Matt Parreira
Partnerships & Public Good 🍁
Recovering Hotelier ➡️ EdTech ➡️ Social Impact. Fixing the gap between policy and people. 🌶️ Hot Sauce Connoisseur.
Currently exploring: Social Enterprise & GovTech.
- Reposted by Matt ParreiraPrime Minister Carney should call the American ambassador into his office & tell him, in no uncertain terms, that U.S. interference in domestic Canadian affairs will NOT be tolerated.
- They're going to force people over 14 to upload ID to access it. Adults are going to upload sensitive personal information to services with questionable-at-best data security practices. They're doing this instead putting the onus on tech giants to make their products safer and less addictive.
- Reposted by Matt ParreiraCarney’s trade mission to China is already paying off: ‘Chinese importer bought one Panamax cargo of about 60,000 metric tons of Canadian canola shortly after Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s visit to Beijing last week…’ www.ctvnews.ca/business/art...
- tldr; The Philippines has become the first country to integrate its entire national budget into a platform called the Digital Bayanihan Chain. This system records every stage of budget process, creating a tamper-resistant digital ledger to enhance transparency, accountability, and reduce misuse.
- "We need nothing from Canada" - America So thats what we will give you, and another thing, stop thinking about us.
- Imagine walking into a grocery store where the goal is feeding people, not buying Galen another yacht. Public grocery stores work, and they’d save Canadians 30-45%. We need to stop letting these corporate parasites bleed us dry. Food costs up 30%. Grocer profits up 120%. They are robbing us.
- Calgary, January 29-31: The Conservative Party is hosting the "Greatest Hits of Culture Wars" tour. On the docket: * Scrapping DEI * Re-opening the abortion debate * Restricting MAID referrals We need a plan for 2026, not a retreat to 1950. 📉🏠 #CdnPoli #AbortionRights #DEI #MAID #CPC2026
- While I tend to agree with this sentiment, show us where those taxes are going first because more taxes improperly allocated does no good.
- Very important to have a mix of who we are and where we are going.
- Not just 🇺🇸, 🇨🇦 feels this too...
- I’m signing off to be a dad, a husband, and a terrible Mario Kart player for a few days. Thank you to this community for the nuance, the fight, and the support. See you after Christmas. We have work to do. ✌️🫎
- It’s Festivus for the Non-Profit Sector! 💈 I got a lot of problems with you people! Grant portals that crash at 4:59 PM. 'Reply All' email chains. Donating expired canned goods. Let’s hear yours! 👇
- Well, well, well. Kentucky. It seems you literally voted to pour your own whiskey down the drain. Canada has been boycotting American spirits since March. Whiskey sales to Canada are down >60% through October. + A massive generational shift where 65% of Gen Z say they want to drink less.
- Look at this graphic and tell me the system isn't fundamentally broken. 1.6% of adults holding nearly half of the world's wealth is policy failure on a global scale. Too much time debating tweaks to tax when we should be talking about systemic overhaul. How do we build on this future?
- Before you set your OOO: Thank your team (publicly). Unsubscribe from 5 newsletters. Forgive yourself for the goals you missed. 2025 was a grinder. We made it.
- Gen Z donors don't want a tax receipt. They want 'Co-Creation.' They want to be part of the solution, not just a wallet. The 2026 fundraising model is: Invite them into the kitchen, don't just serve them the meal.
- Testing a new batch of habanero oil tonight. It’s currently melting a hole in my spoon. If I don't post tomorrow, tell the Growthway team I loved them. 🌶️💀
- The 'Room' has changed. 2026 events must be hybrid. Not just a Zoom link, but a true dual experience. If you are planning a gala in 2026 without a digital engagement strategy, you are leaving 40% of your donors at the door.
- Things i love to see: Canadians, supporting Canadians, benefitting Canadians.
- Your mission, should you choose to accept it: Navigate the new CRA guidelines without exploding. 💣 This message will self-destruct (unlike your compliance obligations). Join our Jan cohort.
- Cybersecurity is the unsexy trend of 2026. Non-profits hold sensitive data on vulnerable populations, yet often have 'Password123' security. Trust is our currency. Don't let a data breach bankrupt your reputation. #NonProfitTech
- What is the one task you wish you could automate in 2026? Wrong answers only. (Mine: Explaining to my family what I actually do for a living).
- 2026 Prediction: The 'AI-Powered Non-Profit' isn't about replacing staff. It's about replacing drudgery. If your team is still manually writing donor emails, you are burning cash. We need to automate the boring to humanize the impactful. 🤖❤️
- Preparing for the final sprint of 2025. If you are a founder feeling the weight of the world tonight: You did enough. The problems are systemic; your exhaustion is personal. Rest is also resistance.
- I spent the morning at the rink (Sens fan in hiding). It struck me that hockey parents are the ultimate fundraisers. If we harnessed 'Hockey Mom Energy' for social enterprise, we’d solve the housing crisis by Tuesday. 🏒
- Friday Mood: staring at a spreadsheet until the cells start dancing. 💃 Send coffee or hot sauce recommendations.
