spark change. drive impact.

Our Team

Allison Van (MPP), Principal Consultant. Allison specializes in mixed-methods complex systems analysis and the translation of research into social change. In her 30+ years of experience in applied research and evaluation, she has traversed sectors and disciplines, including extensive work in agricultural and rural development, poverty, child welfare and juvenile justice, social entrepreneurship, and medical innovation. She teaches in the Masters in Public Policy program at McMaster University and is highly experienced in building culturally responsive, trauma-informed evaluations and advanced mixed-methods designs.Allison is a leader in building culturally responsive, trauma-informed evaluations and advanced mixed-methods designs, as well as facilitating innovative, relevant social research. In her spare time, she is a meditation teacher, dancer, and fermenter of every vegetable known to man.

Evan Gravely (MA), Senior Consultant. Evan Gravely is an applied research and evaluation professional with extensive experience designing and implementing community-based studies that drive real-world impact. As a Senior Consultant with Brighter Spark, he specializes in stakeholder-engaged, mixed-methods approaches that balance methodological rigour with real-world constraints and implications. Evan has overseen more than 80 community-engaged research projects across sectors from youth services to healthcare access and disability advocacy. He brings extensive project management experience to coordinate complex, multi-stakeholder initiatives from conception through completion and thrives in helping organizations generate actionable insights for their programs, services, and policy change/advocacy work. In his spare time, he enjoys introverted activities like reading, video games, and trail runs.

Ver-Se Denga (MSc), Associate. Ver-Se is a champion at applying research methods to real-world problems. She is passionate about knowledge translation and is excited to be working with Brighter Spark to provide actionable research to community organisations. Outside of her work at Spark, Ver-Se is completing her PhD studies in psychology with a focus on human cognition and memory. She loves going to concerts and drinking bubble tea.

Araya Nahor (BA), Associate. Araya is a dedicated advocate for justice involved youth. With extensive professional experience in the areas of rehabilitation and reintegration for justice involved youth, Araya’s passion lies in creating, designing, and implementing effective youth programming. The weight of Araya’s academic and professional interest is in exploring innovative ways to better help youth as they successfully navigate their journey through carceral systems, from closed custody to probation/parole.

Our Approach

Utility Focused

There is nothing worse than a report that nobody reads. We produce something better.We collect data that directly answers pressing questions and needs and can be acted upon. When organizations have advocacy goals, we build arguments for their target audience. We understand attention spans are limited, so we use clean visuals and simple explanations to support engagement with the material.Projects are built collaboratively with clients and directly in line with the maturity of the initiative, information needs, capacity for data collection, and budget. Ultimately, we fail if our work isn’t profoundly useful. And we don’t like to fail!

Community-Centric Services

When it comes to research and evaluation, Brighter Spark digs deep. Many teams can collect data, but our commitment is to engage in community-centric research that not only generates vital statistics but also captures the nuanced experiences, strengths and needs of your service populations and stakeholders.So, what does this mean for you?Imagine not merely relying on numerical data but combining it with genuine community feedback and real-world applications. We aren’t just another run-of-the-mill research firm; we help you both collect and utilize information, creating actionable insights.Our process doesn’t end when the data is collected. We immerse ourselves in the community to better understand its needs, challenges, and aspirations. We talk to real people—your potential clients or beneficiaries—and hear their stories, aspirations, and struggles. This is not a one-off transaction - it's an ongoing, interactive relationship. The result? Richer, more meaningful insights that drive not just organizational success, but societal impact.

Commitment to Equity

At the core of our approach is a resolute commitment to equity. We recognize that not all voices are equally heard in traditional research paradigms - a fact we aim to rectify. We ensure that underrepresented communities have a seat at the table and that the impact of programs and services is not assumed to be the same for all.As a matter of course across our projects, we explore who is being served and the differential impacts of services, working with clients to address any inequities that may emerge. We do not merely gather data; we foster relationships, build trust, and work towards a more equitable future.

Social Innovation

The Brighter Spark team is deeply committed to enacting social change. We know that research done well has a profound impact on policy and practice and are savvy about making that happen. By integrating deep knowledge of social issues and approaches to innovation into our research methods, we do more than offer data: we offer transformative pathways for social progress.So, whether you’re a business, a not-for-profit, or a government office striving to make a real impact, consider Brighter Spark your committed partner in both in-depth research and actionable insights. Ultimately, we’re here for one thing only: to provide incomparable value that amplifies the transformative potential of your work.

Services

We prove, improve and grow the impact that your work has on clients and downstream beneficiaries. For businesses, not-for-profits, governments, educational institutions and foundations to thrive through benefitting others, products and services must transform lives. This is not about good enough; it’s about becoming the game changers, the innovators, the essential experience.Our team are world-class futurists, conveners, strategists, changemakers, problem definers, impact measurers, business and community wealth builders. We walk hand in hand with those who are striving to brighten the world through their work – supercharging your spark with our own.

Prove your impact

We uncover and communicate how you build a brighter world. Our powerful visuals, compelling stories, and innovative methods garner you the attention your work deserves.From advanced economic methods like return on investment to randomized controlled trials and quasi-experiments to natural language processing and “big data,” there is no research method we can’t do, so we will do just what’s best for you.

Improve your value proposition

Collective and deep understanding transforms stagnant problems. We lead strengths/ needs assessments, market analysis, user experience, literature review and stakeholder processes that focus energy where it will catch fire.From large-scale organizational change initiatives to equity and accessibility improvements, conflict resolution, cross-cultural partnerships or employee engagement processes, we make sure organizations and partnerships are functioning in ways optimal to their missions.

Grow your influence

We align with game-changing, field-shifting organizations to garner them the political, financial and public support necessary to rapidly scale.Partnerships, collective impact, mergers, and community enterprises go through growing pains as they take on more and different challenges, expand geographic range or engage with new people and groups. We are experts at supporting stages of organizational growth, from building strategy, to re-aligning operations and staff responsibilities, to collective alignment, measurement and data systems.

partner with us

Our goal is to build highly productive partnerships, so we are eager to meet with potential clients and explore whether this would be a good fit. For any potential client, we offer a free, no-obligation 30-minute consultation with the Principal Consultant to develop a scope of work with the goals, activities and budget for the partnership that you and your colleagues can consider.Please contact us using the form below.