The problem
We often hear:
- “I don’t know if our HR policies are inclusive or have systemic barriers”
- “We understand diversity is important, but we don’t have applicants that come from diverse backgrounds.”
- “Why can’t I retain my staff?”
Too often, community programs and policies leave many people excluded and underserved resulting in low staff retention, disengaged teams, distrust and fractured relationships, and programs that miss the mark.
We need to move away from conventional design thinking approaches and examine the role of power, privilege, and systemic barriers that limit our ideas and result in ineffective or harmful solutions.
Be a part of the solution
We are all designers. Anyone who solves problems, makes decisions, or creates solutions is a designer. You have the power to design inclusive organizational cultures and policies, and community programs that are supportive and help staff and communities thrive.
Equity and inclusion are commitments shared by many, but many of us don’t know how to put it into practice. We could all benefit from inclusive policies, programs, and cultures—it’s time to be a part of the solution, and we are here to work alongside you.
Our offering
Our Designing for Equity Masterclass ensures projects, programs, and processes are better designed from the start—creating meaningful, useful solutions while saving time and resources. This masterclass dives deeper into an equity-centred design framework and principles, centering the needs of people most impacted by decisions.
Join our Designing for Equity Masterclass to identify and address systemic barriers, shift the way you design programs and policies, and implement strategies that create lasting, meaningful change.
Registration is now open for both in-person and online cohorts!
What we'll learn:
Part 1: EDI Foundations – The "Why" Equity Matters
Working together leads to better outcomes, yet fostering true collaboration can feel challenging. This session focuses on understanding and applying equity, diversity, and inclusion (DEI) principles with a justice lens to create workplaces where everyone can thrive.
- Explore systemic inequities: Understand how systemic racism, power, and oppression shape workplaces and communities.
- Address unconscious bias and privilege: Learn to identify and mitigate biases in decision-making.
- Understand intersectionality: Examine how overlapping identities impact access and lived experiences.
- Foster accountability: Build skills to create safe, inclusive spaces for dialogue and collaboration.
You will leave with greater awareness of your role in dismantling inequities and practical tools to take action in your personal and professional spheres.
Part 2: Equity-Centered Design – The "How" to Take Action
This session equips teams with creative problem-solving skills to integrate justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion into decision-making and design processes. By prioritizing the voices and needs of your teams, clients, and the communities you serve, Equity-Centered Design (ECD) ensures solutions are both meaningful and useful while reducing harm.
- Engage authentically: Involve the people most impacted by decision-making.
- Co-create solutions: Collaborate to design policies, programs, and services that are relevant, impactful, and equitable.
- Challenge traditional approaches: Address how power and privilege influence design processes and limit innovation.
- Apply equity-focused frameworks: Use tools for discovery, ideation, prototyping, and iteration with an equity lens.
You will leave equipped with tools and strategies to foster collaboration and create equitable solutions that address systemic challenges effectively.
Alia Sunderji
Social Entrepreneur | Equity-Centered Innovation Educator | Systems Change Activator
Alia is an Organizational EDI Consultant, Sustainable Innovation Lecturer, and Social Entrepreneur committed to advancing systems change through inclusive innovation. She has over eight years of experience designing and leading Sustainable Innovation courses at Simon Fraser University’s Beedie School of Business, specializing in equity, sustainability, and community engagement.
As the Founder of Luv The Grub, a social enterprise tackling food waste while providing employment training for newcomer refugees, Alia applies equity-centered design to create real-world impact. She is also a Portfolio Manager with RADIUS’ Consulting Services Team, supporting organizations in embedding equity and justice into their work.
Currently pursuing an MBA in Sustainable Innovation at the University of Victoria, Alia continues to explore ways to reimagine businesses and systems for greater inclusivity and impact.
Ilhan Abdullahi
Community Organizer | Health Equity Educator | Filmmaker & Storyteller for Social Change
Ilhan Abdullahi is a dedicated Community Organizer, University Lecturer, and Storyteller working at the intersection of Health Equity and Social Innovation. She is an experienced facilitator in equity-centred design. A Somali-Canadian, Ilhan’s journey was shaped by her family’s forced migration to these unceded Coast Salish Lands at a young age. Her lived experience instilled in her a deep passion for addressing social and health inequities, driving her lifelong commitment to social justice. Ilhan has been actively involved in community activism, youth work, and health promotion across Vancouver’s Lower Mainland.
Ilhan continues to advance health equity as a Doctoral Student at SFU’s Faculty of Health Sciences, where she also taught. She employs a hands-on, practical approach to teaching and learning, centering equity and decolonization in her work with students and communities.
About RADIUS
RADIUS is an equity-centered consultancy in pursuit of building individual and institutional capacity to collectively respond to complex challenges of our time. Our Consulting and Training Services team brings wisdom learned from working with equity-deserving communities to our projects and training with institutional clients, while working towards more inclusive leadership, cultures, and structures.