Dr. Jennifer Leason

From the moment I met Dr. Leason, my heart expanded, my eyes watered, and my body vibrated. Her work in Indigenous Maternal and Child Health was so meaningful, I wanted to support her however I could.

We took our time getting to know each other, building safety as we deepened our relationship. Her brilliance shone in every conversation. How could I help bring this bright light to those who needed to hear what she had to say? She did not want to be in the spotlight, but therein was a challenge; the impact of her academic research was strengthened by her credibility, passion and knowledge. How could we centre the work?

Partnering with Gwynn Kirk at Vertical Motion, we expanded her website to include her commissioned artwork, community-based research and training, consulting services, articles and books she had published, as well as her courses. With that anchor product in place, we chose a few platforms and channels to focus on that correspond with the audiences she wants to reach, starting with LinkedIn for her scholar-practitioner work.

Behind her academic research she had woven a huge network of collaborators - circles of matriarchal elders who advised on projects, PHD students who she supervised living in First Nations communities, researchers supporting Indigenous midwives. And her artwork, wow, her artwork! There were layers of depth and meaning to each brush stroke. Here was a community of talented people bringing the work to life. Beyond the data, numbers, and images were real people with real stories. I just needed to help those stories reach the ears to hear them.