J.P. Karwacki
National Creative Writer at Lemay- Claim this Profile
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French Professional working proficiency
Topline Score
Bio
Missy Frederick
I oversee J.P.'s work as both a guest editor and contributor for Eater Montreal. J.P. was quick to turn around breaking news, and excellent at meeting deadlines. He always volunteered to take on extra assignments as needed, and brought expertise and wit to his Montreal restaurant coverage. He's very responsive to edits, and open to feedback. I would be excited to work with him again.
Sasha Manoli
JP is a remarkable writer and an excellent team player. In an ever-changing environment he was quick to adapt and pivot to meet new goals. His background and skill set make him uniquely qualified.
Dave Calhoun
JP is a dedicated team player, a committed editor and a strong writer, and at Time Out Montreal he significantly grew an editorial brand from scratch in the city while also working closely with the start-up operation of Time Out Market Montreal – assisting with its creative development and curation while also directing the best way of communicating its offering to the growing Time Out audience in the city. Working with JP has been a pleasure and I happily recommend him.
Missy Frederick
I oversee J.P.'s work as both a guest editor and contributor for Eater Montreal. J.P. was quick to turn around breaking news, and excellent at meeting deadlines. He always volunteered to take on extra assignments as needed, and brought expertise and wit to his Montreal restaurant coverage. He's very responsive to edits, and open to feedback. I would be excited to work with him again.
Sasha Manoli
JP is a remarkable writer and an excellent team player. In an ever-changing environment he was quick to adapt and pivot to meet new goals. His background and skill set make him uniquely qualified.
Dave Calhoun
JP is a dedicated team player, a committed editor and a strong writer, and at Time Out Montreal he significantly grew an editorial brand from scratch in the city while also working closely with the start-up operation of Time Out Market Montreal – assisting with its creative development and curation while also directing the best way of communicating its offering to the growing Time Out audience in the city. Working with JP has been a pleasure and I happily recommend him.
Missy Frederick
I oversee J.P.'s work as both a guest editor and contributor for Eater Montreal. J.P. was quick to turn around breaking news, and excellent at meeting deadlines. He always volunteered to take on extra assignments as needed, and brought expertise and wit to his Montreal restaurant coverage. He's very responsive to edits, and open to feedback. I would be excited to work with him again.
Sasha Manoli
JP is a remarkable writer and an excellent team player. In an ever-changing environment he was quick to adapt and pivot to meet new goals. His background and skill set make him uniquely qualified.
Dave Calhoun
JP is a dedicated team player, a committed editor and a strong writer, and at Time Out Montreal he significantly grew an editorial brand from scratch in the city while also working closely with the start-up operation of Time Out Market Montreal – assisting with its creative development and curation while also directing the best way of communicating its offering to the growing Time Out audience in the city. Working with JP has been a pleasure and I happily recommend him.
Missy Frederick
I oversee J.P.'s work as both a guest editor and contributor for Eater Montreal. J.P. was quick to turn around breaking news, and excellent at meeting deadlines. He always volunteered to take on extra assignments as needed, and brought expertise and wit to his Montreal restaurant coverage. He's very responsive to edits, and open to feedback. I would be excited to work with him again.
Sasha Manoli
JP is a remarkable writer and an excellent team player. In an ever-changing environment he was quick to adapt and pivot to meet new goals. His background and skill set make him uniquely qualified.
Dave Calhoun
JP is a dedicated team player, a committed editor and a strong writer, and at Time Out Montreal he significantly grew an editorial brand from scratch in the city while also working closely with the start-up operation of Time Out Market Montreal – assisting with its creative development and curation while also directing the best way of communicating its offering to the growing Time Out audience in the city. Working with JP has been a pleasure and I happily recommend him.
Credentials
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Quebec Teaching License (Brevet)
Ministère de l'Éducation, du Loisir et du Sport- MELSJul, 2018- Nov, 2024 -
CELTA
University of CambridgeAug, 2015- Nov, 2024
Experience
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Lemay
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Canada
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Architecture and Planning
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200 - 300 Employee
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National Creative Writer
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Jan 2022 - Present
At this leading Canadian architecture and design firm, I'm telling the stories behind the design excellence of a transdisciplinary collective of designers, architects and researchers, offering strategic guidance to both an external brand voice and Lemay's internal comms as well as its research and design armature of FLDWRK. Working with a national marketing team, we come up with creative ways to portray who Lemay is and what Lemay does with curated materials. • Writing and editing copy for social media, websites, pitches, publications, editorials, awards & competitions, and more; • Writing copy for advertising, interactive and design projects, and for the firm in general; • Working collaboratively with creative teams; • Working on multiple projects under tight deadlines while producing exceptional outcomes; • Contributing to the constant evolution of Lemay’s creative product.
