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Fri Jun 17

  • Culture,
  • Software Development

Connector Spotlight: Ryan Lim

What does Ryan Lim, Director of Engineering, Practice, do outside of work? Most might know that he is occupied with video games, but you likely didn’t know that he’s also quite the handyman. While he’d describe himself as chill, curious, and creative, knowing that he can renovate floors, tile, drywall, electrical and plumbing, we’d also like to add capable to that list. Whether it’s letting his imagination flow while working on a project or playing with his favourite stackable blocks (can you guess what his favourite product is?), rest assured that the only vendetta from Ryan you need to worry about is in a movie. Discover more about Ryan in this week’s Connector Spotlight!

Connector Spotlight: Ryan Lim

Fri Jun 10

  • Culture,
  • Software Development

Connector Spotlight: Rajatha Ramesh

Enterprising, organized, and adaptable is how Rajatha Ramesh, Engineering Manager here at Connected, would describe herself. Considering how inspired she is by survival stories involving the planets Mars and potatoes, this makes sense. And despite the excitement of working for Fortune 50 automotive brands or category-creating home fitness innovators, her favourite part of the day is always when she has the opportunity to give back to others, whether it's her colleagues or the next generation of developers. That might also explain her favourite product - it allows her to do more of what she loves. Guess what it is in this week's edition of Connector Spotlight.

Connector Spotlight: Rajatha Ramesh

Fri Jun 3

  • Culture,
  • Software Development

Connector Spotlight: Jason Martin

How would we describe Jason Martin, Director of Engineering here at Connected? That’s a tall order, but if his professional experience is any indicator, he’d likely enjoy making a game out of it. When he’s not coaching, mentoring, and empowering others to reach new heights, you’ll often catch him building LEGO, colouring, playing with dolls, or anything else involving his kids. With a love of football that transcends both sides of the pond, can you guess his favourite product that lets him do that and so much more?

Connector Spotlight: Jason Martin

Fri May 27

  • Culture

Connector Spotlight: Corey Wu

You can find Corey Wu rock climbing at The Hub, improvising on his hollow body guitar, or playing board games; that is, when he’s not determining strategic plans for products or evaluating their performance. Curious, dedicated, and with a reputation for leaving a positive impact on those around him; Corey brings passion and thoughtful insight to everything he does - including this spotlight! Whether it’s in a boardroom or in a board game, discover the many layers of Corey Wu in this week's Connector Spotlight. Check out his Connector Spotlight to find out how Corey integrated his unmatched love for board games into the projects he worked on!

Connector Spotlight: Corey Wu

Thu May 5

  • Culture,
  • Voice

Connector Spotlight: Chris Kim

Not only is she often characterized as among the best and brightest - Chris Kim, Talent Acquisition Coordinator here at Connected, also has an undeniable knack for attracting the same. With a background stronger than steel but a soft spot for diversity, equity, and inclusion, Chris always brings her humble, honest, and hilarious self to everything she does. Just don't ask her how her favourite basketball team did in the playoffs.

Connector Spotlight: Chris Kim

Thu Apr 28

  • Culture,
  • Voice

Connector Flashlight: Hassaan Abbasi

Connector Spotlight is a series where we shine a metaphorical light on Connectors to learn more about who they are, what they do, and what they like. While we have no shortage of star power to satisfy the series (just shy of 3 years worth, by my count), we also have some incredible interns who work here, too. And while it may not be a spotlight, we'd like to illuminate one intern in particular with a brand new, intern-centric series entitled Connector Flashlight. Easy-going, insatiably curious, and we'll never forget your face when you found out what Project Rhubarb REALY was. Hassaan, we'll miss you, but have little doubt you're on your way to doing great things.

Connector Flashlight: Hassaan Abbasi

Fri Apr 22

  • Culture,
  • Voice

Connector Spotlight: Rodrigo Silva

It doesn’t take much to make Rodrigo Silva, Android Software Engineer here at Connected, happy. Good friends, cold beer and plenty of laughter, this laidback Brazilian ex-pat prefers the simple things in life; which means when he’s not learning Android from the inside out, you’ll likely find him sprawled on a comfy couch, contemplating the most fitting mantra for the moment.

