TedxSFU 2013 - Make it Yours!
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Ideas worth sharing.
While each speaker came from different walks of life, they all had one thing in common: they all had brilliant ideas that would benefit the world tremendously. Whether it’s asking consumers to purchase fewer poor-quality items and more locally-made sustainable goods (proposed by Devil May Wear Founder Stephanie Ostler), or encouraging Vancouverites to protect our ocean (suggested by Vancouver Aquarium CEO John Nightingale), they all had compassionate philosophies that would improve our society profoundly. They were able to unleash the inner-philanthropist in the audience through their insights and passion.
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Inspiring stories.
Entrepreneurs such as Mobify CEO Igor Faletski and Lipstick Project Society Founder Leigh Boyle illustrated their journeys of starting their technology business or non-profit organization. Their stories portrayed the hardship of entrepreneurship, the immense joy of success, and all the lives they’ve touched through their organizations. While it may not be everyone’s goal to become an entrepreneur, it’s enlightening to see the ups and downs others had to endeavour in order to turn their dreams into reality.
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Invaluable advice.
The speakers all had profound wisdom that they were eager to share with the audience. My favourite advices came from Mobify CEO Igor Faletski when he gave us five tips on how to launch a company in Vancouver. The suggestions were: recruit your friends, ride a global trend, market like crazy, invade the U.S., and above all, don’t give up. I found the “invade the U.S.” tip most useful as it allowed me to comprehend the vitality of expanding into foreign markets if local companies want to thrive or remain competitive. While we want to help our domestic economy by keeping everything local, we simply can’t grow unless we tap into larger markets such as the U.S., which has an 8.6 times larger economy than Canada.
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Networking opportunities.
TedxSFU provided us with numerous networking opportunities throughout the event. There were networking periods and a designated networking space. The dining area was placed in an open space (Convocation Mall) where people sat with others they didn’t know and fostered conversations. I for one met a SFU alumni who started a company that creates oil paintings for newly-weds. These networking opportunities enabled us to expand our network as well as share our thoughts on the presentations.