About
Improving Consultation & Engagement Through AI
Middle Ground is public consultation reimagined.
It is transforming consultation for government, industry, organizations, communities and First Nations to make it more efficient and faster, and increase inclusiveness, transparency and trust in decisions.
Meet the Team
CO-FOUNDER
Tamara brings 20+ years’ experience in corporate communications, public affairs and government relations to her clients, including eight years at Canada’s top two public relations and public affairs firms and almost seven years owning and running Coast Communications and Public Affairs. Before that she spent 11 years in public service advising Provincial Ministers and Mayors in B.C.
Tamara’s main interest is how to bring an integrated set of solutions to help clients communicate with audiences, build profile and reputation. She is an expert in issues management and crisis communications, in which she frequent trains clients. As a trained social scientist (Anthropologist),Tamara is committed to using research and insights on which to base programs. Tamara’s clients have included some of B.C.'s largest companies and organizations, including marine shippers, terminals and ports, business and industry associations, regulated utilities, the energy sector, including clean energy, natural gas and LNG projects and associations, forestry and mining companies, universities, transportation organizations, municipal governments, Indigenous Governments, not-for- profits and others.
Tamara spent seven years in B.C. Government communications, in Manager and Director roles, leading all communications for the Ministries of Energy Mines and Petroleum Resources, Transportation and the Treaty Negotiations Office and also served as communications, government relations and marketing director for Partnerships BC (now Infrastructure BC), the provincially-owned company responsible for capital project procurement. Before that she ran a B.C.-wide consultation program for the Legislature on treaty negotiations, and spent four years advising Mayors and City Managers on Aboriginal relations and treaty negotiations.
Tamara has honours Undergraduate and Master’s Degrees in Anthropology from UBC, focused on B.C. Indigenous Nations and contemporary and historic political and cultural issues. She worked collaboratively and lived on the lands of the Stó:lō people and her Master’s research was focused Stó:lō cultural education programing.
Tamara grew up in small-town B.C. in Penticton, and lives in East Vancouver with her husband and son. She is an avid creator, including painting, sewing and calligraphy and loves to read. She has a passion for community volunteering and governance. She is a board member of the BC Parks Foundation; former Chair of the Kettle Friendship Society Board, a mental health care and housing organization; the former Chair of the Kitsilano Neighbourhood House as well as its Fundraising Committee; the former chair of the Public Affairs Association of Canada BC Chapter and is a member of the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade, Surrey Board of Trade, Clean Energy BC, Canadian Public Relations Society, International Association of Business Communicators. She is trained in public engagement and consultation through the International Association of Public Participation (IAP2), of which she is a member.
CO-FOUNDER
Julian has over 20 years of strategy consulting experience. He joined Deetken Insight, a leading Vancouver-based strategic advisory company, in 2010 and became a partner in 2020.
His specialty areas include operational strategy, business case development, financial modelling, economic impact assessments, agile-based project management methods, and performance measurement framework design. He leads Deetken’s economic and labour market research and analysis practice. A true generalist strategy consultant, he has led hundreds of engagements for senior executives across a range of public and private sector organizations.
Julian is passionate about blending rigorous analysis with deeply intentional facilitation to build winning strategies for his clients. Early in his career, Julian worked as a policy analyst for the Government of Canada in multiple departments, both in Ottawa and Vancouver. Julian completed his BA in Political Economy from Princeton University and his MA in Political Science (Public Policy) from the University of Toronto. He holds International Association for Public Participation (IAP2) and scrum product owner certifications.
Julian is deeply committed to working with community partners to help all individuals achieve their quality of life aspirations. He recently served as board chair of the BC Centre for Ability, a leading BC-based non-profit organization that provides family-centred and vocational services to people with disabilities. Julian enjoys spending time outside and exploring his East Vancouver neighbourhood with his family.
CO-FOUNDER
Josh Syer is a Business student who is fascinated by the application of AI in public consultation and engagement.
Josh created the initial prototype which served as a model that guided the development of Middle Ground into the product it is today. Josh is always seeking the newest technology to implement into Middle Ground.
CO-FOUNDER
Tony Thomson is a seasoned engineering leader with over two decades of experience building innovative software solutions at the intersection of data, development, and design. As co-founder of Middle Ground, Tony brings a wealth of technical expertise and leadership experience from his work at established companies and startups alike, including Adobe, Apple, Kleiner Perkins, Vouch, Quid, and Kizmo, an interactive design firm he co-founded earlier in his career.
Originally from Canada and now based in San Francisco with his wife and son, Tony combines his technical background with a passion for sustainable development and climate solutions. At Middle Ground, he's focused on exploring how AI technologies can be applied to the challenges of public consultation, engagement and participation, bringing together his technical expertise and commitment to creating meaningful impact.
Tony's approach to engineering leadership emphasizes customer development, close collaboration, and building maintainable systems that elegantly solve complex problems. This philosophy has guided his work across multiple industries and technologies.
When not working on software solutions, Tony can be found exploring mountain biking trails, attending concerts, or traveling to new destinations with his family. He holds an MBA in Sustainability Management from Presidio Graduate School, a BA in Computer Science and International Development from McGill University, and recently completed a Graduate Certificate in CyberGIS and Geospatial Data Science from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
ENGAGEMENT DIRECTOR
Janet brings more than 20 years of experience in strategic communications and public engagement, working across both public and private sectors. With two Master’s degrees, one in Leadership and Organizational Development and another in Media Psychology, she brings a rare mix of complex systems thinking and deep understanding of how people connect, engage, and respond to change.
Over her career, Janet has led large-scale communications and consultation initiatives, helping align policy, programs, and services with the real needs of communities. She’s worked side-by-side with technical, policy, and executive teams, advised senior government leaders, and built strategies that deliver meaningful, measurable results.
But what really sets Janet apart is her work at the cutting edge of technology and human behaviour. As an AI trainer and cyberpsychologist, she’s helping shape the future of ethical, human-centered AI by exploring how emerging technologies like AI affect how we think, feel, and relate. It’s work that aligns with Middle Ground’s mission to build trust, foster dialogue, and make public consultation more transparent and inclusive.