Testimonials

Donna Hines

Business Analysis

"Dawn is a very approachable person that exudes professionalism.

Dawn has a way of pointing out ways to improve your writing skills by first pointing out the positives, and then gently mentioning what you need to work on for improvement and how to go about tackling it. Dawn’s approach to her training with individuals is teamwork.
She will provide her expertise, guidance, methods of tweaking and organizing your writing and it is up to you to perform the work.

Without hesitation I strongly recommend Dawn for one-on-one or classroom training."

Laura O'Blenis

CEO of Stiletto

"We were thrilled with our experience with Dawn and Clarity Connect and highly recommend them for their ability to easily mesh with a team, to become an extension of that team and assist where and when needed the most. Clarity Connect takes a flexible, positive approach, which was a key factor in the success of this work.
Dawn is knowledgeable, strategic, thoughtful in her approach,
and an excellent mentor. She is an exceptional writer and facilitator and draws out the very best in individuals to enable a team and organization to shine. With Dawn’s guidance, we were able to synthesize and find common threads to knit together the consistent approach we were taking. This is now embedded into our ongoing process improvement and project work with clients. As a strategic planning firm, we value the input from a third-party to validate our work and help us think bigger and bolder. Thank you to Dawn and Clarity for enabling our firm to reach the next level.”

Michelle Menard

Southeast Regional Service Commission

"Dawn's proven expertise in grant writing was instrumental in refining our funding proposal, which ultimately received approval. At the project's onset, she guided our team in defining roles and responsibilities, identifying individual strengths, and equipping us with the tools needed to develop and implement the program effectively.

With Dawn's support, we now have clearly defined pillars for the program, along with measurable timelines and goals. We’ve also developed a comprehensive training manual, and the team collaborates more effectively, resulting in a stronger, more cohesive working dynamic.

Dawn guided us step-by-step through the entire process—applying for funding, mapping out the program, and implementing the necessary procedures. Her meticulous attention to detail ensured that we addressed critical components that might have otherwise been overlooked. Her experienced, outside perspective brought valuable insights to the team, enhancing our overall approach.

Absolutely. Dawn was a pleasure to work with—her professionalism, expertise, and approachable demeanor made the entire experience both productive and enjoyable."

Kateryna Om

Program Coordinator | Economic Development Officer,
Southeast NB

"Dawn has been an invaluable asset to our team, particularly in her role as a consultant for our Connector Program. Her expertise in strategic planning has been instrumental in keeping us focused on our goals and achieving outstanding results.

From the outset, Dawn demonstrated a deep commitment to our success. She conducted extensive prior research, which allowed her to provide tailored and insightful guidance. Her support has been unwavering, and she has consistently helped us structure our thoughts and actions in a way that maximizes our effectiveness.

Dawn's ability to break down complex strategies into manageable steps has been particularly impressive. She has a unique talent for making the strategic planning process both engaging and productive. Thanks to her efforts, our team has not only stayed on track but has also exceeded our expectations.

We highly recommend Dawn to any organization seeking a strategic planning consultant who is dedicated, knowledgeable, and exceptionally supportive."

Patricia Seaman

New Brunswick Health Research Foundation

“Clarity Connect offers practical, personalized training services. Dawn's approach makes it easy to translate research into bite-sized bits of information for different audiences. In the world of research, it can be challenging when we work every day in our area of expertise. With Dawn's help researchers are able to put their new skills into immediate action. We chose Clarity Connect to support the great research ecosystem here in New Brunswick and support our world-class researchers.”

Mandy Wintink, PhD

Research Director, Branch Out Neurological Foundation

"Dawn helped me with individual writing pieces but in a manner that taught me how to apply what I was learning to all of my writing. We worked with almost every sentence that I was writing. She questioned me and challenged me and forced me to consider exactly what I was trying to say. The process was incredibly enlightening and allowed me to really learn what it takes to write in different voices."

Joe Hood

Geospectrum Technologies INC

“I contracted Dawn to help my team of scientists and engineers improve their report and paper writing skills as part of a short, focused training effort. The training exceeded my expectations by focusing on higher level writing challenges (well beyond grammar and basic style). The result was a fully engaged team and a useful guide/checklist that we used moving forward. It has been more than 5 years since the training and I still find myself using tips from the course to evaluate and improve my writing. Great value!”

