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Steps to building a diverse startup

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Steps to building a diverse startup

For more information on how your startup can build a truly diverse and inclusive company, check out the #ChangeTogether Diversity Guidebook, a collaboration between TechGirls Canada and TWG.

Below are some tips for building diversity and creating an inclusive environment for everyone.

Make it a priority… from the beginning

Building a diverse team is always easier when you start from the beginning. Take a look around you or on the team page of your website even if you’re part of a team of four or five. Ask yourself ‘how many women are there on my team?’ or ‘how many people of colour are there?’ These ratios can seem insignificant when you’re part of a small team, but it will be harder to attract and retain talented staff of various backgrounds, genders, sexualities and identity groups when you’re a rapidly growing team of eight and your plan to have a more diverse team results in a token hire.

Look outside your network

Are you in the middle of hiring and not seeing a diverse pool of applicants? Chances are you haven’t looked outside your circle. When growing your startup, it’s understandable that you don’t have time to play hiring manager, but you shouldn’t rely on asking a few friends if they know anybody. This only creates a higher chance of teams that look or think the same.

One of the ways to go outside your circle is by expanding where you advertise. Set a goal to post an upcoming position to at least five or more job portals. Before advertising this new position, make sure you review the language in the job description for inclusivity. The TechGirls Canada and TWG ‘Diversity Guidebook’ suggests adding an inclusion statement in the description. For example, “we encourage applications from candidates of colour, women, queer candidates, candidates with caregiving responsibilities, immigrant candidates, transgender candidates, and candidates with disabilities.” This can help you cast a wider net of applicants.

Values over quotas

An inclusive startup isn’t about filling quotas and following affirmative action initiatives. It’s about building a team that extends beyond what your startup sets out for its customer base. And when you foster diversity and inclusion, you bring a range of perspectives that can help encourage creativity and better connect to your clientele.

The #ChangeTogether Diversity Guidebook suggests creating strategies for increasing legitimacy within your startup. This can include creating safe spaces for discussion among marginalized employees and training a staff member to serve as a key source of support for your team.

Seek partners

Implementing steps to improving diversity and inclusion doesn’t have to be a solo effort for your startup. Organizations like TechGirls Canada work to breakdown silos and advocate for resources and funding to catalyze inclusivity. Their ‘Portraits of Strength’ initiative features women who’ve helped break down barriers for underrepresented groups in the tech sector. Many of these women are available to mentor other entrepreneurs who are looking to turn their inclusivity plans into actionable items.

3 tips on making Instagram your most powerful social media platform

In this series, I’ll share some quick tips on how to succeed online and how you can best leverage the internet’s most popular communication platforms (Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Snapchat) to better connect with your audience, build lasting relationships and create a strong and engaging digital brand.

If you ask anyone with a decent online presence what their most profitable social platform is, chances are they’ll say Instagram. That’s where we’ll start this series.

Your Instagram crash course

 
Instagram currently has over 600 million users, and each user spends on average three hours each day on the platform (you do the math.) Seriously high engagement rates (4.21%) show that Instagram actually matters to a brand’s audience. In fact, one high quality Instagram post will drive on average 50x the engagement of a Facebook post and about 120x the engagement of a follower on Twitter.

Breaking the fourth wall is totally okay

 
Rule # 1: Don’t be a robot. Sell your story. Instagram specifically isn’t only about racking up likes or followers, it’s also about promoting the journey of your brand and giving your audience a glimpse into who your startup is and what it’s all about. You want your audience to relate to your business. Rather than feeling the NEED to engage, you want to create an environment that makes them WANT to like, share or comment. So what do you post to be human, relevant and transparent? Here are a few examples:

  • Just hire a new staff member to your awesome team? Post about it.
  • Attending a sweet conference on behalf of your startup? Post about it.
  • Going out for a tasty team lunch? Post about it.
  • Launch a brand new service on top of what you already offer? Post about it.
  • Just publish a quality blog post on how startups should use Instagram? … You get it.

Your content should allow anyone to see what it’s like to be on your team. Lifestyle over any product or service is an easier sell. Just be sure to develop a consistent theme for all of your pictures (from style to colour palette to filter.) It’ll help you create a wholesome experience and will guarantee that your followers are genuine and engaged.

