Name: Maurice Li
Twitter handle: @Maurice
Occupation: Professional Photographer, Venture Capitalist, Grocery Store Tourist
What are some of your most notable moments on Twitter?
1) The first time I had a back & forth conversation over Twitter with a “celebrity” musician about another up & coming music artist. The experience really showed me the power of the platform for making connections between people based on their common interests and passions.
2) The first time I met someone in real life with whom I had already established a “friendship” on Twitter. Not only did it not go horribly, but we had a great time! I’ve made, and met, lots of wonderful friends via Twitter since.
3) The first time I was approached for a paid project based purely on work I had shown on Twitter and my public interactions with my followers. In fact, it *still* blows my mind every time I get offered professional work thanks to this ‘social’ channel. I can attest to the fact that Twitter is not just “what I ate for lunch,” even though I can’t deny having gone there a few times…
Your best Tweet:
In terms of pure reach, it would have to be my tweet linking to a some photos of everyday citizens helping to clean up our city the morning after the recent riots:
Much to my surprise, it went viral and I lost control of my @mentions for a day or so, but I’m glad the cleanup effort got the attention it deserved.
On a more personal level, one of my favourites is a tweet I sent out right after the Olympics ended:
Even though I was a bit sad about two weeks of fun coming to an end, I remember feeling a sense of smug satisfaction at being able to encapsulate my post-Olympic blues in 140 characters. That’s the kind of word nerd that I am!
What did you want to be growing up?
I started out wanting to be a chef, later dreamed about being an architect and during my university years was interested in becoming a lawyer. At first glance it seems I’ve failed myself quite miserably, but I’ve always been into technology, art and photography, so I figure I’m right where I should be.
Your claim to fame:
My claim to fame would probably be the project I just wrapped up last week. I had the opportunity to serve as the Canadian Tourism Commission’s official social media photoblogger and print media photographer for The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s Royal Tour of Canada. What a crazy experience it was following Will and Kate from city to city! I have memories that will last a lifetime. Most of the photos that I took can be viewed here: http://www.facebook.com/MauriceLiPhotography
Do you know of a hidden gem in our city?
It’s a bit too big to actually be hidden, but I’m always surprised at how many people have never heard of Iona Beach. It’s a beautiful place that I always enjoy visiting, especially on summer nights.
If you were a superhero, who would you be and why?
No question – I’d be Batman, because I’ve always admired his ability to fight crime using his intellect and training, despite not having any superpowers. It wasn’t until I got older that I realized having billions of dollars at his disposal probably didn’t hurt either. Unconfirmed trivia: I may or may not have donned skin-tight, plastic Batman costumes several Halloweens in a row as a chubby child…
Recommend a fellow Twitterer that deserves some recognition?
It’s far to difficult to pinpoint just one, so I recommend you scan through my “following” list; most everyone is on there because they are inspiring, informative, interesting or just plain good people. I’m always grateful for the opportunity to be somehow connected to all of them!
Describe yourself in 3 words:
Curious | Observant | Resourceful
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