Kyle Murray-Zelmer, PhD

Program Manager, Venn Innovation

“Dawn helps R&D folks to communicate complex information and ideas in ways that are compelling, strategic, and easy to understand. She is a skilled presenter who shows clients how to navigate between academic and business mindsets.”

Paul Thornton, PhD

Innovation Partnerships Manager, New Brunswick Innovation Foundation

“Dawn Henwood is an amazing coach and an engaging presenter. NBIF has worked with Dawn to offer a series of writing workshops that empower academic researchers to improve their writing for broader audiences. Each of these online workshop sessions have been extremely informative and much more of an active discussion than merely a webinar with questions at the end. Dawn is a fantastic resource for the innovation ecosystem.”

M. Nauman Farooqi, PhD

President and Vice Chancellor, St. Thomas University

"I had the pleasure to work with Dawn and her team on a strategic plan for the business program at Mount Allison University. Dawn provided great insights into the planning process and navigated the various phases of the plan in a professional manner. Her facilitation skills were an important contributor to developing a plan that had wide ownership and buy-in from the community."

Julia Fursova

Assistant Professor, School of Leadership Studies, University of New Brunswick

"In summer 2025 I signed up for Dawn's training programme 'Designing High Performance Communication Products'. It was a professional development gift I made to myself at the end of the busy term as I was wrapping up my first research project at UNB, and rolling out a next one. This learning opportunity was the best investment of time and money! I connected with other professionals in the knowledge mobilization field, got access to a variety of practical templates for communication product development, and I actually developed a communication product under Dawn's expert tutelage while receiving peer feedback from my group members. The communication product laid a solid foundation for my presentations, communication briefs, and social media updates. And a cherry on top? I was able to share the access to the training with a PhD student from my department. Thank you, Dawn for creating such a valuable opportunity to share knowledge. I look forward to more learning journeys with Clarity Connect!"

Kate Ellis

CEO & Founder, Bombus R&I | Co-Founder & CEO, Antigoni Studios

“Dawn is an incredible KT practitioner and educator! Her programming is unique in that her KT tools are designed to be discipline agnostic. Regardless of what field of research you're looking to generate impact from, Clarity Connect can help you translate your work to the audience you're trying to reach. I've had the privilege of collaborating with her in the delivery of KT education for graduate students, but have also benefitted from her workshops for more experienced researchers. Bottom line, if you are a researcher of any stage or field looking to generate impact from your work, Dawn is someone with specialized expertise you want at your side!”

Micah Carey

The Learning Bar

“Working with Dawn in the Messaging Mentor program has helped me transition from academic writing to marketing writing. I learned how to connect with my audience and speak their language. I recommend this course to anyone going into marketing who needs to speak the new language of business communication. As a result of working with Dawn, I feel more confident in my abilities, and my coworkers now approach me for help with their writing.”

Petrina Ferris

Founder & Consultant, Systems and Style for Shared Success

“[Dawn's] session really opened my eyes to how I communicate 'the answer to the client, as opposed to supporting them 'discovering' the story of the data - a eureka moment here”

Ethan Pancer, PhD

Sobey Professor of Marketing, Saint Mary's University

“As an academic, I have found knowledge translation to be an invaluable tool in disseminating my research to a wider audience. Leveraging her years of experience in knowledge translation, Dawn helped me communicate the significance and relevance of my work to individuals outside of my field, including policymakers, community leaders, and members of the general public. Working with Dawn has really enhanced my ability to impact the world through my research. Thanks again, Dawn!”

Deanne McCarthy

Swiftsure Innovations

“I was working on a grant application and was up against a tight timeline. Dawn helped to clarify my value proposition and express the great progress my company had made, using language that government officials (people without a health care background) could understand.

When my timeline changed, Dawn was flexible and adaptable, and we came up with a Plan B that worked. She helped create a logical structure for the document, which enabled me to focus on the technical details and the company story. Since working with Dawn, I feel I can explain my innovation a lot more clearly to someone who’s not in health care, and I’m able to tell the story behind the product in a way I hadn’t thought of before.”