And while you’re at it, be sure to establish your own hashtag (yes, hashtags matter). If anyone wants to see what you’re all about, having a branded hashtag (like #TeamDMZ) will allow them to get a glance with one click.

Build friendships. Not leads

 
With Google Adwords bids skyrocketing in price, Twitter ads being completely and utterly useless and Facebook billing you for breathing on their platform, Instagram is the next best thing (and will only charge you time).

Building relationships on @Instagram is very different from what you’d normally think to do.

Follow, like, comment, repeat

 
The best and most cost effective way to get your brand known on Instagram is to engage as much as you can. While most businesses wait for consumers to come to them, Instagram favours those who take the first step. So get on your phone, search for the most relevant hashtag for your startup (e.g., #fintech) and get to work. I find that on average 40% of the accounts you engage with follow you back.

Re-engage. Over and over and over

 
Now that you have the followers and audience, you need to consistently engage and peak their interest. Make sure you’re posting high quality and relevant content between one to three times a day. As you post, you may see your audience engaging at different times. Be adaptable and change the frequency of your posts based on performance (Instagram’s built-in analytics options are a great way to gauge).

Also, make sure you’re replying within 30 minutes of someone commenting on your post. You want to reply to a user during the (short) timeframe they’re active on the platform. This keeps your metrics in the green and forces users to come back to your profile to reply (easy, but often overlooked).

Use #hashtags

 
We’ve all seen it… the massive wall of hashtags that looks horrendous, but gets the job done. Its purpose? To reach into as many topic buckets as possible. But try and keep the hashtags relevant to the content (e.g., #GoNorth – Google’s tech conference). You’re going to want to attach those hashtags as a separate comment after posting your picture (read: avoid looking too foolish).

Don’t know what hashtags to post? You can go retro and do some grunt work and research, but luckily technology has advanced far enough for an app to do all the work. Check out Focalmark for all your Instagram hashtag needs.

Like any relationship, building trust and loyalty takes time. And just like acting, my other true calling, social media is about reacting. Listen, engage and don’t expect users to immediately jump onto your profile. Slow and steady definitely wins the race here.

Succeeding on @Instagram means forgetting the need and creating the want.

Finally, never force your content. If you don’t know what to post or don’t think you should post something, don’t. The most successful brands are ones that act, post and engage as people – not businesses. Don’t overthink it and have fun.

Bonus: Get the right tools

 
Before you jump into the world of In
 stagram, here are the five tools that will make your content look and feel a lot more exciting than it may be (#nofilter is no longer cool).

VSCO: Simple, intuitive and necessary. This camera app will allow you to edit your picture in ways Instagram won’t.

Ultralight: If VSCO cam is just too mainstream for you.

Boomerang: Instagram’s own app which lets you capture your moment in a GIF format when a picture or video just won’t cut it (if it moves, it’s more interesting).

Hyperlapse: Timelapse for Instagram (everything moves faster).

Followers+: Track your accounts’ followers ratio and see who unfollows you, doesn’t follow you back or blocks you (great to gauge content types).

Stepping up to an unjust order

And with a stroke of a pen, the option for many individuals to leave their homes for a better life has been blocked by an unjust executive order. Having gone through the appropriate measures to secure a visa to the United States, the opportunity that was given to my family and many other families in North America has come to a halt. Although the Trump administration maintains that the executive order is not a “Muslim Ban” there is no other way to describe it.

If you bare no empathy for refugees and immigrants, there is a core reason why you should still oppose Trump’s order. This core reason is simple. It’s about doing the right thing when a group of people are being denounced.

In order to succeed in North America, you must collaborate with talented individuals on great ideas, regardless of their religious beliefs or where they were born. And as Canadians, our commitment to fostering  an open and inclusive society has been our strength. We see and experience this every day with our diverse community at DMZ and in the Canadian tech sector. And as a result, we’ve become a more innovative country. And no matter where you stand on this argument, it’s a fact that diversity is at the core of economic growth.

