Author Archives: Fahima
Living the Dream: Building the Foundation of DefineTO
On April 12th, we started something special. Something that brings together a community all while allowing each of us to shine in our own way. We wrote the first chapter of DefineTO. You can see the pics from the event here and here .
As a result of incredible support from sponsors, volunteers, performers, staff at The Fifth and a lively crowd, over $12,000 in-kind and cash was raised for The Remix Project, a local Toronto charity that utilizes mentorship, instruction and the power of the arts to inspire at-risk youth and help them achieve their dreams.
Funds raised will be used to expand the reach and impact of The Remix Project, including their six-month educational programs in subjects that include Media Arts, Creative Arts and Business/Entrepreneurship.
The hard work by all adds up to creating personal success stories and a building a stronger community on and offline.
For more details on what your support and money raised means to The Remix Project, click here.
Thank YOU for Making DefineTO a HUGE Success!
Thank you, sponsors!
@evokesalon @rogersbuzz @EdelmanTO @Marketwire @FifthSocialClub @NatandMarie @IABCtoronto @popchips @gelaskins @BootyCampFit @drexjancar @molsoncoors @Cision_Canada @meshcon @wearethirdocean @RIGHTSLEEVE @TweetWallPro @AngleMediaGroup
This event would not have been possible without your generous support.
Thank you, support team!
@CasieStewart @SaulColt @fragileheart @clickfickca @smichm @ashleydtl @jpoupolo @sdersken @LyndonJJ
Thank you, volunteers!
Everyone went over and above the call of duty. Your time, efforts and professional expertise were superb and crucial to a successful event.
Thank you, hosts!
@AprilKalloo @NatandMarie
Dream team: Enough said. You were great!
Thank you, performers!
We can’t express our gratitude enough.
Thank you, event photographers!
Thank you, Twidol contestants!
We had a blast watching you! Hope you did too and we can’t wait to see you next time!
Thank you, staff at The Fifth
You were all incredibly helpful and accommodating!
THANK YOU, attendees!
We organized the entire event with you in mind. The more people in the door, the more money raised for charity. We hope you had a great time!
And last but not least, thank you to everyone for all the support on Twitter, plus great blog posts, photos and videos! If we missed anyone, please let us know! We’ll include your name, link to your Twitter profile and ensure you receive the recognition you deserve! If you posted anything we did not capture above, please pass along!
Lastly, don’t forget you can still DONATE HERE to support The Remix Project until March 31. It only takes a few minutes and a few dollars to help make a difference.
Stay tuned to hear about an exciting event we have in store for Fall 2012. You won’t want to miss it!
Cheers and let’s continue to strive towards being the exception, not the rule,
DefineTO Organizing Committee
@melissaretty @FahimaAnwar @J_marieB @PRMediaGirl @HaydenTay @NathanChong @Anitapple
Follow us on Twitter: @DefineTO
Email us: Info@defineto.com
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April Kalloo: “Toronto defines me”
Growing up, I was actually told the city was a scary place. Visiting my aunt who lived downtown would always include making sure our doors were locked as soon as we got off the Don Valley Parkway. Looking back, I see why my parents were so protective of this ‘concrete jungle.’
Everything was accessible, and that meant anything.
Instead of exploring the dark parts of the city, I embraced all the colour! The shopping, the people, the food, the nightlife….and the world of television. Short of the long story: 4 years at Ryerson, 8 internships, infinite amounts of demo tapes, too many interviews to keep track…. years later, I am lucky be where I am right now. This city has given me every open and closed door, every yes to every no, and every fail to every success.
I am so proud to be a Segment Producer for Toronto’s #1 morning show, Breakfast Television.
It’s more than just a job, we are a family. I love the people I work with and our dedicated viewers treat us nothing less than family!
This city is my life and makes me who I am. Toronto defines me.
I am thrilled to be a part of Define TO this year and can’t wait to meet so many of you that make this city worth bragging about!