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Concordia University
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Canada
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Higher Education
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700 & Above Employee
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Instructor & Alumni News Contributor
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Jun 2022 - Present
At the Centre for Continuing Education at Concordia University, I'm a part-time instructor and subject-matter expert that teaches short-target courses and programs to help students find their passion and jump-start their careers. Teaching tasks include the preparation of asynchronous courses and course plans; the delivery of courses with interactive workshops, exercises, group discussions and assignments; evaluating student performance; grading student work and grade submission. When requested, I attend departmental meetings and attend professional development training activities related to the program. To date I've taught/I am teaching the following courses so far: - Travel Writing (CEJN 126) - Intro to Blogging (CEJN 144) I've also contributed semi-regularly to Concordia University's alumni news section, having interviewed amazing entrepreneurs, artists, directors, presidents, and more since 2021.
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Tourisme Montréal
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Canada
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Travel Arrangements
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100 - 200 Employee
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Contributing Writer
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Mar 2022 - Present
Contributing articles to the official Tourisme Montréal website on a variety of topics, from restaurants and bars to events and annual thematic guides, to support establishing the city as an urban vacation destination for travelers and an endlessly explorable place for local. Contributing articles to the official Tourisme Montréal website on a variety of topics, from restaurants and bars to events and annual thematic guides, to support establishing the city as an urban vacation destination for travelers and an endlessly explorable place for local.
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NUVO Magazine
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Canada
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Book and Periodical Publishing
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1 - 100 Employee
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Contributing Writer
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Mar 2018 - Present
Food, drink and lifestyle writing largely centered on Montreal, Quebec, and Canada. Food, drink and lifestyle writing largely centered on Montreal, Quebec, and Canada.
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Eater
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Online Audio and Video Media
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1 - 100 Employee
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Guest Editor & Contributor
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Jul 2016 - Jan 2023
• Writing journalism for Vox Media's media brand Eater, an online publication devoted to restaurant and culinary news. • Interviewing high profile individuals (chefs and restaurateurs from Montreal) for articles, and photography. • Creating engagement and evergreen content surrounding guidebooks and maps, news stories, restaurant openings, constructing and distributing newsletters, managing social media platforms. • Writing journalism for Vox Media's media brand Eater, an online publication devoted to restaurant and culinary news. • Interviewing high profile individuals (chefs and restaurateurs from Montreal) for articles, and photography. • Creating engagement and evergreen content surrounding guidebooks and maps, news stories, restaurant openings, constructing and distributing newsletters, managing social media platforms.
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Time Out Group plc
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United Kingdom
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Technology, Information and Internet
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300 - 400 Employee
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Editor at Time Out Montréal
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Jan 2019 - Dec 2021
• Creation, development, planning, upkeep and management of viral and SEO-optimized content for Time Out Montreal's overall creative, commercial and business goals across print, digital, social and video with journalistic integrity. • Freelancer headhunting, management, and feedback across content and translation teams—my leadership style focuses on nurturing writers' talents and specializations while fostering the potential in those just starting out. Managed as many as 25 writers at one time. • Budget management, social media channels (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram) and newsletter management via SaaS and Time Out's own CMS—all (a)typical editorial duties done with ownership, urgency and drive to create a space that saw as many as 300k+ unique visits monthly in less than a year of operation, 200k+ of unique visits monthly despite a pandemic with a newly-developed news division, and as much as 500k+ unique visits monthly in Q3 and Q4 months of 2021. • Provided curation, editorial support (think sponsored content that doesn't suck), marketing materials and ad copy for Time Out Market Montréal's initiatives ranging from the initial launch, messaging during the pandemic, and learning to live in a new world. Managed the Market's own website and contributed to PR processes that included photography, press releases, and boiler copy. • Contributed to RFPs on sponsored content for a variety of brands, from Guinness and Jameson to Coca-Cola.
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Montreal Gazette
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Canada
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Newspaper Publishing
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1 - 100 Employee
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Digital Reporter
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Mar 2021 - May 2021
Currently? Freelancing. Previously? 140 articles in three (3) months: Engagement-forward content for Montreal's only English-language daily publication, either to break news, reach new and established audiences in novel ways, or both. Working under the Gazette's editors, I pitched and developed ideas aimed at engaging readers, and oftentimes took an alternative approach to the subject matter I was working with. Generated story/feature ideas, wrote on deadlines to produce insightful coverage, A/B tested social copy; the works. Ask them about the significant boost in traffic they saw during my time there from nearly every story I filed.
