At TNC, our goal is to help organizations and communities generate the information, tools, and resources they need to improve their work and create strategic change. At TNC, we believe that:
- Information should be useful and should inspire clear actions
- We share responsibility in the change process.
- Complex social issues require collective action. Our projects build meaningful connections between individuals, organizations, and communities.
Each member of our team brings unique strengths to achieving that shared goal.
Our Full-Time Staff
I am a social researcher, program evaluator and facilitator with more than 20 years experience. Jason and I started Taylor Newberry Consulting because we wanted to help organizations translate evidence into insight and action. For us, that means building strong, collaborative working relationships with our clients, and designing our projects to be rigorous while also being action-focused and accessible. I often work with grantmakers and collaborative planning tables in the public benefit sector, helping them set the stage for more meaningful evaluation work and better evidence based planning. I also work on a number of anti-poverty and food security projects.
In addition to my role as principal consultant at TNC, I am also an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Guelph, where I teach program evaluation. As Resident Evaluation Expert at the Ontario Nonprofit Network, I frequently blog on issues related to evaluation in the sector. I have a Ph.D. in social and developmental psychology from the University of Guelph.
Connect with Andrew on LinkedIn.
Read Andrew’s writing for the Ontario Nonprofit Network.
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I am a co-founder and principal consultant here at Taylor Newberry Consulting. After receiving my Ph.D. in Applied Social Psychology from the University of Guelph, I set out to apply my new skills and knowledge in community based research, program evaluation, and community interventions. I was passionate about several areas of work, particularly mental health and addictions, disability rights and supports, and general issues of social justice and social equality. Its been 20 years since these early days and I am fortunate to have worked on over a hundred different projects ranging from small local program evaluations to large and complex systems evaluations, and many things in between. I’m still heavily involved in mental health and disability rights but have expanded my work into early childhood development, youth engagement, housing and homelessness, food security, cultural diversity, and many other areas. I’m still learning and thriving on tackling new and complex issues about how people and communities attain health, wellness, and positive growth. In the past 8 or so years, my focus has noticeably changed, as have the projects at TNC. I find myself doing much more work in systems analysis and design, by helping organizational partnerships, government, and communities identify ways in which to arrange and deliver more integrated, coordinated, and responsive services and supports. Now more than ever, what we call “research” has evolved into a much deeper and more meaningful process of community engagement, knowledge sharing, and systemic change.
Connect with Jason on LinkedIn.
Karla is a Senior Research Consultant at Taylor Newberry Consulting, where she has worked on over 30 community-based research projects with organizations across Canada. She finds it incredibly rewarding to use her skills in research and facilitation to build organizational capacity through learning and promote “aha” moments for clients about their programs and initiatives. Drawing on knowledge and skills she has gained over the past 6 years in the field, she has extensive experience facilitating workshops about evaluation design and practice for non-profits. In the process she has learned a tremendous amount about how non-profit organizations and systems function in the social service world.
She is committed to forming strong working relationships with non-profit organizations and their staff, and she devotes considerable time to getting to know programs, organizational context, and all of the stakeholders involved. She employs a collaborative and participatory approach with organizations to make sure that projects will meet their needs and generate evidence that can inform action. She has led projects at the national and local level on topics related to poverty reduction, food security, aging, mental health, and youth engagement. She recently completed her Ph.D. in Applied Social Psychology at the University of Guelph.
Connect with Karla on LinkedIn
I am passionate about promoting community well-being through processes that foster participant empowerment and build agency capacity. Through my experience working in community settings and my education in the Community Psychology Masters program at Wilfrid Laurier University, I have developed a set of competencies that I bring to my work at TNC. Before starting with TNC, I had the pleasure of working with schools to develop promotion of child and youth mental health; I worked in the housing and homelessness sector helping agencies align their approaches with a Housing First model of service delivery; and I explored youth leadership to promote grassroots environmental action-taking and build municipal capacity to empower youth as leaders. Through this work, I developed an ethical and reflective practice that I draw on to carry out community-centered research and program development.
