, LinkedIn profiles, and websites, with photographer and makeup artist support.
• Beyoncé Sing-along A free sing-along music event for Black and African Nova Scotian youth under 30, featuring food and community gathering, organized in collaboration with Youth Project.
• LIL SIS Focus Group Virtual focus groups for BIPOC and 2SLGBTQIA+ artists ages 14-29 to provide feedback on organizational offerings, held in collaboration with Rania El Mugammar. Some sessions offer paid participation stipends.
• QTBIPOC Research Report A community-based research report documenting the experiences of QTBIPOC youth artists in the Toronto and GTA area, based on research conducted in 2018.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 40 open mics hosted since 2015, featuring dozens of Toronto artists and musicians.
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Mapping the Music Industries (MMI)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Mapping the Music Industries (MMI) is a research initiative documenting Black and racialized musicians. LilSis partnered with MMI for a special edition of the Hummingbird open mic at the George Chuvalo Neighbourhood Center, supporting youth to produce their own open mics.
• George Chuvalo Neighbourhood CentercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025The George Chuvalo Neighbourhood Center (50 Sousa Mendes Street, Toronto) hosts the Hummingbird open mics. The partnership enables LilSis to use the venue for youth programming and community events.
• Artists' Legal Aid Services (ALAS)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025LilSis partnered with Artists' Legal Aid Services (ALAS) for the 'Check Your Lipstick Before You Book Me' workshop to share legal knowledge for musicians, including a Q&A with a lawyer covering artist fees, bookings, and contracts.
• Youth ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025LilSis collaborated with Youth Project on the Beyoncé Sing-along — a free community event for Black and African Nova Scotian folks under 30. This partnership expands LilSis's reach beyond Toronto to Nova Scotia.
• Rania El MugammarmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Rania El Mugammar is a collaborator who facilitated LilSis's strategy retreat and led the second round of community focus groups. She helped revisit values, vision, and goals, and facilitated deep community input sessions for future planning.
• Roya del SolminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Roya del Sol served as the photographer for LilSis's community headshot sessions, translating in-person vibe to PNG for aspiring artists' portfolios and professional profiles.
• Ms. MylesminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Ms. Myles served as the makeup artist for LilSis's community headshot sessions, helping artists look and feel professional for their portfolio photos.
• SydanieminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Sydanie, a Toronto-based artist, hosted the 'Knuck If You Buck' workshop focused on self-defense tactics and self-advocacy in the music industry. The workshop centered agency and self-advocacy.
• R. FlexminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023R. Flex, a Toronto-based artist, co-hosted the 'Knuck If You Buck' workshop alongside Sydanie, focusing on self-protection and self-advocacy for artists.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Inside Out Theatre: Toronto-based 2SLGBTQ+ arts organization offering theatre, film, and performance programming for queer and trans artists. Directly comparable on the 2SLGBTQ+ artist support axis and Toronto community arts footprint.
• Workman Arts: Toronto non-profit supporting artists with lived experience of mental health and addiction through community arts programming. Comparable as a Toronto-based arts non-profit working with marginalized populations to reduce barriers in creative industries.
• SKETCH Working Arts: Toronto non-profit providing arts programming for marginalized youth including newcomer, street-involved, and low-income communities. Directly comparable as a community-based youth arts organization in the GTA offering free multi-disciplinary programming.
• Manifesto Community Projects: Toronto-based non-profit supporting marginalized communities through arts, music, and cultural programming. Comparable as a GTA community arts non-profit with similar audience and target demographic.
• The Remix Project: Toronto-based non-profit offering arts and creative-industry training to underserved youth ages 14-29, with comparable programming structure, target demographic, and mission around removing barriers to creative careers for BIPOC communities.
• Buddies in Bad Times Theatre: Toronto-based queer theatre company with a 40+ year history supporting 2SLGBTQ+ artists and audiences through performance programming. Comparable on the queer artist support dimension and as a long-running Toronto community arts institution.

Broad incumbents

• Artscape: Toronto non-profit that creates and operates affordable creative spaces and community hubs for artists. Comparable on the Toronto community-arts infrastructure axis, though focused on physical space rather than direct programming for youth artists.
• MusiCounts: Canadian music education charity associated with the JUNO Awards that distributes instruments and funding to schools and programs. Comparable as a Canadian non-profit advancing youth access to music, but operating at national scale with a broader portfolio.

Others

• Toronto Arts Council: City of Toronto arm's-length body that funds local artists and arts organizations. Comparable as a primary Toronto arts funder and a likely future funding source for LilSis given the existing City of Toronto funding relationship.
• ArtReach Toronto: Toronto-based non-profit providing grants and capacity-building to youth arts programs across the city. Comparable on the youth-arts funding axis and serves as both a potential funder and ecosystem partner for community youth arts groups.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/lilsis.ca
• TikToktiktok.com/@lilsis.ca
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lilsis-ca

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about LILSIS.CA