Communication to Power Innovation
Clarify your ideas and connect with the people who will activate them
Communication to Power Innovation
Clarify your ideas and connect with the people
who will activate them
Communication to Power Innovation
Clarify your ideas and connect
with the people who will
activate them
Innovative ideas and ground-breaking evidence are inert until you connect with the people who will bring them to life.
In today’s information-saturated world, clarity alone is not enough.
We help you make your brilliant concepts and data speak persuasively to the collaborators who will help move them into action.
Innovative ideas and ground-breaking evidence are inert until you connect with the people who will bring them to life.
In today’s information-saturated world, clarity alone is not enough.
We help you make your brilliant concepts and data speak persuasively to the collaborators who will help move them into action.
Bridge the Innovation Gap
with compassion and creativity
You stand on one side of the gap with your expertise, evidence, and passion.
On the other side of the chasm stand the funders, investors, customers, or policymakers you’re trying to reach—without your deep understanding of the problem you’re addressing, your technical knowledge, or your conviction.
More information, or clearer information, won’t build a bridge across the divide.
Nor will theoretical frameworks, word tricks derived from neuroscience, or AI-generated infographics.
The only reliable way to build a bridge your audience will risk stepping across is through human compassion and human creativity.
Compassion to view the world from your audience’s perspective, without frustration or judgement.
Creativity to find fresh ways to engage, educate, and inspire action.
Starting with this foundation, we help you connect with your audiences in ways that nurture meaningful relationships and drive change. We bring intellectual depth to help you articulate complex concepts as well as the human-centred craft to make those concepts appealing to the people you’re trying to reach.
Bridge the Innovation Gap with compassion and creativity
You stand on one side of the gap with your expertise, evidence, and passion.
On the other side of the chasm stand the funders, investors, customers, or policymakers you’re trying to reach—without your deep understanding of the problem you’re addressing, your technical knowledge, or your conviction.
More information, or clearer information, won’t build a bridge across the divide.
Nor will theoretical frameworks, word tricks derived from neuroscience, or AI-generated infographics.
The only reliable way to build a bridge your audience will risk stepping across is through human compassion and human creativity.
Compassion to view the world from your audience’s perspective, without frustration or judgement.
Creativity to find fresh ways to engage, educate, and inspire action.
Starting with this foundation, we help you connect with your audiences in ways that nurture meaningful relationships and drive change. We bring intellectual depth to help you articulate complex concepts as well as the human-centred craft to make those concepts appealing to the people you’re trying to reach.
Bridge the Innovation Gap with compassion and creativity
You stand on one side of the gap with your expertise, evidence, and passion.
On the other side of the chasm stand the funders, investors, customers, or policymakers you’re trying to reach—without your deep understanding of the problem you’re addressing, your technical knowledge, or your conviction.
More information, or clearer information, won’t build a bridge across the divide.
Nor will theoretical frameworks, word tricks derived from neuroscience, or AI-generated infographics.
The only reliable way to build a bridge your audience will risk stepping across is through human compassion and human creativity.
Compassion to view the world from your audience’s perspective, without frustration or judgement.
Creativity to find fresh ways to engage, educate, and inspire action.
Starting with this foundation, we help you connect with your audiences in ways that nurture meaningful relationships and drive change. We bring intellectual depth to help you articulate complex concepts as well as the human-centred craft to make those concepts appealing to the people you’re trying to reach.
Our expertise spans disciplines and sectors
Most communication help for innovators comes from people with subject-matter knowledge, technical specialists with a knack for communicating.
We’re not limited to working in a particular field because we specialize in communication itself.
We bring insights gained through years spent studying literature, narratology (the study of narrative), rhetoric (the art of persuasive communication), and learning science. We operate from proven theories and principles, and we’ve logged tens of thousands of hours of hands-on experience across a wide range of domains.
Because we’re not experts in your field, we also uncover questions that subject-matter experts take for granted, bringing you closer to your audience’s perspective.
Our expertise spans disciplines and sectors
Most communication help for innovators comes from people with subject-matter knowledge, technical specialists with a knack for communicating.