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Static Media
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United States
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Internet Publishing
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300 - 400 Employee
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Feature Writer: Mashed
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Feb 2021 - May 2021
Claimed feature article topics from a large selection of assignments; researched, pitched, and wrote 1800 to 3000-word articles in Static Media's CMS from deadlines that ranged from one week to one day, depending on the topic and timeliness of the article. Followed guidelines of the style guide, editorial strategy and publishing standards to uphold quality of content. Claimed feature article topics from a large selection of assignments; researched, pitched, and wrote 1800 to 3000-word articles in Static Media's CMS from deadlines that ranged from one week to one day, depending on the topic and timeliness of the article. Followed guidelines of the style guide, editorial strategy and publishing standards to uphold quality of content.
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Frank And Oak
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Canada
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Apparel & Fashion
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100 - 200 Employee
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Freelance Contributor
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Jun 2018 - Dec 2018
I wrote about what I loved. Pieces I'm particularly proud of are (which you'll have to run these URLs through the Wayback Machine as F&O has since folded this section of their site)... the following history of the Aperol spritz: https://www.frankandoak.com/handbook/culture/history-aperol-spritz ...this piece on Restaurant A.A. in Montreal's Saint-Henri: https://www.frankandoak.com/handbook/culture/restaurant-aa-review ...this travel piece on Copenhagen: https://www.frankandoak.com/handbook/culture/copenhagen-city-guide ...and these interviews with David Schmidt and Adam Greenblatt: https://www.frankandoak.com/handbook/people/david-schmidt-interview https://www.frankandoak.com/handbook/people/adam-greenblatt-interview
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Amuse Agency
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Canada
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Advertising Services
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1 - 100 Employee
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Digital Strategy Associate & Copywriter
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Dec 2017 - Dec 2018
Portfolio includes copy and SEO for lifestyle, food, and technology brands; contributed work with social media curation, blogs, press kits, profiles, email campaigns & more. Developed leads, managed communities, and created plug-and-play platforms for long-term growth. Wrote progress and ROI reports, plus whitepapers. Portfolio includes copy and SEO for lifestyle, food, and technology brands; contributed work with social media curation, blogs, press kits, profiles, email campaigns & more. Developed leads, managed communities, and created plug-and-play platforms for long-term growth. Wrote progress and ROI reports, plus whitepapers.
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Cult #MTL
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Montreal, Canada Area
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Food Editor
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Jan 2015 - Dec 2018
• Writing journalistic pieces and critiques on tight deadlines for the Arts, Food and City sections in both print and online mediums. • Interviewing high profile individuals (including authors Heather O'Neill and Sean Michaels, chefs and restaurateurs from Montreal) for articles. • Applying extensive research via both the web and in-person interviews. • Copyediting experience for monthly print editions and partaking in distribution. • Planning and approving assignments for writers; scheduling and the enforcement of deadlines.
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Satay Brothers
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Montreal, Canada Area
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Cook
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Jun 2015 - Dec 2016
Full-time cook of southeast Asian cuisine under chef Matt Winnicki and sous-chef Cedric Fong. This is one of the last hospitality jobs I juggled that I'm the most proud of, but if you want to know more about my 15 years working lines, doing dishes, bartending, and bussing tables? Just ask! Full-time cook of southeast Asian cuisine under chef Matt Winnicki and sous-chef Cedric Fong. This is one of the last hospitality jobs I juggled that I'm the most proud of, but if you want to know more about my 15 years working lines, doing dishes, bartending, and bussing tables? Just ask!
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Argo Bookshop
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Montreal, Canada Area
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Co-Owner
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Nov 2011 - Jun 2015
• Inventory management • Retail book sales • Managing staff • Public relations via social media platforms • Scheduling events & coordinating reading series; • Managing website and developing content through Wordpress (argobookshop.ca); • Acting as sales representative at events and trade fairs; • Bookkeeping; • Legal research for municipal and provincial bylaws The position required extensive knowledge of the publishing industry both in North America and abroad, as well as catering to authors and authors’ needs (accommodation, publicity, tours).
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Education
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2018 - 2018
Concordia University
Master of Arts - MA, Educational/Instructional Technology -
2016 - 2017
McGill University
Master of Arts - MA, Secondary Education and Teaching -
2015 - 2015
University of Cambridge
CELTA - Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults, Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language/ESL Language Instructor -
2006 - 2011
Concordia University
Bachelor’s Degree, Creative Writing & English Literature -
2002 - 2006
Canterbury High School
High School, Literary Arts
Community
