ABOUT LAST NIGHT ▪︎ Shout out to Andrew, Carol, and the team @tiaogram for the invite to the reception at Queen's Park. The curated cuisine was excellent thanks to the @culinarytourismalliance . And, it's always a pleasure to hang out with @stanchompp , our Minister of Tourism, Culture, and Gaming.
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#urban #culture #diversity #travel #tourism #local #food #urban #craftbrewers #culinaryexperience #tour #operators #DMOs #industry #professionals Photo Credit: Şimal Görmüş
FORM AND FUNCTION ▪︎ There's a much more inspiring origin story that reveals the yacht called Second Ave. , but for now let's just focus on strategy. If the goal is to spend next summer sailing , then I must spend all winter conditioning.
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The to do list is long and technical. Including inside and deck side. I built a cover using a descending arched design similar to an auger shell. The boat landed in it's cradle bow pointing southwest. This position puts the nose of Second Ave. directly into the prevailing winter winds from across the lake, Hence the auger shell shape of the arches.
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However, at the very tip of the bow, and incorporated into the auger shell design, I constructed a crystal shaped occulus to shear the wind and fill with light.
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#urban #boatlife #sailboats #design #engineering #woodwork #creative #ideas #oldboats #yachts #sailing #cruising #racing #learning
SOMETHING KINDA EXTRAORDINARY ▪︎ This week, as my best friend was saying her last goodbyes to her dad in the ICU, I became the father of a teenager. My son's 13th lap around the sun starts today. It's been a week of mixed emotions. And, the past few years haven't been easy either.
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I'm proud of the young man my son has become. Despite the challenges of separation by divorce and the pandemic, our bond has become stronger. Partly because he understands that his job as a young man is to learn as much as possible, and my job as his father is to prepare him to recognize valuable new opportunities and questionable common circumstance.
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I'm sure some of you can relate. I know a good father when I see one. Because their kids are well adjusted. Good kids don't spontaneously become great people. There's no magic. It takes hard work, determination, and sacrifice. My father is my hero. He was tough, but fair. A fantastic role-model, community leader, and husband.
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In retrospect, my father's only flaw was believing in a world as he wanted it to be, while rarely teaching me about the world as it is. Perhaps this was an attempt to forget his early hardships in order to cultivate the perception of comfort and happiness in his children.
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My father's belief in a world as he wanted it to be greatly influenced my entrepreneurship and education. But, it wasn't until I received a note from a Toronto-based law firm attempting to regulate my father/son conversations about race that I truly understood the role of man. More on this later.
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The talented U.S. poet Ralph Waldo Emerson once wrote, "The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference to have lived and lived well."
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Happy birthday to my number one. My son. My co-pilot. My daily source of motivation. I look forward to many more motorcycle trips, sailing adventures, and exploring the world with you.
THE WINTER ARC ▪︎ It's that time of year again on the Great Lakes. That time when the sun crosses low through the sky. Leaves change colour. The anticipation of cold weather isolation. Our activities may change, but the ambition remains the same.
ON THE MAP ▪︎ Tuesday trip to West Harbour. Exploring Hamilton, and sharing intel with travel and tourism industry leaders @tiaogram Ontario Tourism Summit. It's always great to hang out with these folks, even if it's only once a year.
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Huge thanks to Carol and her team, @sixnationstourism @tourisminnovationcanada @brem_consulting @aircanada
BUILDING SOMETHING GREAT ▪︎ Those who know me, may tell you I'm always working. But, those who know me well, could say that I taught them how to save lives, paddle a river, or discover a new city. However, those who know me best understand that my dad is my hero, and my son is my purpose. No matter how far apart we may be.
For those who don't know me, I'm just a regular guy. An introvert. A hardened entrepreneur with ambition, an appetite for risk, and a ruthless impatience for status quo. If mixed in the wrong quanities, these characteristics could be volatile. Since I was a kid, I've had my own drum and rhythm section.
Few people will read this, so let's get to it. For six days in September, I'm going to share a few stories from pre-pandemania upto now. Snap shots of success, situations, and learnings. Why? For three reasons. First, 'we' as a society can't keep doing the same thing and expect a different result. Change requires sacrifice.
Second, is what I've named the 'Burning Building Paradox.' A thought exercise that begins with a simple question. Who can I trust to pull me out of a burning building? You'll find honest answers quite revealing. And, lastly, legacy. I want people to learn from my mistakes. Writing is such a primitive form of human communication. But it's also one of the best remedies for a healthy spirit.