We’re not limited to working in a particular field because we specialize in communication itself.
We bring insights gained through years spent studying literature, narratology (the study of narrative), rhetoric (the art of persuasive communication), and learning science. We operate from proven theories and principles, and we’ve logged tens of thousands of hours of hands-on experience across a wide range of domains.
Because we’re not experts in your field, we also uncover questions that subject-matter experts take for granted, bringing you closer to your audience’s perspective.
Our expertise spans disciplines and sectors
Most communication help for innovators comes from people with subject-matter knowledge, technical specialists with a knack for communicating.
We’re not limited to working in a particular field because we specialize in communication itself.
We bring insights gained through years spent studying literature, narratology (the study of narrative), rhetoric (the art of persuasive communication), and learning science. We operate from proven theories and principles, and we’ve logged tens of thousands of hours of hands-on experience across a wide range of domains.
Because we’re not experts in your field, we also uncover questions that subject-matter experts take for granted, bringing you closer to your audience’s perspective.
Dr. Carole Goodine
Pharmacy Practice Manager, HorizonHealth Network
"I knew there would be major decision makers in the audience [at this event], and | knew this was a major opportunity to have my team showcase the work we had done... working with Dawn gave [my team] the skills, abilities, and confidence to do just that."
Vanessa Paesani
Executive Director Pond-Deshpande Centre (PDC)
“Dawn has become an essential partner for us, especially given how much of our work involves complex systems and issues that are genuinely hard to shift. What sets her apart is how quickly she can grasp complex topics and then turn around and write about them in a way that’s clear and accessible to a much wider audience."
Dr. M. Nauman Faroogi
President and Vice Chancellor, SaintThomas University
"Her facilitation skills were an important contributor to developing a plan that had wide ownership and buy-in from the community"
Dr. Carole Goodine
Pharmacy Practice Manager, HorizonHealth Network
"I knew there would be major decision makers in the audience [at this event], and | knew this was a major opportunity to have my team showcase the work we had done... working with Dawn gave [my team] the skills, abilities, and confidence to do just that."
Vanessa Paesani
Executive Director Pond-Deshpande Centre (PDC)
“Dawn has become an essential partner for us, especially given how much of our work involves complex systems and issues that are genuinely hard to shift. What sets her apart is how quickly she can grasp complex topics and then turn around and write about them in a way that’s clear and accessible to a much wider audience."
Dr. M. Nauman Faroogi
President and Vice Chancellor, SaintThomas University
"Her facilitation skills were an important contributor to developing a plan that had wide ownership and buy-in from the community"
Dr. Carole Goodine
Pharmacy Practice Manager, HorizonHealth Network
"I knew there would be major decision makers in the audience [at this event], and | knew this was a major opportunity to have my team showcase the work we had done... working with Dawn gave [my team] the skills, abilities, and confidence to do just that."
Vanessa Paesani
Executive Director Pond-Deshpande Centre (PDC)
“Dawn has become an essential partner for us, especially given how much of our work involves complex systems and issues that are genuinely hard to shift. What sets her apart is how quickly she can grasp complex topics and then turn around and write about them in a way that’s clear and accessible to a much wider audience."
Dr. M. Nauman Faroogi
President and Vice Chancellor, SaintThomas University
"Her facilitation skills were an important contributor to developing a plan that had wide ownership and buy-in from the community"
How we help
Few agencies or consultants can do everything we do: writing, strategy, training, coaching, and facilitation. Many clients find it helpful to take an integrated approach by combining various services. For example, we might write a report and also provide some report-writing tools to help your in-house team with their next document. Or we might help develop a communication strategy and also write some thought-leadership blogs.
Here are just some of the reasons clients turn to us as their partner in mobilizing innovative ideas:
High-stakes, complex writing projects waiting for a storyline
Some important documents—like impact or end-of-project reports—linger on the drawing board because you’re too close (or too busy) to step back and do the sense-making work required to weave a coherent, persuasive story. We’re quick, thorough researchers, so we get up to speed fast and uncover the through-line in the source material. We also make sure to explore your organizational culture as well as the writing topic, so that the language reflects your values and speaks in your voice.
