About us
Our story so far
We help people make better decisions when trust, timing, and transition matter.
Who we are
About Civic Grove
About Civic Grove
Civic Grove is an advisory studio helping leaders and organizations move from complex questions to clear next steps.
We combine strategy, research, engagement, and practical tool-building to support work where trust matters and implementation cannot be left to chance.
Our roots are in public-interest strategy and civic systems. Today, that same approach also shapes focused initiatives in transition readiness, decision support, and market intelligence.
Civic Grove is an advisory studio helping leaders and organizations move from complex questions to clear next steps.
We combine strategy, research, engagement, and practical tool-building to support work where trust matters and implementation cannot be left to chance.
Our roots are in public-interest strategy and civic systems. Today, that same approach also shapes focused initiatives in transition readiness, decision support, and market intelligence.
Systems-minded
People-centred
Trust-centred
Mission & values
We're on a mission…
...to help people make better decisions in moments that require trust, clarity, and action.
We believe good strategy should be understandable, useful, and built to move from conversation to implementation.
Along the way, we hold these values true:
Rooted
We work from context — understanding the people, systems, history, and constraints that shape every decision.
Collaborative
We build with people, not around them — because better decisions need trust, participation, and shared ownership.
Strategic
We bring clarity to complex choices — helping leaders see options, trade-offs, risks, and practical next steps.
Practical
We focus on work that can be used — tools, plans, and systems that move from conversation to implementation.
Mission & values
We're on a mission…
...to help people make better decisions in moments that require trust, clarity, and action.
We believe good strategy should be understandable, useful, and built to move from conversation to implementation.
Along the way, we hold these values true:
Rooted
We work from context — understanding the people, systems, history, and constraints that shape every decision.
Collaborative
We build with people, not around them — because better decisions need trust, participation, and shared ownership.
Strategic
We bring clarity to complex choices — helping leaders see options, trade-offs, risks, and practical next steps.
Practical
We focus on work that can be used — tools, plans, and systems that move from conversation to implementation.
Mission & values
We're on a mission…
...to help people make better decisions in moments that require trust, clarity, and action.
We believe good strategy should be understandable, useful, and built to move from conversation to implementation.
Along the way, we hold these values true:
Rooted
We work from context — understanding the people, systems, history, and constraints that shape every decision.
Collaborative
We build with people, not around them — because better decisions need trust, participation, and shared ownership.
Strategic
We bring clarity to complex choices — helping leaders see options, trade-offs, risks, and practical next steps.
Practical
We focus on work that can be used — tools, plans, and systems that move from conversation to implementation.
Team
Meet our Team
Braden Root-McCaig
Founder & Principal
Braden Root-McCaig is a public affairs and communications strategist with over 15 years of experience at the intersection of government, innovation, and community impact. He has led initiatives in strategic planning, housing and infrastructure policy, stakeholder engagement, and municipal innovation, working with councils, senior staff, and association partners across Ontario and Atlantic Canada. He has served in senior political and policy roles, including in Legislative Affairs and as Chief of Staff at both the federal and municipal levels, and held leadership positions in the innovation and consulting sectors as Director of Communications and Strategy at the Ontario Centre of Innovation and Director of Impact and Partnerships at Davis Pier Consulting, where he drove new partnerships, markets, and service offerings while leading municipal and provincial engagements nationwide. As the founder of Civic Grove, Braden brings together expertise in policy, strategy, and engagement to help public and non-profit partners design solutions with lasting impact. He also serves as a board member and past Vice Chair of the Canadian Centre for Housing Rights, a board member with Canoe Kayak Nova Scotia, and an advisor to the Canadian Poverty Institute.
Isaiah Olateru
Data Analysis and Automation Lead
Isaiah Olateru is a people first leader with nearly 20 years of experience spanning engineering, finance, data, operational excellence and digital transformation. He has worked as a Product/Design Engineer for Fortune 500 companies, holds patents in the US and EU, and served as VP of Optimization and Transformation at a global finance firm with over $1.8 trillion in assets under administration. With an MBA in Finance, a B.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering, and certification as a Machine Learning Engineer and Data Scientist, Isaiah is also a Gartner Digital & Data Ambassador. Currently, he is Founder & CEO of 100Xponential, Fractional Chief Data and AI Officer and advisor to multiple startups.
Michael Sauvé
Public Affairs & Communications Lead
Michael is a supportive thinker, a collaborative leader, and a formally trained researcher with a long practical formation in public affairs, communications, and stakeholder engagement. With extensive experience across public, private, and non-profit sectors, his work combines deep policy expertise with a fluency in sociological and public opinion research, and the mass-comm sensibility of a communicator and marketer whose career has bacross digital and traditional media landscapes. He’s led high-performing teams and designed award-winning and change-making campaigns for advocacy organizations, communications & PR agencies, and educational institutions. Service is important for Michael. When he’s not working in advocacy, he’s supporting other advocates. He serves on the boards of 2 direct-service not-for-profits, volunteers his time and brain on political campaigns, and provides business consulting and coaching to independent, progressive consultants. He earned a BA from the University of King’s College and an MA from Dalhousie before attending the University of Chicago.
