written by S defreitas, I received an email from Mark Woo last October introducing me to Cya Live, a company that regards him as a partner through employee shares. His motive was for my organization to become a client. I soon learned that his Antiguan mother who recently attended my organization’s arts event suggested he contact me. I was all ears. Listening to this young man proudly champion his company combined with his professionalism was his greatest selling tool. He patiently guided me through Cya Live platform via its web conference app and then invited me to visit Cya’s Toronto headquarters. Cya Live is a real-time broadcast platform that creates communal experiences around content consumption by letting fans interact face-to-face with artists and influencers in real-time.
So what does this mean for us? At the time not much since we just completed our annual film and Arts event that showcased live in public art spaces. Yet Mark still the professional stayed in touch offering us his support and any advice we may need for future digital events.
Then one day the world changed. COVID19 appeared and in one fell swoop businesses shut down and people were no longer able to attend outdoor or indoor entertainment.
What are we going to do for this year’s arts event?. Do we cancel 2020, take a deep breath and chill? But wait… how about a digital online festival? Isn’t that what Mark presented to me last year? Ok let’s get hold him. Within minutes of me emailing Mark, he responded via phone. While discussing the details and planning our digital film & arts fest I learned that Mark worked for the Olympic family. His duties entailed working and collaborating with other colleagues to coordinate event planning and delivery for the Olympic Games. Now it all made sense why he is so disciplined and dedicated to hard work. These transferable skills are the making of a successful entrepreneur.
