inspiring hope
GROUNDSWELL
Our business is from repeat clients and referrals. We are known for the warmth with which we guide our clients to see problems clearly, make informed decisions about the future and make transformation attainable. With a process that ensures curiosity and open minds, we identify stakeholder needs, reveal underlying issues and design a roadmap for your success. We can help you:
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Articulate your values, vision and purpose
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Imagine new futures through service design
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Develop inclusive strategies
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Build trust amongst teams and set the foundation for change
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Create culture that resonates in today's context
Groundswell is a boutique firm that serves clients committed to making a positive impact. For every project we right size our team; whether it’s a six-month project aimed at driving radical systems change, or smaller initiatives that build new team capabilities, or working directly with our founder Ruth Silver as an advisor, we are here to help you clarify challenges and define a strategic path forward. If our clients have one thing in common, it’s that they challenge the status quo in pursuit of meaningful change.
SERVICES
1. INSIGHTS & ETHNOGRAPHIC RESEARCH
We dive into people’s lives, engaging in their worlds to truly understand their needs and aspirations. This goes beyond data collection—our ethnographic approach reveals the unseen, uncovering insights that can transform how you support those you serve. We translate these findings into strategies that inspire real, context-rich innovative solutions.
Not for profit: Let's Talk Science
In the spring of 2021 we hired 100 high school student researchers across Canada to interview their friends about climate action. From 848 interviews, their findings suggested that we haven't created ways for teens to participate in climate action that didn't feel like punishment. More than anything else, young people want a positive experience, one that is social, ongoing, experiential, nature-based and aligned with their life goals.
2. Futures & service design
We design services that feel human and connected, reflecting our clients' values. Through co-creation and prototyping, we explore “what ifs,” helping you adapt to change with intuitive experiences based in rigorous, highly credible research. Our approach ensures every touchpoint meets the needs of the people you serve and your goals.
Government: ServiceOntario
In an effort to better understand bundled life-event digital government UX, we led 56 ethnographic interviews with diverse youth across Ontario; including LGBTQ2SIA, northern, racialized and people with disabilities. Our recommended future state services imagined ways to build reciprocal relationships between young people and government and reimagined what the process of becoming a driver, applying for post-secondary education, and getting a photo health card.
3. Strategic planning
Strategic planning with us means discovering what truly matters. Together, we reflect, collaborate, and set purpose-driven goals. With tools like scenario planning, we help you navigate uncertainty and define your direction. Our inclusive approach engages your community, ensuring a shared vision for your organization’s future.
Education: Hamilton Wentworth District School Board
After the pandemic, 7500 staff, 55,000 students and their families were feeling exhausted, and let down by the education system. New leadership wanted a new approach to ensure an anti-racist, anti-oppression, trauma informed, participatory approach to engage with youth and equity-deserving communities. Groundswell led a youth centered approach that engaged directly with over 4000 community members and collaborated to write a plan that aligned disparate dreams for one future.
4. EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT & CHANGE MANAGEMENT
Our experiential approach empowers teams to embrace change and thrive. By blending participatory methods with open communication, we build trust and foster engagement. Through hands-on learning, employees connect with purpose, creating an adaptable, growth-oriented culture ready to navigate any challenge together.
Health Care: Casey House
The health care system is not designed to treat people living at the margins, and Casey House felt they could provide specialized care for those at risk of and HIV+ if they knew more about the community. Through a codesign approach, we redesigned 3 health care services considering the needs of their clients while embracing the experience of staff and peers. By revealing the underlying barriers to the care they want to give, we were able to build trust and inspire change at Casey House to transform.
5. workshops & retreats
Our workshops illuminate challenges and uncover possibilities, fostering trust within your team. Seeking deeper connection? Our retreats offer transformative experiences. Facilitated by an eclectic group of experts—a forest therapy guide, equine therapist, and French chef—we lead you in creative exploration, rejuvenation, and authentic team bonding.
Case Study: City of Toronto Climate Advisory Group
The Climate Advisory Group for the City of Toronto are a group of citizens that provide advice about climate action, adaption and mitigation. We codesigned a new governance model for civic participation and facilitate quarterly meetings and workshops with city staff and cochairs.
our story
Ruth Silver is the founder of Groundswell; it was founded 3 months after she gave birth to twins. In that magical moment of feminine power it made perfect sense to demonstrate to her daughters her dedication to tikkun olam; a Jewish concept that describes action to repair and bring harmony to the world. Ruth has 20 years of experience as a Design Researcher & Strategist. She has a Masters in Design from Harvard, and before becoming an entrepreneur worked with Annie Liebowitz and Bruce Mau. At Groundswell, our teams are highly skilled to help you create meaningful, lasting, and impactful change in the world.