The Networking Ninja will be contributing to the Metro Blenz News Squad during the 2010 Winter Olympics. This innovative way of centralizing the efforts of local bloggers here in Vancouver is spearheaded by independent chain Blenz Coffee and Metro Vancouver News. Updates on twitter will be under #MBNS, so please follow @CeciliaLu and @Kiwano for all the latest happenings. Highlights from our posts will also be displayed on the Metro Vancouver Newspaper’s online website and in their daily print edition.

Here’s Cecilia’s specific ‘mission statement’: “As a Networking Ninja, I will sneak around focusing on sustainability initiatives and the effects of the Olympics on small businesses.” Care to help a Ninja out? Get in touch on twitter or leave a comment below!

About The Metro Blenz News Squad:
The Metro Blenz News Squad (MBNS) is a made up of a group of people from all walks of life and backgrounds that want to share their experiences using various forms of digital media. Some will blog, other will take photos and still other will shoot some video and post it all to one site. Any time the content is used on any platform, the authors will be acknowledged (in the papers and online, or in store in the case of Blenz Coffee).

Metro Newspaper Vancouver:
Metro will then take the various forms of digital content and post it to their website. Also, selective content may find its way into their daily print edition.

Blenz Coffee:
Blenz will be the home to the News Squad during the project. And, like Metro, Blenz will keep their customers current by posting updated in real time on their in-store Digital Network. Check out the Blenz Network at http://bit.ly/aJJVgZ

Social Media Co-Operation:
Many of the companies and individuals involved will also be connecting with their readers and followers providing updates about other members of the team. This cross-promotion program will provide additional reach for all participating members of the Squad.

The Networking Ninja of Kiwano Marketing will be live-tweeting at the Forum for Women Entrepreneurs Gala on Monday, January 18, 2010. This anticipated and well-attended event celebrates the FWE’s mission of mentoring and educating women entrepreneurs. Can’t make it to the event? Not to worry, I’ll be sharing all of the night’s key happenings and takeaways using hashtag #fwegala.

FWE’s 2010 sold-out Gala focuses on celebrating and recognizing the people who invest in entrepreneurs.

The keynote speaker panel includes high profile investors and entrepreneurs from the popular shows Dragons’ Den and Fortune Hunters:

• Arlene Dickinson, CEO of Venture Communications and Star of CBC’s Dragons’ Den
• Dianne Buckner, Host of Dragons’ Den and Former Host of Venture, on CBC Television
• Michael Hyatt, CEO and Co-Founder of BlueCat Networks

It’s great to see local non-profits taking brave new steps and effectively getting their message out with the help of social media. As Kiwano is made up of two women entrepreneurs, we are proud to support the FWE in their first foray into the exciting world of live-tweeting!

Feel free to join in on the conversation tomorrow night by tweeting using #fwegala or by following @FWEBC on twitter.

I had the pleasure of visiting CBC Vancouver’s Open House last Friday, as part of a tweetup organized by Marketwire. The all-day event of CBC’s new broadcast centre in downtown Vancouver was a packed affair of fundraising, musical performances, and meeting some of the key supporters of social media at CBC.

Photo Credit: CBC Open House and Food Bank Blog (@GusF, @DoryLanenter, yours truly, @ChantalJura, @mettlelurgy)

I loved how much focus was put on donations to the Greater Vancouver Food Bank. A lively twitter feed of updates throughout the day and a widely-used hashtag, #cbcopenhouse, added to the sense of community. You could drop off non-perishables at the door or make donations in person, through the phone, or online. On-site, you could walk through and learn about different aspects of the broadcast centre and chat with journalists, on-air personalities, staff, and a host of hard-working volunteers.

The transparency of this event demonstrates to me the willingness of CBC to adapt its communication and PR strategies to a conscious online community. Kudos, CBC, to a fresh new start in Vancouver— I look forward to more exciting events involving our local community.

Help us to help those in need. On Friday, December 4 from 5:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. CBC/Radio-Canada Vancouver opens its doors and welcomes everyone to visit our newly renovated, state-of-the-art broadcast centre at 700 Hamilton Street and to take part in our annual Food Bank Day Fundraiser.

Watch live TV and Radio broadcasts, meet CBC News TV, CBC Radio, Radio-Canada and CBC Radio 3 personalities and staff, tour the building, and enjoy four Big Ticket Concerts throughout the day. All our local and regional shows are broadcasting special live programs to help inspire your generosity towards those who need the services B.C. food banks provide. – full post here

Last week, I guest blogged for Granville Magazine on networking event Power Plant. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves at this defining event for Vancouver green leaders; it’s packed with the perfect mix of energy, ideas, and casualness. And we’re all about the casualness.

This event was packed with connections, and Kiwano certainly made a big one with B2CP, as we’ve previously announced.

Next was Kevin Washbrook, founder and organizer of Bridge To A Cool Planet, an initiative aimed at bringing together the people of Vancouver to call for “real action on climate change” at the climate talks in Copenhagen in December. Kevin and I spoke afterwards about his passion to bring awareness about climate change through the International Day of Climate Action, on October 24, by gathering as many people as possible on the Cambie Bridge. “If you do one thing this year [for climate change], come to the bridge… This is not a protest,” Kevin stressed, “It’s a celebration!”

Read the entire guest post at Granville Online.

We also scooped an awesome photographer for our upcoming event in November. Jonathan Evans Photography has graciously agreed to cover Kiwano’s Launch Party (more details soon!) and you can see some of the photos he took from Power Plant here.

As the Networking Ninja of Kiwano Marketing, I look forward to attending and blogging about more of these events in the near future.