OUR COMPLEX WORLD ▪︎ One of the greatest things about the modern classroom is the opportunity to experience diverse perspectives and execute on our commitment to panoptic story-telling. Congrats to Lavjot from @humberpoly for completing his internship with us. Check out his game on TUG for a chance to win great prizes.
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#urban #travel #tourism #culture #diversity #explorethecity #play #games #learn #win #grow #experience #socialcohesion powerered @tiaogram @tourisminnovationcanada
THE SCHOLAR SERIES ▪︎ As we gear up for the next cohort of influencers, and game creators, shout out to Emma from @humberpoly for completing her internship with us. Her game will help you comfortably explore Toronto.
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#urban #travel #tourism #explorethecity #play #games #learn #win #grow #experience #socialcohesion powered by @tiaogram @tourisminnovationcanada
LEAN INTO IT | This is the idea. When people arrive in new and unfamiliar places, they experience stress. And, these places aren’t just physical. These places can be emotional, cultural, and spiritual realms full of abstraction, assumption, and tough subjects to crack. We use expertly designed games to solve this problem. Self-guided experiences that
inspire travel, tourism, and unique perspectives.
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Who better to create these games than students. The young scholars that come to us as interns from prestigious #colleges and #universities. They’re our future leaders and labour force. They’re having different conversations and bringing ambitious new travel products to market because your time is valuable. Use it wisely. Get smarter. Start
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How it works. We refer to our interns as Program Design Associates. When they being with us, these PDAs learn how to use our tech to tell panoptic stories of their hometowns. And, from within the group, they select the top five seasonal games that populate #TheScholarSeries. Follow the
story. Answer the questions. Score the points. Anyone can play these games, but only points get you prizes.
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#urban #culture #diversity #travel #tourism #play #games #explorethecity #learn #grow #experience #socialcohesion powered by @tiaogram @tourisminnovationcanada @humbercollege @centennialcollege @gbcollege
ORDER OF OPERATIONS ▪︎ A few years back, I set out to create something great and solve two problems. My first goal was to address the forced isolation of the pandemic, and my second goal was to combat the unintended consequences of the #DunningKruger effect I was witnessing on social media. But secretly, I had a deep desire to improve my own self-awareness, #culturalliteracy, and #economic success.
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Since then, I’ve led subsequent teams of #elite business students through a fabulous internship program that primes them for #entrepreneurship . It continues to be time well spent and a great opportunity to pay-it-forward.
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As the summer term comes to a close, we’re preparing for the next cohort of diverse new minds. We’re also giving you an opportunity to check out what our current group of cultural #influencers have created while giving you a chance to #win great prizes. It all begins by answering important questions like; what is this place about? And, did the environment shape the local culture, or was it the other way around?
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#urban #culture #diversity #travel #tourism #play #games #explorethecity #learn #grow #experience #socialcohesion powered by @tiaogram
TIMING IS EVERYTHING ▪︎ Few things move faster than a North American summer. And, on the heels of the #Paris Olympics, few things get the heart racing like watching the
best athletes in the world try to beat the clock. So here’s my question, what's the human fascination with speed? From skim reading to #machinelearning , we humans seem to want to get places faster.
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For the next two weeks, #TheScholarSeries will offer a collection of self-guided games to help you comfortably explore great cities around the world. These games were created by top-tier #business students from
@centennialcollege , @humbercollege , and @gbcollege using the TUG tool. Wholesome, fun adventures that AI can't yet match.
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Take a moment to check out what this new class of cultural influencers and aspiring entrepreneurs have produced. They've worked hard to #unlearn and #relearn. These students have spent hundreds of hours thinking critically
while practicing panoptic story-telling to help you efficiently connect the dots of local history and heritage.
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The Urban Guide (TUG) is a tool to helps people build self-guided games and city tours that strengthen the urban cultural connection. We want you to discover more about the cities where they live and visit. Follow the story. Answer the questions. Score the points. Anyone can play this game, but only points get you prizes.
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#urban #culture #diversity #travel #tourism #play #games #explorethecity #learn #grow #experience #socialcohesion powered by @tiaogram @tourisminnovationcanada
ROOM TO GROW ▪︎ I'm always a proud papa, and especially today. I found a place to watch him fly across the water. Captain of the future. Harnessing the wind. Adapting to, but not settling into the sweet spot. Excellent day on the water. Awesome sailing school @nationalyachtclub
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#urban #waterfront #family #outdoor #adventure #sailing #sailingschool #experientiallearning #kids
