Place first
Begin with the people, ecology and knowledge already present.
Cultivating agency in the green economy
Shift the ground.
Change what grows.
What we do
We work with young people, communities and partners to build practical pathways into a changing green economy through applied research, work-integrated learning and community-led experimentation.
01 · Why we exist
The ground is shifting.
The green transition needs more than technology.
It needs agency.
Shift Ground Axis is a Black-led social innovation and applied research platform cultivating agency in the green economy. We help people and communities move from being affected by changing systems to actively designing, building and owning what comes next.
Our axis connects human capacity with practical infrastructure, bringing communities, research, public systems and enterprise around the same table, then turning shared insight into action.
Connect the system
Work across the lines separating health, climate, food and work.
Make it tangible
Turn strategy into prototypes, field learning and visible progress.
Build agency
Leave communities and partners with greater capacity to act.
02 · About us
Who we are
Independent by design.
Grounded in purpose.
shift.ground is the public-facing brand of Shift Ground Axis Inc., a Black-led Canadian not-for-profit organization working across research, social innovation and practical pathways into the green economy.
Our work begins in Manitoba and is designed for pan-Canadian relevance, while growing through place-based relationships in Ghana and Kenya.
Meet the peoplebehind the work
An evolution, not a departure
We began with the ground.
Then followed the system.
Our story began with PRAVDA Farms, a family-rooted experiment in Ghana exploring how food, land, technology and community resilience meet.
When the work encountered the realities of climate volatility, infrastructure and scale, it evolved. Shift Ground Axis grew from a simple lesson: durable change requires both practical systems and people with the agency to shape them.
Family farm beginnings
Where land, food systems and lived experience made the questions real.
Visit the original PRAVDA Farms siteShift Ground Axis
Building agency, applied knowledge and partnerships across health, climate, food and futures.
SoilOS
Our technical counterpart for place-first environmental intelligence, regenerative infrastructure and grounded innovation.
Explore SoilOS03 · Philosophies we carry
Movement with memory
We move forward with memory,
and with the ability to turn.
Two Akan philosophies give language to how we work: retrieve what matters, adapt to what changes, and keep building toward the future.
Akan · Ghana · Adinkra
Nkyinkyim
n-cheen-cheem approximate Twi pronunciation
“Twisting”
Nkyinkyim speaks to life’s twists and turns, and to the initiative, dynamism and versatility needed to move through them. For us, adaptability is not drift. It is the discipline of changing course without losing direction.
In practice Learn. Turn. Reorient. Keep moving.
Akan · Ghana · Adinkra
Sankofa
SAHN-koh-fah Twi pronunciation
“Go back and get it”
The Sankofa bird moves forward while turning back to retrieve a precious egg. It reminds us that progress does not require forgetting: we can recover knowledge, memory and wisdom from the past and carry them deliberately into what comes next.
In practice Retrieve. Reframe. Carry forward.
04 · Our three pathways
Three ways in.
One connected system.
Each pathway develops a different layer of agency. Together, they connect human capacity, future-facing intelligence and grounded practice.
Explore the forces shaping the pathways01
Wellbeing · Behaviour · Agency
LifeWorks
Youth agency, learning and community well-being. Our interns take part in reflective mentorship and team learning to connect their interests with meaningful work.
02
Earth observation · AI · Climate intelligence
FutureWorks
Green economy research, climate intelligence and work-integrated learning. Our team researches opportunities, maps stakeholders and explores how environmental data can inform community action.
03
Land · Agroecology · Stewardship
GroundWorks
Place-based experimentation, climate resilience and sustainable systems. In development: neighbourhood heat, shade and cooling activities that bring resident knowledge together with spatial data.
05 · Strategic direction
Direction first.
Proof where it matters.
A focused view of how we move promising ideas from community insight toward durable public benefit.
Capital continuum
- 01Community need
- 02Learning
- 03Pilot
- 04Investable project
- 05Measured impact
Not every challenge requires the same kind of capital. We develop opportunities deliberately, beginning with community need, building evidence through learning and experimentation, and using repayable capital only where a credible financial model exists.
06 · Where we are building
Rooted in Manitoba.
Pan-Canadian by design.
Building locally, connecting nationally and learning across relationships in Ghana and Kenya.
Primary operating base
Manitoba
Our organizational base for workforce pathways, applied learning and climate-food innovation.
National mandate + partnerships
Across Canada
Work designed for pan-Canadian relevance, shaped through partnerships and adapted to the realities of different communities.
Place-based relationships + shared learning
Ghana + Kenya
Locally grounded relationships across climate, health, food and futures, with knowledge moving in more than one direction.
07 · Partnership model
Built with,
never for.
Our best work begins with a real challenge, a committed partner and room to learn together.
01
Communities
Local knowledge, lived experience and stewardship
02
Research
Evidence, evaluation and applied learning
03
Public systems
Policy, health, education and implementation
04
Industry
Technology, markets and green career pathways
05
Funders
Patient capital for practical experimentation
Find your point of connection
Work with us
We collaborate with students, early-career professionals, researchers, communities and organizations to turn ideas into practical learning and meaningful work.
Looking for a placement?
We welcome expressions of interest in work-integrated learning opportunities across our pathways. Placements are subject to project needs, supervision capacity and available funding.
Our principle: We prioritize paid placements and do not expect students to provide unpaid labour as a condition of participation.