The Social Network: Finding community and connection
From left: Kris Alexander, Cyrus Cooper, Alexis Stackhouse
Social connection has never been more important or valued. Since the COVID-19 pandemic shutdowns, when millions of Canadians had to self-isolate or stay bubbled, more than ever people want to gather together.
Meet three Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) alumni who are leading the way for interaction and engagement, from research into the potential of video gaming to help solve real-life problems, to creating a platform for global networking and organizing one of Toronto’s most iconic, large-scale events. Whether the venue is in-person, virtual or online, these alumni are passionate about creating authentic human connection through shared experiences that help individuals feel they are part of a larger community.
Creating joy in those who play together
Kris Alexander, PhD
Media Production (MA) ’08
Professor, Toronto Metropolitan University
Known around the world as the “Professor of Video Games”, Kris Alexander is a renowned educator and authority on video game design and educational technology, and is himself a globally ranked gamer.
While he cautions that there can be negative aspects to video games, Alexander believes that the COVID-19 pandemic amplified video games in a more positive light, demonstrating gaming’s potential to create joy in those who play together. And while many of us experienced Zoom fatigue, gathering inside a virtual game continues to be a place of connection.
“Video games add an additional layer via interactivity, which is also connected to autonomy,” he said. “Meaning they are in charge of presenting the content themselves. There is a sort of empowerment when you’re able to receive feedback on your decisions quickly, and most times, instantly.”
As the director of The Red Bull Gaming Hub at TMU, Alexander explores how digital tools, AI and virtual reality can elevate gaming from entertainment to a means of solving real-life problems. He encourages his students to create games with the overarching mission of “Pixels with Purpose”.
“Pixels with Purpose speaks about designing games that care for others — making games that matter and that are designed to help humans, rather than focus on revenue,” he said.
While the perception is that gaming requires expensive equipment like a console or VR headset, Alexander notes that someone who isn’t tech-savvy can still be a gamer, even those who are traditionally offline, such as older-aged adults. He adds that choosing a game is similar to going to the library and asking a librarian for a recommended title, and that the breadth of games are as diverse as the players.
“There is not a single trade, job or discipline that doesn’t, in some way, connect to and through the video games industry.”
Looking for a free game? Kris Alexander suggests checking out Steam for 15,000+ free-to-play games (opens in new window) .
Hospitality as community builder
Cyrus Cooper
Hospitality & Tourism (BComm) ’09, Business Administration (MBA) ’21
CEO, The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair
Cyrus Cooper’s lifelong interest in hospitality started with family. “My passion for food and service came from my mother,” he said. “Watching her cook and entertain guests in our home laid the foundation.”
After leadership roles at Pusateri’s Fine Foods, the Granite Club, and Oliver & Bonacini Restaurants, Cooper was named CEO of The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair in 2024, the largest combined indoor agricultural fair and horse show in the world. While the event itself takes place over 10 days, it’s a year-round preparation that sees The Royal’s core team grow in size from 15, to more than 500 members and volunteers in the weeks leading up to November.
The scale of The Royal is incredible, and Cooper notes that in 2026, more than 275,000 guests and exhibitors are expected to be in attendance to view 2,500 beef and dairy cattle, and 900 horses for Olympic-level show jumping, eventing and dressage, as well as attending food demonstrations from Michelin-starred chefs. The Royal has been taking place at Toronto’s Exhibition Place since 1922, spread over 1 million square feet of space.
Cooper says that in an urban setting like Toronto, having an annual event like The Royal helps bring to life and celebrate the work of Canada’s farmers for those who might otherwise not have the opportunity. Each year, more than 12,000 elementary school students are welcomed in a class field trip to The Royal. “Our communities need to know where their food is coming from and the stories of the farmers who work so hard to produce our nature’s bounty,” he said.
For Cooper, who has maintained his community ties to TMU through serving on the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management Advisory Council and as President of the Ted Rogers Hospitality Alumni Association, The Royal is the epitome of what it means to connect.
“Connection to me means getting out of your comfort zone, and experiencing life through events with people you may or may not know.”
Like his mother, Cooper knows that careful attention to detail and passion for the very best is a path towards community building and creating a memorable shared experience.
The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair (external link, opens in new window) takes place November 6 to 15, 2026.
Technology as a catalyst for connection
Alexis Stackhouse
Media Production (MA) ’22; Business Administration (MBA) ’23
Founder, Global Elevation Network
The seeds for Global Elevation Network (GEN) were planted during Alexis Stackhouse’s time working on her MBA at TMU, and her interest in seeing how technology could be used not just to entertain people or keep them online, but to actually bring them together.
Stackhouse has always been curious about people, cultures and perspectives different from her own — including learning to speak Spanish, French and Mandarin, and travelling to 25 countries — and applied that inquisitiveness to creating GEN. The acronym is intentional, says Stackhouse, as “GEN gives us this idea of a generation of people who are increasingly global in how they live, work, communicate and build community.”
She describes the GEN platform as an AI-powered digital app with curated in-person experiences around the city. A person joins GEN online and creates a profile, sharing things like their background, interests, cultural ties and goals. During an event, the GEN platform uses that information to guide people into smaller conversation groups and help break the ice. “A lot of traditional networking puts all of the responsibility on the individual,” she said. “You have to figure out who to approach, how to introduce yourself and what to talk about.”
Stackhouse notes that the objective is designing an environment where people with different personalities, circumstances and comfort levels still have meaningful ways to participate and connect.
Choosing Toronto as GEN’s home base was a natural choice for Stackhouse, who was named a TMU Alumni Rising Star in 2026. “The city itself embodies so much of what we’re trying to build,” she said. “I also moved to Toronto for school, so there’s something full-circle about GEN beginning here. TMU gave me the environment to develop the original idea, and Toronto gave me a community diverse enough to actually test what that idea could become.”
Check out GEN — Global Elevation Network (external link, opens in new window) for more information.
