sydney mcneill

Oh, the challenge of describing my professional expertise as an interdisciplinarian. As in life, I'm many things! Led by my values, drive for authenticity, and curiosity, I pride myself on combining a diversity of skills and specializations into thoughtful, holistic, people-centered approaches. I'm a leader and a trusted advisor, supporting individuals, teams, and organizations to grow. I'm a strategist, bringing a lens of critical optimism and aspirational action to problem-solving and planning. I'm a storyteller, helping organizations share who they are and what they do. I'm a justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion advisor, facilitating meaningful learning and positive change. I'm an educator, working with teams to meet their learning needs. I'm a community engagement expert and inclusive researcher, bridging conventional data collection and insights with relational trust-centered approaches. I've worked in leadership and consultative roles spanning non-profits, post-secondary, provincial and federal government branches, marketing and communications agencies, and a variety of private enterprises across industries. I aim to understand every aspect of an opportunity, from every angle, and approach solutions with holism. I'm as accepting of the things I don't know as the things I do. I believe in the importance of human experience, the value of community, and the possibility of a better world. 

I bring my whole self to work everyday. I'm queer in every way and multiply neurodivergent (or, if you prefer a more colourful descriptor, neurospicy!). My home is exceptionally chaotic, and I wouldn't have it any other way; I'm a parent to young kids, a pet owner, a partner. I'm a white settler (of Scottish/Norwegian ancestry) who's grateful every day to live on Treaty 6 territory and to the Indigenous peoples and communities who steward this land. I’m committed to doing my part to make the world a better place. I love to create - through photography, through poetry and prose, through music and song, through visual art and design. I'm often out enjoying local coffee, cuisine, craft beer and cocktails, art, music, and culture. I stop suddenly to admire nature and take in small, beautiful moments.