About Laura

I’m a facilitator, coach, innovation consultant and researcher with more than a decade of experience working with public and private sector teams, nonprofits, and communities with lived experience. Together we build the skills, mindsets, and resilience needed to navigate complexity and shape more just, inclusive futures.

Grounded in human-centered design, equity-centred approaches, trauma-informed practice, and using innovation methodologies like Design Thinking, Lean Startup, and Participatory Design, I support people and organizations to uncover painful problems, imagine solutions, and build what’s next.

My consulting work includes community engagement, co-design, strategic planning, corporate innovation, and venture building—mobilizing human-centered design to create products, services, and solutions that are grounded in real needs and lived realities. Drawing on my practice as a coach, I help teams surface and build on their own institutional and sector knowledge, aligning their insights with the creative tools and frameworks needed to develop strategies that move them toward their goals.

Whether supporting teams through change, facilitating meaningful dialogue, or designing alongside communities, I create spaces where people feel safe enough to be honest, supported enough to take risks, and resourced enough to imagine what’s possible.

Credentials and Experience

Laura holds a Master of Design in Digital Futures from OCAD University. She helped to shape Highline BETA’s early bootcamp and venture building programs and supported leading Canadian organizations during her tenure at Doblin, a Deloitte company, and SHS Inc, a national leader in affordable housing innovation. She is a certified flow coach and trained as a creativity coach under Dr. Eric Maisel, one of the world's leading authorities on the creative life. Early in her career, Laura worked as a financial journalist covering the 2008 financial crisis in London UK and later working as a live news producer for BNN Bloomberg.

Laura has spent her career learning to find the human story inside complex systems. From telling the stories of financial markets to working with innovation labs, venture builders, and non-profit organizations, the question has always been the same: what is the real story here, and what becomes possible when we communicate to the people with the power to make change?

Testimonials

  • “ What sets Laura apart is her ability to listen deeply, offer thoughtful advice, and guide complex discussions with clarity and respect. She is a true ally—genuine, intentional, and invested in supporting communities in achieving housing justice and equality. Her ability to foster collaboration while providing sound strategic direction has made a lasting impact on both our team and our community. We are incredibly grateful for Laura's contributions and look forward to more opportunities to work together. If you’re looking for expertise combined with authenticity and impact, I highly recommend Laura.”

    ~ Curtis Whiley, Founder & President,
    Upper Hammonds Plains Community Land Trust

  • "I had the pleasure of working with Laura during the Peterborough Housing Corporation's strategic planning process. She led our community and board engagement with skill, empathy, and creativity. Laura has a true gift for designing inclusive consultation processes that bring diverse voices. Together and turn that input into meaningful strategic direction. Her authentic style, insight, and collaborative approach made this experience both productive and inspiring. I'd recommend Laura to any organization looking to lead authentic, community-driven planning work. "

    ~ Travis Doak, CEO, Peterborough Housing Corporation

  • "I am happy to recommend Laura for her exceptional work in stakeholder engagement during our recent visioning exercise. Laura's strategic insights and dedication were invaluable as she skillfully navigated diverse stakeholder landscapes, ensuring all voices were heard and considered. Her ability to facilitate open and constructive dialogue not only fostered a collaborative environment but also enriched our understanding of the community's needs and desires. Laura's professionalism, coupled with her genuine passion for enhancing care services, inspired confidence and trust among stakeholders. Her energy and contribution were instrumental in aligning our plans with the aspirations of those we serve, paving the way for a successful and inclusive outcome."

    ~ Marianne Klein, CEO, Shalom Village

  • "Laura is a compassionate, well informed and skilled team leader and colleague. Laura demonstrates her eagerness to learn, support and speak as a committed ally of Indigenous people, communities and initiatives. Always personable and prepared to lead meetings towards achieving success, I found myself impressed with her enthusiasm and energy - a pleasure to have worked with her!"