April Kalloo
Breakfast Television
CityTV
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mesh+DefineTO
mesh + DefineTO: a partnership connecting the community to be the exception, not the rule
The whole idea behind DefineTO is to highlight local causes and organizations that are helping the community at large be passionate, fearless and social. Who better for us to highlight and partner with than mesh! mesh’s tagline is to “connect, share, inspire” and that’s exactly what they have been doing for 7 years through their amazing social media conferences. Let me tell you, it’s been quite the ride watching it grow over the years.
mesh helps define Toronto’s community by showcasing some great speakers and sessions that cover media, business marketing and society sectors. They truly are giving the Toronto community all the inspiration they need to ignite their passion and define themselves through social media. We couldn’t be happier to have them on board DefineTO!
When mesh was started in 2006, a key reason was supporting the community by providing a place where people could gather to talk about the exciting things happening online. While mesh has expanded to become Canada’s leading digital conference, we’ve maintained our focus on helping to nurture and grow the community to make it more successful and vibrant.
This focus is why we’re excited about our new partnership with DefineTO, which shares many of same beliefs we do. With a focus on encouraging peoples’ passion, ambition and success, DefineTO has become an organization that is making the community better. mesh and DefineTO also have a shared mission to encourage, nurture and celebrate innovation.
In other words, mesh and DefineTO are completely aligned, which is a great way to establish a new partnership.
Co-Founder, mesh conference
Trying to get your hands on a mesh ticket? DefineTO guests will have the opportunity to get a discount! Visit www.meshconference.com and use promo code MESH10OFF.
On top of that, we’ll be giving away one FULL mesh conference pass next Thursday at DefineTO – only ANOTHER reason to attend!
We can’t wait to see you there!
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Ryan Creelman: Defining My Path as a Musician
Hey, my name is Ryan Creelman. I’m an 18-year-old guy who just so happens to love to play music. I started taking my music semi serious at a young age and have been trying to define it ever since. Music is my passion and I love sharing it with other people to try and evoke emotions, make them relate and most importantly have fun with it. There is not a more rewarding feeling than playing for a crowd and knowing that they are into whatever it is that you are throwing at them.
I have played bar gigs for as many as 10 people to opening for some pretty noteworthy bands such as Sam Bradley and the Men. But I feel the best is yet to come and playing for DefineTO this April 12th at the Fifth in support of the Remix Project is a huge step forward. I feel extremely humbled and honoured to share the stage with such talented people who are shaping and defining their own crafts just like myself. There is no doubt in my mind that this night is going to be one that you do not want to miss and will never forget. Personally, I am going to play a few songs that are near and dear to my heart and for the locals of the GTA will definitely hit close to home.
In the days approaching the event check out my Facebook page and give it a like, Ryan Creelman Music, and follow me on Twitter@ryancreelman. Just prior to the event, I will be making a huge announcement about what’s next for me and Ryan Creelman Music!
I’m ready to DefineTO, are you?…
Nat and Marie’s DefineTO Twidol Challenge!
It’s that time of year again when we support The Remix Project and put the “Fun” back into Fundraising!
Listen, we love us a little bit of fun at Nat&Marie, which is why we’re beyond thrilled to be back for a second year to host DefineTO’s Nat&Marie Karaoke Twidol Challenge. Did you see the video we made? You’ll have to let us know if you had a favourite part! 
We know how things are a little different this year, mainly DefineTO is helping us redefine our perception on who we are and how we define ourselves through career or just life. Needless to say, we fit in perfectly! Especially considering, Nat and I never really fit into a mold, ethnically or even creatively. But, we’re here to say, “that’s okay!” You can march to the beat of your own drum so long as you are happy and are willing to put in the hours… the long… long coffee fuelled hours.
So this year, we’re diving in head first into Karaoke Twidol and we hope you’ll join us! We’re going to run things a little differently because last year we were turning folks away – it hardly seemed fair. Plus, the Nat&Marie Karaoke Twidol had no way to raise money for the Remix Project.
This year we’re leveling out the playing field!
