Takara Small

ABOUT

Hi! My name is Takara. I'm a nerdy multitasker currently based in Canada who covers technology and business for a variety of national and international publications.

These days you can catch me on CBC where I break down the biggest tech and business stories as a national technology columnist for CBC (Canada's public broadcaster) and technology contributor for BBC World News. I recently recieved my SANS cybersecurity certification and completed a summer farming program at Sundance Farms.

AWARDS & RECOGNITION

Canada's Most Powerful Women

One of Canada's 100 Most Powerful Women. This award "recognizes and pays tribute to Canadian women who serve as an inspiration for the next generation of leaders".

Young Leaders of America

A U.S. Young Leaders of America fellow. This coveted fellowship brings young ambitious leaders from around the world to the U.S. to further their own education and learn from experts in their field.

Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada Fellow

One of Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada fellows. The program brings together "dedicated entrepreneurs and technology leaders from across Canada to meet with experts in Asia."

Top 5 Women-Led Startups in Canada

One of L'Oreal Canada's top five women entrepreneurs in STEM. This award "supports women entrepreneurs in technology" who have made a meaningful contribution to STEM in Canada.

AdWeek Brand Star Leader

One of AdWeek magazine's Brand Star Leaders. This honour recognizes individuals who have contributed to the city's growing technology ecosystem and local leaders.

CSPN Young Entrepreneur of the Year

One of CSPN's Young Entrepreneurs of the Year. This honour recognizes individuals who have made a meaningful contribution to the city's growing technology ecosystem.

WORK

Below are a few of the publications and organizations I've worked with:

CBC News

Technology contributor, Canada's national broadcaster.

BBC World News

Technology contributor, British Broadcasting Corporation.

Financial Post

Freelance writer and consultant, national English-Canadian newspaper.

Globe and Mail

Freelance writer, national English-Canadian newspaper.

CTV News Network

Technology contributor, a national English-Canadian news network.

Fortune magazine

Contributing editor, U.S. technology and business magazine.

CP24 News

Freelance contributor, Canada's only 24-hour local news channel.

Toronto Star

Freelance contributor, national English-Canadian newspaper.

Plus: WNYC (New York City Public Radio), CBC RADIO ONE (CBC's English-language news radio network), NBCLX (NBC news station).

Portfolio

My work can be found in both digital and print publications. My portfolio includes content strategy, creative direction, multimedia analysis and more. To view my recent work click here.

Money Matters

(BBC Radio 5)

A current affairs channel at the world's largest international broadcaster.

Business Matters

(BBC World News)

A current affairs channel at the world's largest international broadcaster.

A Death In Cryptoland

(CBC)

A podcast series about the rise and fall of startup founder Gerald Cotten. The 30-year-old entrepreneur oversaw one of the largest cryptocurrency exchanges and died under mysterious circumstances in India after losing millions of dollars.

The downside of AI: Former Google scientist Timnit Gebru warns of the technology’s built-in biases

(Globe and Mail)

Timnit Gebru has been warning the world about artificial intelligence for years. And like a scientist in a Hollywood blockbuster, she has been ignored or dismissed. But now her fears are becoming reality, and the public is taking notice.

Young, skilled and ready to innovate, Black farmers are taking on Canada’s agricultural challenges

(Globe and Mail)

With Canada facing a looming disaster of having too few farmers as existing operators retire, some see young, racialized farmers as key to feeding Canadians into the future

Claudette McGowan is making her own future happen

(Globe and Mail)

Claudette McGowan has worn several hats over the years: banking executive, community advocate, mentor and business owner. It’s all made her something of a power broker in Canada’s tech ecosystem, while she’s promoted women and diversity along the way.

How TikTok's general manager built the company's Canadian team during the peak of the pandemic

(Canadian Business magazine)

Canadian firms are spearheading new ways to support diversity and inclusivity in the workplace.

Canadian companies emerge from COVID-19 pandemic with new diversity and inclusion plans

(Globe and Mail)

Canadian firms are spearheading new ways to support diversity and inclusivity in the workplace.

How Smart Home Devices Have Created A New Form Of Abuse

(Refinery29)

Designed to make life easy, web-connected devices are being used against women to harass, track, and even lock them in their own homes.

The Real Environmental Toll Of Your Smartphone

(Chatelaine)

The average person gets a new device every two years—adding to our mounting electronic waste problem.

Tech Town

(Podcast)

An original podcast about a small town's journey to reinvent itself.

Your Right to Repair

(Corporate Knight magazine)

Electronic waste is piling up, but advocates have a plan to fight back.

How the pandemic changed education

(MaRs magazine)

Over the last four months, students and their parents have participated in one of the biggest e-learning experiments in Canadian history.

PODCASTS

My audio work can be found on Apple, Spotify, CBC and more. My most recent work can be found below:

They Did That, Sony Music & Entertainment

Death In Cryptoland, CBC

What's Wrong With the Internet, CIRA

RECENT

CLOSE

CTV News: Weekend, Sept. 2018 - present

CBC Weekly with Wendy Mesley, June 2018 - present

Project 22: Women in Tech, Oct. 2018

CTV News: Tech with Todd, Oct. 2018

CTV News: Tech with Todd, Oct. 2018

CBC Radio with Nora Spark, Oct.2018

CBC Weekend, Aug. 2018

RECENT

CLOSE

Social Media Week,November 2018

Google Canada, Nov. 2018

University of Toronto: Gender institute, Nov. 2018

CIX Summit, Oct. 2018

Ethics AI, Oct. 2018

Elevate: Social Impact, Sept. 2018

Elevate: Disrupt Retail, Sept. 2018

Fireside conference, Aug. 2018

PUBLIC SPEAKING

I enjoy sharing my experiences, work and lessons learned throughout my career at conferences and events around the world. If you or your team would benefit from a presentation or workshop about digital literacy, communication, media, digital strategy, STEAM and more make sure to reach out by contacting me here.

Here's a peek at a few events I've attended as a speaker (virtual and/or in person) over the last year:

Elevate

Toronto Public Library

Hot Docs

Canadian Academy of Cinema and TV

Collision

Live Nation

PRESS

Below are a few publications that have highlighted my work over the years:

BetaKit News

"Takara Small shares what she learned exploring small-town tech in a new podcast."

Ryerson University

"Journalism alum and CBC columnist Takara Small launches new investigative podcast series."

VENTUREKIDS

VentureKids Canada is a Toronto-based nonprofit that teaches students in underserved communities entrepreneurship and coding skills.

As part of the organization's ongoing mission to help underserved youth, starting in the summer of 2019 VentureKids launched the nonprofit's first rural-city partnership with Northeastern University Toronto that brought students from small towns in rural Ontario to Toronto where they participated in free hands-on computer programming lessons.

Teaching youth who live in underserved, rural or Indigenous communities computer science and critical entrepreneurship skills is critical for Canada's ecosystem. Providing underserved youth with access to free programs will not only improve their communities, but also boost industry diversity thereby increasing revenue for local companies. In order to support the next generation of tech workers and tech leaders VentureKids also presents free complimentary breakfast, lunch, transportation and laptops.