Tammy Lewis | Canada | Building a Place Where Science, People & Purpose Meet
Science Advocate | Nonprofit Founder
Community Changemaker & Author
My story has never been a straight line. It has been shaped by humble, tough beginnings, and it took hard work, a different way of learning, and a deep belief that people can do extraordinary things when they are given a chance to contribute. I began my career in public service on the front lines, including years as a food inspector with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. That work taught me that science is not abstract, it protects families, communities and the systems we rely on every day. It also showed me the quiet dedication of people who do difficult work because they care about the public good. Today, I work in Canada’s federal public service in science and workforce development. I have helped support initiatives that make science more accessible, strengthen scientific integrity, and create opportunities for people to grow in their careers. But alongside my professional life, I have carried a personal challenge: dyslexia. For much of my life, I experienced the world differently from many people around me. Traditional measures of success did not always capture what I could do. Yet dyslexia also gave me strengths, my superpower; I now value deeply: systems thinking, creativity, pattern recognition, empathy and the ability to connect innovative ideas that may initially seem unrelated. I have come to see dyslexia not as something that diminishes my potential, but as part of the perspective that helps me imagine new possibilities. It has made me especially passionate about ensuring that workplaces, schools and communities recognize capability, not just the narrow pathways people have previously been given to demonstrate it. My family is Indigenous, (my husband, daughter and grandsons are Anishinaabe and that heritage has also shaped the way I understand community, responsibility and healing. I care deeply about the issues facing Indigenous peoples, including the effects of intergenerational trauma, inequity, limited access to culturally appropriate care and the ways pain can influence a person’s life from childhood onward.
That concern led me to write a children’s book. I wanted to offer young readers a different perspective on pain, one that recognizes pain as real and deserving of care, while also encouraging children to develop healthy emotional, cultural and community-based tools for coping. My hope is that, as they grow, they will understand that there can be many ways to seek support and healing, rather than automatically reaching for a pill bottle. The book is not intended to dismiss medication or the role it can play in appropriate medical care. Rather, it is about expanding the conversation. Children deserve to learn that healing may involve trusted adults, connection to culture, time in nature, creativity, movement, reflection, professional support and other healthy practices. They deserve language that helps them understand their emotions and pain before those experiences become overwhelming.
Writing this book has been another way for me to connect science, storytelling, Indigenous values and prevention. It reflects my belief that the stories children hear can influence how they understand themselves, their communities and the choices available to them. That belief is one reason I founded my proudest accomplishment, the Community of Guardians, a Canadian nonprofit built around a simple but ambitious idea: science should be safe, sacred and celebrated and it absolutely needs to be actioned. Our world is facing enormous challenges, from climate change and biodiversity loss to poverty, food insecurity, public-health threats and declining trust in expertise. At the same time, there are brilliant scientists, knowledge keepers, community leaders and everyday citizens who want to help. Too often, however, they are working in silos or are unable to translate concern into meaningful action. Community of Guardians is being built to help bridge that gap. Through an online platform aligned with all 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, as a simple framework, we aim to help verified experts share evidence-informed knowledge in plain language, create practical challenges for the public, and show how individual and community actions can connect to larger global goals.
We are using emerging technology carefully and with people at the centre, not to replace human judgment, scientific expertise or Indigenous knowledge, but to help make important knowledge more understandable and actionable. My hope is that a young person, a parent, a scientist, a volunteer or a community member can come to one place and feel that their actions matter. Community of Guardians has grown through the generosity of volunteers, students, advisors and people who believe that a better future is still possible. We do not have a large budget or a powerful institution behind us. What we have is determination, a growing team and the conviction that humanity can do more when we celebrate the people working to solve our hardest problems. There have been many moments when the path felt uncertain. Building a nonprofit while working full-time, navigating personal and financial pressures, and trying to turn an idea into something real has required persistence. There are days when I question whether I am qualified enough, connected enough or resourced enough to carry such a large vision forward.
But I return to the reason I started: the next generation deserves to inherit a world in which knowledge is respected, communities are empowered and people feel invited into solutions. The voiceless on our planet deserve a voice, a place to champion their value.
My advice to the next generation is this:
Do not wait until you feel fully ready to begin.
Your differences may hold some of the strengths the world needs most.
Start with the problem that breaks your heart, gather people who care, stay open to learning, and take the next practical step.
You do not need to have all the answers to become part of the solution. Sometimes a humble beginning is simply the decision to believe that your voice, your experience and your willingness to act can help create change.
I am still building. Community of Guardians is still growing. But I believe the most meaningful work often begins before anyone can see the full path ahead. This is a place built by and for the people who need it the most!
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