From Lived Story to Leadership Insight

We transform lived experiences into ethical case studies, and track public leaders against their promises — so you can lead, learn, and hold systems accountable.

Explore Case Studies

See Report Scorecards

What We Do

Savvy Search is where storytelling meets systems change.

See all Services

Ethical Case Studies

We turn real, lived workplace experiences into anonymized case studies that uncover:

Gaps between policy and practice
Failures in psychological safety, inclusion, or leadership
Ethical lessons for boards, HR, and leaders

Used in:
Leadership training, governance reviews, DEI workshops, and organizational learning.

Civic Scorecards

We track municipal councils and committees using a custom rubric that measures:

Accountability
Community engagement
Strategic follow-through

Used by:
Citizens, journalists, advocacy groups, and municipalities seeking honest evaluation.

Made for People Who Care About Doing Better

We work with:

Boards and HR teams wanting real culture change

Nonprofits and institutions trying to live their values

Municipalities seeking public trust

Journalists and advocates needing evidence that sticks

Start a Project with Us

Meet Pat Kelly

I'm a community strategist, advocate, and happy warrior with 30+ years in civic leadership, governance, and storytelling. I help people see what’s broken — and build something better in its place.

Savvy Search is the lens I offer. One built on lived wisdom, not just theory.

Contact

Want to Turn Conflict Into Clarity?

Whether you're facing internal workplace harm, external accountability challenges, or a policy that no one’s living — we can help you see it, name it, and do better.

Let’s co-create:

Case studies
Council evaluation tools
Speaking, workshops, or advising

info@savvysearch.ca

Empowering Leadership

30+

Years in Advocacy & Leadership

50+

Ethical Case Studies Created

150+

Organizational Leaders Advised

1M+

Canadians Reached Through Media

Recent Case Studies

Accommodation as a Weapon

Summary: A high-performing staff member disclosed a chronic health condition and requested remote work flexibility. Leadership agreed — then began excluding them from key meetings, assigning less visible work, and citing “fairness to others” as a reason for reduced opportunities. Eventually, the employee was let go during restructuring. Ethical Lens: The misuse of accommodation as a justification for exclusion Legal obligations under disability law “Fairness” narratives that

Oct 251 min read

The Checklist Culture

Summary: A healthcare organization launched a DEI committee, brought in diverse speakers, and added a land acknowledgment to every meeting — but did not change hiring practices, budget allocations, or policies that excluded Indigenous and Black staff from leadership. Staff described it as “DEI theatre” — all optics, no substance. Ethical Lens: The illusion of progress through performative acts Checklist culture vs. systemic change Psychological harm of symbolic inclusion Lead

Oct 251 min read

Public Apology, Private Punishment

Summary: After a public incident involving racial profiling, the organization issued a well-written apology and launched a “values reset.” Internally, however, the staff member who raised the concern was sidelined from projects, removed from committees, and told they were “too emotional.” The gap between the public messaging and internal response destroyed trust across the team. Ethical Lens: Misuse of apologies as PR tools Retaliation after disclosure Culture repair vs. cult

Oct 251 min read

See all Case Studies

Testimonials

LEADERSHIP IMPACT

“I do not think that we would have a cancer control strategy today without the advocacy efforts of Pat and her colleagues. In short, Pat makes things happen.”

Dr. Robert A. Phillips

Executive Director, National Cancer Institute of Canada, 1996-2001
President and CEO, Ontario Cancer Research Network, 2002-2006
Deputy Director, Ontario Institute for Cancer Research, 2006-2009
Professor Emeritus, Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto

From Lived Story to Leadership Insight

What We Do

Ethical Case Studies

Civic Scorecards

Boards and HR teams wanting real culture change

Nonprofits and institutions trying to live their values

Municipalities seeking public trust

Journalists and advocates needing evidence that sticks

Meet Pat Kelly

Want to Turn Conflict Into Clarity?

Empowering Leadership

30+

50+

150+

1M+

Recent Case Studies

Accommodation as a Weapon

The Checklist Culture

Public Apology, Private Punishment

LEADERSHIP IMPACT

My Hometown - Owen Sound