Our Story
The Open Canopy is guided by a simple belief: the best solutions emerge when people learn together.
Drawing on decades of experience designing, implementing, and evaluating programs and policies, we have seen too many opportunities for learning lost. Valuable insights from communities, practitioners, and research often remain disconnected from decision-making. Organizations collect data but struggle to turn it into action. Hard-earned lessons are generated through experience but rarely shared in ways that help others grow.
The Open Canopy exists to change this dynamic. We help organizations, communities, and decision-makers connect insights, experiences, and evidence to better understand challenges, strengthen programs, and create lasting impact.
Better decisions rarely come from having more information. They come from creating the conditions to make sense of what we know — and to stay curious about what we don't.
What We Believe In
The principles under the canopy
Collective Learning
The strongest solutions emerge when communities, practitioners, researchers, and decision-makers learn together.
Evidence in Action
Data and research have value only when they inform decisions, improve programs, and support meaningful change.
Open Collaboration
Authentic engagement creates space for diverse perspectives, shared reflection, and practical solutions.
Stewards
The people behind The Open Canopy
Leslie A. Fierro, PhD, MPH
President, The Open Canopy – Canada
Leslie is passionate about helping organizations use evidence, learning, and collaboration to improve programs, policies, and outcomes. For more than 25 years, she has worked with governments, nonprofits, universities, and public health organizations across North America to design initiatives and strengthen systems informed by lived experience, practice, and evidence. Her work combines expertise in mixed methods research, public health programming and surveillance, performance monitoring, and evaluation with practical approaches to learning, capacity strengthening, and interest holder engagement. Known for her approachable, collaborative style, Leslie enjoys working alongside clients to unpack complex challenges, generate actionable insights, and create meaningful change. A recognized leader in the evaluation field, she currently serves on the American Evaluation Association's Board of Directors and has held editorial leadership roles with New Directions for Evaluation and the Canadian Journal of Program Evaluation.
Heather Codd, PhD, MPA
President, The Open Canopy – U.S.A.
Heather has partnered with a diverse range of organizations to support strategic initiatives, drive innovation, and strengthen performance. Drawing on her experience and training in inclusive and participatory facilitation and cross-functional collaboration, she brings a spirit of curiosity and partnership to every engagement — fostering meaningful relationships, creating spaces where new insights can emerge, and strengthening evaluation capacity. Heather is an active member of both the International Association of Facilitators and the American Evaluation Association, where she serves on the leadership team of the Organizational Learning and Evaluation Capacity Building Topical Interest Group.
Join Us Under the Canopy
Let's learn together, strengthen our work, and create meaningful change.