Creative communication strategy for a new initiative or product
When you’re launching something truly original, you can’t model your communication strategy on a template. You need a partner who will contextualize your goals through careful research, examine your audience and your goals from multiple angles, and relentlessly question your assumptions. The result: a one-of-a-kind strategy that’s both innovative and doable.
Facilitated consultations with stakeholders to support research or strategic planning
Typical facilitation methods can get stale quickly, and those textbook approaches won’t necessarily work with your audience. We start by investigating your audience, the background to your project, and your goals, and then build from there. Due diligence and creative event design make the difference between a consultation that generates positive energy in the moment and one that fosters authentic relationships and ongoing collaboration.
Training materials that make complex subjects accessible and engaging
Training materials shouldn’t function as extended infomercials. They should enable learners to change their behaviour in specific, observable ways. Our founder, Dr. Dawn Henwood, brings more than 25 years of experience as a teacher, coach, and learning designer, and she can make the most complex subject matter approachable and memorable.
Capacity-building in knowledge mobilization or science communication
We’re known for making the complexities of knowledge mobilization and science communication doable. Our interactive workshops enable research professionals to move past thinking about connecting with audiences outside academia and start engaging with lay audiences. We also offer advanced courses to help science communicators move past clearly explaining science to nurturing trusting relationships and shifting beliefs and behaviour.
Communication training to improve team productivity
What’s causing innovation to stall in your organization? Team dynamics? Culture clashes among departments? Cultural or generational differences? Unclear expectations? Meandering meetings? Missing communication channels? Trouble giving directions to employees or AI? Whatever factors are contributing to your productivity issues, we’ll help you identify and address them . This could involve supplementing training with new tools or processes to accelerate the workflow.
How we help
Few agencies or consultants can do everything we do: writing, strategy, training, coaching, and facilitation. Many clients find it helpful to take an integrated approach by combining various services. For example, we might write a report and also provide some report-writing tools to help your in-house team with their next document. Or we might help develop a communication strategy and also write some thought-leadership blogs.
Here are just some of the reasons clients turn to us as their partner in mobilizing innovative ideas:
High-stakes, complex writing projects waiting for a storyline
Some important documents—like impact or end-of-project reports—linger on the drawing board because you’re too close (or too busy) to step back and do the sense-making work required to weave a coherent, persuasive story. We’re quick, thorough researchers, so we get up to speed fast and uncover the through-line in the source material. We also make sure to explore your organizational culture as well as the writing topic, so that the language reflects your values and speaks in your voice.
Creative communication strategy for a new initiative or product
When you’re launching something truly original, you can’t model your communication strategy on a template. You need a partner who will contextualize your goals through careful research, examine your audience and your goals from multiple angles, and relentlessly question your assumptions. The result: a one-of-a-kind strategy that’s both innovative and doable.
Facilitated consultations with stakeholders to support research or strategic planning
Typical facilitation methods can get stale quickly, and those textbook approaches won’t necessarily work with your audience. We start by investigating your audience, the background to your project, and your goals, and then build from there. Due diligence and creative event design make the difference between a consultation that generates positive energy in the moment and one that fosters authentic relationships and ongoing collaboration.
Training materials that make complex subjects accessible and engaging
Training materials shouldn’t function as extended infomercials. They should enable learners to change their behaviour in specific, observable ways. Our founder, Dr. Dawn Henwood, brings more than 25 years of experience as a teacher, coach, and learning designer, and she can make the most complex subject matter approachable and memorable.
Capacity-building in knowledge mobilization or science communication
We’re known for making the complexities of knowledge mobilization and science communication doable. Our interactive workshops enable research professionals to move past thinking about connecting with audiences outside academia and start engaging with lay audiences. We also offer advanced courses to help science communicators move past clearly explaining science to nurturing trusting relationships and shifting beliefs and behaviour.
Communication training to improve team productivity
What’s causing innovation to stall in your organization? Team dynamics? Culture clashes among departments? Cultural or generational differences? Unclear expectations? Meandering meetings? Missing communication channels? Trouble giving directions to employees or AI? Whatever factors are contributing to your productivity issues, we’ll help you identify and address them . This could involve supplementing training with new tools or processes to accelerate the workflow.
