Covid Survivors Project Website
A crowdsourced resource aimed at helping recovered Covid-19 patients share their experiences of infection and recovery.
About me
Adventurer at heart 🌎. Possibly the most positive person on Earth. Currently developing online-courses to help job-seekers design their career roadmaps and seek them out.
I used be the Community Manager at a coding bootcamp in Toronto called Lighthouse Labs and before that I organized international coworking retreats around the world with Hacker Paradise.
I am also proud of having started a peer-mentorship community for entry-level job seekers called ClearCareer, with over 900 members today!
A few quirky things about me:
- I opened the NASDAQ stock market in a giant pikachu costume
- I was once quoted in a dutch magazine without knowing about it
- I was mentioned in Inc.com for my satire on digital nomads
- I once made an appearance on a Taiwanese gameshow
- I've occasionally gone viral for my timely photoshop jobs
- None of these things surprise anyone who knows me
Work & Experience
2019-2020
Technical Support Specialist
LeafLogix
Launched the first Canadian location for a US-based software company that builds POS systems for the cannabis industry.
2016-2018
Community Manager Lighthouse Labs
Community, marketing, and events for Canada's largest coding bootcamp. Oversee a team for events and marketing operations in Toronto, Montreal, Halifax and Ottawa.2015-2016
Trip Leader
Hacker Paradise
Organized international reteats for a group of software developers across the globe.
2011-2014
Assistant Coordinator University of Toronto
Marketing, recruitment, and community development for the Unviersity of Toronto's International Foundation Program for ESL students.Side Projects
2020
Co-Creator
Covid Survivors Project
A crowdsourced resource to help recovered Covid-19 share testimonials of their experiences.Check it out
2018
Founder
Unlock China 🇨🇳
Unlock China is a consulting business to help Western startups and companies to learn about and connect Chinese tech companies. Join the newsletter or curated trips.Check it out!
2018
Creator
Bitcoin To Tulips 🌷
A Chrome extension that replaces all references to Bitcoin on Twitter with tulip 🌷 emojis.Check it out
2017
Organizer
freeCodeCamp Conference
The world's first and only freeCodeCamp conference. Full-day, free conference, 200 attendees. Speakers from Mozilla, Shopify, Toronto Javascript, and Quincy Larson, the founder of freeCodeCamp.See the conference stream!
2017
Founder
The Collector Bitcoin
Working with manufacturers in China to produce an elegant physical Bitcoin souvenir coin.Check it out
2016-Present
Founder - ClearCareer
A peer-mentorship community for new grads, weekly jobs newsletter, job hacking tips and career coaching. Over 900 members.Join the community!
2016
Creator
Resume Website Builder
Created a free tool to help job seekers easily build a personal resume website and have it published online.Check it out!
2015
Cofounder - Nomadkit
A curated collection of tools, products and resources for digital nomads around the world. No longer exists. [discontinued]Check it out
2012-Present
Designer / Developer
Freelance
Logo design, video editing, web design, Wordpress sites, freelance marketing strategy and consulting.
2012-Present
Creator - The Tech Toolshed
A curated list of tools and resources for creatives, self-learners, and career-changers.Check it out
2012-2014
Founder Snapsy Photobooth
Created a fun, open-concept photobooth business for weddings, corporate events, university orientation weeks and more. [discontinued]Check it out
Public Speaking
Available for public speaking engagements, workshops and panel moderation.
Book me today!
Topics of expertise:
Chinese Apps and Technology
Career Development and Job Seeking
Travel and Remote Work
Build Your First Website - Workshop
Community Building
List of previous speaking engagements:
April 27, 2019
Unlock China
Ryerson Tech Talks
A keynote at Ryerson Tech Talks entitled UnlockChina: The World's Next Flavour of Globalization.July 21, 2018
Javascript Workshop
Microsoft Store
Delivered a workshop on Javascript Essentials to the Microsoft Store community at Square One MallMay 27, 2018
Job Hacking Workshop
ClearCareer
Delivered a paid workshop to a group of job seekers. Taught tips on job prospecting, cold reachouts, application tracking and more.May 21, 2018
Developer Careers
Ryserson Hacks
Delivered a workshop on how to find your first job as a developer to a room full of Ryerson students participating in the hackathon.January 20, 2018
Start Your Side Hustle
University of Toronto
Delivered a workshop on how to start a side hustle as quickly and efficiently as possible. Discussed common pitfalls, how to make money and more.August 18, 2017
How to Break Into Tech
Ryserson YouthConnect
Delivered a talk on how to start a career in the tech industry. Aimed at students who don't have a technical background - showed numerous alternative paths into tech.June 18, 2017
Intro to Cryptocurrency
Toronto Learning Nights
Delivered a talk explaining the fundamentals of bitcoin, altcoins, how cryptocurrency works, how mining works, the blockchain and more.
I've been featured in
Some of my side projects
Unlock China: The World's Next Flavour of Globalization
A keynote presentation on the accelerating technology landscape in China, its growing national wealth, and its global impacts.
Overtime Calculator
Web Application
A tool that calculates the sum total of overtime hours you work per year, and the value of that time based on your annual salary.
How to travel the world as a developer
We’ve all seen it. That Facebook photo of a friend posing on a paradisiacal beach — with a laptop and a coconut drink...
How to kill the resume and get the interview
Read some of the best tips and tricks on hacking your job search, getting ahead and avoiding the job search black hole.
Izzy's Ultimate Guide to Digital Currencies
This slide deck is a general overview of how digital currencies work, including Bitcoin, Ethereum, and others.
TheLuckyFew Podcast Ep.17: Job Hacking
Find your calling, connect to the right people, and get the interview quickly and painlessly. Leapfrog the resume black hole.
Bitcoin To Tulips Google Chrome Extension
A Google Chrome browser extension that replaces all references to Bitcoin, or BTC on Twitter with tulip 🌷 emojis.
Free HTML Resume
Template on Github
A forkable resume template I designed from scratch and made available for free on Github. Just fork, and commit!
How to buy cryptocurrencies in Canada
We’ve all seen it. That Facebook photo of a friend posing on a paradisiacal beach — with a laptop and a coconut drink...
How To Build A Slackbot that Greets New Users
How to build a slackbot that greets new users in 5 easy steps. A quick and easy guide on how to copy and build your own in 20 minutes.
Professional Resume Website Builder Tool
Built a tool to help job seekers quickly and easily build a professional resume website and have it hosted for free on Github Pages.
What people say
If you're looking to hire somebody dependable, Izzy is as cool as cucumber and as awesome as a stegosaurus with laser beams attached to its head.
From resolving conflicts to managing crises to confidently completing the administrative tasks that others balk at, Izzy throws 110% of himself into every job he does.
Izzy is, by far, the most resourceful person I’ve ever met. When Izzy heard about my new venture, he reached out for a Skype call and gave me actionable, practical, and exceptionally useful advice.
Izzy knows how to handle people without making them feel like they're being handled, diffuse tension without being preachy and he goes the extra mile for anyone who needs it.
Izzy is the kind of person that will be successful in any environment because of his unique combination of work ethic, intelligence, and people skills.
He leads by example, rallying people together through sheer enthusiasm and friendliness. No matter what situation you put Izzy in, he will make friends with everyone in the room.
Stay in touch with me!
Have a question?
Write to me!
