Daniel Chu

Currently the co-founder and CEO of SilkStart, I focus on helping membership organizations stay relevant in today's world through innovative social and Web 2.0 technology to improve membership retention and sales. Prior to SIlkStart, I was the IT Project Manager at TELUS, delivering projects that help TELUS fulfill its $900M contract for the Quebec government. In addition, I helped TELUS bring its internal employee support online via managed online chat and intelligent Q&A;, cutting up to 60% of its operational costs in related departments. Passionate about Web 2.0 technology, I brought Ruby on Rails, AJAX, an employee blogging platform, and various other technologies into TELUS, advancing its project delivery capability and improving its internal communications. I am also passionate about giving back to the community. I volunteer at Big Brothers, the local food bank, the Crisis Center for suicide prevention, and the Vancouver Board of Trade for mentoring aspiring entrepreneurs. As the President of TELUS's Toastmasters chapter, I helped increase chapter membership by 30%, and more than 60% of the members achieve their objectives. Our chapter was awarded the International President's Distinguished Chapter, the highest honor a chapter can receive. I am fluent in English, Mandarin, Cantonese, and casual Japanese. I graduated from the University of Toronto with a Computer Science degree and now the Assistant Area Governor of Toastmasters in Burnaby BC, supporting 6 local chapters.