Connector Spotlight: Rodrigo Silva

Fri Apr 8

  • Product Thinking,
  • Strategy

The Non-Starter of Product Development – Manish Gaudi

Many first-time founders get “solution obsessed,” which makes sense: the thing that excites you is solving someone’s problems. But, it’s proven that one of the smartest things a founder can do to increase their odds of finding Product-Market Fit is to obsess about their customer and understand everything about their challenges. The best founders, in my experience, spend months learning about their customers and prototyping solutions for them to learn what really moves the needle.

The Non-Starter of Product Development – Manish Gaudi

Mon Mar 14

  • Culture,
  • Product Thinking

Build a Culture I’m Proud of: Tammy Chiasson

Tammy Chiasson, President of Connected, recently shared her 2022 memo about her ambitious plans for Connected, including doubling down on supporting Connectors. Here she shares her thoughts on how she continues to plan on doing that with building a culture she's proud of at the forefront of it all. Read on to check out her video snippet.

Build a Culture I’m Proud of: Tammy Chiasson

Fri Mar 11

  • Culture,
  • Software Development

Connector Spotlight: Vidya Viswakumar

Anyone who knows Vidya Viswakumar agrees she’s caring, sincere, adaptable; always bringing her best qualities to everything she does. But did you know that this software engineer is also a Friends superfan? Actually, you might. But we bet you don’t know how she combined her love of Friends and her love of travel. Now all we have to ask is if she’s a Rachel, Monica, or Phoebe.

Connector Spotlight: Vidya Viswakumar

Tue Feb 22

  • Culture,
  • Design

Connector Spotlight: Leanne Paura

When she’s not leading Connected’s rapidly growing design team, you can find Leanne leading dance floors behind the ones and twos at hotspots around the city. That is, only after the Nerf battle is over and her two young sons are tucked in bed.

Connector Spotlight: Leanne Paura

Fri Feb 11

  • Culture,
  • Strategy

Connector Spotlight: Jonathan Savage

From Coltrane to samurai movies, our thoughtful, curious, and ever so droll EVP of Product Development, Jonathan Savage, is much more than just a digital leader and strategist. But who’s keeping Score? So can you guess what his favourite product is? Hint: It’s German. 

Connector Spotlight: Jonathan Savage

Fri Feb 4

  • Culture

Connector Spotlight: Joel Zien

From 4-star kitchens to boardroom pitches; Joel Zien doesn’t just enjoy the heat - it’s where he does his best work. Better still, he’s experienced the career-defining moments to prove it. And as Managing Director of Growth and Client Experience, he’s on a mission to clear the path for clients and Connectors alike to achieve theirs. 

Connector Spotlight: Joel Zien

Fri Feb 4

  • Culture,
  • Remote-first

Connected Introduces: Work From Anywhere

Yurt in the Yukon? No problem. Beachside office in Cancun? Why not! At Connected, we understand that the world is becoming more nomadic, and we want to make sure our team gets to make the most of it.

Connected Introduces: Work From Anywhere

Wed Feb 2

  • Culture

How to Nail Your Connected Interview

Thinking of applying to Connected? Check out this guide to succeeding in your interview!

How to Nail Your Connected Interview

Fri Jan 28

  • Culture

Connector Spotlight: Elli Cohen

As our Talent Acquisition Specialist, Elli is a driving force behind the rapid expansion of our team. She shares her proudest achievement, even if she thinks it's a little cliché, we think you'll find it's wonderful.

Connector Spotlight: Elli Cohen

Fri Jan 21

  • Culture

Connector Spotlight: Katyayni Sharma

Katyayni streamlines our Connected HR systems, processes, and policies. She is learner at heart and reminds us in her spotlight why it's important to embrace a love of learning!

Connector Spotlight: Katyayni Sharma

Fri Jan 14

  • Culture

Connector Spotlight: Lydia Powell

Lydia is a hot-sauce enthusiast and bookworm. As our Managing Director of People and Client Operations, she leads strategizing and optimizing our company-wide systems and processes to help our teams effectively and efficiently scale and grow.

