Toronto LinkedIn Local Meetup - "LinkedIn Trends & Features" - Oct 23

Are you using LinkedIn to connect, network and grow effectively?
There are so many ways to use this platform for career, business and personal growth.
And LinkedIn has had so many new features and trends, that it's hard to keep track of. That's why we are bringing 5 awesome experts to help you.

You don't want to miss this upcoming event!

The 26th Toronto LinkedIn Local Meetup is doing just that as we invite you to our next event.

Date: Oct 23, 2023

Time: 6:30 pm - 9:00 pm

Location: One Eleven (111) - 325 Front St W, Toronto, ON M5V 2Y1, 4th floor

FREE to attend - ***NOTE: You must sign up at the external site HERE

During this LinkedIn Local event, you will gain insights from workplace experts, senior business leaders and executive-level professionals from across the world who will share their insights on planning, reflecting and innovating to drive your business and career impact further, and more. We will arm you with ideas you can bring back to your own organization.

We will also have an Open Mic session for you to share your story, ask a question, and offer a tip.

This event is ideal for you if you’re:

🟢 An ambitious team member within your organization and are interested in taking the next steps to advance your career or business

🟣 Looking to build a valuable like minded network consisting of leaders from renowned organizations

🔵 A passionate advocate for better workplaces and entrepreneurial spaces who is looking to access experts in the field to learn key insights from

FEATURED SPEAKERS:

BRIAN GOLOD: 🇺🇸🇨🇦 Tech Professional Looking to Switch Jobs? DM me | ✍️ Resume Writing 🤝 Interview Coaching 🚀 Salary Negotiation 🍒 Co-Founder at Next Badge

RITIKA SARASWAT: 10M+ Impressions I 50K+ Immigrant Community | Founder of Re-Defined | LinkedIn TopVoice I Board of Director I Deloitte I Career Coach I 2x TEDX Speaker I OYW Ambassador I 40+ Talks I Featured in TimesSquare, CTV, CBC News

BOBBY UMAR: CEO of DYPB - Discover Your Personal Brand and the Thought Leadership Branding Club | 5x TEDx Speaker, Inc Magazine Top 100 Leadership Speaker, Author of Best-Seller 'How to Network Anytime, Anywhere, with Anyone'

LESLIE HUGHES: LinkedIn Profile Writer, Trainer & Strategist • LinkedIn Top Voice • AI & ChatGPT Champion • Employee Brand Advocacy • Instructor • Author • Appeared on CTV’s The Social and was called a "Social Media Guru" on CBC radio

SAJITHKUMAR SWAMINATHAN: Talent Acquisition Expert | Employer Branding & Recruitment Analytics | Driving Diversity & Innovation in Hiring | LinkedIn Top Voice | 1.4+ million views

SWISH GOSWAMI: CEO & Co-Founder, Surf | Co-Founder of the #LinkedInLocal movement (***NOTE: With us in spirit as he cannot attend live)

YOU: At our Open Mic session - pitch your business, share an idea, ask a question, and share your story . You have 30 seconds.

Much of the evening is for networking, so make sure you get out there and talk with one another and build connections.

AGENDA

6:30pm: Registration and Networking - get warmed up again in-person! Mill around and meet some new people.

7:00pm: Welcome by Bobby Umar (Host)

7:10pm: PANEL EVENT on "How Coaching Transforms YOU, your career, your business and your life": Brian Golod, Ritika Saraswat, Bobby Umar (Moderator), Leslie Hughes, Sajithkumar Swaminathan

8:10pm: OPEN MIC session - this is a chance for YOU to shine. Share a tip, introduce yourself, ask a question, tell us something you're grateful for. You have 30 seconds. First come, first serve! (12 people max)

8:30pm: Closing thoughts by Bobby Umar

8:40pm: Group photo, then networking

9:00pm: Event ends, networking and exits

9:00pm+: After party hosted by Acesocial! (TBC - see their profile below)

HASHTAGS: #LinkedInLocal #LinkedInLocalTO

Register at the external site HERE.

