Provocation Ideas Festival: Exploring the Frontiers of Artificial Intelligence, Mental Health, and Justice

Vanna McDonald is a Director at INNOVATIVE, where she specializes in the design and execution of complex, data-driven research programs across a wide range of industries, particularly within the energy and utilities sectors and other regulated industries.

Vanna is an expert in complex methodological design, multivariate modeling, and data visualization. Her expertise lies in ensuring that complex data is transformed into clear, compelling stories that drive informed business strategies and communication. Vanna thrives when designing and supporting complex, multi-faceted projects with significant technical and logistical challenges.

Vanna has a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Political Science and Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies, and a Master of Arts in Political Science from Simon Fraser University. Vanna is a published researcher whose academic research has focused on political behaviour and the social psychological roots of political polarization and identity politics.

Outside of work, Vanna spends her time on her hobby farm breeding heritage chickens and growing food and plants to sell in the community.

Raney is a Consultant at INNOVATIVE, based out of the Vancouver office. Raney manages and supports quantitative and qualitative research projects for clients in Western Canada and across the country.

Raney first joined Innovative while completing her degree at the University of British Columbia. After graduating with high distinction from UBC’s political science program, Raney began working full-time at Innovative in 2023.

Before joining Innovative, Raney worked on the Global News Decision Desk during the 2021 Canadian Federal Election and as a Youth Program Facilitator at Archway Community Services in Abbotsford, where she worked to support young immigrants to Canada.

When Raney isn’t working, you can often find her hiking in the North Shore Mountains, reading, or busy knitting a sweater while watching her favourite TV shows.

Max is a Senior Consultant at Innovative Research Group, providing insights on client projects through statistical analysis and working with quantitative and qualitative data.

Prior to joining INNOVATIVE, Max was a grant writer for non-profits, writing and managing grants and funded projects at organizations making change in British Columbia, Canada, and Colorado, USA. As part of a team, Max spearheaded the monitoring and evaluation process for a Vancouver non-profit doing an international development and capacity-building project.

Max has a Bachelor of Arts from McGill University and a master’s in public policy from Simon Fraser University.

To relax, Max likes watching TV and movies, reading historical fiction, and floating lazily on lakes.

As Director of IT Strategy and Innovation at INNOVATIVE, Raymond is responsible for developing and maintaining software solutions for all our qualitative and quantitative research projects. He also maintains, researches and implements information technology and strategic solutions for all our technological operations. 

With over 10 years of experience in the industry and armed with a background in software development, Raymond brings a professional and reliable presence to our team. Raymond is always delving into new technologies and advancements and researching the latest trends in software applications and data management. 

Raymond graduated from the Computer Systems Technology program at British Columbia Institute for Technology (BCIT) and has completed the 3D and Classical Animation programs at Vancouver Film School.

When time permits, Raymond can be found on the golf course or on the ski hills. He also enjoys good food and is an avid home chef and baker.

As one of Innovative’s Data Management and IT Technicians, Adam works closely with project leads and their research teams to build polished, custom surveys and online workbooks, optimized for user experience.

For over 10 years, Adam has been instrumental in putting the strategy and systems in place behind the scenes that allow research teams and diverse clients to thrive. His IT expertise comes from a fascination with technology – how it works and how it can be applied to make our lives easier. As a result, Adam always delivers out-of-the-box approaches and solutions that exceed client expectations.

During the weekend, you’ll likely find him at a film festival or out to dinner at one of his favourite restaurants.

Martha is a Senior Consultant at Innovative Research Group, who helps with providing insights in a variety of projects as well as working with quantitative and qualitative data.

Before coming to Innovative, she was a Program Evaluator & Research Assistant, who created a baseline research project for the organization that focused on obtaining feedback from clients through interviews and surveys. During her time at Ryerson, she was a Sociology Statistics Peer Mentor, where she supported students in learning statistics and resolved students’ technical difficulties with the statistical software of SPSS.

Martha has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology with a minor in Psychology from Ryerson University, and an Ontario College Graduate Certificate from Humber College’s Research Analyst Program.

During her downtime, Martha is spending time with family or going on walks. As well, she tries to keep up with her favourite hockey and football teams.

As a Consultant at Innovative Research Group, Cherry provides comprehensive support by preparing, analyzing, and visually representing quantitative and qualitative data to offer valuable insights for both internal and client projects.

Before joining INNOVATIVE, Cherry honed her skills in statistical methods and tools such as R, Python, and SQL during her time as a graduate student at the University of British Columbia, where she led multiple academic projects, including one analyzing the factors contributing to traffic accidents in New York. Additionally, she gained valuable experience in project management and healthcare research projects at Ipsos prior to pursuing her graduate education.

Cherry enjoys playing badminton during the winter and going hiking during the summer. She is on her journey to explore as many board games as she can.

Julian Garas is a Vice President at Innovative where he manages multi-dimensional strategic research programs for government, not-for-profit and private sector clients, with emphasis on regulated industries.

Julian is also Innovative’s in-house Ontario energy regulatory affairs expert. Building on his experience working with a wide variety of Ontario LDCs (small, medium and large), Julian leads Innovative’s customer engagement thought leadership and is an integral part of all customer engagement programs. His comprehensive knowledge of all OEB decisions under the RRFE comes from years of working with clients from the first strategic planning session all the way to post-rate filing. 

Julian has a postgraduate degree in Government Relations and Corporate Communications from Seneca College and Bachelor of Arts in Contemporary Studies (Honours) from Ryerson University. He is a news and politics junkie with an appetite for staying up to date with the latest policy debates, pop culture and sports.