#Diversity will always remain in Canada’s heritage

The open letter from the Canadian tech sector proves that you don’t need to be a refugee or an immigrant Muslim like myself to feel the impact of this radical policy. You just have to understand that the more a nation marginalizes a group of people, the more socially and economically stagnant it becomes.

Canada has a long standing tradition of being open to those who seek protection from war, violence and discrimination. In order to keep this tradition alive, we must step up and call on the federal government to issue an emergency visa to individuals affected by this executive order.

If you wish to add your support to this effort, please add your name here. However, I call on other leaders of incubators and innovation hubs to not only add their name, but to provide a tangible service to this cause.

The DMZ will be:

  • Offering free work space with access to our resources for those who have been affected by this order
  • Offering support from Goodmans LLP, our legal counsel-in-residence, to help you with business issues as they relate to the US (e.g., managing a US subsidiary, employee contracts and cross-border investment).

I will be personally reaching out to members of our esteemed advisory council, comprised of top business and tech minds in North America, to find concrete ways to support our efforts.

Every single one of us can make a difference, and together, we can make a change. I encourage other partners in the ecosystem to do the same.

 

Five startups that will help you reach your 2017 resolutions

Know where you stand financially

 

Do you know your credit score? If not, making large financial goals like saving for your first home or a shiny new car can be challenging if you don’t know how banks or financial lenders view you. The good news is you no longer have to pay $40 or more just to find out what could be an eye opening three digit number. Since June 2016, DMZ alum, Borrowell, has partnered with Equifax to bless Canadians with free credit scores. So take a deep breath, head over to Borrowell’s website and see how likely potential lenders will want to take the risk of giving you a loan. If your credit score is a less than a flattering number, don’t fret! Borrowell provides free tips on how you can reach your credit score goal.

Already know your score? Take things a step further by opening a Registered Retired Savings Plan (RRSP). In your 20s, covering your basic needs often takes priority over longer term goals such as saving for retirement. Investing in RRSPs will reduce your taxes – your future self will thank you. Borrowell and Wealthsimple have partnered to help people make their RRSP’s contributions if they don’t have the cash on hand to do it. So take the leap of faith because Borrowell and Wealthsimple will have your back.

Moving? Don’t forget a thing!

 

Moving is one of the few things in life you just can’t turn into a fun task. And to be honest… it’s dreadful and there’s really no way around that. But it can be a lot more tolerable and a lot less stressful when you use MoveSnap. If you’re planning to change addresses in 2017, this Toronto-based startup allows you to complete all your moving-related tasks on one easy-to-use platform. What does this include exactly?

  • Transfer utilities: MoveSnap identifies your current and future providers and quickly guides you through transferring or disconnecting utilities
  • Change your address: easily notify businesses, governments (driver’s license, health card, you name it!) and even your favourite magazine about your upcoming move
  • Stay in control: always know what needs to be done next with MoveSnap’s clean and intuitive layout so you never miss a thing.
Got 2017 summer body goals? Don’t we all…

 

Remember- this year you won’t abandon your health goals by April. Thanks to Optimity, you’ll increase your chances for long-term success in achieving your fitness goals. The platform provides productive 30-second to two-minute micro-breaks that help you rejuvenate and refocus your health efforts. The app helps you cover all bases by managing and centralizing your healthy initiatives from work to home.

Need the daily push and accountability of a trainer? Get on Trainer+. Their new program provides a fitness plan tailored to your needs and delivered by a personal trainer through your phone. Trainer+ allows anyone to receive the support from a fitness professional without breaking their post-holiday bank account. Something those pricey gym packages know how to do a little too well.

Battle your urges with Urbery

 

Okay, so you’re walking through the aisles of your local grocery store and you’re doing great so far. You’ve got some fresh produce, whole-wheat grains, grass-fed meats and even a couple of those new protein bars everyone at your office is raving about. Then, you find yourself in what feels like the never ending salty snack or bakery aisle and you’re fighting urges that are making your palms sweat. We’ve all been there before, but you no longer have to. Save yourself the battle of possibly losing to the sight of a big bag of Doritos or a six pack of red velvet cupcakes and just get on Urbery. This grocery delivery platform uses a fleet of crowd sourced personal shoppers so you can go online, click the food items you need (not crave) and never have to see those sweet or salty aisles again.