How we help
Few agencies or consultants can do everything we do: writing, strategy, training, coaching, and facilitation. Many clients find it helpful to take an integrated approach by combining various services. For example, we might write a report and also provide some report-writing tools to help your in-house team with their next document. Or we might help develop a communication strategy and also write some thought-leadership blogs.
Here are just some of the reasons clients turn to us as their partner in mobilizing innovative ideas:
High-stakes, complex writing projects waiting for a storyline
Some important documents—like impact or end-of-project reports—linger on the drawing board because you’re too close (or too busy) to step back and do the sense-making work required to weave a coherent, persuasive story. We’re quick, thorough researchers, so we get up to speed fast and uncover the through-line in the source material. We also make sure to explore your organizational culture as well as the writing topic, so that the language reflects your values and speaks in your voice.
Creative communication strategy for a new initiative or product
When you’re launching something truly original, you can’t model your communication strategy on a template. You need a partner who will contextualize your goals through careful research, examine your audience and your goals from multiple angles, and relentlessly question your assumptions. The result: a one-of-a-kind strategy that’s both innovative and doable.
Facilitated consultations with stakeholders to support research or strategic planning
Typical facilitation methods can get stale quickly, and those textbook approaches won’t necessarily work with your audience. We start by investigating your audience, the background to your project, and your goals, and then build from there. Due diligence and creative event design make the difference between a consultation that generates positive energy in the moment and one that fosters authentic relationships and ongoing collaboration.
Training materials that make complex subjects accessible and engaging
Training materials shouldn’t function as extended infomercials. They should enable learners to change their behaviour in specific, observable ways. Our founder, Dr. Dawn Henwood, brings more than 25 years of experience as a teacher, coach, and learning designer, and she can make the most complex subject matter approachable and memorable.
Capacity-building in knowledge mobilization or science communication
We’re known for making the complexities of knowledge mobilization and science communication doable. Our interactive workshops enable research professionals to move past thinking about connecting with audiences outside academia and start engaging with lay audiences. We also offer advanced courses to help science communicators move past clearly explaining science to nurturing trusting relationships and shifting beliefs and behaviour.
Communication training to improve team productivity
What’s causing innovation to stall in your organization? Team dynamics? Culture clashes among departments? Cultural or generational differences? Unclear expectations? Meandering meetings? Missing communication channels? Trouble giving directions to employees or AI? Whatever factors are contributing to your productivity issues, we’ll help you identify and address them . This could involve supplementing training with new tools or processes to accelerate the workflow.
Meet Our Founder
Hi! I’m Dr. Dawn Henwood, Founder of Clarity Connect.
I started my career as an English professor but quickly learned I was too pragmatic to spend my days dissecting literature in the lab of the undergraduate classroom. I pivoted to teaching technical communication and fell in love with that domain because it allowed me to learn about emerging technology and work with out-of-the-box thinkers.
It’s been 25 years since I made that career shift. Since then, I’ve worked as a corporate trainer, a curriculum developer, an eLearning designer, an experiential learning practitioner, and a communication consultant. I’ve also written two books on business communication and created more than a dozen communication courses.
Today, I focus on serving innovators because I believe that only human ingenuity will rescue humanity from the brink of extinction. It’s so easy to fall into despair when we look at the state of the world, but innovators—researchers, activists, visionaries of all stripes—give me courage to think about the future. I choose to play with them on Team Hope.
I lead a flexible team of other consultants and creatives—writers, designers, researchers, videographers—who join me on projects as needed. Some projects I handle on my own while others require input from one or more associates.
Meet Our Founder
Hi! I’m Dr. Dawn Henwood, Founder of Clarity Connect.
I started my career as an English professor but quickly learned I was too pragmatic to spend my days dissecting literature in the lab of the undergraduate classroom. I pivoted to teaching technical communication and fell in love with that domain because it allowed me to learn about emerging technology and work with out-of-the-box thinkers.