Since joining the TNC team, I have focused on listening to and engaging our clients in learning processes. I have been consistently rewarded by my work with Taylor Newberry Consulting and look forward to continuing to share the excitement of exploring methods with my colleagues, as well as learning the unique perspectives of our clients through local and national level projects.
Connect with Laine on LinkedIn
Vashisht is a Research Consultant at Taylor Newberry Consulting, where he is currently working on projects in the arts and non-profit sectors. He is passionate about using empirical research and evaluation methodologies to help clients improve the effectiveness of their initiatives and programs. He particularly enjoys working on program implementation, outcome and impact evaluations, in community and non-profit contexts. He believes that helping improve such initiatives to build stronger, more inclusive and sustainable communities is a professional extension of his personal commitment to the principles of egalitarianism and social justice.
Vashisht has over 3 years of experience working on diverse applied research and evaluation projects, including evaluations of post-secondary admissions processes, and community well-being initiatives. He is proficient in utilizing both quantitative and qualitative research methods, in order to produce useful and actionable results for organizations and the communities that they serve. He has a collaborative and empathic consulting style, and diligently focuses on building rapport with non-profit organizations and their staff. Vashisht is working on further honing his facilitation and knowledge dissemination skills, and is eager to help organizations build their evaluation capacity through workshops, coaching and other learning exercises.
He graduated in 2018 with a Master’s degree in Social Psychology, from Ryerson University. His research thesis explored prejudice and discrimination towards religious and diet-based minorities (Sikhs and vegans/vegetarians).
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Connect with Vashisht on LinkedIn
Our Part Time Staff and Associates
Ben Liadsky. Ben is an Evaluation Consultant with TNC. He has previously worked on projects related to organizational learning and evaluation, the state of evaluation in Ontario’s nonprofit sector, and the Ontario Nonprofit Network’s Sector Driven Evaluation Strategy. In addition, he previously taught the Policy and Program Evaluation course as part of Carleton University’s Masters of Philanthropy and Nonprofit Leadership program. Ben also works at The Counselling Foundation of Canada as their Program Manager.
Connect with Ben on LinkedIn.
Cassandra is a community-based Co-Researcher at Taylor Newberry Consulting. She is currently leading data collection for the Market Greens program evaluation in Midland, Ontario. Market Greens is a pilot initiative led by Community Food Centres Canada that is intended to increase access to, and consumption of, affordable fruits and vegetables at local produce markets by providing fruit and vegetable subsidies to eligible families over 20 weeks. As part of the evaluation, Cassandra connects with families on a regular basis to talk about their experiences with the program, and the impact it is having on their lives.
Cassandra is also the Indigenous Program Assistant at Chigamik Community Health Center which is a non-profit organization that strives to support clients in a holistic approach. She facilitates programs and ceremonies that are connected to the Indigenous peoples within her community, supports the mental health team, and works at the Miijim Market every Monday. During her work on the Market Greens evaluation she has learned that evaluation of programs is crucial when it comes to promoting success, and has applied what she has learned through the evaluation to making changes at the Miijim Market. She has completed her Social Service Worker diploma at Fleming College and is currently enrolled in the Bachelors of Social work at Lakehead University.
Jen is a community researcher with Taylor Newberry Consulting. She works alongside the Local Community Food Center in Stratford collecting evaluation data for the Market Greens program. The Market Greens Program provides access to fresh fruits and vegetables through the community access market at the Local Community Food Center, to eligible families with young children. Jen works with families in the Stratford area and connects with them regularly to talk about their health, consumption of fruits and vegetables, and experiences at the community access market.
Jen has been involved with many organizations throughout the Stratford area and finds it most rewarding to be able to work with people in the community. Over the past year working with TNC Jen has established connections with over 100 families in the community, while also learning how a sense of community and access to fresh produce affects the health of young families.
Jen is a second year Office Administration Executive student at Fanshawe College.
I am a 23 year old Algerian woman born and residing in Toronto, Ontario. I currently work in the mental health sector, whilst completing my undergraduate degree at the University of Toronto. My current work focuses on youth engagement, particularly working with the Ontario Centre of Excellence for Child and Youth Mental Health in multiple advising capacities. I am also part of CAMH’s PSSP Lived Experience & Family Advisory Panel, and I am a co-researcher with Taylor Newberry Consulting on the YWHO Integrated Youth Service Sites project. I plan to pursue a Masters of Social Work, with a focus in providing accessible mental health and addictions services to marginalized and underrepresented communities.