If you use these five startups, you’ll never understand why you thought it would be so hard to stick to your new year resolutions. But if you don’t, you’ve been warned.

How do I avoid hiring the wrong people

Develop a “hiring philosophy”

Hiring for your startup is a positive sign that your venture is taking off. So congrats on doing something right. But before you hire anyone, identify what your company’s values are. What’s your startup’s mandate and what personal attributes you and your co-founder(s) do your employees have that contribute to it? Answering these questions might seem like a drag, but when you state your startup’s core values -kindness, attention to detail… teamwork anyone?- they can guide employee behaviour and in turn, help you set expectations on what traits your next hire should possess.

Hire for “fit”

It’s a concept that’s hard to define, but anyone can tell when a company’s office culture and their employees aren’t a good fit. For example, imagine having an open office environment that focuses on group work, but every employee is an introvert. At its core, cultural fit means making sure that employees’ behaviours are in sync with an employer’s values. It’s important to make sure the individual you’re looking to hire continues to balance the cultural scale.

Create a “structured interview process”

Interviews should always be (past) performance and competency-based. However, umbrella questions are only good to get the ball rolling, so make sure you get specific. For example, if you’re looking for a new sales rep, make sure you ask questions specific to their field like “how do you keep up-to-date on your target market?” or “explain something to me.” Having a set of specific questions for every sales candidate you interview will help you have a fair and structured interview, and will make it easier to decipher which one would be best suited for the job.

“Hone your decision making”

Be clear with your co-founders on what you’re looking for. If you’re about to interview a candidate together, make sure you’re all on the same page. Meet before the interview to make a list of a few words or points you both think the ideal candidate would touch on. You should also look at the first few tasks your new employee will be taking on in their role and ask yourself what skills they’d need to accomplish them. Your process of finding the right person for the job is only as strong as your ability to articulate what your startup is looking for.

Attitude vs. technical skills

When it comes to choosing between someone with a good work ethic versus the right skill set, it’s best to go with the first. Many technical skills can be taught, but behaviours such as an individual’s character traits would take much more time. If you want to make sure a candidate ‘fits’ your startup’s culture, give them a hypothetical social challenge to see how they go about solving it. Overall, when it comes to finding the right candidate, attitude is usually a better gauge than the right skill set. Don’t believe us? Ask someone who’s had an experience with choosing the opposite.

How a Toronto startup can help your business profit from VR

Due to VR being known primarily for gaming, many see it as an unappealing and unrelatable platform. One DMZ-based startup, Pinch VR, is showing consumers and brands that immersive virtual experiences are capable of going far beyond gaming and can even be available at a low price. Pinch VR provides printable and disposable VR headsets and controllers that allow you to “pinch” yourself into a different reality using your smartphone. Unlike other VR options on the market, Pinch VR’s handheld controllers go further than the sometimes shallow visual-only experience.

Pinch VR co-founders Vlad Dascalu and Milan Baic went through several shifts and trials in order to develop the product they have now. After talking to a number of companies, investors, and consumers, they soon found out that interactivity is where the VR market is.

“In order for someone to deliver an immersive experience you need consumers to have hardware in their hands”

Pinch VR is able to provide a “cheap solution,” unlike its competitors because their hardware doesn’t include any technology. Instead, all forms of software come from the user’s smartphone. Although Pinch VR is gaining more traction for being able to distribute content on a global scale with its easy-to-use, low price and smartphone accessible VR product, Dascalu understands that there is an expiration date for their headset and controllers.

“There will be an expiry on Pinch in like seven years when everyone will have VR headsets… So, then we move over to the second phase of software play.”

Now, Pinch VR is providing brands an opportunity to explore, design and implement immersive virtual solutions for internal and external marketing. Brands can provide their customers the ability to create whatever reality they wish by jumping into a virtual sandbox using their smartphone and Pinch VR controllers. Imagine using VR to test drive a few vehicles before taking one out of the lot or using VR to view a few homes with your real estate agent. According to Dascalu, the startup’s goal is to become one of the leaders in VR consulting and development for brands and marketers.

Automation and AI- is your job next?