- We are finally getting actual High-Speed Rail. 🚄💨 Starting with the Ottawa-Montreal leg is the smart play, it’s the flattest route and gets a win on the board. This is the kind of ambitious, nation-building infrastructure we’ve been starving for. 🏗️🇨🇦 #CdnPoli #Infrastructure #FutureReady
- The new T1044 reporting requirements for 2026 are the coal in every non-profit’s stocking. If you have >$50k in revenue, the paperwork just doubled. We’re building a 'Compliance Survival Guide' at Growthway. Who needs it?
- Running a non-profit in December feels exactly like an episode of The Bear. Everyone is screaming 'CORNER!', the stove (funding) is broken, and we are somehow trying to serve a Michelin-star meal (social impact) on a hot dog budget.
- Today marks Canada’s legislative independence (Statute of Westminster). In 2025, true independence for non-profits means Unrestricted Funding. If you are still relying on project grants that don't cover rent, you aren't independent—you're a subcontractor for the government.
- Reposted by Matt Parreira🤍
- We are seeing a massive shift in 'Authentic Influence' for 2026. Donors don't want polished PR anymore. They want to see the messy, real work. How are you showing your actual impact this year? (Hint: It’s not a PDF).
- On #HumanRightsDay, let’s talk about the silent rights crisis in the non-profit sector. The 2025 Budget focuses on 'Canada Strong' (defense/housing) but ignores the social safety net that actually keeps communities strong. If we don't fund operations, we don't have human rights protection.
- This video is such an eye opener. I wonder why HSBC backed out of this cash machine. Canada is a lawless land when it comes to businesses. There's no stopping them from fleecing us, be it groceries, banks or telecom. 5 companies, all own everything that's supposedly public good.
- Finally. 🇨🇦 5,000 spots for foreign doctors already working here to get fast-tracked PR. This is about workforce efficiency in healthcare. We have thousands of trained professionals while ERs close. Next step: Let’s fix the licensure bottleneck so the next 5,000 don't get stuck in limbo.
- Reposted by Matt ParreiraWhat I always hear: “We can’t afford to pay our workers more than $15 an hour.” What I never hear: “We can’t afford to pay our CEO millions of dollars a year.” Funny how that works.
- Equity isn't a department; it's an operating system. Whether it's a coworking space (my old life) or a government ministry, if the 'user experience' is designed only for the neurotypical and able-bodied, you are failing 20% of your audience by default.
- My feed has been 80% Higher Ed for a long time. I’m trying to follow more folks in Government Innovation and Green Tech. If that’s you (or someone you admire), say hi. 👋
- Hypothetical: You are given $5M in government funding to fix one thing in your community. You cannot spend it on 'consultants.' Where does the money go? I’m putting mine into accessible childcare spaces
- I’m currently navigating a career pivot, and it’s clarifying what matters: Purpose + Pension + People. The 'hustle culture' of the 2010s is dead. The 2026 vibe is 'Sustainable Impact.' Anyone else feeling a shift in what they want from their 9-to-5?
- Reposted by Matt ParreiraThe bottom 90% lost a collective $79 trillion in wages over the past 50 years. Why? Because the top 1% ate up an increasingly larger share of the national income — so that $79 trillion flowed to them instead of the working class. The greatest trick of all is trickle-down economics.
- The best partnerships aren't about 'synergy' (ban that word). They are about solving a specific headache for your partner. Whether you are a government agency or a tech startup, if you can't name your partner's biggest headache in 30 seconds, you don't have a deal.
- Drafting ideas for a new project: Growthway Mentorship Network. The goal isn't just 'networking', it’s about accelerating social equity through access. If you’ve ever had a mentor change your trajectory, what was the one thing they did that mattered?
- Having worked in both hotel sales with Fairmont and EdTech partnerships at Riipen, I can tell you: The 'pitch' is different, but the need is the same. Everyone is terrified of risk. Innovation only happens when you create a container safe enough for a 'No.' 🧵 on building low-risk pilots
- In the public sector and higher ed, "Innovation" is a buzzword, but "Risk Mitigation" is the religion. Pitching a partnership to a government agency or university? Stop selling the "Transformation." Start selling the "Safety Net." 3-step framework for designing a Low-Risk Pilots. 👇
- Rule 1: Limit the Blast Radius. Never pitch a "Campus-Wide Rollout" or a "Ministry-Level Shift" on day one. Pitch a "Sandbox." "We will test this with 15 students/users for 45 days." Bureaucracy can digest a 6-week experiment. It chokes on a 5-year contract.
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View full threadThe goal of a pilot isn't to "prove it works." It's to build the internal political capital your champion needs to sign the real contract later. You aren't selling software. You're selling your champion a win they can take to their boss. #Partnerships #GovTech #SocialInnovation
- One benefit of living in Barrie/Simcoe is seeing how policy actually hits the ground outside the Toronto bubble. The commute, the housing, the local support services, it’s all connected. We need more policy designed for this reality, not just downtown cores.
- I’m obsessing over 'Social Enterprise' models lately. The binary between 'for-profit' and 'non-profit' feels outdated for the problems we face in 2026. Who in Canada is blurring that line effectively right now?
- Watching the Ontario provincial guidelines. It’s fascinating how 'fiscal responsibility' often looks like 'deferred maintenance' on our social safety net. If we don't invest in people (healthcare, transit, OR education) now, the bill in 2030 will be astronomical.
- Made my own hot sauce recently. There is a precise moment between 'perfectly spicy' and 'inedible', a lesson that applies to almost every negotiation I’ve ever been in. 🌶️
