We partner with organizations facing complex, high-stakes human challenges.

The Challenge
A major Canadian bank wanted to understand why colleagues with disabilities were disclosing at low rates and leaving at higher ones — despite strong commitments to accessibility and inclusion.

What Was Misunderstood
The problem was initially framed as procedural: a lack of awareness, unclear accommodation pathways, or administrative friction. But for many colleagues, the barrier was not the process itself — it was the fear of what disclosure might reveal about their future at the bank.

What We Uncovered
Inclusion was inconsistent and fragile, shaped overwhelmingly by individual managers. When support hinged on personal discretion rather than systemic reliability, colleagues felt unsafe. Disclosure carried real perceived risks: stigma, judgment, exclusion from opportunities, and stalled careers. In the absence of visible PWD leadership, silence often felt safer than asking for help.

The Impact
Our work reframed the challenge as a cultural and leadership issue — not a procedural one. Insights informed enterprise-level strategy, manager capability-building, and executive action aimed at strengthening psychological safety, trust, and meaningful inclusion across the organization.

The Challenge
A major Canadian bank needed to understand how clients with variable-rate mortgages were experiencing the rapid interest-rate hikes of 2022–2023 — especially those entering negative amortization as debt quietly grew. With rising external scrutiny and concerns about potential reputational and regulatory fallout, leaders needed clarity fast.

What Was Misunderstood
Leaders saw the issue as financial strain or unclear communication. In reality, clients felt blindsided, unsupported, and exposed to unexpected risk, raising internal concern about reputational and regulatory fallout.

What We Uncovered
The real breakdown was human. Borrowers felt abandoned in a moment of vulnerability. Rising balances triggered fear, frustration, and a sharp erosion of trust.

The Impact
Our work reframed the issue from product mechanics to human experience — informing product redesign, proactive support models, and leadership decisions during a high-stakes moment.

The Challenge
A national retailer needed to understand how Canadians define and live health & wellness today — and why existing brand propositions were failing to resonate. The rise of “functional foods,” shifting trust cues, and a growing desire for balance created urgency to re-ground strategy in real lives.

What Was Misunderstood
Wellness was assumed to be aspirational — about goals, optimization, and discipline. In reality, Canadians were building simple systems to stay “good enough,” seeking steadiness rather than peak performance.

What We Uncovered
Health had become a daily loop between mind and body. Canadians designed routines that regulated energy, focus, and calm — with “natural,” “real,” and “credible” cues driving trust. Wellness was lived, not chased.

The Impact
Our work reframed the opportunity from “help people achieve health” to “help people stay in balance” — shaping brand positioning, innovation priorities, and messaging frameworks across the retailer’s wellness portfolio.

The Challenge
A major Canadian bank needed to understand why new chequing clients were closing their accounts within the first year — despite strong acquisition performance. Leaders lacked visibility into the human drivers of early attrition and feared that small failures were compounding into broader trust and retention issues.

What Was Misunderstood
Early exits were seen as price-driven or promotional churn. In reality, clients were pushed away by unmet expectations, preventable breakdowns, and a task-focused service model that delivered the transaction but not the relationship.

What We Uncovered
Short-term attritors weren’t leaving over big failures — they were leaving over small ones that no one repaired. Missed follow-ups, broken promises, inflexible systems, unresolved issues, and punitive fees all signaled that the bank wasn’t invested in their long-term value.

The Impact
Our work reframed attrition from a pricing problem to a relationship problem — shaping a three-phase roadmap focused on frontline empowerment, consistent follow-up, modernized infrastructure, and relationship-led onboarding