The DMZ brought together some leading minds to discuss the economic and social implications of automation. The fifth installment of #DMZSession titled Robot Revolution included panelists Sean Mullin, the executive director of the Brookfield Institute, Krista Jones, head of work and learning at MaRS Discovery District, and Kavaskar Thiya, the founder of Nikola Labs. The discussion was moderated by Dr. Stephanie Walsh, an associate professor at Toronto Metropolitan University who’s currently leading a research consortium on robotics and autism spectrum disorder.

Here’s what you missed:

The societal impacts of automation are real

Krista: “I see the inevitability of software automation occurring in all industries around the world. I don’t see an area that’s not being impacted in the short term… I get most concerned as a citizen about those who don’t have access to incremental training or who aren’t able to keep up with the devices that we’re using. I see us creating a wider divide between the haves and the have-nots.”

Sean: “42 per cent of jobs are at high risk of being automated over the next 20 years… Low levels of university attainment, for example, are correlated with these high-risk jobs. There are already less high paying jobs and they tend to be much more routine oriented.”

There’s lots we can do to prepare ourselve

Sean: “If you look at the types of competencies that are going to promote success in the workforce under these types of changes, they’re things like creativity, critical thinking, judgment, cognitive ability, and the ability to interact with people. We’re going to need to create a package of things like a strong social safety net, early retirements, and rapid retraining.”

Kavaskar: “Look into programming as a new skill to double up on. I think it’s crucial for everyone to learn some form of programming, so you understand artificial intelligence better.”

Automation is critical for entrepreneurs

Krista: “Any success with an entrepreneur has to be twofold: It has to actually solve a problem for the customer that it’s solving for and it has to be able to create a workplace that makes money… And automation is essential for both. We as people have fundamentally changed and there’s just an expectation that products and services we use … that has an element of automation built in.”

The onus is on us to educate ourselves and be ready

Kavaskar: “You don’t have to depend on a school and you don’t have to wait for curriculum to catch up. You can go online and learn anything you want on YouTube. We definitely have to put it on ourselves to be ready for [imminent changes in] the workforce.”

Krista: “This transition has to be owned in the next 10 to 15 years by the individual, because we won’t be able to change bureaucratic systems fast enough to keep up with the change that’s happening in the world.”

Sean: “Where I think institutions, like universities and others, will have to look back at things that are actually going to be intel to you from the effect of automation, and that’s hands-on experience, creativity, experiential learning and problem solving.”

How do we protect ourselves from automation?

Sean: “ Going forward, we have to collectively take a look at our social safety nets specifically and also the social fabrics of how we perceive work and jobs in the future.”

Krista: “I’m going to take it to a more human level. Once a month, take somebody who is afraid of technology and automation, talk to them, make them comfortable about it. Help bridge that gap because there’s a large percentage of people who are terrified of change.”

Kavaskar: “Education and awareness. Media has a big role to play in teaching people what machine learning is and what artificial intelligence is.”

How do I… measure my PR to determine my ROI?

How do you track and measure your PR activities?

Depends on who you ask. Unfortunately, there isn’t one overarching PR measurement tool to help you track whether what you’re doing is working. Depending on your business, your PR strategy, and your PR goals, how you measure your outcomes can vary.

Below are some basic ways to align your sales with your PR strategy.

Make use of Google Analytics

Are you familiar with Google Analytics? If not, then get on it! Google Analytics can help your business understand the behaviour flow of your target audience, especially after your media feature is published. Set up conversion goals to track where your traffic is coming from – blog, social media, media placements. Google Analytics can also help your startup gauge what messaging appeals most to your target market. Ask yourself, does the audience I’m tracking have clear needs? Is the messaging in our published feature meeting those needs? Answering these questions will help you understand how to leverage your media wins in order to see impact.

Track your website visitors

After an interview or feature with a top-tier media platform gets published, many startups tend to jump on their social media to see who’s sharing or talking about their most recent media win. While it’s important to know this information, don’t neglect your website analytics. Tracking the volume of visitors after a published piece has appeared is an easy way to see how much traction your media win generated and whether your messaging is having an impact.

Don’t forget to update the press/blog page of your website and your social media platforms to reflect the recent media interest in your startup.

