coLab is more than just four walls and a bunch of desks. One of the best parts of the coLab experience is all of the educational and fun events that bring the community together to learn, grow, share, and network. But running an event machine like coLab demands the support of a variety of talented professionals – and someone to spearhead the oversight & management of the whole enchilada.
One of the people who works hard behind the scenes to make these events happen is our Events & Programming Specialist, Sophie Sullivan.
Sophie’s job is to figure out the event-related wants and needs of the coLab community and then coordinate with the coLab team to bring those events to life. She also supports the day-to-day event logistics and manages event promotions to make sure that all y’all know what’s going on in a given week.
Sophie says that her favourite part of her role with coLab is getting to connect with cool people.
“I love meeting attendees on the day of the event and figuring out why they showed up,” she says. “Do they want a like-minded community? Are they coming to learn a specific skill? I enjoy bringing in speakers and facilitators who can share that knowledge and meet those needs.”
Sophie’s favourite event so far has been the monthly Startup Founder Hot Seat series. Startup Founder Hot Seat features entrepreneurially-minded people who deliver mock startup pitches to angel investors. It’s a risk-free environment where startup founders looking to grow their businesses can perfect their investor pitches, network with the who’s who of the Kelowna startup scene, and get out of their comfort zones.
“You see a lot of founders at those events who are at the beginning of their entrepreneurial journey,” Sophie says. “They’re ready to jump in and tackle that big problem they want to solve. It’s a great experience to see how founders pitch and then hear investor feedback.”
Sophie is currently working on several projects, including a few exciting initiatives for Hustle Outlet, the entrepreneurship development brand that she co-owns with her partner Agustin Cisneros.
Below is an excerpt from the interview that coLab did with Sophie for this article:
coLab: “If someone gave you your own late-night talk show, who would you invite as your first guest?”
Sophie: “Jessica Alba. I really like that she started her career young and then crossed over into multiple industries. I like how she balanced her business and her personal life while still managing fame. Plus, she’s already been on TV, so she knows how to be on camera.”
coLab: “Hypothetical question: You find a time machine that transports you back to the year 1420. How do you convince people that you’re from the future?”
Sophie: “I would take a technical approach. I’d go into detail about things I know how to do that aren’t from that time period. I’d try to create technologies or new kinds of food they haven’t come up with yet. Or, you know, maybe not, because I don’t want to get labelled a witch.”
coLab: “What movie-worthy heist would you pull if you knew you were 100% guaranteed to get away with it?”
Sophie: “Money Heist is my favourite Netflix show, so I’d break into the Spanish Royal Mint with the Money Heist crew.”
coLab: “If you could rule the entire world, but only for 24 hours, what would be your first official act as Queen of Earth?”
Sophie: “I’d mandate that every country immediately move to a single-payer healthcare system. But then I’d have to hire a lot of medical professionals – it would be a very busy 24 hours!”
coLab: “Where can people learn more about you?”
Sophie: “They can check out @hustleoutlet or @sophiesulliv on Instagram.”