Connector Spotlight: Lydia Powell

Wed Jan 12

  • Culture,
  • Product Thinking

Why I Joined Connected’s Board: Farhan Thawar

We got the chance to interview our newest board member, Farhan Thawar, VP of Engineering at Shopify, where he shares what he found most surprising about Connected which happens to be also why he decided to join our Board of Directors.

Why I Joined Connected’s Board: Farhan Thawar

Fri Jan 7

  • Culture

Connector Spotlight: Gashin Ghazizadeh

Gashin Ghazizadeh, a machine learning engineer who loves to try new recipes in the kitchen, watch Friends over and over again, and has a clever book she’d bring if she were stuck on a deserted island.

Connector Spotlight: Gashin Ghazizadeh

Thu Jan 6

  • Design

Books Connectors Read and Loved in 2021

A few of our favourite books we enjoyed reading in 2021 to inspire your reading list in the new year and beyond.

Books Connectors Read and Loved in 2021

Wed Dec 22

  • Product Thinking

The Importance of Prototyping with Pelham Norville

We got the chance to interview Pelham Norville, Head of Category Management and Strategy from Bose Corporation, to discuss product development. Find out what he believes is this purpose of building a prototype!

The Importance of Prototyping with Pelham Norville

Mon Dec 13

  • Culture

Connector Spotlight: Reece Fallon

Get to know Reece Fallon, Talent Acquisition Director, in his own words as he answers questions under the Connector spotlight.

Connector Spotlight: Reece Fallon

Wed Oct 27

  • Remote-first

What Can Product Companies Learn from the Shift to Remote and Hybrid Work?

According to a recent survey from Gartner, 82% of company leaders plan to allow their employees to work remotely following the pandemic, including 47% who said they would let them go fully remote. With figures that high, the writing on […]

What Can Product Companies Learn from the Shift to Remote and Hybrid Work?

Wed Sep 22

  • Accessibility,
  • Software Development

The Importance of Large-Scale Platform Accessibility

One billion people – 15% of the world’s population – experience some form of disability, meaning accessibility should be a core aspect of all platforms designed to help others build better products. Working with our friends at Fable, we’ve devised four solutions for building platforms to employ to make the internet more accessible for everyone.

The Importance of Large-Scale Platform Accessibility

Wed Aug 4

  • Culture

Connector Spotlight: Polina Cherkashyna

Get to know Polina Cherkashyna, Group Engagement Director, in her own words as she answers questions under the Connector spotlight.

Connector Spotlight: Polina Cherkashyna

Wed Jul 28

  • Culture

Connector Spotlight: Ramiz Khan

Get to know Ramiz Khan, Group Engagement Director, in his own words as he answers questions under the Connector Spotlight.

Connector Spotlight: Ramiz Khan

Wed Jun 30

  • Product Thinking,
  • Strategy

The Product Thinker’s Toolkit: Hypothesis-Driven Validation

A Product Thinker’s toolkit needs to be robust, filled with frameworks one can pull from at the right moment to unlock product impact. Here we walk you through the seven steps of a Connected favourite: Hypothesis-Driven Validation. On numerous discovery and delivery engagements we’ve seen this versatile framework help product teams build better products and avoid building bad ones. Click to learn more.

The Product Thinker’s Toolkit: Hypothesis-Driven Validation

Wed Jun 2

  • Culture

Connector Spotlight: Matt DeLuco

Get to know Matt DeLuco, Engineering Manager, in his own words as he answers questions under the Connector spotlight.

Connector Spotlight: Matt DeLuco

Wed Apr 21

  • Culture

Connector Spotlight: Simon Tolkin

Get to know Simon Tolkin, Business Development Manager, in his own words as he answers questions under the Connector spotlight.

Connector Spotlight: Simon Tolkin

Wed Mar 24

  • Accessibility,
  • Design,
  • Product Thinking

How to Embed Accessible Design Into Your Products

Accessible design requires an intentional focus on the user experience. In this piece, we teamed up with accessibility experts Fable to guide you through the process of designing impactful products for everyone.

