Shila LeBlanc, founder of Restorative Approach, takes third Pitch win!

I looked around and realized that despite all our formal systems and processes, few of us sincerely repair our relationships when conflict naturally arises. Justice is hard to find. Realizing that restorative approaches should extend beyond a tiny corner in the justice system, Restorative Approach was born.

I am excited to be included as a pitch finalist so I can share my vision of a restorative, healthy, and connected working world. In my work I am: 

• Guiding organizations and individuals through a positive, restorative approach to conflict in working relationships.
• Supporting organizations and individuals in learning to embody a restorative approach in work and life.

While many spaces lean on traditional, adversarial approaches to conflict, I am working to shift the way that we approach conflict so that our tensions can be generative and bring us closer together. No one wants to have conflict, but it’s a completely normal part of the human experience. When we handle conflict in good ways, we build trust and resiliency. 
I am a queer settler, a treaty land inhabitant, and a strong listener, facilitator, and communicator. I am certified in Dialogue for Peaceful Change, an internationally recognized mediation and peace-building process. I have worked as a caseworker for restorative justice, as an investigator with the NS Human Rights Commission, and have a long history of interesting contract work. After growing increasingly frustrated by legal processes that didn’t help, I launched Restorative Approach in 2021, a true culmination of my passions. I am a fierce believer in restorative conversations and strive to embody a restorative approach in every area of my life. I have seen firsthand how valuable restorative discussions are in connecting and repairing relationships and believe that focusing on the quality of our relationships is the greatest antidote to the issues we face today: polarization, disconnection, and injustice on a macro scale. If we can take the time to care for each other, I believe our world will transform.