Wilf Dinnick, former CNN correspondent and founding editor of the Toronto-based news site Openfile.ca. Wilf Dinnick is transforming the way news is created and consumed online with a more sophisticated version of citizen journalism. Stories are suggested by readers but reported on by professional journalists, and the emphasis is on local news. In an April 12 blog post Dinnick wrote: “My biggest fear was that real journalism, stories that affect you and your community, would get lost as traditional news outlets scrambled to come up with a quick fix that would lure back their dwindling audiences.”
Sarah Prevette, founder and CEO of Sprouter.com Sarah Prevette is all about community. In 2009, the web entrepreneur launched Sprouter, an online tool that enables collaboration and networking between entrepreneurs, and prior to that built the tween pop culture community Upinion.com. She’s also the event coordinator of Twestival Toronto, which is part of a global grassroots social media fundraising initiative.
Julian Brass, founder of Notable TV. The word notable is defined as “noteworthy; a notable success.” It not only describes the online hub filled with video reports, blogs and photos covering business, fashion, culture and entertainment, but the calibre of followers the site hopes to attract. Since Julian Brass launched it in 2008, Notable TV has grown to a 25,000-member database made up of Toronto’s “hip, intelligent young professionals.”
Julien Smith, blogger and co-author of Trust Agents “You need to be liked, and you start becoming likable by being worthy of being liked,” writes Julien Smith in Trust Agents, which was named one of Amazon’s top 10 business and investing books of 2009. Co-written with Chris Brogan, Trust Agents explores how to tap into the power of social networks to build your brand’s influence, reputation, and, of course, profits.
David Gratton, founder of Work at Play and DEQQ, David Gratton is turning the way musicians interact with their fans on its ear with DEQQ, a branded, integrated platform that enables social media-savvy consumers to build “tribes” around their favourite musicians. Gratton’s digital firm Work at Play, which opened its doors in 1999, developed the online service that has been described as “Twitter on steroids.”