    ~ Stacey Vincent Cress, Indigenous Relations and Engagement, Serco Canada

  • "I thoroughly enjoyed working with Laura on the housing strategy for the District of Nipissing Social Services Administration Board. Laura is a beacon of positive energy, and it is contagious! Laura’s approach is jovial and engaging. Her kindness and compassion shine through consistently. Laura has great listening skills and outstanding strategic abilities. Connecting the dots between housing and the environment, as she does, puts her at the top of the class. I hope I have the chance to work with Laura again."

    ~ Donna Mayer, Manager of Project Development,
    District of Nipissing Social Services Administration Board

  • "Laura's time at Highline Beta was spent working on a variety of projects and juggling multiple priorities. She did everything incredibly well, with determination and creativity. She put a great deal of effort into delivering amazing work for our clients and contributing to the overall team culture and spirit of the company. She was proactive and always willing to jump in and help colleagues and clients with anything they needed.

    Her structural know-how of innovation systems, coupled with a willingness to "roll with things" was critical to delivering great value on the work she did."

    ~ Ben Yoskovitz, Founding Partner, Highline Beta

  • "I met Laura while participating in RBCx - an internal innovation challenge at the bank. Laura, with Highline Beta, led a week-long bootcamp on design thinking and lean startup. This was my first introduction to this style of research/development and Laura made it accessible and fun. Laura was always available for ongoing support through the nine-week program and my team leaned on her skills and experience greatly. It was a pleasure working with Laura and I hope our paths cross again soon!"

    ~ Jill Garner, Product Lead, RBC Ventures

  • "Laura brings passion and purpose to everything that she takes on. She blends integrity, creativity, logic, and planning-based skill sets across the spectrum of the design process which makes her an integral partner for both our client and venture initiatives. Her capacity was particularly on display through the leadership role she quickly developed for our Kids X Tech community of which she was an integral leader & champion."

    ~ Jason Goodman, Founder and CEO, Goodman & Company

Recent Projects

Innovation and Strategy

  • Daniel J. Brant and Associates, First Nations National Housing Playbook, CMHC Solutions Lab (2026)

  • Camp Big Canoe, Five Year Strategic Plan (2026)

  • Blue Door, Construct Expansion Program, Phase 2 - Pilot Testing (2025)

  • UJA of Greater Toronto, Affordable Housing Strategy (2025)

  • Peterborough Housing Corporation, Five Year Strategic Plan (2025)

  • Birch Housing, Five-Year Strategic Plan (2024)

  • Upper Hammonds Plains Community Land Trust, Driving Transformation: The Power of Land Trusts in African Nova Scotian Communities, CMHC Solutions Lab(2024)

  • Shalom Village, LTC Development Feasibility Study - Visioning (2024)

  • Blue Door, Pearson Airport Homelessness Training (2024)

  • Blue Door, Construct Expansion Program, Phase 1 – Program Design (2024)

  • Serco Canada, Employment Services Transformation: Kitchener-Waterloo-Barrie(2023)

  • R8DIUS,Indigenous Employment Experience Design (2023)

  • Deloitte Canada, Internal Innovation – Digital Business Building (2022)

Facilitation and Training

  • Canadian Housing and Renewal Association, Member Engagement Activities, Congress 2024 (2024)

  • Deloitte Global, Generative AI 101 Learning Modules (2023)

  • Deloitte University, CDx, Problem Framing Seminar (2023)

  • OCADU, Innovation Strategy Workshop (2023)

  • IPAC, Equity Centred Design 101 (2022)

  • Shell Canada, HCD Training (2022)

Community Engagement - Policy Development

  • City of Windsor and County of Essex, Windsor-Essex Regional Affordable Housing Strategy (2024)

  • District of Nipissing Social Services Administration Board, Housing Needs and Supply Study (2023-2024)

  • Akoma Holdings, African Nova Scotian Housing Strategy (2023)