Introduction

How one Loop customer turned a hoodie into a symbol of connection and community

Last week, on a crisp October morning, I was hurrying down Spadina Avenue to the Loop office when I spotted someone in our signature emerald green Loop hoodie. Nothing unusual about that—except I didn’t recognize him.

At first, I thought, maybe a new hire? But no—he wasn’t one of our team.

He was one of our customers.

And that stopped me for a second. Because what has to be true for someone to wear a financial company’s logo on their chest? You don’t wear your accountant’s logo. You don’t wear your bank’s logo.

You wear something that means something to you. You wear your favourite band. Your local coffee shop. Maybe your university.

And that anecdote is the heart of this week’s customer story.

The Man in the Merch

Meet Shao — Founder of Devfortress and proud Loop champion

Introducing Shao — a fixture of Toronto’s e-commerce community and founder of Devfortress, a Quebec-based AI and software consultancy, and also a proud Loop advocate.

Shao first met the Loop team three months ago at a co-hosted event in Montreal with Signé Locale. But even before that, the close-knit Toronto startup scene had already made him part of the same circle of builders we’re always running into.

Before becoming a Loop user, he used Wise—because that’s what his clients preferred. But it wasn’t quite doing what he needed. When we showed him what Loop could do—one business banking platform for USD, CAD, and credit cards, all managed simply—he switched. Now, he uses Loop for our Global Visa Credit Card and automated billing, and he’s even referred new clients our way.

But what really makes a difference for Shao? It’s the personal connection. In his own words, he likes us because we’re not “bank people.” We’re just normal, passionate humans who happen to build cool financial products.

So when he has a question, he gets a person—not a queue. When he needs an exception, we make one if we can. And that’s how the hoodie story began. Shao saw Hassan, our Account Executive, wearing it straight off the press and said he absolutely needed one. So we gave him one.

Since then, he’s been wearing it everywhere—to events, co-working spaces, and even the Small Business Meetup last week.

Shao went from prospect to client, client to partner, and now he’s a genuine champion for Loop—referring other businesses, partnering with us at events, and sharing our platform with others.

Reflection

Putting people first in a faceless banking world

So much of modern banking has become faceless—tickets, portals, chatbots, policy walls. And while that brings speed, convenience, and scale, it also strips away connection.

What sets Loop apart is our steadfast appreciation for personal connection—something increasingly rare, yet infinitely impactful. Whether it’s a one-day account setup, a last-minute payment request, or resolving an issue that most banks would bury in paperwork, we handle it in hours, not weeks. We know our customers by name, not by their account numbers—and that makes all the difference.

Shao’s story is a great reminder that relationship-building takes time, trust, and perseverance—but when done right, it creates something special. It turns customers into advocates. Advocates into friends.

Those moments—someone proudly flashing their Loop card, stopping by our booth with a smile, or wearing our hoodie on the street—happen because we put people first. That’s what makes Loop different, and it’s how we’re building the future of global business banking—one hoodie at a time.