ABOUT THE ORGANIZERS & HOSTS

Toronto LinkedIn Local Meetups were first hosted and organized in 2017 by Swish Goswami, Bobby Umar and DYPB. To date we have run 23 events for over 3,000 people. Topics have included Women Breaking Barriers, Diversity in the Senior Ranks, Transitioning Your Career or Business, Resilience, Gratitude/Reflection/Planning, Side Hustles, Burnout/Life-Balance, and many more.

Bobby Umar is an Inc. Magazine named Top 100 Leadership Speaker, a 5x TEDx speaker and one of the top influencers in the world, with over 650,000 followers. He has been named the 2nd best business coach to follow on Twitter and the 4th best leadership influencer according to Kred. Bobby is an international author of three books, including an Amazon #1 best-seller, and was named one of the Top 7 Networking gurus to follow. He currently is the CEO of DYPB - Discover Your Personal Brand and the Founder of the Thought Leadership Branding Club.

Swish Goswami is the CEO of Surf, a tech company providing brands a better way to engage and understand consumers while compensating consumers for their data.

Swish has given four TEDx talks and is the bestselling author of “The Young Entrepreneur”, a book encouraging and teaching students to build a business while in school. For his entrepreneurial and philanthropic achievements, Swish was inducted into Plan Canada's Top 20 under 20 and Bay Street Bull’s 30 under 30, recognized as LinkedIn’s Top Voice and Startup Canada's Young Entrepreneur of the Year and awarded the United Nation’s Outstanding Youth Leadership award.

DYPB is the only organization in the world that is dedicated to using our personal branding expertise to change the world. We achieve this through our signature training programs, high-profile events, helpful online resources and in-depth consulting. DYPB develops your employees’ individual strengths and values to serve your organizational mission and vision. The result? Leaders have more clarity and purpose. Teams are more collaborative and motivated. Organizations have greater retention, loyalty, productivity and growth. To learn more about DYPB - Discover Your Personal Brand: https://www.dypb.ca/

This event is not sponsored, endorsed, or operated by LinkedIn. TY to our event space sponsor OneEleven.

ABOUT THE SPEAKERS

Bobby Umar

Bobby Umar is one of the most prolific heart-based leaders in North America. Inc. Magazine named him one of the Top 100 Leadership Speakers, named alongside such noteworthy giants as Richard Branson, Brene Brown, John Maxwell and Robin Sharma. Bobby is a 5x TEDx speaker and one of the top influencers in the world, with over 650,000 followers. He has been named the 2nd best business coach to follow on Twitter and the 4th best leadership influencer according to Kred. Bobby is an international author of two books, including an Amazon #1 best-seller, and is a Huffington Post contributor. He hosted a weekly tweetchat called “The Power of Connection” that reached over 65 million impressions weekly. To date, his social media influence has garnered over a billion impressions. Bobby was also named a “2015 Speaker to Watch” and one of the Top 7 Networking gurus to follow.

A social media influencer, who champions authentic connection and heart-based leadership, Bobby has appeared on dozens of podcasts, TV & radio shows. With a background in brand marketing (Kraft & Unilever), engineering (Bombardier) and the performing arts (Second City), Bobby has led Raeallan for almost a decade and is now a recognized thought leader in Networking, Social Media and Personal Branding. He founded DYPB via the Discover Your Personal Brand conference, the largest event in North America dedicated solely to personal branding, featuring 60 experts and over 300 delegates. DYPB now runs personal branding programs, events, courses and consulting to help leaders and organizations achieve greater alignment, focus and impact in the workplace. 300,000+ people from across the world have experienced Bobby’s high-energy keynotes, interactive teambuilding activities, and engaging workshops.

Bobby is also a fiercely proud and committed dad and is passionate about diversity, gender equality, entrepreneurship and youth. He has worked with thousands of professionals to become thought leaders in 2 ways – help professionals ramp up their careers or businesses with focus, clarity and mindset and help ‘lost leaders’ transition to find their authentic path of passion and purpose.