It’s been 25 years since I made that career shift. Since then, I’ve worked as a corporate trainer, a curriculum developer, an eLearning designer, an experiential learning practitioner, and a communication consultant. I’ve also written two books on business communication and created more than a dozen communication courses.
Today, I focus on serving innovators because I believe that only human ingenuity will rescue humanity from the brink of extinction. It’s so easy to fall into despair when we look at the state of the world, but innovators—researchers, activists, visionaries of all stripes—give me courage to think about the future. I choose to play with them on Team Hope.
I lead a flexible team of other consultants and creatives—writers, designers, researchers, videographers—who join me on projects as needed. Some projects I handle on my own while others require input from one or more associates.
Meet Our Founder
Hi! I’m Dr. Dawn Henwood, Founder of Clarity Connect.
I started my career as an English professor but quickly learned I was too pragmatic to spend my days dissecting literature in the lab of the undergraduate classroom. I pivoted to teaching technical communication and fell in love with that domain because it allowed me to learn about emerging technology and work with out-of-the-box thinkers.
It’s been 25 years since I made that career shift. Since then, I’ve worked as a corporate trainer, a curriculum developer, an eLearning designer, an experiential learning practitioner, and a communication consultant. I’ve also written two books on business communication and created more than a dozen communication courses.
Today, I focus on serving innovators because I believe that only human ingenuity will rescue humanity from the brink of extinction. It’s so easy to fall into despair when we look at the state of the world, but innovators—researchers, activists, visionaries of all stripes—give me courage to think about the future. I choose to play with them on Team Hope.
I lead a flexible team of other consultants and creatives—writers, designers, researchers, videographers—who join me on projects as needed. Some projects I handle on my own while others require input from one or more associates.
Are we a Good Fit?
How do you feel about questions? Because we ask a lot of them.
We’ll likely make a good team if you’re looking for communication guidance rather than communication support, and you’re open to fresh approaches.
If you want a thought partner or partners who will challenge your thinking, deepen your insights, and help you express ideas you didn’t know you had… then it would probably be worth your while to book an exploratory conversation. No strings attached, just a get-to-know-you meeting to see whether it might be worth having another conversation about a possible collaboration.
If, on the other hand, you’re looking for communication assistance, not communication leadership, then we’re not your best bet. We’d recommend a more junior colleague who could help you execute your ready-made plan.
Are we a Good Fit?
How do you feel about questions? Because we ask a lot of them.
We’ll likely make a good team if you’re looking for communication guidance rather than communication support, and you’re open to fresh approaches.
If you want a thought partner or partners who will challenge your thinking, deepen your insights, and help you express ideas you didn’t know you had… then it would probably be worth your while to book an exploratory conversation. No strings attached, just a get-to-know-you meeting to see whether it might be worth having another conversation about a possible collaboration.
If, on the other hand, you’re looking for communication assistance, not communication leadership, then we’re not your best bet. We’d recommend a more junior colleague who could help you execute your ready-made plan.
Are we a Good Fit?
How do you feel about questions? Because we ask a lot of them.
We’ll likely make a good team if you’re looking for communication guidance rather than communication support, and you’re open to fresh approaches.
If you want a thought partner or partners who will challenge your thinking, deepen your insights, and help you express ideas you didn’t know you had… then it would probably be worth your while to book an exploratory conversation. No strings attached, just a get-to-know-you meeting to see whether it might be worth having another conversation about a possible collaboration.
If, on the other hand, you’re looking for communication assistance, not communication leadership, then we’re not your best bet. We’d recommend a more junior colleague who could help you execute your ready-made plan.
What to expect when you work with us
“Custom” doesn’t need to mean slow and inefficient. Drawing on decades of experience, we’ve fine-tuned a project management process that allows ample space for inquiry while moving work smoothly from one phase to the next. Our 4D Project Guide ensures that each project stays on track with the timeline—and you have the comfort of always knowing what’s coming next.
Discern
Through one or more focused meetings, we discuss your motivations for doing the project, the outcomes you want to achieve, and the constraints that will affect the design process. We then create a Project Overview articulating the exact scope of work, including rough descriptions of the project deliverables and a rough timeline. Once the Project Overview is approved, we move on to the Discover phase.
