We are doers.
We are unconventional.

We tackle complex problems.

/strategy

Advisory

Our partners have us onboard as dedicated co-conspirators / advisors whom they can call on. Is a critical quarter or year approaching? Are you looking to work through something complex? Could you use an injection of momentum?  We go - deep - and dive beyond the surface  to intimately learn about you, your organization and your mission. Have us on hand to help orchestrate your next moves,  facilitate strategic introductions, provide you with strategic direction and equip you with creative and competitive ideas along the way. We bring our creative problem identifying and solving, strategic  growth and management experience to help you with your milestones and org-wide efforts. 

/insight

Research 

But the useful kind.  We are  known by senior level executives to have helped them "dodge bullets" through critical and timely pivots. Ground product/service/program design decisions with  'knows' - rather than assumptions, hunches and far removed research reports. Our approach gives you access to truly useful and relevant insight with deep consideration to the ins and outs of your organization.  We facilitate stakeholder engagement that extracts meaningful information that you can operationalize and work with you gather deep insight while you experiment and execute. 

Program Design & Management

We are known for having a "perfect blend of strategic and implementation skills". We build strategy - that is designed for  execution; and execute - with a highly strategic lens. From A to Z, we have done it all from ideation through to successful implementation to go-to-market - and beyond, to market and geographic expansion. Involve us early on in the ideation process and we'll roll up our sleeves with you. 

Speaking & Workshops

Action often requires the power of a big spark set to a flame.  We are known to leave teams and audiences feeling motivated, inspired and in deep and reflective thought through keynote talks, panel discussions, moderation of roundtables and facilitation of hands-on workshops. We believe in investing in the capacity of those we work with. Sometimes, this can involve  facilitation, education, providing know-how, perspective and mind-set shifts. We bring  our expertise and insights on strategic operations, innovation, leadership, entrepreneurship, social impact and diversity & inclusion in to the fold.

/creative

Digital Assets + Branding

From  interactive websites to your own library of one-liners and impactful visual assets to use - we'll create digital extensions of your organization designed to interact and engage with your stakeholders, customers and audience.  We create assets  that are easy for you to apply  across various mediums, provide you and your team with the training on how to do so - or take it off of your hands and manage it for you.

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Crayne is your innovation & strategic growth partner.

Carolyn Van

Principal Consultant

Those who have worked with Carolyn would attest to how much she pushed them, their teams and their organizations to grow. Carolyn is someone others often call on to help tackle or work through challenges or opportunities - no matter how undefined, hairy or complex they are. She is known for her both deep and wide insights; systems-thinking; being a catalyst for change and transformation; creative problem solving; and having the "perfect blend of strategic and implementation skills".

She brings more than 12 years of building, growing and scaling up businesses and designing projects, services and programs to expand reach and deepen impact. She has worked with innovation incubators; hundreds of startups; with not for profit and for profit organizations; and across various industries including healthcare, telecom, IoT, education and CPG. 

Carolyn has created for, worked with and has been invited to advise and share with various outlets and organizations including Microsoft, Google, CTV News Technology Segments, City of Toronto (Canada), Global Entrepreneurship Week, First Nations Tech Council, Boys & Girls Club National (Canada), The Financial Post, The Globe and Mail, Lean Startup Machine Conference, Oxfam Canada, the University of Toronto Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy, and House of Commons (Parliament of Canada).

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Carolyn is a very knowledgeable, inventive, and reliable individual. We are really fortunate to have her as a trusted advisor on our startup. She has opened up many doors for us in our customer and business development stages thanks to her large network.

She is not afraid to be honest and tell you if and when you are not on the right track, which is quite refreshing to hear. We really love the way she tackles problems as they present themselves with an out-of-the-box approach.

Aram, CEO of Crowdlinker

We went from developing a product that people “could see” themselves using to developing a product people will use and that all stemmed from us making a conscience effort to hone in on the value that we were aiming to deliver to our consumers. 

This is what Carolyn is able to bring to the table.

Yohannes, Product Strategy Lead at Google

Carolyn is an asset to any organization. You can count on Carolyn for honest answers and advice that will benefit you and your company in the long run.

Adrian, CEO of Ascended Matrix Inc​

Working with Carolyn provided me with an opportunity to observe someone who is not only dedicated to their business, but who is also dedicated to teaching those she works with and helping them to grow.

Rachel, Accounts at Spinmaster

Through her energy, bold-nature, persistence, awesome ideas and wide connections we just rocketed forward. Carolyn is thoughtful, empathetic, focused and always knows how to plan and execute the next move.

I would love an opportunity to work with Carolyn again - and so should you.

Declan, Chief Technology Officer of LeanIntuit

Carolyn is a force of innovation – she has a unique ability to bring design, impact and tech together in ways that provide solutions to pressing problems. I have seen this first hand through her role as an Advisor to my company, Eschaton Solutions Ltd. 

She has consistently challenged me to grow my company by identifying specific issues that require work and advising on ways to address them. 

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I would highly recommend Carolyn to any venture (young or mature) seeking a refreshing and innovative voice, as well as technical know how to take them to the next level in their organization’s journey

Tapfuma, Founder of Eschaton Solutions

We would recommend Carolyn in a heartbeat. Her charisma, wealth of knowledge, focus on results - and unparalleled professionalism have made her one of our most favourite mentors.

Andrei, E-commerce Entrepreneur 

Carolyn is an outstanding leader with a natural drive to problem solve and make decisions fearlessly. Carolyn is truly one of the leading thinkers in digital media, strategy, communications and innovation.

Carolyn knows how to move projects forward, drive results and empower and push her team. She is a great mentor and one of the best leaders I’ve worked with. She really challenged me to grow.

I would recommend Carolyn in a heartbeat!

Nitika, Account Director at Beyond

Truly an inspiration to me and the rest of the team by challenging the status quo, adding value along the way with her unique vision, style and focus on the business objective at hand.

Tony, Global Chief Marketing Officer

Her support, expertise and trust had a huge impact on the success of our team. Working with her felt natural - it was easy, fun and stimulating. Anyone would be lucky to have Carolyn on their team. She’s definitely one of the best leaders I’ve had the chance to work with.

Ariane, Merchant Success at Shopify