FOLLOW ON: LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube

Brian Golod

Brian Golod, CSPO is a career development mentor passionate about technology and helping IT professionals advance their careers. He began mentoring others on LinkedIn in 2018, sharing his wealth of experience and advice from his now 27 years in the tech industry.
Throughout his career, Brian has held various roles, including Full Stack Software Developer, Business Analyst, Scrum Master, and Product Owner. His most recent role was as a consultant leading a software development team at a large international banking institution and is aware of the current trends, skills, and qualifications in high demand.
In 2020, Brian co-founded Next Badge, a modern job search and career development program focused on the fast-paced changes in the tech job market, including massive layoffs and new job opportunities. The Next Badge program offers a revolutionary framework for IT professionals to quickly adapt to industry changes by adopting a new mindset, performing an efficient job search strategy based on industry needs first, and leveraging technology.
With Brian's guidance and expertise, IT professionals can take control of their careers beyond technology changes. It is like helping professionals to inoculate
against getting afraid of losing their jobs or getting unemployed for long periods.
Since 2021, Next Badge has helped more than 1,000 professionals, grown to have over 200K LinkedIn followers, 100K LinkedIn newsletter subscribers, and 75K email subscribers. Brian is frequently a guest on podcasts and livestreams, and is invited as a public speaker to various events. He is well-respected in the tech industry and known for his expertise and ability to help others advance in their careers.
There are more than 100 recommendations on his LinkedIn profile. If you scroll down to the Recommendations section, you’ll be able to find them.
Feel free to connect with Brian or send him a DM, his profile is open. Send him a connection request if you want to get in touch, he will reply.
Tip: if you want to bump up your connection request, send him also a private message (his profile is open and you can message him without purchasing
and spending LinkedIn credits)

Ritika Saraswat

My name is Ritika, I am a speaker, creator, founder and a Human Capital consultant at Deloitte. I am the founder/CEO of an organization called Re-Defined catered towards empowering immigrants and international students and have a community of 50K+ immigrants across Canada today through 45+ events we have hosted catering to 10,000+ attendees across 4 cities and 8 chapters/clubs

I am also a 2XTEDx speaker, having spoken at 40+ events, a LinkedIn Top Voice (one of the 300 professionals recognized out of 1 billion users every year) with a following of 72K+ and 10M+ impressions and also an Advisor and Board of Director for UN affiliated organizations such as Girl Up and Teenvisor,Project Qaabil dedicated to empowering youth in India and abroad and a social impact ambassador with organizations such as One Young World (one of the youngest delegates representing Deloitte Canada) and Youthopia and a League of Innovators (LOI) alumni. I have been able to empower 30K+ students get access to opportunities via Re-Defined's initiatives and programs

For this work I have been awarded the “Iconic Women Award for creating a change in the world” by the Women Economic Forum, the Indian Achievers Award by IAF, Regional Changemakers award from Deloitte and Alumni Impact Award by ApplyBoard. Ritika is recognized as one of the Top 50 changemakers to follow by Topmate and is also recognized as a Top 1% mentor. For this she was featured on the billboard at Times Square as well and also on CBC , CTV News, Global news, PTC Punjabi, Michigan times, Rogers TV & more . I have also been featured across multiple articles, podcasts and on the cover of magazines such as ‘Thrivve’ and ‘We Today’

I have also been nominated for awards such as Women of Influence, Top 25 Immigrants in Canada award (could not go further because of no Permanent Residence) and also for Oxy Canada #Face of Change

Lasty, I am also a philanthropist whereby I fund a School on Wheels initiative in Ajmer in india which actress to about 1000 students from underprivileged communities, creating accessibility to education