How to Embed Accessible Design Into Your Products

Wed Mar 3

  • Product Thinking,
  • Software Development

How Product Thinking Helps Accelerate New Product Development

Building new products is hard, and it’s even harder if you want to build them at the speed and scale required to seize market opportunities. Our latest piece takes you through the main benefits of applying a Product-Thinking approach to each of the major product development phases.

How Product Thinking Helps Accelerate New Product Development

Wed Feb 24

  • Culture

Connector Spotlight: Katie Luke

Get to know Katie Luke, Marketing Graphic Designer, in her own words as she answers questions under the Connector spotlight.

Connector Spotlight: Katie Luke

Wed Feb 10

  • Product Thinking

Product-Thinking Risk Wheel

A continuous testing and validation framework for building the right product to be applied throughout the product development lifecycle from earliest discovery to launch, release, and evolution.

Product-Thinking Risk Wheel

Wed Jan 20

  • Product Thinking,
  • Software Development

Product Thinking: The Core Principles of Product Discovery

The core principles of product discovery are designed to guide the thinking and actions of your team. They create a unified vocabulary that helps ensure that everyone is working together and moving in the same direction. In this article we walk you through these six core principles.

Product Thinking: The Core Principles of Product Discovery

Fri Dec 18

  • Culture,
  • Remote-first

Our Year in Review: Success from Home

2020 has been a tumultuous year. However, at Connected, thanks to our best-in-class team, we’ve found ways to make it a year to remember! To celebrate all that we’ve achieved, our year in review breaks down our achievements into numbers and celebrates the impact we’ve had.

Our Year in Review: Success from Home

Wed Sep 30

  • Culture

Connector Spotlight: Alex Christodoulou

Get to know Alex Christodoulou, Engagement Lead, in his own words as he answers questions under the Connector spotlight.

Connector Spotlight: Alex Christodoulou

Thu Sep 3

  • Culture

Connector Spotlight: Paul Sobocinski

Get to know Paul Sobocinski, Connected’s Engineering Manager, in his own words as he answers questions under the Connector spotlight.

Connector Spotlight: Paul Sobocinski

Thu Jun 4

  • Culture

Connector Spotlight: Mikkel Lunding

Get to know Mikkel Lunding, Connected's Senior Product Strategist, in his own words as he answers questions under the Connector spotlight.

Connector Spotlight: Mikkel Lunding

Tue Apr 28

  • Research

Diverse Participant Recruitment: Financial Services Case Study

Money is universal. However, how people manage, understand, and use it varies from person to person, and from community to community. For a recent Financial Services project, Connected’s research team engaged with our trusted partner GRIT to ensure that we could guarantee a truly representative cross-section of Canadians for our user research and an end goal of a more impactful product.

Diverse Participant Recruitment: Financial Services Case Study

Thu Apr 2

  • Culture

Connector Spotlight: Tammy Chiasson

Get to know Tammy Chiasson, Connected's President, in her own words as she answers questions under the Connector spotlight.

Connector Spotlight: Tammy Chiasson

Tue Mar 24

  • Culture

Connector Spotlight: Tina Goyal

Get to know Tina Goyal, Connected's Director of Engineering, in her own words as she answers questions under the Connector Spotlight.

Connector Spotlight: Tina Goyal

Thu Mar 19

  • Design

From Decolonization to Dolls for All

A few weeks ago, a group of Connected’s Designers attended the Inclusive Design Conference in Toronto bringing back to the office ideas, insights, and inspiration on how the product community can build better for everyone. Read their thoughts here!

From Decolonization to Dolls for All

Thu Feb 27

  • Culture

Connector Spotlight: Zachery Oman

Get to know Zachery Oman, one of Connected’s rockstar Product Strategists, in his own words as he answers questions under the Connector spotlight.

Connector Spotlight: Zachery Oman

Wed Nov 13

  • Culture,
  • Product Thinking,
  • Software Development

3 Keys to Building Impactful Teams from Engineering Leaders

We met with engineering leaders in Toronto to discuss achieving product excellence through innovative engineering capabilities. Here are our 3 main takeaways from the event.

3 Keys to Building Impactful Teams from Engineering Leaders

Tue Oct 1

  • Product Thinking,
  • Strategy

Key Takeaways from Elevate Product 2019

Read what the product leaders from Elevate Product 2019 had to say at this year's event.

