Alexandra Samuel is the CEO of Social Signal, a Vancouver-based social media agency. Alex has guided the online strategy for some of the web’s most ambitious social media projects and online communities, including BC Hydro’s Facebook Green Gifts, Vancity’s Change Everything and CompuMentor’s NetSquared. This work builds on her years of consulting, research and writing on online community and civic participation by harnessing the latest generation of web tools — tools like blogging, social bookmarking, and RSS — to the challenge of community engagement.
In 2004, Alex received her Ph.D. in Political Science from Harvard University. Her dissertation examined the phenomenon of hacktivism — politically motivated computer hacking — as a window on how and why people engage in online community action. Alex interviewed more than fifty programmers and activists worldwide, tracking their motivations for participating in projects ranging from circumventing China’s online censorship scheme to creating a parody of the WTO web site at http://www.gatt.org.
Alex has a history of leadership in envisioning the Internet’s potential as a tool for community-building. She was a member of the advisory board for DotOrganize, a project that mapped the non-profit sector’s technology needs. In 2001 she co-founded DO-Consult, the world’s leading forum for researchers and practitioners in online consultation and public engagement. As the Research Director for Digital 4Sight’s Governance in the Digital Economy, Alexandra created and guided an investigation into the future of government and democracy for a consortium of twenty governments and businesses from around the world. Previously, she researched online social capital for Robert Putnam’s Bowling Alone, and co-founded one of Canada’s first online political forums.
Alex’s writing on technology issues has appeared in media outlets like the Toronto Star, CBC Radio, Business 2.0, and the Chronicle of Higher Education. Her work on topics like RSS, tagging and online engagement is accessible on her blog.
Alexandra holds a Ph.D. in Political Science from Harvard University and a B.A. in Politics from Oberlin College.
Quick Reference Card
Domestic Keynote Fee Range*:
Perfect for:
• How the Newly Social Web Makes Conversation Possible on a Larger Scale
• How Individuals and Organizations are Embracing the Conversational Web
• How to Build Meaningful, Reciprocal, and Valuable Relationships Online
*Speaker fees vary based on event location, program duration and other factors, and are subject to change without notice. Please contact us for an accurate fee quote for your event.
Alexandra Samuel is the CEO of Social Signal, a Vancouver-based social media agency. Alex has guided the online strategy for some of the web’s most ambitious social media projects and online communities, including BC Hydro’s Facebook Green Gifts, Vancity’s Change Everything and CompuMentor’s NetSquared. This work builds on her years of consulting, research and writing on online community and civic participation by harnessing the latest generation of web tools — tools like blogging, social bookmarking, and RSS — to the challenge of community engagement.
In 2004, Alex received her Ph.D. in Political Science from Harvard University. Her dissertation examined the phenomenon of hacktivism — politically motivated computer hacking — as a window on how and why people engage in online community action. Alex interviewed more than fifty programmers and activists worldwide, tracking their motivations for participating in projects ranging from circumventing China’s online censorship scheme to creating a parody of the WTO web site at http://www.gatt.org.
Alex has a history of leadership in envisioning the Internet’s potential as a tool for community-building. She was a member of the advisory board for DotOrganize, a project that mapped the non-profit sector’s technology needs. In 2001 she co-founded DO-Consult, the world’s leading forum for researchers and practitioners in online consultation and public engagement. As the Research Director for Digital 4Sight’s Governance in the Digital Economy, Alexandra created and guided an investigation into the future of government and democracy for a consortium of twenty governments and businesses from around the world. Previously, she researched online social capital for Robert Putnam’s Bowling Alone, and co-founded one of Canada’s first online political forums.
Alex’s writing on technology issues has appeared in media outlets like the Toronto Star, CBC Radio, Business 2.0, and the Chronicle of Higher Education. Her work on topics like RSS, tagging and online engagement is accessible on her blog.
Alexandra holds a Ph.D. in Political Science from Harvard University and a B.A. in Politics from Oberlin College.
Online conversations for challenging times
As individuals and as organizations, we’re grappling with unprecedented social, economic and political challenges. But the latest generation of online innovations also lets us strengthen our most important change-management tool: conversation. Alex shows you how the newly social web makes conversation possible on a larger scale and on a more constant basis than ever before. And discover how individuals and organizations are embracing the conversational web to find the curve-jumping innovations that enable long-term, sustainable growth.
How to use social media to make your customers love you
Wouldn’t it be great to move your customer relationships beyond the occasional purchase or donation, and into the realm of passionate loyalty? But love isn’t a one-way street: for your customers and team to love you, you have to love them back. In this fun, practical workshop, Alex will show you how to build meaningful, reciprocal, and valuable relationships online. She’ll walk you through the rules of successful relationship-building offline, and show you how to apply them to the world of social media. Social media represents a new frontier for customer relationships: learn how to use its power to achieve a whole new level of loyalty from yours.
Bringing your online community to life
“If you build it, they will come” may work in baseball, but it’s almost guaranteed to strike out online. Attracting visitors and turning them into passionate, recurring contributors takes careful planning and a skilled hand. You have to plan for engagement – understanding what your audience wants, what motivates them to participate, and what success really looks like. This lightning session will immerse the audience in jump-starting community engagement, by simulating the best practices in online community promotions and animation. You’ll gain the skills you need to chart a plan for those critical first three to six months: so you launch not just a site, but a community alive with conversation and collaboration.
