Our Story

Helping companies transform their leadership and organizational culture.

Dr. Aaron Barth discovered his passion for teaching as a philosophy professor at Western University. By 2011, he noticed the science of decision-making was changing quickly. But there was a problem: these advancements were not accessible to the companies that could benefit the most.

Luckily, helping people grasp the nuances in complex ideas was Aaron’s specialty. He started developing lessons to teach business leaders the most important scientific skill: critical thinking. Soon, he had developed a series of workshops exploring this science through an audience-friendly lense. Dialectic was started to deliver these workshops.

As the list of Dialectic clients grew, we were asked to solve more and more kinds of behaviour change problems. Soon, we were developing and delivering custom training and e-learning to meet this growing demand, always with the same ethos of making cutting-edge science accessible to a wide audience. Each successive project helped to hone our processes into what would become the I2E^® methodology.

Even in the early days, we recognized though the market for training was rapidly shifting online, there was very little innovation happening. We recognized a real opportunity to harness novel elements of e-learning to design person-centred training that could demonstrably change behaviour and organizational culture.

Dialectic grew deliberately, bringing in professionals of varying backgrounds—from philosophy and social psychology, to marketing and graphic design—to generate scientific insights, validate them, and then build the most effective workplace training available.

Today, this approach drives our passion for improving the health of organizations and their employees. Often, we’re building solutions to help organizations develop leadership and culture, aid digital transformation, or reemphasize the behaviours of an inclusive workplace. We value co-creation and work closely with our clients, encouraging them to join our team and make key contributions at each stage of the I2E^® process.

As we look to the future, we are letting our curiosity drive us. We can’t wait to uncover what makes your organization unique, so we can work together to foster a workplace culture that attracts, retains and develops the best people.

Meet Our Team

We bring a team of leading social psychologists, learning specialists, researchers and creative designers to the table.

Aaron Barth, Ph.D.

FOUNDER and PRESIDENT

Aaron Barth is an innovator working at the convergence of science, smart design and technology to change behaviour and transform organizations.

His deep expertise in critical thinking, decision-making and problem-solving is grounded by a PhD in Philosophy from Western University. Inspired by the need for transformational, evidence-based solutions to business challenges, he left a burgeoning career in academia to launch Dialectic in 2010.

Barb Adams, Ph.D.

DIRECTOR OF RESEARCH

Barb is an experienced researcher, writer and analytic integrator of information. Since receiving her Ph.D. in experimental social psychology from the University of Waterloo, Barb has specialized in group dynamics (e.g., trust and collaboration), decision-making under pressure, and organizational effectiveness. For more than 20 years, she has used evidence-based approaches to help businesses, social services, and defence and security agencies solve complex human problems.

Melissa Horne, Ph.D.

DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT

Melissa helps DEI champions apply science-backed methods to activate inclusive practices within organizations. She holds a PhD in Modern U.S. and African American History from Rutgers, and has designed targeted social justice education for organizations both big and small. She is also the host of the Just One Q podcast, which spotlights DEI practitioners with cutting-edge ideas for driving real cultural and behavioural change.

Cindy Holland

TECHNOLOGY DIRECTOR

Cindy has an unrelenting passion for all things creative. She earned her Advertising Diploma from Conestoga College, and she possesses a diverse skillset resulting from her extensive experience in the fields of graphic design, print production, and marketing. Her critical thinking and creative insight are integral to our products and to the unique customer experience we deliver.

Alex Shave

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Alex is a creative designer and researcher whose engaging, narrative-driven experiences empower audiences to make connections between big ideas and their day-to-day work. By leveraging the opportunities of new technology with timeless storytelling methods and structures, Alex delivers experiences that make a difference. Alex cut his teeth doing outreach and marketing for community-oriented non-profits and ethical retailers.

Alison Kelly

STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS DIRECTOR

Alison seeks to create a world in which individuals can bring their authentic selves to the workplace. With an M.Sc. and years of diverse experience in project management, research and development, and a solid foundation in client satisfaction, Alison uses her diverse background to build bridges between Dialectic, the products we offer, and those that could most benefit from them. Her warm and caring attitude ensures that all who work with her feel supported, heard and encouraged.

Carrie Knuckey

CLIENT EXPERIENCE DIRECTOR

Carrie brings her client focused, structured approach to her work as the Manager of Client Experience at Dialectic. She is passionate about helping organizations and individuals thrive in their authentic pursuit of social justice through understanding themselves, their workplace and the world. Using empathy, active listening, and effective communication, along with her years of experience in developing and implementing complex programs, Carrie ensures that projects and programs at Dialectic are deployed to the delight of clients.

Jake Stallard

INTERACTIVE MEDIA DEVELOPER

Jake is an award-winning designer with a passion for clean, functional design. A graduate of the Advertising program at Conestoga College, Jake’s analytical approach creates focused solutions. His editorial and in-house design experience brings a wide range of skills and experience to the Dialectic team. Whether working within a client’s brand guidelines or free from restrictions, Jake brings function, purpose and creativity to elevate every project.

Dominique Schmidt

RESEARCH & CREATIVE DESIGN

Dominique is a researcher and creative designer who has a knack for synthesizing complex information. An experienced narrative writer, Dominique communicates key learning concepts while honouring social and emotional nuance. She crafts impactful learning experiences that engage, enlighten, and motivate learners. A Critical Geographer by training, Dominique has spent over a decade helping private and civil sector organizations meet CRS commitments through policy, practice, and culture.

Meet Our Collaborators

Subject Matter Experts

To ensure our training is effective and comprehensive, we work with a variety of subject matter experts to validate the content. By fusing insights from industry leaders with our scientifically-proven approach to training, we can offer e-learning that drives lasting behaviour change and positive shifts in organizational culture.

Ashland Johnson

Founder, Inclusion Playbook

Ashland Johnson is the founder and president of The Inclusion Playbook, a sports impact consultancy. An attorney, equity and inclusion strategist and former Division I athlete, Ashland has over a decade of civil rights experience working with social justice communities, advising sports leaders and serving in leadership roles in advocacy organizations.

Camille Dundas

Co-Founder, byblacks.com

Camille Dundas is the co-founder of byblacks.com, public speaker and corporate DEI consultant. An intersectionality expert, she puts a specific emphasis on the idea that effective diversity work must go beyond gender. Camille’s approach is heavily rooted in explaining what allyship looks like and giving tangible steps to transforming how teams understand how this plays out in the workplace.

Colleen James

Principal Consultant, Divonify

With over fifteen years of experience promoting inclusive environments in public, private, education and not for profit sectors, Colleen has been able to blend her passions of education and diversity. As the Principal consultant at Divonify, she provides equity diversity and inclusion (EDI) training to organizations, companies and individuals.

Brian Carwana

Executive Director, Encounter World Religions

Brian has a PhD from the University of Toronto and has spent twenty years at Encounter delivering engaging programming to workplaces, schools, and organizations to increase religious literacy in our communities. An Associate of the Canadian Centre of Diversity and Inclusion, he is honoured to work with leaders and staff in government, health care, police, manufacturing, high-tech, and service sectors.

Partners

We recognize many organizations are doing great work in the diversity, equity and inclusion space. By collaborating with the following organizations we can increase our impact and create real change.