Peer Perspectives: The Stories Behind Success
About this Event
📅 Saturday, July 18, 2026
🕕 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM
📍 Surmesur | 33 Yonge Street (Yonge & Front St.), Toronto
Success Stories Are Only Half The Story.
Behind every successful career, business, or personal brand is a unique journey shaped by experiences, opportunities, decisions, and lessons learned along the way.
Join SocialSip for an evening of authentic conversations, meaningful networking, and inspiring stories from professionals who are actively building their success.
Peer Perspectives: The Stories Behind Success brings together six inspiring individuals from different industries and career paths to share their journeys—the experiences that shaped them, the opportunities they embraced, the lessons they learned, and the advice they would give to others navigating their own paths.
Hear how they built their careers, discovered new opportunities, and developed the skills and mindset that helped them get to where they are today.
After the speaker series, you'll have the opportunity to connect with speakers, ask questions, and build relationships with ambitious professionals across Toronto.
Meet The Speakers
Hear from professionals across different industries as they share their journeys to success, the experiences that shaped their careers, and the advice they would give to others looking to grow.
From Sectors to Borders: Why a "Say Yes" Mindset is Your Greatest Asset
Roxana Larrondo
Brand & Operations Manager at International Therapeutic Massage & Laser Clinic
Related Industries: PR, Social Media, Branding
Roxana will touch on her career journey across different sectors and countries, highlighting why embracing opportunities and saying yes to new experiences has helped shape her career and get her to where she is today.
How To Build Your Own Career Strategy (And Why You Need One)
Melonie de Guzman
Founder & Head Coach, Career Strategy Lab
Related Industries: Corporate, Digital Media, Tech
Melonie will share her approach to building a career with intention, highlighting why having a clear career strategy is essential for long-term growth. She’ll discuss how to identify your strengths, create opportunities, and make strategic decisions that align with your goals.
The Power of a Non-Linear Career & How to Succeed In One
Vaishna Rajakumar
Executive Assistant & Marketing Coordinator, Toronto Financial District BIA, Electric Parasol & Espada Insights
Related Industries: Journalism, Law, Marketing & Operations
Vaishna will share her experience navigating a non-linear career across journalism, law, marketing, and operations, highlighting how embracing different experiences and transferable skills can create unexpected opportunities and lead to success.
Building a Creative Career on Your Own Terms
Andrea Pascual
Principal & Creative Director, Cool Eye Creative
Related Industries: Hospitality & Travel, Real Estate, Arts & Culture, FinTech, Events, Social Impact, Fashion & E-Commerce
Andrea will discuss her journey building a creative career across multiple industries, highlighting how following your passions, embracing creativity, and creating your own path can help build a career that aligns with your goals and values.
The Career I Didn't Plan: Finding Purpose Along An Unexpected Journey
Sharon Ng-Morga
Director, Brand Strategy & Marketing, Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education, University of Toronto
Related Industries: Marketing, Finance, Publishing, Telecommunications, Advertising, Education, Nonprofit
Sharon will share how her career journey took unexpected turns across multiple industries, ultimately leading her to meaningful and purpose-driven work. She’ll discuss the lessons she's learned from embracing change, staying open to new opportunities, and trusting that career paths don't always need to follow a straight line to lead somewhere rewarding.
More speakers to be announced soon!
Sponsors & Partners
A special thank you to the organizations helping make this event possible.
🏢 Venue Sponsor: Surmesur
We're grateful to Surmesur for sponsoring this event and hosting us at their beautiful flagship location at 33 Yonge Street. Their support helps create a welcoming space for meaningful conversations, connections, and career growth.
🍴 Food Sponsor: Grayze Charcuterie & Baking
We're excited to partner with Grayze Charcuterie & Baking as our food sponsor. Their support helps elevate the event experience while attendees connect, learn, and grow their networks.
What To Expect
🎤 6 Real Career & Business Stories
Hear from professionals, entrepreneurs, creators, and career builders as they share their journeys beyond the highlight reel.
💡 Lessons You Can Actually Apply
Walk away with practical advice, insights, and strategies you can use in your own career or business journey.
💬 Ability to Chat With Speakers 1-on-1
Get direct access to speakers, ask your questions, and dive deeper into their experiences.
🤝 Meaningful Networking
Meet ambitious professionals, entrepreneurs, creators, and like-minded individuals in a welcoming environment designed for genuine connections.
Dress Code
Business Casual / Smart Casual
Come dressed in a way that makes you feel confident and ready to connect.
Think:
✨ Business casual
✨ Smart casual
✨ Professional attire with your own personal style
See Pintrest board for inspiration: (coming soon)
Whether you're coming from work or dressing up for the evening, the goal is to feel comfortable, confident, and ready to meet new people.
Who Is This Event For?
✨ Young professionals looking to grow their careers
✨ Entrepreneurs and aspiring founders
✨ Creators and freelancers building their brands
✨ Students and recent graduates navigating their next steps
✨ Career changers exploring new opportunities
✨ Anyone looking to meet ambitious people and learn from real experiences
Why Attend?
Most networking events focus on exchanging business cards. Most speaker events focus on polished success stories.
Peer Perspectives combines both.
You'll leave with:
✔ New connections
✔ Fresh career insights
✔ Real-world advice
✔ Inspiration from relatable journeys
✔ A stronger professional network
About SocialSip
SocialSip creates unique networking experiences that bring people together through meaningful conversations, shared experiences, and genuine connections.
We believe networking shouldn't feel transactional—it should feel natural, memorable, and valuable.
Limited Capacity
To create a more meaningful experience, tickets are limited.
Join Toronto's next generation of professionals, entrepreneurs, and creators for an evening of stories, connection, and growth.
Agenda
🕑: 05:00 PM - 05:30 PM
Arrival & Networking
Info: Grab a drink, meet fellow attendees, and start making connections.
🕑: 05:30 PM - 06:10 PM
The Stories Behind Success Speaker Talks - Part 1
Info: First 3 speakers share their career journeys, experiences, lessons learned, and advice.
🕑: 06:10 PM - 06:20 PM
Short Break
🕑: 06:20 PM - 07:00 PM
The Stories Behind Success Speaker Talks - Part 2
Info: Last 3 speakers share their career journeys, experiences, lessons learned, and advice.
🕑: 06:30 PM - 08:00 PM
Networking & Speaker Chats
Info: Connect with speakers to ask questions and have deeper conversations. Continue conversations with all attendees, exchange LinkedIn connections, and grow your network.
Where is it happening?
CAD 31.59 to CAD 43.63