Team
Meet our Team
Braden Root-McCaig
Founder & Principal
Braden Root-McCaig is a public affairs and communications strategist with over 15 years of experience at the intersection of government, innovation, and community impact. He has led initiatives in strategic planning, housing and infrastructure policy, stakeholder engagement, and municipal innovation, working with councils, senior staff, and association partners across Ontario and Atlantic Canada. He has served in senior political and policy roles, including in Legislative Affairs and as Chief of Staff at both the federal and municipal levels, and held leadership positions in the innovation and consulting sectors as Director of Communications and Strategy at the Ontario Centre of Innovation and Director of Impact and Partnerships at Davis Pier Consulting, where he drove new partnerships, markets, and service offerings while leading municipal and provincial engagements nationwide. As the founder of Civic Grove, Braden brings together expertise in policy, strategy, and engagement to help public and non-profit partners design solutions with lasting impact. He also serves as a board member and past Vice Chair of the Canadian Centre for Housing Rights, a board member with Canoe Kayak Nova Scotia, and an advisor to the Canadian Poverty Institute.
Isaiah Olateru
Data Analysis and Automation Lead
Isaiah Olateru is a people first leader with nearly 20 years of experience spanning engineering, finance, data, operational excellence and digital transformation. He has worked as a Product/Design Engineer for Fortune 500 companies, holds patents in the US and EU, and served as VP of Optimization and Transformation at a global finance firm with over $1.8 trillion in assets under administration. With an MBA in Finance, a B.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering, and certification as a Machine Learning Engineer and Data Scientist, Isaiah is also a Gartner Digital & Data Ambassador. Currently, he is Founder & CEO of 100Xponential, Fractional Chief Data and AI Officer and advisor to multiple startups.
Michael Sauvé
Public Affairs & Communications Lead
Michael is a supportive thinker, a collaborative leader, and a formally trained researcher with a long practical formation in public affairs, communications, and stakeholder engagement. With extensive experience across public, private, and non-profit sectors, his work combines deep policy expertise with a fluency in sociological and public opinion research, and the mass-comm sensibility of a communicator and marketer whose career has bacross digital and traditional media landscapes. He’s led high-performing teams and designed award-winning and change-making campaigns for advocacy organizations, communications & PR agencies, and educational institutions. Service is important for Michael. When he’s not working in advocacy, he’s supporting other advocates. He serves on the boards of 2 direct-service not-for-profits, volunteers his time and brain on political campaigns, and provides business consulting and coaching to independent, progressive consultants. He earned a BA from the University of King’s College and an MA from Dalhousie before attending the University of Chicago.
Team
Meet our Team
Braden Root-McCaig
Founder & Principal
Braden Root-McCaig is a strategist and systems designer with a decade of experience helping governments and nonprofits deliver public impact. Before founding Civic Grove, he served as Executive Director of the Ontario Council of International Cooperation (OCIC), advised Toronto’s Deputy Mayor on housing and economic development, and led strategic projects with Davis Pier Consulting across climate, housing, and digital government. His work blends policy design, civic engagement, and narrative strategy to help changemakers move from intention to implementation. Braden launched Civic Grove to support the co-creation of credible, community-rooted solutions that build trust—and deliver lasting change.
Isaiah Olateru
Data Analysis and Automation Lead
Isaiah Olateru is a people first leader with nearly 20 years of experience spanning engineering, finance, data, operational excellence and digital transformation. He has worked as a Product/Design Engineer for Fortune 500 companies, holds patents in the US and EU, and served as VP of Optimization and Transformation at a global finance firm with over $1.8 trillion in assets under administration. With an MBA in Finance, a B.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering, and certification as a Machine Learning Engineer and Data Scientist, Isaiah is also a Gartner Digital & Data Ambassador. Currently, he is Founder & CEO of 100Xponential, Fractional Chief Data and AI Officer and advisor to multiple startups.
Michael Sauvé
Public Affairs & Communications Lead
Michael is a collaborative strategist and researcher with deep expertise in public affairs, communications, and stakeholder engagement. With experience across the public, private, and nonprofit sectors, he blends policy fluency with sharp sociological insight and a communicator’s instinct—shaped by a career spanning traditional and digital media. He’s led high-performing teams, built award-winning campaigns, and advised advocacy groups, agencies, and institutions on how to drive change. Outside of work, Michael supports the changemakers behind the scenes—serving on nonprofit boards, mentoring progressive consultants, and volunteering on political campaigns. He holds a BA from the University of King’s College, an MA from Dalhousie, and pursued graduate studies at the University of Chicago.
Ready to move from decision to delivery?
If you are working through a complex decision, building a new initiative, or trying to move from insight to action, we can help clarify the path forward. Book a conversation to talk through your goals, constraints, and next decision.
Ready to move from decision to delivery?
If you are working through a complex decision, building a new initiative, or trying to move from insight to action, we can help clarify the path forward. Book a conversation to talk through your goals, constraints, and next decision.
Ready to move from decision to delivery?
If you are working through a complex decision, building a new initiative, or trying to move from insight to action, we can help clarify the path forward. Book a conversation to talk through your goals, constraints, and next decision.