Warren Salmon and First Friday's Community Networking

First Fridays is an exciting networking event that has occurred on the first Friday of every month, since it began in Toronto in 1994. The event attracts a variety of entrepreneurs, professionals, corporations, authors, artists and organizations from the African-Canadian and other communities throughout the GTA. Each month, presentations are given to provide valuable information on a variety a wide variety of topics. Past presenters have included Denham Jolly, CEO of FLOW 93.5 & Milestone Communications, former MP Jean Augustine, former MPP Mary Ann Chambers, Giller Prize winning author Austin Clarke, Mayor David Miller, former Toronto Mayor Barbara Hall, former Ontario PC Party Leader John Tory, the National Association of Urban Bankers, the Black Business and Professional Association, “Swat” Director and actor Clarke Johnson, Actress, Big Brothers Spokesman & Canadian Olympian Donovan Bailey, Entrepreneur Tonya Lee Williams and a wide range of local and International businesses, organizations and entrepreneurs.

Warren Salmon was born and raised in Toronto. After graduating from Ryerson Polytechnic University with a degree in Applied Computer Science, Mr. Salmon continued his education with courses at the University of British Columbia and York University in Artificial Intelligence, Business and Economics. He started his first Software company, Softec Software Services and was able to sign Software related contracts with a number of large organizations such as XEROX, Citibank, Apple Computer, IBM and the Municipality of Metropolitan Toronto.

In 1990, Mr. Salmon founded Black Board International (www.ashaware.com), an online service and software company, in order to provide a variety of technology based products and services with content that was focused on people of African descent. Black Board currently has twelve software programs that are used in the educational school and home markets throughout North America and other parts of the world.

In 1994, he started a monthly business and community networking event called First Fridays in Toronto (www.firstfridays.ca). The event provides networking opportunities and regularly features a variety of businesses, organizations, professionals, politicians and artists. First Fridays in one of over 30 First Fridays that occur on the first Friday of every month throughout North America in cities like Montreal, Chicago, Los Angeles, Washington D.C., and New York, to name a few.

Mr. Salmon is the proud winner of the ‘Men of Excellence Award’ for Business, the ‘Bob Marley Award’ for Business, the Visions of Science ‘Keepers of the Knowledge Flame Award’, the Seed of Life Philanthropic Organization ‘Community Award of Excellence’ and the 2008 BBPA Harry Jerome Award for Technology and Innovation.