Vanessa is a Director at INNOVATIVE, delivering for clients across the full range of industries that INNOVATIVE serves. The projects she works on cover a variety of topics from measuring public support and opposition, to public engagement, brand/concept testing, and evaluating corporate reputation. Vanessa is also experienced in managing qualitative research studies, from moderating focus groups, to conducting one-on-one interviews with senior executives and government officials. 

Fluent in Mandarin and Cantonese, she brings her background in Chinese language research to bear, leading Innovative’s multicultural research projects across Canada. Vanessa has worked closely with clients on projects that target Chinese Canadians. Her research with this population has been featured in CBC News, Global News, and all major Chinese media outlets, including Sing Tao, Ming Pao, Fairchild TV, and OMNI TV News.

Vanessa is a member of the International Association of Business Communication (IABC). She has a Master of Arts in Communication from Simon Fraser University, a Master of Arts in Communication from Communication University of China in Beijing, and holds a Bachelor of Social Science in Government and Public Administration from the Chinese University of Hong Kong.

• Colin is a Vice President at Innovative overseeing the Vancouver team with extensive experience in quantitative research methods, communications research, and data visualization. In over 10 years at Innovative, Colin has designed and executed public opinion research for many of Western Canada’s largest crown corporations, utilities, energy companies, and financial regulators. 

  Colin has more than 15 years of experience working on academic and professional research teams; and has been at Innovative since 2014. Colin’s approach to research focuses on careful research designs that help clients understand not just correlation but cause and effect. 

  Colin completed an MA in Political Science at the University of British Columbia. Prior to joining Innovative, Colin taught quantitative research methods at Simon Fraser University. 

  In his downtime, Colin is likely to be cooking for friends and family or hiking on the North Shore mountains.

• Susan is a Vice President at Innovative and works with clients across a variety of sectors. On any given day, Susan is managing multiple projects using various methodologies, responsible for everything from survey design right through to providing insightful strategic advice.  Clients rely on Susan for excellent project management that is grounded in twenty-plus years of research experience.

  Having worked in the research field since 1995, Susan has a unique depth and breadth of experience and expertise that ensure clients achieve their research objectives. While working in Australia, Susan was awarded a highly respected customer service award by a large international corporation.  She enjoys the creative aspects of designing and facilitating research programs to meet complex and unique client needs.

  Susan studied sociology and Political Science at Bishop’s University in Lennoxville, Quebec.

  When not working, Susan enjoys travelling, playing golf and tennis, and running an Airbnb.

Cliff is the Vice President of Data Management and IT at Innovative. Since 2005, Cliff has overseen all technical aspects of Innovative’s operations from field preparation, to data collection, quality assurance, and managing Innovative’s ongoing national online panel.

In order to provide clients with quality and accuracy in our research and analysis, there are a set of strict procedures in place to ensure data integrity. Cliff manages Innovative’s strict regimen for data cleaning, data analysis, and data presentation operations, which ensures precise results for clients. He has proudly done this for the past 15 years. Cliff has a Bachelor’s in Business Administration, along with diplomas in Business Management and Architecture.

Cliff enjoys family activities with his wife, two adorable daughters and dog. He enjoys riding motorcycles, which he has done for over 30 years, and has shared his knowledge and experience as a motorcycle instructor for several years.

As Vice President of Operations, Dan is responsible for all aspects of finance and operations at Innovative. Dan leads our efforts to bring our projects to market and ensure they are deployed and operated at scale. 

Dan’s wealth of knowledge in operations stems from years of experience working with various levels of government, not-for-profit, and private sector entities by providing advice on strategic planning and organizational management. With 13 years of market research operating experience, Dan has deep expertise in research deployment, business development, and operational strategy.

In his spare time Dan plays in 2-3 hockey leagues, depending on the season. In the summer months, he heads north with his kayak.

• Jason is a Vice President at Innovative, specialising in research across complex, highly regulated industries. Jason’s quantitative experience covers a wide array of analytical techniques from multivariate and time-series analysis to market modeling and sample design. On the qualitative side, Jason is an experienced interviewer and focus group moderator. 

  For over 15 years, Jason has been a sought-out advisor on regulatory issues, customer engagement programs, and customer satisfaction benchmarking. He has a unique ability to distill information about complex and heavily regulated industries into engagement programs that capture informed insights from consumers and the broader public.

  Jason has a Bachelor of Commerce degree and a Master of Science degree in Managerial Economics, both from Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario.

  When he’s not at work, Jason enjoys exploring Ontario’s wine country and wines.

Greg is the founder and President of Innovative Research Group. As its founder, Greg leads Innovative’s mission to evolve market research practices by transforming the latest developments in academia into proprietary models that deliver actionable insights. As President, Greg oversees Innovative’s methodical best practices and acts as the Lead Methodologist on projects across the organization.

As a former Principal Secretary, Greg has built a career at the intersection of public policy, communications and public opinion. With over 30 years of communications and opinion research experience, Greg uses a full range of research tools for a variety of government and corporate clients across industries such as financial services, healthcare and the energy and infrastructure sector. 

Greg’s research has been highlighted in media across the country.  He has been featured in many media outlets including Global TV, the Globe and Mail, the Hill Times, the National Post and various other PostMedia Network newspapers. In 2016, Greg received the Public Affairs Association of Canada Award of Distinction.  

Greg has a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of British Columbia and has taken courses in data analyses, research methodologies, and management from Essex University, York University, and Harvard University.

When away from his desk, Greg can be found travelling between British Columbia, Ontario, and England to spend time with his wife and daughters.