About Us

The A.R.T. of Empowered Governance

At Go Beyond Equity, we are committed to enhancing governance practices through our innovative A.R.T. framework, which combines Agency, Resources, and Trust to empower decision-making at all levels of the organization.

Inspired by a blend of empowerment theories from psychology, social work, women’s empowerment, and employee management, our framework addresses both internal and external factors essential for meaningful participation in organizational decision-making.

AGENCY is fundamental to our approach and involves understanding the organization's perception of self, purpose, and ability to influence their environment. This includes acknowledgement that traditionally marginalized groups may face internalized barriers to participation due to experiences of discrimination.

RESOURCES refer to addressing issues of access and control over material and economic means for action, crucial for enabling effective participation.

TRUST is pivotal in our model, representing the relational aspect of power conferred formally or informally through social license or earned effort.

Opportunity, Capacity, and Autonomy are integral sub-dimensions of our methodology. Enhanced by positive Agency, Resources, and Trust, these dimensions empower participants by providing increased engagement opportunities, building capability, and fostering motivation for self-mastery.

EMPOWERMENT flourishes at the intersection of these dimensions, forming the cornerstone of our governance enhancement strategy.

With this approach, we are dedicated to supporting organizations in embracing and taking ownership of their governance processes. Together, we foster resilience and sustainable growth, ensuring lasting impact and success.

Let’s embark on a journey towards empowered governance. Contact us today to learn how we can empower your organization.

We aim to create a future where collaborative decision-making is the norm, resulting in more sustainable solutions, stronger relationships, and a more equitable society for all.

  • PRINCIPAL & CO-FOUNDER

    Bessie is an experienced governance professional with at least two decades of advocacy work in inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility. She has worked with numerous boards and senior executives from various industries, including Destination Canada, the Law Society of BC, the Vancouver Art Gallery and Global Television. Bessie’s passion for cooperative decision-making and constructive communication underpins her approach to governance and policy development, which she has applied from both sides of the board table. As Principal of Go Beyond Equity Inc., she is motivated to help clients develop more meaningful engagement on decisions impacting the communities they serve. Bessie has a BA in Political Science/Sociology from the University of Victoria, and an MBA from SFU.

  • PRINCIPAL PROJECT CONSULTANT

    Ray is a senior engineer and project manager in the marine industry with over a decade of proficiency in leading multinational teams. He has worked with clients and stakeholders on projects all over the world.

    Ray’s inspiration for inclusion began with witnessing firsthand the benefits of a diverse engineering team and the inputs that people from different backgrounds can bring to the table. Through participative leadership, Ray built a cohesive and collaborative environment where his team could thrive and innovate.

    Ray is an ISO 9001:2015 QMS internal auditor and has been responsible for planning and leading internal audits and implementing continuous quality improvement processes.

    He is registered as a Professional Engineer with EGBC, has an undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering from the University of British Columbia and an MBA from Simon Fraser University.

Go Beyond Equity gratefully acknowledges that we are headquartered on the traditional and unceded lands of the Coast Salish peoples, including the kʷikʷəƛ̓əm (Kwikwetlem), xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish), səl̓ilw̓ətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh), q̓íc̓əy̓ (Katzie), qiqéyt (Qayqayt), qʼʷa:n̓ƛʼən̓ (Kwantlen), Səmyámə (Semiahmoo), and sc̓əwaθən (Tsawwassen) Nations.

We are committed to working in solidarity to promote Truth & Reconciliation, heeding lessons from the past to heal the present and advance hope for the future.