Torpey to Speak at Social Media Week in NYC on Thursday

After , South Orange Village President Alex Torpey knows a thing or two about to accomplish something.  That is why Torpey will be one of the featured speakers for Social Media Week this year.

Torpey’s event, “Rethinking Leadership: How a new generation of tools is empowering a new generation of leaders”, will be held at John Jay College on Thursday, February 16, 2012 at 6 p.m.  According to a statement, Torpey, who also owns and operates a new media and digital strategies company called Veracity Media, will lead a discussion on the tools that helped him get elected and, what he believes, will help usher in a new generation of younger and less partisan political leadership.

“In the past year we’ve seen young people use social media and online organizing to create movements that have helped topple dictatorial governments,” said Torpey.  “Most recently, online organizing helped shape a major national policy issue surrounding piracy and online rights with SOPA and PIPA.”

Torpey will address what he believes to be four unique stages in the development of a social movement: the informational stage, the inspirational stage, the action stage, and the sustaining stage.  Torpey believes that information and knowledge leads to inspiration, which leads to young people making the choice to run for office and work towards a better and more transparent government.  Understanding how and what tools are available at each of those stages - and further improving them - is what Torpey feels to be critical to bringing about new leadership.

“The media landscape has changed tremendously in the past decade in a way that makes online fundraising, outreach and advocacy much more accessible and cost-effective,” said Torpey.  “The new generation of political leadership is going to be the iTunes to the record labels and I want to help make sure younger generations know the power of the tools that are now available to them.”

Readers can learn more about Torpey’s presentation, other Social Media Week events and how to register for free at their website.