I have co-founded two art groups with the intention of using art as an avenue of healing and growth from past trauma. I am a trauma survivor and a person with lived experience. I write poetry which explores themes of domestic abuse, mental illness, and modern day romance. I am passionate about authentic intersectionality, accessibility, and meaningful youth engagement.
Brandi is a passionate mental health supporter who advocates for community-based, family centred care for children, youth and families in Ontario. She brings her expertise as a Family Engagement Specialist with Parents for Children’s Mental Health and works in partnership with the Ontario Centre of Excellence for Child and Youth Mental Health to support the child and youth mental health sector in Ontario. She brings her lived-experience in navigating the Child and Youth Mental Health system to many Ministry-led initiatives, policy-ready papers, mental health resources and sits on the board of directors for Keystone Child, Youth and Family Services and Frayme. She is determined to see youth and family engagement be the driver to ensuring quality within the Child and Youth Mental Health sector.
Brandi is also a mother of four, has a background in public relations, marketing and advertising and runs a family-operated farm with her husband in beautiful Bruce County, ON.
I am a passionate learner, ocean wave appreciator, jamming violinist, free thinker, risk-taker, embracing yogi, mental health advocate, aspiring social entrepreneur, and presence enthusiast. I am currently studying International Development and Globalization with a Minor in Management at the University of Ottawa. I have worked in business development at Greenspace in Toronto and Neeuro in Singapore, both tech startups focusing on innovating our approach to mental health services. I am involved in youth mental health initiatives on campus and in the community and I am passionate about the research I get to contribute to at TNC. Mental health affects us all, both directly and indirectly. Having the opportunity to take part in the creation of sound tools and evaluation frameworks to understand and improve family and youth engagement with mental health services has been a learning experience and honour. I enjoy the collaboration, challenges, and ideas that rise when working with the TNC team on this project and I look forward to what we further create!
Hey! I’m Isabella Li—Grade 11 IB Student, health nerd, and reader. I’m totally obsessed with holistic health and student well-being. I am contributing to the YWHO Integrated Youth Service Sites project because I’m deeply worried about the mental health crisis. I’ve witnessed it first-hand from people I care about. I believe in a paradigm shift in the conversation on and offline about failure and the glamorization of social media. I’m not good at listening, and I know many youth my age are likely to resist partaking in research. I hope my perspective and feedback will help to make research more coherent and engaging for youth!
First and foremost, I identify as a family member with lived experience caring for loved ones living with mental health issues. I am passionate about bringing people with diverse perspectives and experiences together to collaborate and innovate to achieve shared goals.I believe the greatest strides are made when the inherent value and complexity of human lives and experiences are acknowledged through whole person approaches.
Since 2014, I have primarily been involved in child and youth mental health, supporting and advocating for children, youth and families in community-based services. As Family Engagement Lead at Lynwood Charlton Centre, Hamilton’s Lead Agency for child and youth mental health, I help bring family members and service providers together to improve the local children’s mental health system through collaboration and co-development. I have been involved with several initiatives related to youth and family engagement through the Ontario Centre of Excellence for Child and Youth Mental Health, including an advisory tasked with developing provincial quality standards for family engagement. I have also brought the family member perspective to two phases of the Youth Wellness Hubs Ontario initiative, first as a family reviewer of early proposals and currently as a family co-researcher with Taylor Newberry Consulting on the “YWHO Integrated Youth Service Sites” project. As a participant in research studying services for transition-aged youth, I developed a keen interest in co-production models, including Experience-Based Co-Design, which has positively influenced my engagement work with youth and families. The broad range of projects I have been involved with has strengthened my belief in the exponential impact of integrated models that are collaboratively designed, leveraging the unique perspectives and knowledge of service participants, providers, researchers and more.
In my personal life, I love to spend time with my family and our rescued Basset hounds, read novels that make me think and ride my bike on country roads and through muddy trails. I am also a volunteer leader with our local chapter of Parents for Children’s Mental Health.