London Inc. Summer 2021 - 18

Upfront Mergers & Acquisitions
COMBINATION BET
For a homegrown lottery consultancy,
gaining access to products, people
and pipelines looks to be a winning
number
IMAGINE BEING THE founder of London Widgets Inc., a
home-based business you created in 2017.
You and your staff of four sell widgets across Southwestern
Ontario and have built a roster of grateful clients. They
appreciate your speciality widget knowledge and the way you
consistently deliver what you promise. You are thrilled with
your success but dream of cracking new markets - across
North America and maybe overseas.
But the infrastructure for that kind of growth is beyond
your reach, an order of magnitude beyond anything you could
take on. Still, you dream.
Then you hear from Big Widgets Inc., a global firm that
sells a slightly different style of widget. It recognizes your
excellence and has decided the best way to expand its
operation is to buy your firm. With access to Big Widgets'
technology and influence, your growth potential is almost
unlimited. Best of all, you will continue operating in London
and expand your staff here.
When you look at things that way, it's easy to understand
why Rita Fieder sold her business, Let's Make Results
Consulting Inc. (www.lmrlotteryconsulting.com), to Ascend
Fundraising Solutions (www.ascendfs.com) of Toronto in
April.
Of course, neither company makes - or uses - widgets.
Instead, they help organizations of many sizes and shapes to
run charitable fundraising events and programs.
Rita Fieder
with the London Humane Society, launching a Catch the
Ace lottery that adapted a traditional 50/50 format and was
very popular. She continues working with London Health
Sciences, running its two Dream Lotteries per year.
During the pandemic, many charities turned to online
" THE TECHNOLOGY ASCEND PROVIDES
MAKES THIS A TERRIFIC PARTNERSHIP. WE
CAN GROW WITHIN THEIR STRUCTURE "
-Rita Fieder
" The technology Ascend provides makes this a terrific partnership, "
says Fieder. " We can grow within their structure. "
Prior to starting her business, Fieder worked for the London
Health Sciences Foundation. " I ran the Dream Lottery and
developed a passion for fundraising. After a while, I decided
to spread my wings. "
As hospitals across the country saw how popular home
lotteries were, dozens more sprung up. As they grew in
number and complexity, many foundations turned to outside
organizers for help. Fieder's first hospital project was St.
Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton. Then she began working
18 | londonincmagazine.ca | SUMMER 2021
fundraising to replace traditional dinners, galas and golf
tournaments. LMR helped many implement
programs that served as a funding
lifeline of sorts, giving people a way to
support charities they believe in. LMR
is paid either a flat fee or percentage of
funds raised, depending on each charity
and product.
Ascend is based in Toronto but has
offices in New York and the UK. Its CEO, Daniel Lewis, is
managing partner of Orange Capital Ventures, which owns
Ascend and has investments and projects around the globe.
Ascend counts several professional sports leagues,
including the NHL, MLB and the NFL, as clients and has built
a name for itself in operating the online 50/50 draws during
major sporting events.
In the few months since the acquisition, Fieder has already
more than doubled her staff and is excited about the opportunities
to grow. The first step will be to expand within Canada,
but she doesn't plan to stop at the border.
CHRISTOPHER CLARK
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London Inc. Summer 2021

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