Orato.com: Speak from experience
Speaking of names ... what's ours have to do with what we do? Orato translates from the Latin to "I speak" and that is exactly what we invite Correspondents to do – tell our audience about newsworthy experiences emerging from their corner of the planet, the novel places, people, events, careers, culture, discoveries and skills that make them a source of trustworthy information for others seeking advice or doing reconnaissance on an eclectic range of subjects.
Because life is not a spectator sport, Orato is an online magazine that knows writers are participating in, as well as observing, the activities that spin the world on its axis, making them genuine experts with knowledge to share and illuminating encounters to relate. Orato broadcasts this news when Correspondents in the field post dispatches to the site as constant explorers of all things that fascinate. Learn more from our FAQ and meet our team - journalists, tech geeks, designers, and information junkies - who want more from the traditional media than headlines and sound bites. We think mainstream journalism leaves room for upstarts like ourselves with something to prove and we’ve hired some of the best to make it so.
Joy Gugeler , Publisher / Editor-in-Chief
Gugeler was the Editor-in-Chief of Suite101.com from 2005-2008,
growing it from 2 to 12 million monthly readers as Canada's 4th largest
site. She also edited over 100 award-winning titles as Literary
Non-Fiction Editor for ECW ,
Editorial Director of Fiction for Raincoast, Managing Editor of Beach
Holme, and Associate Publisher of Quarry presses. With a Carleton
Journalism degree, she has been a host for CBC radio and Bravo! TV, a
reviewer for The Globe & Mail , The Vancouver Sun , and
The Ottawa Citizen and an editor for Room , Quarry
and ARC literary magazine acquisition and editorial boards.
Gugeler teaches print and Web editing in the Masters, Continuing
Education and summer publishing programs at SFU, where she is completing
her PhD. Since 2002 she has also taught Substantive Editing at Ryerson
University. She has consulted for the BC
Association of Magazine Publishers , the Editor's Association of
Canada, Magazines West, Tourism BC and Canadian grant and prize juries.
She does Publisher Relations for the Red Cedar Award and in 2001
launched the Canadian
Book Camp .
Lisa Manfield , Managing Editor
Manfield has worked in print and online publishing for 13 years as
Marketing Manager at The Tyee , Contributing Editor for Backbone
Magazine , Business & Finance and Mind & Soul editor at
Suite101.com, Associate Editor at CGA Magazine and Editor of REALM
Magazine .
As a consultant, she has developed print and online content,
marketing collateral, and courseware for CBC TV, the Knowledge Network,
and WorkSafeBC, the Alberta Magazine Publishers Association and
Magazines Canada. She teaches "Writing and Editing for the Web" and
"Marketing Magazines Online" for SFU’s Continuing Education Writing
and Publishing Program and Summer Workshops respectively. She was a
member of the editorial collective of Room for 8 years and on
the Board of Directors (3 as VP) for the BC Association of Magazine
Publishers.
Mike Small , Multimedia Editor
Small is graduate of the Broadcast Journalism program at the British
Columbia Institute of Technology, where he was the recipient of the
Michael Thurston "High Flight" award for excellence in broadcast
journalism. He has been a TV reporter for CFJC in Kamloops, is an
amateur documentary producer, and is committed to pushing Orato to the
forefront of New Media by actively acquiring top-notch video, audio, and
photo journalism for the site to complement article offerings by our 900
correspondents.
Jason Hendry , Technical Director
Hendry is an experienced PHP programmer with a good understanding of
branding and design and has been integral to many projects from small
marketing-focused flash presentations to complex Web-based applications
for large audiences. In the last 7 years he has been a key employee in 2
companies that excelled in their markets and he plans to do the same for
Orato.com. His skills encompass all areas of Website development from
complex programming to user interface and database design and
optimization. He hails from Cairns Australia, but currently lives in
Vancouver.
François Renaud , Creative Director
Renaud graduated from both the Université
of Montréal & from the Cégep du
Vieux-Montréal with a college and Bachelor's degree in Industrial
Design. In the course of his 7 years of studies, he also lived in Rome,
Italy for 2 years where he perfected his skills in graphic and Web
design at the Istituto Europeo di Design .
Renaud is now fluent in French, English, and Italian. In addition to his
work for this site, Renaud has several international clients for whom he
freelances re marketing, graphic, Web & industrial design projects.
These include Nokia , Alessi , Colina Toscana , UQAM , Aquam
, Hostels Alessandro
& Cambie Malone's Group . He
recently joined the Orato team as Creative Director and is currently
working on the new face of Orato for relaunch in April 2009...
Sam Yehia , Chairman and Founder
Yehia is the founder of Orato.com and a successful entrepreneur with
a track record for pioneering profitable businesses in hospitality and
entertainment. He plans to develop Orato.com into a global media
enterprise with significant shareholder value.
Brandon J. Smith , CEO
Smith is the CEO of Orato Media Corporation, promoting the business development of Orato's new model. An innovator and creative director of several growing companies in Vancouver, Smith has a comprehensive background in securities, corporate finance and regulatory law. He also has degrees in politics, classics and law. Smith has been with the company since 2007 and lives near the ocean with his partner Rebecca and their young son Alexander.