Research & Consulting

The most important voices are often left out.

The people who are closest to the issue, whether they are:

• the folx most impacted
• the people delivering the service
• or those working to implement change

are not always meaningfully included in the process.

Decisions get made in silos.

And while that’s common, it’s also inefficient and costly.
It affects how something is experienced and whether it achieves its intended goals.

This gap calls for a more coordinated and integrated approach.

I offer research and consulting that helps you learn directly from the people you serve and use that to guide what comes next.

This process begins with how we approach the asking.

Engaging people as partners from the start shapes not only how questions are asked, but what gets asked in the first place.

With a focus on lived experience, participants move from respondents to partners, creating a more collaborative process and stronger outcomes.

Here are some of the ways we can work together:

• survey design
• interviews
• focus groups
• analysis
• participatory approaches such as Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR/PAR)

Participatory approaches involve those closest to the issue in shaping questions, interpreting what emerges, and informing next steps. This deepens relevance and strengthens alignment from the beginning.

Surveys are often overlooked, underutilized, or poorly designed. This limits what you’re able to learn.

When questions are unclear, too many, or disconnected from people’s experiences, participation drops and responses become less useful.

I design surveys that:

• are clear and easy to navigate
• feel relevant to the people taking them
• invite thoughtful responses

So you can see:

• where your programs are succeeding
• where they are not
• and where to focus next

I facilitate interviews and focus groups that create space for people to share openly and honestly.

This includes working with:

• youth
• parents and caregivers
• educators and school staff
• service providers
• community members
• people directly impacted by the issue

What matters most is both who is included and how the space is held.

People are more likely to share openly when they feel:

• respected
• at ease
• able to speak freely

It’s not uncommon for someone to say,
“I’ve never told anyone this, but…”

This is often where something important begins to emerge that hasn’t been named before.

These moments can reveal where small adjustments can create meaningful, positive impact. Identifying these leverage points is a core part of my approach.

In group settings, hearing another person name a shared experience can shift how people understand their own experiences and what feels possible moving forward. In this way, the process itself begins the change.

I’m intentional about how these spaces are held. It’s what allows trust to build and for people to share openly.

I analyze what’s shared and interpret it into something you and your team can use.

This includes:

• themes and patterns across experiences
• grounded understanding of what’s being described
• clear, actionable recommendations
• executive summaries and full reports
• de-identified quotes that illustrate key experiences and bring the findings to life

All while protecting the identity of participants, which is essential for gathering honest and useful information.