Artbound pARTy

Supports Free the Children

Tempo Toronto is soon to profile Jason Dehni, founder of Artbound – a nonprofit initiative in support of Free the Children. You’ll soon learn what Jason and a large team of young Toronto professionals, including CTV’s Seamus O’Reagan, have put together to help Free the Children (children helping children through education). They are working hard to implement effective art programs for children in poverty. Watch out for the ‘Giving Back’ article in the next couple of weeks.

Artbound’s fundraiser, the pARTy, held at Maison on Mercer Street in Toronto had over 800 guests with 100% of the proceeds going to Artbound in support of their initiative in concert with Free the Children. The media sponsor was CTV, event sponsors included Davis & Henderson, ETFO and L’Oreal Paris – big names!

Maison on Mercer Street was turned into an 80s style playground, and guests showed up in outrageously 80s garb – big hair, sparkles and Spandex abounded. The best part is that the trip back in time event raised over $150,000 for Artbound.

Toronto Mayor candidate George Smitherman was there early on, and Tempo Toronto profilees Kevin O’Leary and Dan Tisch stayed to enjoy the retro scene. Toronto’s Ward 29 Councillor candidate Chris Caldwell also came out to support Artbound and Free the Children, as did Tina Rogers, Shayna Haddon and Doris Pontieri from Team Tempo.

Here are some photos.

TV Persona vs the real thing

Kevin O’Leary wants to help other people make money

I love my job! As Publisher of Tempo Toronto, I have the great fortune to meet and profile some truly interesting people in Toronto. We emphasize the positives, and we only write about people who are doing good things in their fields. Some of them have a measure of celebrity status, but they are all – bar none – passionate about what they do, and they are all people that each one of us can relate to in some way, and be inspired by.

We’ve just profiled Kevin O’Leary who finds his TV appearances to be a fascinating hobby which also happens to support his less than three years’ old, and highly successful, O’Leary Funds business. As we met with Kevin, we reflected on how the lens of TV, the passion for sound-bites and creation of drama can colour one’s impression. Kevin himself talked of a chance encounter at Toronto Pearson airport when a stranger reported – albeit unknowingly – to Kevin’s wife that “that ass**le Kevin O’Leary is in the washroom!” And why would anyone judge him so? Because of what we see on TV. Most of us fall into the trap of passing judgment based on the view we get through the narrow chink of edited ‘reality’ programming.

For sure Kevin is direct and extremely opinionated. He is dynamic, talks a mile a minute, is a proud capitalist, and he hates to waste his time. The three times I’ve met him he has delivered his messages clearly, consistently and with great passion. He’s friendly and open. He loves to make money, and he loves to help other people to secure their financial success. More than that, he can’t bear to watch anyone losing or wasting their capital.

In establishing O’Leary Funds he offers investors the ability to benefit from the same investments that maintain his own really comfortable lifestyle. To over-simplify this, that means investing only in companies that pay dividends. Those who receive – as promised – a nice fat dividend cheque (yes, real cash) find themselves suddenly believing that Kevin really is Mr. Nice Guy, not so harsh after all.

So, to the man at Toronto airport I’d say “give the man a break”.