Thrive in Waterloo is an organization that organizes free online events through social media like WeChat and Facebook to help University of Waterloo students gain knowledge and information. The events feature speakers from peer students, university staff, professionals, and alumni on various enriching topics. An opportunity assessment report outlines Thrive in Waterloo's value proposition of utilizing social media to coordinate location-independent events led by notable speakers. Interviews with experts provide suggestions on expanding their audience, developing revenue strategies, improving social media marketing, and managing human resources as the organization grows.

1. THRIVE IN WATERLOOTHRIVE IN WATERLOO
BE 606—Entrepreneurship & Innovation
Presented by: Xinyue Zhang; Dan Wang; Guillermo Rodriguez
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Opportunity Assessment Report

2. THRIVE IN WATERLOO
-An organization making use of different social
media, such as WeChat and Facebook organizes and
coordinates online sharing events, including talk,
speech, information session and seminar
-All online events are free entrance
-Allowing students at the University are able to
obtain the knowledge and receive information at
anytime anywhere
-Aims to help UW students Thrive, not only Survive
in Waterloo!
What is Thrive in Waterloo
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3. 3

4. Peer at UW
Upper Years UW students
Professionals
Professionals from different fields, for example,
professors or staff members from different offices
i.e. CECA, Writing Center, SSO
Alumni
With different achievements
(academically, professionally, socially)
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5. Data
09.15 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12
Please insert title here
Please add the title here illustrated text
98
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6. Content
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2
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Value Proposition
Future Improvements
Industry Environment Analysis
Interviews
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7. Value Proposition
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8. Value Proposition
Utilizing social media (WeChat)
organizing and coordinating online
events about topics that enrich UW
students, led by recognized and
important speakers to break the
limitations of time and location
Thrive in Waterloo
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9. Industry Environment Analysis
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10. Industry Analysis
15 similar organizations
E-learning Platforms
Webinars
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1. Education is shifting from traditional channels
to the internet
2. Individuals now feel a need to share content
with the massive audiences

11. 11
Interviews
-Methodology
-Interview Results

12. Interviewee Resources
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13. Interview
Questions
1. Should Thrive in Waterloo expend into non WeChat users?
(positioning)
2. What should Thrive in Waterloo do to increase the core
competitiveness?
3. What kind of current school resources can be utilized? And
how?
4. Since we are volunteer-based (social venture) organization
now, how should we
maximize the benefit of human resource management?
5. Should Thrive in Waterloo transfer into profit model, or keep
social venture? If the
answer is yes, how to realize it?
6. What kind of negotiation skills we can develop in order to invite
high-quality guest speakers?
7. How should we expand to main stream market through the use
of social media such as Facebook ? Where and what should we
do to start?
8. Suggestions about future development of Thrive in Waterloo.
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14. Nada Basir
Assistant professor of
Cornard Business School
Tania Del Matto
Executive Director
at My Sustainable
Canada/
GreenHouse
Director
Financial sustainability
“Even though you are a social
venture organization, you should
think about possible revenue
model to support your daily
operation to achieve the goal of
financial sustainability”.
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15. 15

16. Strategies
External funding (short-term)1
Fundraising campaign targeted to individuals (short-term)2
Charge fees for the events (long-term)3
Sponsorship from guest speakers (long-term)4
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17. Rachel Huang
Talent and Start-up
Service Group
Manager at
Communitech
Positioning
“Reconsidering about your
targeted audience, who you
want to serve, and then figure
out their pain points. You can
totally focus on serving specific
groups, not necessary to expend
to a larger group”.
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18. Strategies
Wechat
Facebook
Carry out a trial:
First English online sharing event
On Dec 4th
:
Topic: Entrepreneurship
Guest speakers: Margaret and Rachel
Investigate the “pain
points” of non WeChat
users
Positioning
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19. Peter Carr
Professor of
Cornard Business
School
Social media marketing
“Always think from
the perspective of your
audience. Is that the really
cool thing that you have to
see”
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20. Strategies
Social Media Marketing
Make Records
Record/document events, so
it can be available for future
promotion for TIW and also
for the speakers
Ensure the Quality of Content
make the event cool, not the
image that "come to this
event because I'm stupid".
Utilize Other Social Media
Groups
Use tunnel from other
Facebook pages or groups
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21. Other Suggestions
Human Recourse Management
-Old member
-New member
-Low cost high value.
Negotiation Skills
Win-win Strategy
UW fame
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Increasing Accessible Channels

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Strategies:
Website: http://thriveinwaterloo.wix.com/thrive-in-waterloo
WeChat: uwthrive
Facebook: Thrive in Waterloo Follow us !!!

23. THANK YOUTHANK YOU
Xinyue Zhang; Dan Wang; Guillermo RodriguezXinyue Zhang; Dan Wang; Guillermo Rodriguez
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