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Overview For Trans People For Allies of Trans People
 

Who we are

TransFocus Consulting helps organizations make trans and non-binary inclusion work in the real world.

We specialize in situations where decisions affect real people, real spaces, and public trust—and where the cost of getting it wrong is high. Our work supports organizations navigating issues that directly impact trans and non-binary people, particularly in regulated, public-facing, or high-scrutiny environments.

People often come to us feeling uncertain, stuck, or worried about backlash.
Our role is to bring clarity, calm, and practical guidance—so decisions can move forward without escalation, confusion, or harm.

 
 
 

Our experience

Through a decade of work, TransFocus has:

  • supported 500+ organizations across North America and Europe

  • delivered education to 33,000+ people

  • conducted research with 17,000+ participants

Much of this work is confidential due to its sensitive nature. Rather than publishing named case studies, we demonstrate impact through aggregated outcomes, repeat engagements, and reduced failure indicators.

 
supported 500+ organizations across North America and Europe delivered education to 33,000+ people conducted research with 17,000+ participants
 
 
 

Vision

A world where decisions affecting trans and non-binary people are made thoughtfully, responsibly, and with care for everyone involved.

Mission

To help clients feel clear, confident, and relieved—knowing that complex decisions have been approached with rigor, realism, and respect.

 
 
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What we focus on (and what we don’t)

TransFocus works on trans and non-binary inclusion.

Our work commonly involves:

  • washrooms and change rooms

  • access rules and operational guidance

  • policies, forms, and data systems

  • staff readiness and frontline practice

  • environments shaped by law, regulation, or public accountability

We do not provide broad equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) consulting or representation-focused initiatives. This focus allows us to go deeper where misunderstanding, fear, and implementation failure most often occur.

 
 

Where we work

Sectors

We most often work in high-accountability environments, including:

  • government (federal, provincial, municipal, and Indigenous)

  • healthcare (patient, employee, information campaigns)

  • education (K-12 and post-secondary)

  • design (architecture and engineering)

  • sport (inter-sport, national, and regional)

Across these sectors, the common thread is limited tolerance for error and a need for decisions that hold up over time.

 

Geography

TransFocus’ work is grounded primarily in Canada, where we support organizations across federal, provincial, municipal, and Indigenous contexts.


We also work with select organizations in the United States, and are gradually expanding our work in European contexts where legal frameworks and institutional environments are compatible.


Our approach is shaped by the understanding that gender diversity work is deeply influenced by local law, policy, and culture. We engage where we can work responsibly, with sufficient contextual knowledge to support decisions that hold up in practice.

 
 

Our work

TransFocus’ work includes:

  • education sessions

  • strategy and risk sessions

  • design and policy support

  • custom projects tailored to specific contexts

You can explore examples of past work—shared at a high level to respect confidentiality—on our Projects page.

 
 

Our approach

People consistently describe our work as calm, respectful, and non-judgmental.
That demeanour is intentional.

It helps surface concerns early, reduces defensiveness, and makes it possible to work through difficult trade-offs without polarization stalling progress.

Functionally, this approach:

  • improves participation

  • supports clearer decision-making

  • lowers the risk of escalation during implementation

We listen carefully to trans and non-binary people, while also taking seriously what cisgender people need in order to learn, adapt, and implement change responsibly. Balancing these realities is essential to making inclusion workable—not just well-intentioned.

 
 

Why organizations work with us

Clients work with TransFocus because we combine:

  • deep technical and research expertise

  • lived experience across the gender spectrum

  • fluency in legal, regulatory, and operational realities

  • an ability to stay steady in emotionally charged environments

This combination allows us to support decisions that are defensible, workable, and less likely to fail.

 

We don’t aim to be the loudest voice in the room.

We aim to be the most helpful—especially when the stakes are high.

 
 

Our team

TransFocus is a distributed team of associates with professional expertise and lived experience, including trans women, non-binary people, trans men, and Two-Spirit people. We work in multiple languages, including English, French, and German.

We acknowledge that our primary office is located on the unceded territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam Indian Band), səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh Nation), and Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish Nation) in what is also known as Vancouver, BC.

 
 
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Kai Scott, MA

(he/him)

  • Kai is a social scientist with 20 years of experience addressing complex social issues, including those affecting trans and non-binary people. He combines research expertise with lived experience to support organizations in making decisions that work under real-world conditions.

    Kai has led research and education initiatives reaching over 35,000 people across Canada and the United States and is known for his calm, matter-of-fact approach to complex and often heated topics.

 
 
 
 

Hélène Frohard-Dourlent, PhD

(they/them + she/her)

  • Hélène has over a decade of experience leading education and systems-change initiatives related to sexual orientation and gender identity, with a strong intersectional lens. They pair research rigor with skilled facilitation to support sustainable, practical change—while remaining attentive to how deeply gender shapes daily experience.

    Hélène is bilingual (English/French) and is especially interested in inclusive survey design, non-binary language in French, and trans-inclusive policy development.

 
 
 
 

Ange Villeneuve

(Pronoms iel/elle - accords féminins | Pronouns they/she)

  • Ange Villeneuve est une personne blanche transféminine non binaire, mordue de littérature et de justice sociale. Iel travaille et vit à Ktinékétolékouac (soi-disant Sherbrooke), territoire non cédé de la Nation W8banaki. Ange possède plus de cinq ans d'expérience dans l'éducation communautaire. Iel est aussi titulaire d'une maîtrise en traduction de l'Université Concordia, qu'iel met à profit en collaborant avec de nombreux organismes communautaires en traduisant des textes servant les communautés marginalisées.

  • Ange Villeneuve is a white non-binary transfeminine person who is passionate about literature and social justice. They work and live in Ktinékétolékouac (so-called Sherbrooke), unceded W8banaki territory. Ange has over five years of experience in community education. They also have a master's degree in translation from Concordia University which they leverage by collaborating with numerous community organizations to translate texts that support and empower marginalized communities.

 
 
 
 

Chase Willier

(he/him)

  • Chase is a nehiyaw (Cree) Two-Spirit trans man and retired RCMP member with 30 years of service. He brings Indigenous and Western perspectives together to support thoughtful, accountable approaches to inclusion in both Indigenous and non-Indigenous contexts.

 
 
 
 

El Orchard

(she/her + they/them)

  • El is a non-binary creative with a background in the arts and storytelling. At TransFocus, El connects clients with on-demand education and supports public-facing communication, helping ensure that learning about gender diversity is accessible, grounded, and practical.

 
 
 
 
 
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Nicolas Montagut

(he/him)

  • Nicolas brings over eight years of project management experience across complex, multi-stakeholder environments. At TransFocus, he oversees project planning and delivery, ensuring work is coordinated, clear, and responsive to client needs. Nicolas is a proud member of the 2SLGBTQI+ community and a trans ally.

 
 
Join Our Team
 

TransFocus is a certified LGBT Business Enterprise
with the Canadian Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (CS252)