Sponge

We create design solutions with mission-driven organizations to improve lives in big and small ways.

COLLECTIVE IMPACT

Increasing the application of coaching in social change

ORGANIZATIONAL EQUITY

Accelerating organizational equity at scale

SOCIAL JUSTICE

Empowering people facing barriers with dignified and gainful employment

SUSTAINABILITY

Empowering eco-conscious restaurateurs to action

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What we do best

Carving new inroads to complex problems

We deep dive into the experiences of stakeholders to identify true leverage points amid barriers that carve a path out of a nebulous problem.

Translating opportunities into pragmatic solutions

Striving to tackle problems at their root instead of chasing novelty, we test early concepts in real-life scenarios, and ground the solution in practicality with lessons learned from actual usage.

Meaningful collaborations across disciplines

We bring people together from across disciplines as experts, forming partnerships that cultivate the open collective mindset required to innovate together towards a shared goal.

The humans of Sponge

Hi, I’m Renee

Having grown up as a rebellious kid exposed me to stigmatized labels at an early age – “Bad kid,” “no future,” or “don’t hang out with her,” they say. “How come no one cared to ask why,” I wondered. Now, this longtime wonder serves as my heartfelt desire in life: A world where everyone has a chance to be heard and seen. And I am using design as a medium for creating that opportunity.

Hi, I’m Laura

I was born in Xingtang, China, a county identified as an area in need of poverty alleviation. My move to Canada introduced me to the concept of “social disparity”. I was in awe of how different lives can be, for no reason other than the environment you were born into. This disbelief became a sense of purpose: to improve all lives and fight for equity. My weapon of choice is human-centered design.

Sponge

Email:
hi@sponge.design