Gregory_Levey

Gregory Levey

Gregory Levey

Canadian writer and entrepreneur


Gregory Levey (born c. 1978) is a Canadian writer and entrepreneur. He is Associate Professor of professional communication at Toronto Metropolitan University, co-founder of the software company Figure 1, a journalist and an author.

Career

Levey was a young law student at Fordham University in New York City when he was hired in 2004 as a speechwriter for the Israeli Delegation to the United Nations and then was a writer of speeches for an Anglophone audience for Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon until 2006.[1][2][3] He worked for some years as a journalist and freelance writer, then became a professor of communication at Ryerson University (now Toronto Metropolitan University) and co-foundered the software company Figure 1.[4][1]

Levey's "controversial and much-discussed" 2009 magazine article,[5] "Lament for the iGeneration", caused a stir with its assertion that a generation of students, the iGeneration, brought up on online, lack the skills and capacity to handle a post-secondary education.[6]

Figure 1 (corporation)

Levey co-founded the social media company Figure 1.[4][7][8]

Books

Levey's 2008 memoir, Shut Up, I'm Talking: And Other Diplomacy Lessons I Learned in the Israeli Government: A Memoir, recounts his stint as a speech writer at the United Nations.[9][10] The book recounts how Levey, then a 20-year-old Law student, landed a job as a speechwriter for Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. The book's title went viral on social media.[11][3]

Levey's second book, How to Make Peace in the Middle East in Six Months or Less: Without Leaving Your Apartment, was a satire of the Middle Eastern peace process.[12][2][13][1]


References

  1. Elmasry, Faiza (December 27, 2010). "Writer Explores Complexity of Middle East Conflict (profile/interview)". Voice of America. Retrieved June 9, 2016.
  2. Mozgovaya, Natasha (September 13, 2010). "Focus U.S.A. How to Make Peace in the Middle East Without Leaving Your Apartment". Haaretz. Retrieved June 9, 2016.
  3. Spivak, Rhonda (November 6, 2008). "Ex-Sharon speechwriter keeps 'em laughing". Canadian Jewish News. Retrieved June 9, 2016.
  4. Wang, Sissi (October 6, 2015). "How Figure 1 plans to go global with its 'Instagram for doctors'". Canadian Business. Retrieved June 1, 2016.
  5. Wilson, Renée (November 20, 2013). "In defence of the iGeneration". This. Retrieved June 9, 2016.
  6. Millar, Erin (October 5, 2009). "Lament for the lament for the iGeneration". MaCleans.
  7. "Gregory Levey Figure 1". Ryerson University. Retrieved June 1, 2016.
  8. de Montigny, Philippe (August 26, 2014). "How a tweet led to Toronto medical photo app Figure 1 getting backing from Union Square Ventures". Financial Post. Retrieved June 9, 2016.
  9. Harris, Ben (April 24, 2008). "Memoir recounts bizarre U.N. mission". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Retrieved May 31, 2016.
  10. Joshi, Pradnya (August 29, 2010). "A Book Attracts Loads of Facebook Fans. But Why?". New York Times. Retrieved June 1, 2016.
  11. Cross, Miriam (October 14, 2010). "Author Brings humour to solving the Mideast conflict" (PDF). Canadian Jewish News. Retrieved June 9, 2016.

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