ABOUT ME
Hi, I’m Julia (she/her)
I use design thinking to help companies and organizations navigate their way to change. I engage stakeholders, help teams flourish, and promote equity by designing with people, rather than for people.
I believe in working from empathy and understanding. That’s why I use equity-centred design thinking as my approach. People are the experts on their own experiences, and the ones closest to a problem have the most to tell us.
In my work, I save the most prominent seat at the table for the people I'm designing for. As an ally, I strive to listen deeply to learn from their experiences and stories. I discover fresh knowledge. When building something new, especially for marginalized populations, my goal is to create trust.
I position myself in this work as a white, female settler, grateful to the Haudenosaunee and the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nations upon whose traditional territory (treaty 13a), I live and work.
​​My commitment to equity and to strengths-based approaches grows from my personal experiences. I’m a non-traditional learner and a single mom to twins who are also non-traditional learners. I’ve learned to flourish outside of the norm, and I teach my children how to do so.
I believe that other teams and individuals also thrive when they develop self-knowledge, receive tools that work the way they think and learn, and build on strengths. Thus I bring an individualized approach that helps people create their own better.
For over 15 years, I’ve used this approach to consult and lead teams. I help senior leaders across industries explore what matters to their people and to themselves, and use those discoveries to find new approaches to challenges. I hold an MBA in Global Business and a BA in Psychology.
I’ve worked for both private and public sectors, including for governments and the University of Toronto, where I lead the Innovation Hub a student-led consultancy for improving campus experiences. I have designed and led an experiential program for equity-centred design thinking, and I speak regularly at conferences.
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I am a co-author of a book entitled Design Thinking in Student Affairs, a TEDx Speaker and a LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® certified facilitator.
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Interested in working together?
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Let’s have an exploratory conversation. Fill out my contact form, and I’ll respond soon.​