New Knight Innovator gives advice on social and digital media

Photo courtesy of Maria Lorenzino

 

Alex Blencowe/ Staff Writer

A new figure responsible for designing workshops, organizing classes and hosting lectures on the use of social and digital media joined the University.

Alex de Carvalho, recently named the Knight Innovator of Residence and founder of The Startup Forum, has a gameplan for students looking to explore opportunities in the digital world.

As social media sites increasingly provide a medium for young professionals to build portfolios, platforms like Facebook and Twitter are more often used for selling one’s professional image.

“Social media offers a way for you to create a name for yourself,” said de Carvalho.

On Monday, Sept. 22, students and faculty welcomed de Carvalho in Panther Square. During the event, he gave a speech on his plans as Knight Innovator, followed by a question and answer period and light snacks.

De Carvalho said students can use the web for more than just personal and private connections.

As a volunteer of nonprofit organizations like Feynlab, a computer science program for young adults, he can attest the Internet is a gateway for both profitable and voluntary projects.

He helped coordinate Ignite Miami, a technology event for entrepreneurs to showcase solutions to global and social issues with a five-minute presentation.

De Carvalho also co-wrote “Securing the Clicks: Networking Security in the Age of Social Media,” served on the Board of Directors of the New Leaders Council, and was the Regional Development Director for Constant Contact South Florida, a web-based marketing company.

“You have to create your own startup, your own project and your own brand to see what works and what doesn’t,” he said.

He also advised students to keep separate social media accounts for personal and professional inquiries.

As the Knight Innovator of Residence, de Carvalho hopes to expose students to a world where social media can be used to express individualism and professionalism.

Born in France to a Finnish mother and a Brazilian father, de Carvalho is fluent in English, Spanish, French, Finnish and Portuguese. It is unique and useful skills such as these that should be showcased on social websites to one’s advantage.

This year’s Knight Innovator will teach digital media courses and host workshops on web design and the logistics of creating small businesses — available to School of Journalism and Mass Communication students and companies in the area.

De Carvalho is certain that the new era of social and digital media will open the doors to new jobs like web developers, back-end developers and social media community managers.

Apps like Vine and Instagram already offer a new category of digital media careers that didn’t exist a decade ago.

De Carvalho said there are no longer “jobs for life” and using project management tools, such as WhatsApp and Skype, can help people work collaboratively on multiple projects.

“The one important thing is to manage your own career, manage your own brand,” he said. “Manage your personality online and position yourself so that new opportunities come to you.”

-alex.blencowe@fiusm.com