Our Team

We are researchers, strategists and storytellers who turn complex problems into clear, practical ideas. Using evidence and curiosity, we mix rigorous analysis with creative thinking to guide policy, business and community choices. We work with governments, nonprofits and businesses to co-create fair, scalable solutions that can be measured. .

Zarak Shah

Zarak Shah is a visionary "builder" and strategic leader who operates at the intersection of global governance, public health, and technological innovation. Zarak excels at transforming complex challenges into scalable, systemic solutions. In over decade long consulting career , he have had strategic tenures at the United Nations and the World Bank, where he navigated international policy frameworks to drive development and humanitarian impact. Zarak has deep operational roots within the Canadian health landscape, having led initiatives at Queen’s University and South East Public Health ranging from health tech to corporate mergers. 

Managing Director

Andy Hu

Andy Hu is a multi-faceted finance and data leader with over a decade of experience bridging the gap between complex accounting practices and advanced analytics engineering. He has proven track record in business process transformation, ERP system migrations, financial analysis and planning. With a deep experience in the higher education sector, Andy excels at bringing human capital, systems and diverse data points into executable strategy, optimized resource allocation and enhanced organizational efficiency.

Managing Director

Managing Director

Anna Couch

Anna Couch is a seasoned education consultant at Queen’s University with over 20 years of experience in academic leadership and organizational change. Specializing in areas like curriculum design, medical education (CBME), and equity-centered practice, she holds a PhD from McGill and an M.Ed. from the University of Washington. She currently partners with institutional leaders to solve complex programmatic challenges and build thriving learning environments.

Research Fellows

Zain Mustafa

Seasoned product leader with 14+ years building AI platforms and scaling product & engineering teams. Now leading Generative AI & Edge Platform Strategy at Amazon, defining infrastructure and governance for secure, low-latency LLMs across 100M+ devices. Expert at moving LLMs from research to production while ensuring correctness, privacy, and reliability. Proven in delivering extensible AI services and APIs that boost developer velocity, production reliability, and unlock billion-dollar opportunities.

Lois Triano

Lois Triano has spent more than a decade working at the sharp end of luxury hospitality: managing reservations at Aman Resorts, overseeing front-of-house operations at elite private clubs, and currently serving as General Manager of CTS Aspen, a premium transportation company operating in one of the most discerning markets in the world. Her career spans ultra-luxury resorts, fine dining, and multi-property portfolios across the Colorado Rockies, giving her an unusually complete view of what exceptional service actually requires on the ground. That operational depth is what she brings to her research - not theory, but pattern recognition built from years of solving real problems for real guests. Hospitality and tourism are changing fast, and the brands, developers, and service leaders navigating that shift need insight grounded in experience, not just data. Lois bridges that gap. Multilingual and educated in Switzerland and at Boston University, she has lived and worked across 67 countries, and understands the cultural nuance that separates good hospitality from truly memorable experiences.