1. If you want to sing, you enter in advance! Just click here to go to our raffle website, $5 will give you one entry which includes your name and your top 3 song selections.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
2. Tell Your Friends & Practice, Practice, Practice!
3. Show up to The Fifth on April 12, 2012 and be on time for the Nat&Marie Karaoke Twidol Challenge.
4. Come up to the stage when we draw your name and sing your heart out! We’re drawing only 10 finalists announced that night!
5. VOTE! Like last year you can vote for your fav performers using the CLASHTAG voting system we built last year. So get your cheering squad to cheer you on!
6. Win sweet prizes, fame and glory!**
Remember, this year you have time to practice, so we’re expecting to see some memorable performances and some sick dance moves? Maybe?
We want to beat all fundraising goals, help talented Torontonians define themselves in a creative career and have a great time doing it!
Who’s in with us!?
<3
Nat&Marie
Nat & Marie are the sassiest sweethearts to take a byte outta the world wide web, every Wednesday at 9pm ET on NatandMarie.com. Come co-host the show with us every week when we talk about online entertainment culture!!
**Fame and glory are limited to the amount of tweets & twitpics sent. You’re guaranteed RTs if you take photos with Nat and I that night. We’re suckers like that.
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Members of Invisible Children pose with soldiers from the Sudan People's Liberation Army near the Congo-Sudan border in 2008 / Courtesy Glenna Gordon
Kony2012: What are your thoughts?
Social media has drastically shifted how we receive our information these days. It has also allowed organization that didn’t have a voice before to have a platform to be heard.
Case in point, KONY2012. I am not here to write a piece on whether I agree or disagree with the agenda of the organization. I hope that everyone has the ability to take a few minutes to research all the facts before agreeing to support this cause. Actually, I hope that we do that before supporting any cause. If you don’t know what KONY2012, let me share a few significant events that have taken place over the last few days in social media.
Earlier this week, a video was released. This video was the primary method for a non-profit organization, Invisible Children, to spread the word about Joseph Kony, the leader of the LRA. The United Nations and the International Criminal Court say that Kony, backed by child soldiers, comforted by girl sex slaves and fed by a campaign of terror against Ugandan villagers, has abducted, mutilated and killed tens of thousands of children and adults, along with a variety of horrible different human rights violations. The video, narrated by Invisible Children co-founder Jason Russell, says its purpose is to intensify pressure on the U.S. government to make sure Kony is brought to justice this year, and as the message broadcast throughout says, what is important is simple: Stop Kony.
KONY 2012 from INVISIBLE CHILDREN on Vimeo.
Feel free to take a look at the video above.
The details of 30 years of injustice, along with political and societal turbulence are boiled down to 27 minutes. 27 minutes to digest a magnitude of information and attempt to mobilize an entire generation. It seems that they have accomplished that. The powers of celebrity involvement, and social media can ignite calls for social change. We saw this in Egypt and other parts of the Middle-East where citizen journalism came to the forefront and kept the world in the loop with what was what going on in areas where traditional journalists had a hard time reaching.
There is always backlash with movements like this. And reading through hundreds and hundreds of tweets it is extremely apparent that while people aren’t opposing the need to bring Kony to justice, they are outraged by the narrow way the campaign is designed. News sites such as Globe and Mail, and Huffington Post, along with a variety of other sources reported several issues with the way the campaign was being managed. This caused the NGO to post a response to the backlash.
As much as I love a great debate, I am extremely surprised to see this movement unfold as quickly as it has. When was the last time anyone in history was able to make 40 Million people commit 27 minutes of their lives to watch a video about someone they had never even heard of? My only hope, and wish, is that the people who were moved enough to watch the video, took another 27 minutes to read and understand all sides of the story. Because nothing is more dangerous than an ill-informed mob. History has shown us that time and time again.
The beauty of our generation is that we are passionate, and now have the means to make our voice heard. This allows us to define our world, and in a sense, our reality. The world is changing, and is doing so at lightening speed. The speed that we get our information has increased exponentially, and I hope that we don’t forget to build some safe guards.
What are your thoughts about the use of social media in this campaign? Did you think we had the same type of power a few years ago?
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