Twitter founder Jack Dorsey to speak at Waterloo

Behind every big idea, there’s an entrepreneur who brings it to life and you couldn’t ask for better inspiration than Jack Dorsey, the visionary behind two wildly successful startups.

You may know him as the co-founder of social-media sensation Twitter, but it’s Dorsey’s latest venture, Square, that earned him a place in the Forbes 400, a list of the richest people in America. Square allows anyone who sells goods and services to accept credit card payments right on their mobile device. The simple and inexpensive solution is hailed as a boon for small businesses once excluded from traditional payment systems.

On Sept. 19, Dorsey will share his insights and experiences with students and local entrepreneurs during a visit to the Waterloo campus.

Square will revolutionize how we make payments

“Jack Dorsey started a new communications movement when he launched Twitter and changed the world for millions of people. He’s continued to blaze the technology trail with Square, which is starting to transform how we make payments,” says Pearl Sullivan, Waterloo’s dean of engineering. “Waterloo is recognized as a leader in technology and innovation. We are very honoured that Jack Dorsey is making our University the first stop on his Canadian visit. We live and breathe entrepreneurialism here at Waterloo, so Jack will feel right at home on our campus.”

Dorsey brought Square to Canada last year, and now he’s bringing his insights and expertise to Waterloo on the first stop of his Canadian trip. The talk is hosted by C100, an organization of Canadian entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley, in partnership with the University of Waterloo and Communitech. Dorsey will address a sold-out crowd here on campus. Afterwards, he will join an exclusive group of students and entrepreneurs for a private lunch.

Not surprisingly, tickets to his prestigious talk, “Punk, Dropout, Massage Therapist: @jack, sold out quickly. For those who missed out, the event will be broadcast live on the big screen in the Mike & Ophelia Lazaridis Quantum-Nano Centre, seminar room 0101 and seats are available on a first-come, first-serve basis. An HD live stream will also be available for everyone to watch online.

The talk starts at 10 am – be sure to join the conversation with @uwaterloolive using hashtag #uWaterlooJack!