May Chook (they/she) is a Toronto-based event and project professional with over 10 years of experience working with non-profits, arts organizations, creative agencies, and small businesses. Their portfolio includes outdoor arts festivals, fundraisers, climate conferences, international coffee events, business promotional events, innovative unconferences, and more. Some of the organizations they have worked with are Urban Climate Alliance, Toronto Environmental Alliance, WEAll Canada, Jamii Esplanade, Ordna Event Agency (The Barista League), Hot Docs, VIBE Arts, and more.
May leads full-scope projects and events with a strategic mindset, working towards a more joyful and resourceful society at large, while looking after the details, processes, financials, stakeholders, and more. They have a background in community music facilitation and experience in community-minded, eco-friendly events. Combining their lived experience as a first-generation immigrant in Canada and a member of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, they collaborate with artists and social innovators on tackling complex issues through strategic projects.
May is a proud member of the Centre for Social Innovation (CSI), Project Management Institute (PMI), and the co-organizer of S.T.A.G.E (Solutions for Trans Artists to Get Equity) and Public Imagination Network. They are currently working towards their PMP designation.
While they haven’t turned their love of cats into a job yet, their orange cat Caramel loves to snuggle on their lap when they are working from home.
Education:
Headshot credit: Jae Yang / Jamii
What’s important to us
Meaningful work can be fun. With a background in the arts and creative events and projects, May embraces change with hands-on experience in problem-solving and risk-taking. May also has an extensive network of artists and creatives who can make projects and events stand out and memorable.
We strive for consistency and ongoing actions and reflections to make the world a better place than we found it. We incorporate sustainability best practices and framework including the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and challenge ourselves to do better with consideration of each organization’s context and mission.
We are working towards a more sustainable, prosperous, and just future. To maximize social, environmental, and economic impact, we optimize complementing business goals by having high standards of ethics and quality, such as supporting high-quality local suppliers owned by underrepresented groups.
