IONS is situated in Mi’kma’ki, the unceded and ancestral territory of the Mi’kmaw people. Unceded means that the Mi’kmaq have never relinquished, sold, traded, or transferred ownership of their land to European settler colonies, yet land was taken over without their consent through various processes of settler colonialism. This territory is covered by the Treaties of Peace and Friendship, which the Mi’kmaq and Wolastoqiyik people first signed with the British Crown in 1726. These Treaties did not involve the surrendering of rights to the lands and resources they had traditionally used and occupied. We are all Treaty People.

We further acknowledge that Nova Scotia is the birthplace of Black culture and heritage in Canada. People of African descent have shared these lands for over 400 years, and over 50 strong and resourceful African Nova Scotian communities exist here today.

We are committed to the struggle against systems of oppression that have resulted in profound inequities and the denial of self-determination rights. We are working actively to deepen our learning at an individual level, provide learning opportunities about anti-racism and decolonization, and to develop partnerships with organizations serving and led by underrepresented groups.

  • Arleigh Hood Consulting

    Do you work with newcomers but struggle to effectively communicate with them? Hello! Arleigh Hood and I'm the missing link! With over 20 years of language & learning expertise, I develop (and re-develop) material, manuals, and content to make the language more accessible and inclusive. I also facilitate workshops around clear spoken and written communication…

  • Social Enterprise Solutions

    Social Enterprise Solutions (SES) is a boutique consulting firm, based in Nova Scotia, that specializes in advancing the sustainability and impact of nonprofits and social enterprises. Founded by Andy Horsnell in 2018, the firm leverages his 30+ years of experience, working with 100s of organisations — large and small, rural and urban ‒ throughout North…

  • Corey Ferguson

    Passionate mental health advocate committed to building innovative community based mental health systems and services. Experienced community collaborator and developer with an analytical approach to addressing systemic gaps, with a focus on centering lived experience and recovery-oriented values. Demonstrated capacity for program development, strategic planning, and operational process implementation. – Lived-Experience speaking, advocacy and consulting…

  • Lee Herrin, Scale Collaborative

    Scale provides coaching and consulting for impact organizations to help them become more enterprising, resilient and impactful.

  • Joëlle Badman Consulting

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  • Jennifer Meister

    I offer time management training to groups and organizations. Everyone's time is valuable and also very stretched, so time management and efficiency have become more important than ever. I deliver half-day or full-day training to groups of people who want to make better use of their time and have more time available in a day.…

  • Keith Gelhorn Founder and Chief Empowerment Officer of ADDvocacy ADHD & Executive Function Coaching

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  • David Oyler/Oyler Consulting

    Oyler Consulting works with organizations and allied sector professionals to effectively deliver their programs and services. David Oyler’s primary areas of expertise include guidance on Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) policy for registered charities, fundraising and revenue generation development, assistance for organizations seeking to register as a charity, and facilitation services for strategic planning.

  • Clare Levin, Research Power Inc.

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  • Leanne Prescott

    Other: Public Engagement, Youth Leadership, Youth Engagement, Community Development, and Special Project Management. Topic Experience: I have a great deal of experience with the following humanitarian issues: Food Security, Clean Water, Child Protection / Labour, Maternal Newborn Child Health, and Gender Equity.