The new programs are available to international entrepreneurs and teams

The Legal Innovation Zone (LIZ), a Ryerson-based legal technology incubator, launched new programming to help teams located anywhere in the world to develop and commercialize legal-tech solutions.
Hersh Perlis, co-founder and director of the LIZ, said in a press release that entrepreneurs require tailored support based on their stage of growth. As a result, the new offering consists of four programs, including two interactive online programs intended to provide support, advice and mentorship for businesses at each stage of bringing solutions to market.
“Over the past five years we have worked to support entrepreneurs as they build better legal solutions for the people and businesses that need it,” Chris Bentley, co-founder and managing director of the LIZ, said in a press release. “This new service will help us both expand that support, and share it with entrepreneurs across Canada and throughout the world.”
LIZ’s expanded offering include: Innovator’s Canvas, a forum for entrepreneurs to discuss an idea with the Zone’s advisers and explore the idea’s potential; Concept Framework, a six-week program that is geared toward turning an early-stage idea into a proof of concept; and Sprint Studio, a 16-week intensive program to develop an entrepreneur’s proof of concept into a market-ready product. All three programs are offered for free online.
Ae fourth program, Incubate, invites applicants to LIZ’s Toronto outpost for an initial four-month residency at no cost, following an assessment of applicants.
“Our experience is that entrepreneurs require different support based on their stage of business development,” said Perlis. “Providing the right advice at the right time can make all the difference to an entrepreneur’s success.”
Launched in 2015, the LIZ operates within Ryerson’s network of zones, each of which specializes in sectors thought to have high growth potential. The LIZ undertakes three primary focus points in its operations: incubation, supporting innovation agendas and initiating projects aimed to drive technological change in the legal space.