Mo Dhaliwal

My life has been a rabbit hole of curiosity and good intentions. Early in my career when I worked as a software developer, my curiosity overlapped nicely with market demands, providing me with a career path and decent living. Later, when I started a Bhangra festival in Vancouver, my curiosities didn’t earn me a living but expanded my understanding of people and systems.

Over the past 15 years, I’ve worked in traditional advertising, technology, and non-profit governance. Throughout this, I’ve had a passion for seeing change in the world around me, beginning with my own community. I used arts and cultural programs to attempt a type of social engineering in Vancouver, to create space for myself and others like me. As a result, I’m often invited to speak on the topics of race, multiculturalism, and inclusion, drawing on my own experiences of being born and raised in Canada and having to negotiate my identity. My work in the arts led to some notable recognitions such as the national Arnold Edinborough Award and the very colonial Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal.

I’ve spent the last 6 years building Skyrocket, a digital agency that works with startups and social impact organizations. Our one mandate is to amplify the impact of those we work with. In execution, we harness technology to architect graceful and resourceful solutions for our clients. In strategy, we approach branding as a spiritual exercise for corporations. We help our clients journey to the center of their organizational “self”, to embrace the vision and values that exist in that shared space and bring alignment between their own team members and public audiences. Our work is most powerful when we encounter clients that can achieve the vulnerability required to have authentic conversations. I enjoy working with people, listening deeply to uncover the many “whys” that motivate, inspire and, occasionally, obstruct their work. My greatest passion lies in building things to realize the potential of people and their own ideas.