Key Takeaways from Elevate Product 2019

Wed Jul 10

  • Voice

Top 9 Talks You Should Go See at Voice Summit 2019

With over 280 sessions to go see between July 22-25, we decided to create a top 9 list of sessions you should check out if you’re attending Voice Summit 2019, the largest Voice event in the world. Tuesday, July 23 Sessions […]

Top 9 Talks You Should Go See at Voice Summit 2019

Fri Jun 28

  • Culture

How We Stay #ConnectedWithPride

A recap of our Pride month and how we – and other companies – can take Pride celebrations beyond June.

How We Stay #ConnectedWithPride

Wed Jun 12

  • Culture

Connector Spotlight: Scott Wallace

Software Engineer, sports fanatic, and juggling master. Meet our very own, Scott Wallace

Connector Spotlight: Scott Wallace

Fri May 31

  • Culture

Collision 2019 Wrap-Up

Our key takeaways from attending the hottest tech conference in Canada.

Collision 2019 Wrap-Up

Mon May 27

  • Culture

How to Assess the Quality of an Online Financial Product

We often ask ourselves this question when looking at a new online financial product. We know nothing about it, and the one thing we are confronted with is its appearance.

How to Assess the Quality of an Online Financial Product

Sat May 18

  • Culture

Connector Spotlight: Jacky Li

Senior Product Designer, Eco-Friendly Citizen, Goalie to our Heart. Meet the one and only Jacky Li!

Connector Spotlight: Jacky Li

Fri May 3

  • Culture

Connector Spotlight: Uzair Khan

Ask him to quote Back To The Future. We dare you. Tell us a bit about your role at Connected.I currently help manage the Engineering Guild alongside an amazing leadership team. We focus on the growth of the guild—whether that’s through recruitment, […]

Connector Spotlight: Uzair Khan

Wed Apr 24

  • Culture

Connector Spotlight: Enakshi Shah

Software Engineer, U of T Alum, Certified Rock Climber. Heads up, it’s Enakshi Shah!

Connector Spotlight: Enakshi Shah

Tue Apr 23

  • Culture

The Importance of Creating Online Platforms for Small Businesses

As known, the Connected company has been striving to help different ambitious companies leverage the power of their business product since 2014. The primary mode of this process is implementing software-powered products.

The Importance of Creating Online Platforms for Small Businesses

Mon Apr 15

  • Culture

Connector Spotlight: Dave Doyle

Software Engineer Manager, Cloud Native Aspirant, Nintendo Nerd. Introducing the great Dave Doyle!

Connector Spotlight: Dave Doyle

Tue Apr 9

  • Culture

Connector Spotlight: Erin Gallagher

Software Engineer, National 30 Under 30 Developer, Animal Foster Momma. Meet the incredible Erin Gallagher!

Connector Spotlight: Erin Gallagher

Thu Jan 10

  • Culture

Connector Spotlight: Peter Chow-Wah

Web Engineer, Smart-Home Connoisseur, Hapkido Black Belt. Nice to meet you, Peter Chow-Wah.

Connector Spotlight: Peter Chow-Wah

Thu Jan 3

  • Culture

Connector Spotlight: Hilary Hayes

Product designer, powerlifter, self-care guru. Nice to meet you, Hilary Hayes.

Connector Spotlight: Hilary Hayes

Tue Nov 27

  • Design,
  • Strategy

Take Off Your Headsets and Dance

A Lesson in Product Development from Catherine Ulrich

Take Off Your Headsets and Dance

Wed Nov 7

  • Culture

Connector Spotlight: Stephen Khuu

Engineer, pun-master, Guinness World Record-holder. Get to know Stephen Khuu.

Connector Spotlight: Stephen Khuu

Sun Jun 17

  • Strategy,
  • Voice

Connected Goes to Cannes!

Connected to compete in the first ever Cannes Lions “Change for Good” Hackathon

Connected Goes to Cannes!

Wed Feb 17

  • Strategy

Overcoming Gorilla Hands in VR

VR offers users the exciting possibilities of creating user interfaces in any size and any shape all around them.

Overcoming Gorilla Hands in VR