Discover
Through background research, meetings, and/or group consultations, we gather the intelligence needed to create the project deliverables. For example, if the main project deliverable is an impact report, in the Discover phase we would examine all the available source content, conduct additional background research for context, and identify any information gaps. The Discover phase normally produces an outline of the final deliverable and a refined timeline.
Develop
This is when we roll up our sleeves and start building. During this process, we stay in close contact with you through regular meetings and email communication. The creative journey always involves surprises, and we prefer to share those with you as they happen so we can stay aligned on the project direction and outcomes.
Debrief
From our perspective a project isn’t really finished until you’ve extracted everything you can learn from it. Once all the deliverables have been approved, we meet with you for a guided reflection session. This helps ensure that the project fulfills its goals and doesn’t just get filed. It also enables you to think about how you can leverage it to the fullest extent possible and perhaps build on it.
How we maximize efficiency
“Custom” doesn’t need to mean slow and inefficient. Drawing on decades of experience, we’ve fine-tuned a project management process that allows ample space for inquiry while moving work smoothly from one phase to the next. Our 4D Project Guide ensures that each project stays on track with the timeline
—and you have the comfort of always knowing what’s coming next.
Discern
Through one or more focused meetings, we discuss your motivations for doing the project, the outcomes you want to achieve, and the constraints that will affect the design process. We then create a Project Overview articulating the exact scope of work, including rough descriptions of the project deliverables and a rough timeline. Once the Project Overview is approved, we move on to the Discover phase.
Discover
Through background research, meetings, and/or group consultations, we gather the intelligence needed to create the project deliverables. For example, if the main project deliverable is an impact report, in the Discover phase we would examine all the available source content, conduct additional background research for context, and identify any information gaps. The Discover phase normally produces an outline of the final deliverable and a refined timeline.
Develop
This is when we roll up our sleeves and start building. During this process, we stay in close contact with you through regular meetings and email communication. The creative journey always involves surprises, and we prefer to share those with you as they happen so we can stay aligned on the project direction and outcomes.
Debrief
From our perspective a project isn’t really finished until you’ve extracted everything you can learn from it. Once all the deliverables have been approved, we meet with you for a guided reflection session. This helps ensure that the project fulfills its goals and doesn’t just get filed. It also enables you to think about how you can leverage it to the fullest extent possible and perhaps build on it.
What to expect when you work with us
“Custom” doesn’t need to mean slow and inefficient. Drawing on decades of experience, we’ve fine-tuned a project management process that allows ample space for inquiry while moving work smoothly from one phase to the next. Our 4D Project Guide ensures that each project stays on track with the timeline—and you have the comfort of always knowing what’s coming next.
Find Out More!
We’d love to learn about your innovative ideas and organization and hear about any communication challenges or opportunities you’re facing.
The first step: book a free brainstorm session with Dawn. You’ll come away with her personal recommendations for tackling your situation, with no obligation to take the conversation further.
Find Out More!
We’d love to learn about your innovative ideas and organization and hear about any communication challenges or opportunities you’re facing.
The first step: book a free brainstorm session with Dawn. You’ll come away with her personal recommendations for tackling your situation, with no obligation to take the conversation further.
Find Out More!
We’d love to learn about your innovative ideas and organization and hear about any communication challenges or opportunities you’re facing.
The first step: book a free brainstorm session with Dawn. You’ll come away with her personal recommendations for tackling your situation, with no obligation to take the conversation further.
Communication for Innovation
Overcome the invisible hurdles
that prevent change
You have the solution to a pressing social, economic, or environmental problem, but your bold new ideas aren't getting through to the people who should be eager to adopt them.
Presentations get polite nods but little engagement. Promising conversations stall. The briefing note or white paper you've sweated over doesn't even raise an eyebrow.
We help identify the communication barriers to change—and then find ways through them.
Whether you're trying to reach policymakers, funders, customers, or colleagues, we enable you to articulate breakthrough concepts in ways that attract attention, build trust, and inspire action.
