About Us
- Integrity is key to delivering on Liminality’s promise of evidence-informed training and support for health and social services providers.
- Reliability means that Liminality will perform as intended for your organization.
- Compassion is key to building trusting relationships between health and social services providers and parent of young children.
Research into the interactions between healthcare providers and family members in the NICU revealed the need for an environment that was more inclusive, understanding, and respectful.
Liminality’s evidence-based innovations are for health and social service providers working with expectant mothers and parents of healthy and ill infants and toddlers. Our solutions intentionally focus on the liminal space to develop mutually beneficial relationships with families within busy clinical environments. With these relationships, parents and providers become partners in care of infants and young children, which results in better outcomes for all
Liminality Team
Dr. Karen Benzies integrated her experience with families, early childhood development, science, and social innovation to create Liminality Innovations Inc™. After earning her PhD in Nursing from the University of Alberta and completing post-doctoral fellowships at Stockholm University and the University of Ottawa, she held academic leadership positions at the University of Calgary. A passionate expert in designing efficient structures and processes, she recognized the value of a social innovation model to sustainably embed effective interventions in health and social care systems. That model, first manifested in Welcome to Parenthood and Alberta Family Integrated Care (FICare; © 2019), has expanded to Merge™. This family integrated model of care supports a culture shift where parents become true partners in their sick newborn’s care in the neonatal intensive care unit. With Merge™, parents are more confident and less stressed, babies go home sooner, and hospitals avoid costs. A frequent lecturer on how to implement interventions in complex systems, Dr. Benzies has contributed many important scientific advancements and received numerous awards.
Kristen has a background in science and clinical health research. After earning a Bachelor of Science from the University of Manitoba, she joined the Thoracic Research Team at the Health Sciences Center Hospital in Winnipeg. Here is where she applied her research skills in investigating how perioperative treatments affect lung surgery patients. Wanting to broaden her practical skills, Kristen is currently completing a Masters of Business Administration from the University of Calgary, aiming to graduate in 2024. A creative thinker with an eye for detail, Kristen has combined her healthcare and business acumen as our Director of Operations.
Board of Directors
Dr. Lorian Hardcastle is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Law and Cumming School of Medicine at the University of Calgary. She is a member of the One Health Consortium, O’Brien Institute for Public Health, and Conjoint Health Research Ethics Board at the University of Calgary. Lorian obtained her JD with Health Law and Policy Specialization Certificate from Dalhousie University and her LLM and SJD from the University of Toronto. She also completed a fellowship at the O’Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law at Georgetown University. Prior to her career in academia, Lorian worked for the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care and in a hospital legal department.
Lorian’s research interests include regulation and governance of the healthcare system, liability and accountability of health facilities and government, public health law, and self-regulation of health professionals. Her work has been published in numerous legal and health policy journals including the Canadian Medical Association Journal, University of Pennsylvania Law Review, Healthcare Policy, Queen’s Law Journal, and Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics. Lorian is a frequent contributor to health law and policy debates in the media and her writing has appeared in many Canadian newspapers.
Robin is a Chartered Accountant and Chartered Professional Accountant (CA, CPA) providing accounting, advisory, and tax services to privately held companies.
Building strong relationships with clients, Robin works closely with shareholders, directors, and trusted advisors to provide solutions for corporate development, growth, and succession. Her understanding of corporate and personal tax, assurance, finance, and efficiency systems provides a unique perspective that contributes to her detailed analysis. Committed to serving the small and mid-sized entrepreneurial markets (SME), she delivers results that minimize risk and maximize value.
Robin is currently dedicated to serving three groups of privately held corporations, including Streamline Automation Ltd, Sid’s Group of Companies, and CME Holdings Ltd. (AKA Emcor Development Corp). These multi-corporate groups hold up to twelve entities that require a diverse range of competencies from full-cycle accounting & corporate tax to strategic planning & advisory.
With experience in public accounting firms such as PriceWaterhouseCoopers & LNS Chartered Accountants, Robin has been exposed to hundreds of corporations, ranging from small private to large public enterprises. She practices in a variety of industries, including manufacturing, self-storage, and commercial real estate & development. Also holding a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Small Business and Entrepreneurship and licensed as a Mortgage Associate through the Real Estate Council of Alberta, her proficiencies expand beyond traditional accounting.
Courtney Dragani is a well-regarded leader with a strong record of strategic portfolio management, continuous process improvement, stakeholder engagement, and securing adoption for large change initiatives. Courtney is the Head of Product Development at The51 – a Financial Feminist™ platform. There, she leads the strategic planning, design, and delivery of innovative products and services for investors, entrepreneurs and those who aspire to be. She spent the previous decade of her career in project management, strategic planning and governance, and leading project portfolio management and supplier management functions in the energy sector. She holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Calgary, and an Executive Certificate in Advanced Strategy from the University of British Columbia. Courtney currently serves on the boards of the Calgary Montessori School and her community condo board. As a parent of a premature baby who spent time in the NICU, she’s passionate about the significant impact that Liminality Innovations™ can have.
Tara Barnas, BA
Tara Barnas has had a successful career in business and innovation working for both the private and public sector. She has over 18 years of communications and business experience with leadership roles in public and government relations, corporate social responsibility, media relations, marketing, and knowledge transfer/commercialization. In her current role as Manager, Social Innovation at the University of Calgary, Tara leads various activities in the Social Innovation Initiative convening with local social services agencies to leverage University of Calgary expertise for mutual benefit to society.
Tara frequently provides mentorship to social entrepreneurs and actively engages with Calgary’s broader innovation community. She holds a BA from the University of Calgary, and is a certified change management practitioner and consultant who is passionate about driving positive social change for our communities.