5 Questions with... Breanna Hughes
This week's 5 Questions stars a die hard Vancouver Canucks fan. And seeing that our beloved Toronto Maple Leafs lost (again) last night, I thought this next personality would be fitting.
Breanna Hughes first started her own online business at the young age of 10. She attended University of Toronto to study Computer Science and finished her degree at Ryerson University in the Information Technology Management program. She can now be found at Artez Interactive helping charities and non-profits take advantage of web and mobile technologies.
What motivates you to do what you do on a daily basis?
With some of the world's greatest non-profits and charities as clients, it's hard not to be motivated. It's really rewarding to be able to watch and see how the improvements we make to our software actually translate into dollars for our extremely deserving clients. It's amazing the difference a button colour, or size, can make.
Do you have any success start-up tips for people wanting to create a name for themselves in your industry?
Any tips that I might have would certainly be the blind leading the blind as I'm still figuring out the ropes myself. I am, however, trying my absolute hardest to enforce a new rule on myself: Talk less, do more.
In your opinion why is Toronto a hotbed for cool tech start-ups?
Toronto is a pretty cool city and can be an inspiration for a lot of people here. There's so much going on, and everyone has an outlet to explore themselves a bit more. I think this helps feed innovation and creative thought.
What's your favourite tech toy and social media site and why?
iPhone. Mashable, because I like how they combine the informative with a bit of humour. It's concise and reads well.
Who would you say is one of Toronto's social media stars and why?
A lot of Toronto is rocking social media and tech right now, so it's tricky to narrow it down. Some women in particular would be Erin Bury, April Dunford and Deb Hall; I like what they are doing, and they are doing it well. Also, Claire Kerr provides great insight into the non-profit sector, and has a witty sense of humour.