Leslie Hughes

"When you're inside the jar, you cannot see the label."
Transforming your professional narrative on LinkedIn goes beyond just being up-to-date; it's about making your profile a magnet for opportunities. It's not easy to write about yourself - that's why I'm here to help.
Identified by LinkedIn as one of their "Top Voices" (an invitation-only honor!), I have over 25 years of experience in digital and traditional marketing
and sales. I understand the power of a well-crafted and optimized LinkedIn profile and how you can leverage this channel to network properly and obtain opportunities.
An early adopter, my career in digital marketing began in the pre-Google era. I've helped shape the narrative for some of Canada's best-known brands.
In addition to my role as an international speaker and author, I am also an Instructor for Ontario Tech's "Digital Marketing Certificate".
I have appeared on GlobalTV, 680news, DeutcheWelle, Financial Post, Canadian Business and Investment Executive Magazine. CBC Radio called me a
"Social Media Guru" and I have also appeared on CTV's "The Social" to discuss how to manage your online identity.
One client said: "Leslie's expertise in LinkedIn profile optimization has not only enhanced my professional image but also opened doors to opportunities I never knew existed."
☎️ CONTACT ME at leslie @punchmedia.ca or 647-272-5588 if you'd like a quote, or if you have any questions.
Let's make your LinkedIn profile and sales process not just updated, but optimized for success!

Sajithkumar Swaminathan

Vision Statement: I am committed to becoming a leading force in global talent acquisition, leveraging my expertise in recruitment, employer branding, and diversity to drive impactful business growth while fostering inclusive and high-performing teams.
Core Strengths: Strategic | People-focused | Innovative | Collaborative | Data-driven | Adaptable | Results-oriented
LinkedIn Top Voice 🏆 (2024)
LinkedIn Top Recruiter Voice 🏆(2023)
LinkedIn Top Interviewer Voice 🏆(2023)
Topmate Top 50
Built my own GPT (HR Consultant) https://chat.openai.com/g/g-3ZgEfpicz-hr-consultant
I am a talent magnet 🧲 with a strong belief in the power of people. I focus on finding the right talent to drive innovation and shape the future of organizations. My experience ranges from helping startups grow to guiding multinational companies in finding top talent. I take pride in the successes of the teams I have built and the leaders I have discovered. I am passionate about working in an employee-first organization, where the well-being and growth of employees are prioritized.
🚀 With over 9800 hours of experience in global talent acquisition, I have a passion for finding and hiring engineering leaders who can drive innovation,
growth, and customer satisfaction for Replicon across USA, Canada, UK and India.
🚀 As a full cycle recruitment specialist, I manage all aspects of the hiring process, from hiring strategy, employer brand building, job postings, sourcing, screening, interviewing, and assessing, to reference checking and offer negotiation.
🚀 I also conduct recruitment events, provide market insights, salary benchmarks, and strategies to hiring managers, and utilize creative tools and social media strategies to attract candidates.
🚀 I have strong technical and business acumen, excellent candidate assessment skills, and a proven track record of delivering results in various industries and environments.
🚀 I am also a diversity advocate, a LinkedIn Power Profile, and a certified Social Recruiter and Social Media Marketer.
🚀 I thrive on fixing the most complex challenges and being a cornerstone for my team, while aligning with Replicon's people-first mission.
Fun fact about me: I love coloring books 🎨
1.4 million views from a single @LinkedIn post!
Famous quote: I have learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them
feel. ~ Maya Angelou

Surf is a Toronto based tech company putting the power of personal data back into people’s hands. Surf’s browser extension lets users earn from the data they already share everyday. Surf recently crossed the 125,000 user mark. Surf has made two acquisitions, raised over $5M to date (from several NBA players and venture firms) and has customers like Sony Music, Netflix, NBA, Electronic Arts, and a plethora of small to medium sized businesses.

Aceocial is a non-profit aiming to build a stronger Canadian innovation ecosystem by fostering the connective tissue between founders, investors, corporates, and builders through fun and engaging tech events. https://aceocial.com/

is the only organization in the world that is dedicated to using our personal branding expertise to change the world. We achieve this through our signature training programs, high-profile events, helpful online resources and in-depth consulting. DYPB develops your employees’ individual strengths and values to serve your organizational mission and vision.

The result?

Leaders have more clarity and purpose. Teams are more collaborative and motivated. Organizations have greater retention, loyalty, productivity and growth.

To learn more about DYPB - Discover Your Personal Brand: https://www.dypb.ca/

Host or Publisher DYPB - Discover Your Personal Brand