Keep a pulse on the trends

Many startups pull major PR efforts for the launch of their business, new product or service. Although the timeframe of your startup’s goals is important, so is the seasonality in your business cycle. Make sure your PR campaign is timed with the market you’re addressing. For example, if you’re the founder of a startup that supports the learning process for students, your PR campaign will see a higher ROI during the back-to-school season. If your company addresses a current concern that’s being widely covered by the media, go out with a PR strategy and pitch a team member as an expert on this topic, while providing clear messaging on how your startup is the solution for this growing public concern.

Keep your story alive

Successful coverage doesn’t only depend on which outlet picked up your story, but how well you promote the story to your audience. For example, you land a story with The Globe and Mail and it’s shared through their Twitter account, don’t just retweet their post and consider your job done. Find ways to ride the wave by amplifying it with various marketing initiatives like sharing it through your company’s monthly newsletter, re-promoting it through your social channels weeks and months later and even venturing into paid social advertising. These efforts will continue to generate leads and help you track possible future leads.

Sales and PR can speak the same language. With this information, you can start to analyze how your PR efforts can be better suited towards your business development strategy.

2017- an automated future?

Near the end of every year, predictions are made on what to expect in the coming year when it comes to technology. This year, the conversation has taken a turn to how technology will transform jobs at a pace -and on a scale- never seen before.

Business models are slowly disappearing, and workplace structures are no longer stable. Technology is amplifying the need for a change in the job market. Unfortunately, many people are in careers that may soon become obsolete.

But can automation create more jobs? Will it help improve sectors like education and finance? And is society ready for the social and economic implications of artificial intelligence? This is what my next piece in the Huffington Post focuses on- finding ways to work with technology to stay ahead of the curve. Read about it here.

Meet two Toronto startups that are defining autotech

Rover Parking matches drivers with the perfect parking space at a fraction of the cost of traditional lots. Launched in August 2015, Rover operates through a mobile app similar to Uber that flags unused driveway space that drivers can book for as little as two dollars an hour. Since joining the sharing economy bandwagon, Rover is often referred to as the Airbnb of parking

The idea of a cheap and convenient parking app came from the grief of co-founder Grant Brigden’s daily commute,

“One day I was walking to the subway and I saw a meter cop ticketing a car, but in my peripherals I could see dozens of empty driveways, said Brigden. “It was crystal clear that there was a better, more convenient way for people to park, without having to worry about tickets.”

Anyone with an unused driveway space can register it on Rover. It then appears on a mobile map and is matched to drivers with nearby destinations. Although Rover’s mandate is to make parking convenient and affordable, they also aim to change commuters’ perspective on mobility as a whole. “We’re looking at mobility in a bigger way. Now people can park where congestion starts and take uberPOOL or get a bikeshare for the last mile of their commute. By disrupting the parking industry, the whole concept of mobility changes because we’re offering new, more convenient opportunities.”

Although mobility is the focus, Rover takes prides in being a community brand rooted in sharing and trust. Initiatives like ‘Rover ‘til Sober’ encourages drivers not to get behind the wheel drunk and donates portions of the parking tab to local pet shelters.

Looking for another company that’s getting creative on concrete? Try Fiix, the startup that’s making mechanics mobile by bringing garage services to the comfort of your own home.

Fiix lets you select the repairs you need, the time and place you need them, and delivers a qualified mechanic to your door to perform the task. Fiix aims to turn the industry on its head by eliminating the middleman, ordering parts from the same distributors as auto shops, and charging customers without inflation.

“When we first started with tire changes, we approached it from the customer’s perspective,” said Fiix CEO Arif Bhanji. “Generally, we know people hate going to the mechanic, largely because of three things: inconvenience, price and transparency. Fiix can solve all of that.”

As opposed to the typical auto repair model, car owners can watch their cars get fixed, ask questions and build a rapport with the mechanic working on their vehicles, offering complete transparency.

In the short eight months they’ve been in operation, the team at Fiix has grown from one to 15 mechanics. The company plans to continue expansion as demand continues to rise.

With the winter months upon us, whether you’re looking to get your tires changed or find a hack to cut down your lengthy commute, Fiix and Rover have got you covered.

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