Laboratorio para la ciudad

Yale University

Co-Founder at The Remix Project & Quiet As Kept Agency + Founder of Public Records Inc.

Record label based out of Toronto, Canada.

Public Records Inc.

Founder

Manage(d) the careers of multi-platinum and multiple award-winning + grammy nominated creatives such as FrancisGotHeat, Jesse Royal, Nonso Amadi, Logan Staats + more.

Quiet As Kept

Co-Founder

Since 2007 I have spoken at over 50 public and private events on the topics of Urban Development, Cultural Industries, Youth Development, Crime Prevention, and Entertainment Industries. 

My speaking skills have led me to be a regular with the United Nations Habitat Programme. Speaking at conferences and summits in Mexico, Colombia, South Africa, France, China, and Kenya. As well as with the Organization of American States - deputing as an expert at their annual gathering and subsequently engaging in Costa Rica, Barbados, and the United States of America. 

I have also spoken across Canada to all levels of government as well as public conferences and private companies around creativity, team building, leadership and project management.

Self-employed

Public Speaker

Support strategic & creative vision for the organization. Support and give creative direction for all of The Remix Project's properties. Partnerships, international relationships, policy, consulting.

The Remix Project

Co-Founder & Board Member

Co-founder and program leader of a new leadership program based out of the Dean’s Office of Student Experience and Well-being at University of Toronto Scarborough Campus.

Co-created programming and lesson plans. 

Successfully lead and facilitated the pilot program to excellent reviews. 

Leveraged personal and professional relationships in order to secure high profile and experienced speakers from across industries and perspective.

University of Toronto Scarborough

Co-founder & Program Leader, Dean’s Circle Leadership Program

Produced and facilitated a Bootcamp for writer/Creators w/ television industry veterans Chic Eglee and Paul Eckstein. Special guests from Bell Media, New Metric Media, VICE + Producer Lina Cordova and writer Ryan Spencer.

Writer/Creators Bootcamp

Producer and Host

Hosted and moderated conversations with high profile basketball and professional sports leaders for OVOSummit "all-star weekend" edition. This groundbreaking, educational and entertaining event was held in partnership with the NBA and OVO in Toronto, Canada during Toronto’s first ever “NBA All Star Weekend” in 2016.

OVO Summit (All-star Weekend special edition)

Host/Moderator

DAIS was a launchpad dedicated to developing, producing and distributing creative projects. Serving as a pilot initiative for Bell Media - we operated a safe, creative, and collaborative townhouse in downtown Toronto equipped with production facilities, innovative work space, a music studio and a gallery. We put artists and the creative process first because the stories we tell shape our world. Our relationship with Bell Media allowed DAIS to broadcast our projects across a multitude of networks and platforms in Canada, while seeking out global partners.

DAIS Creative Inc

Founding Member / Development x A&R

Co-wrote the short film “The Choir” with Paul Eckstein (Narcos, Godfather of Harlem, etc) for OVO signed recording artists DVSN. Also served as a producer on the film. My roles included everything from casting to securing crew members, and the Director.

Writer/Producer

Host and moderator for Regent Park Film Festival's opening night "talkback" session with Cameron Bailey (TIFF) and Alanis Obomsawin (Filmmaker).

Regent Park Film Festival

Host + Moderator for annual OVO Summit. Responsible for the welcome and interviewing keynotes such as Oliver El-Khatib, Noah "40" Shebib, Drex Jancar, Reggie Saunders (Jordan Brand), Virgil Abloh, Metro Boomin', etc.

OVO Summit

Host and moderator for founder of OVO (October’s Very Own) Oliver El-Khatib's keynote address at NXNE 2014.

NXNE

Creator, Producer and lead Writer of the transmedia web series, Welcome to Rawluck. This webseries then spawned a BravoFact supported short film "The Truth About Rainbows" in 2014 which was helmed by celebrated Director Charles Officer and co-starred Shomari Downer and the legendary Gord Downie of The Tragically Hip.

Welcome To Rawluck

Executive Produced 9 short films in partnership with City Life Films Project, The Remix Project, and Boat Rocker Media. These films aired as part of a partnership with Toronto International Film Festival. Several of these films went on to screen at Tribeca Film Festival as well as in Cannes.

Executive Producer

After speaking at TEDxTO (the precursor of TEDxToronto) in 2009, I was scouted and selected to become a fellow with TED itself in 2010. After that experience, I returned to Toronto and used my TED Fellowship status in order to help secure the license for TEDxToronto for the group here. I became Co-chair and Entertainment Lead, producing the entertainment side of the conference for 2010 and launching an "in-residence" program for creatives. I supported as a consultant in the early years of the group's development and returned to formally serve as a host for the 2012 edition of the conference.

TEDxToronto

Co-Founder/Co-Chair & Consultant

Worked closely with the	Department of Canadian Heritage	and the Organization of American	States (OAS) and youth leaders from across the hemisphere	to plan organize and deliver "Ignite the Americas:	Youth Arts Policy Forum, September 15-21,	2008. This event brought together young people, industry	leaders and cultural policy experts from across the Americas with experience in using arts and culture to	
combat youth marginalization and	disengagement due to social	and economic	exclusion.	

Key responsibility within	the context of	this event included	developing a concise agenda which allowed	for successful	achievement of its three key objectives: 

1) the development of recommendations for creating cultural policy that uses art and cultural	expression as tools for youth inclusion and economic	growth, policy recommendations.

2) The description of a toolkit of practical information	aimed at strengthening the youth capacity with	respect to cultural industries	and;
	
3) The creation of a permanent hemispheric network of youth arts organizations to	promote best practices.

Patrimoine canadien -- Canadian Heritage

Consultant

Co-Founder + Executive Director

Served as a member of Mayor David Miller's community safety advisory.

This advisory group brought together civic and community leaders to focus on solutions to gun
related violence, with a particular focus on youth. The Panel was chaired by Ontario Chief
Justice Roy McMurtry. Members included the Mayor, two City Councillors, the Attorney
General of Ontario, the provincial Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services,
members of the judiciary, chairs of both school boards, as well as representatives of youth,
business, labour, the media and other individuals with extensive experience and expertise in the
field.

City of Toronto

Committee Member, Mayor's Community Safety Panel

As lead of I.C. Visions, co-founded the Grassroots Youth Collaborative, a Greater Toronto Area wide network of youth-led and youth-serving non-profit organizations. This collaborative served to advocate for youth-led agencies and programs across all three levels of government, worked to share information, resources and best practices amongst it's membership, and authored reports on important social issues of the day.

Grassroots Youth Collaborative (GYC)

Chaired the Youth Organizing Committee for the Laidlaw Foundation (and served on various iterations of this committee over the years leading up to this position). Review and evaluate grant applications from various non-profit organizations across Ontario. Responsible for recommending people to fill out the committee. Help to set the vision and agenda for the committee. Set the tone in meetings. Help to lead the granting process.

Laidlaw Foundation

Chairperson, Youth Organizing Committee

As the founder and project coordinator I was responsible for writing grants and making reports to funders. I	was responsible for weekly staff meetings between our trustee	organization and I.C. Visions.	My main role at I.C.	Visons, at least for me was being responsible for	developing, implementing and evaluating unique programming using urban music and culture.	At this position I was also responsible	
for overseeing	one regular staff person	and two part-time staff people. Finally I was also	responsible for	outreach and the promotion of I.C. Visions.

Gavin Sheppard