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

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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)

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

Books

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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

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  1. ^ a b c Elmasry, Faiza (December 27, 2010). "Writer Explores Complexity of Middle East Conflict (profile/interview)". Voice of America. Retrieved June 9, 2016.
  2. ^ a b 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. ^ a b Spivak, Rhonda (November 6, 2008). "Ex-Sharon speechwriter keeps 'em laughing". Canadian Jewish News. Retrieved June 9, 2016.
  4. ^ a b 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. ^ Waxman, Maron. "Shut Up, I'm Talking: And Other Diplomacy Lessons I Learned in the Israeli Government: A Memoir". Jewish Book Council. Retrieved May 31, 2016.
  11. ^ Joshi, Pradnya (August 29, 2010). "A Book Attracts Loads of Facebook Fans. But Why?". New York Times. Retrieved June 1, 2016.
  12. ^ Cross, Miriam (October 14, 2010). "Author Brings humour to solving the Mideast conflict" (PDF). Canadian Jewish News. Retrieved June 9, 2016.
  13. ^ Allen, Jessica (September 8, 2010). "How to Make Peace in the Middle East in Six Months or Less Without Leaving Your Apartment (Book Review)". Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved June 9, 2016.
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