As the project wraps up, I would like to thank my team for all the hard work and all the presentations on P'Day was awesome :) Thanks JP for connecting me through the phone.

Going Social

Monday August 13th marked the celebration of months of hard work in planning for #goSocial, SFC's first annual networking event for social-minded professionals. It also marked the 8th month anniversary of the start of Social Focus Consulting!

I arrived super early to ensure that any unforeseen circumstances didn't spoil our chance of holding a great event. Once the rest of the #goSocial team started to arrive, we began to set up. First, was the registration desk which seemed a lot smaller than I remembered on a previous visit to ING Direct Cafe Toronto. I was initially expecting for three to four of our team members to attend the desk, but there was no way they'd all fit there so we only put two people on.

While we were setting up, Filipe Varino from The Next 36 walked up and so he officially became our first guest. I've met Fil previously at other networking events and it was great to see him again. Over the next hour, more and more people came in. Our total attendance was just over 40 people!

Once the crowd built up, I introduced myself and Social Focus Consulting. Rather than focus on what we do, I spoke more about the motivation behind starting the company and how the #goSocial event is a platform for collaborative social change.

One of the highlights of the evening was a great discussion from James Temple, Director of Corporate Responsibility at PwC on how digital media is transforming the conversation about corporate integrity and social responsibility.

Later that night, we awarded our door prize, a book called "How to Change the World." It went to Evan Cook which was a pleasant surprise because Evan wasn't even sure he was going to come that evening. He called me an hour before the event to confirm if he was indeed registered. I told him he was and urged him to come over. I'm glad (and hope he is too) that he dropped by!

As the crowd thinned and the evening moved forward, I suggested we change venues and head to a nearby pub. Our group of about 10 was escorted upstairs to a great lounge overlooking Yonge Street. Trust me, it's more impressive at night. I then bought a round of Polar Bears for the SFC team members in the house (Shirley, Joanna, James, Adit) plus honorary team member Bill Mei. Just after ordering, I realized Jagers would have been better!

Overall, it was a fantastic event made possible by fantastic people. We're all looking forward to the next one!

Want to learn more about what happened at the event?

Check out all the buzz about #goSocial on Twitter. Continue the conversation using #goSocial.

Like our Facebook page for all the pics, courtesy of professional photographer Donna Santos, from the event.

Meet the B2B market research team

This team is surveying B2B organizations to determine whether providing them with leads from our NPO clients is a sustainable income source.

The project is led by John, a Queen's MBA graduate and Founder and Managing Director of Social Focus. His teammates include Shirley (pre-Ivey HBA student), James (Queen's Commerce student), and Catrina (Queen's Commerce student). The team is supported by Andy (Queen's Commerce student) and Peter (Schulich MBA student).

Random facts about the team members:

John

Did you know John started his first business, selling baseball cards, at age 12

Shirley

Did you know Shirley co-founded a youth leadership organization in high school?

James

Did you know James was an assistant swim instructor?

Catrina

Did you know Catrina is completing a dual-degree in Commerce and Economics?

Andy

Did you know Andy plays multiple sports including baseball, basketball, and frisbee?

Peter

Did you know that Peter is an avid snow-boarder?

Project progress:

To date, they've conducted secondary research, developed a survey and are in the process of contacting clients and collecting data.

Meet Shuyi Shi, Market Research Associate

As part of the recruiting team, Shuyi Shi is one of our Market Research Associates. In this role, she's responsible for contacting and motivating potential clients from the recruiting world to complete market research surveys.  Learn more about her...

Why do you care about nonprofits?

Why did you join SFC? 

What are your career aspirations?

Shuyi Shi
SFC Market Research Associate
and Queen's Commerce '15

"I have been a part of many nonprofit organizations. What I love about these organizations is their focus for the benefit of the community around them.

I joined SFC to gain experience and develop important transferable skills in a business environment.  I am also excited to help a start up  grow and become well established.

At this early stage of my education, I don't have a specific job in mind but I would to have a career that is challenging and rewarding on a daily basis."

Learn even more about Shuyi on her LinkedIn page.