Shelbie is a Senior Strategist at BEworks. She works closely with clients to identify psychological barriers that prevent people from acting in their best interest and to design solutions that support people’s decision-making and overall well-being. Many of the projects she leads involve changing people’s perceptions in various contexts (e.g., workplaces, communities, consumer markets) around the world (e.g., North America, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, LATAM). These projects help her approach learning the nuances of a context to understand the specific barriers in place and develop tailored strategies that drive impact. Shelbie is passionate about the application of behavioural science insights and methods, especially when they are designed to improve equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging.

Before her time at BEworks, Shelbie spent over 10 years investigating cognitive biases that exist when people interpret new information. Such interpretations affect the beliefs, memories, and inferences people carry with them following the presentation of new information. Her primary research is published in top-tier academic journals and is recognized internationally. She holds a PhD in Development Psychology from the University of Illinois that was fully funded by Canadian and US national awards. Shelbie completed a Banting Postdoctoral Fellowship at the University of Toronto, where she also received a nationally recognized Insights Development Grant. She also earned an MA in Psychology (University of Illinois), and an MASc in Developmental Communication Sciences (University of Waterloo). 

Shelbie’s other passions lie in creating contexts for children to harness their energy and curiosity in ways that support their well-being. 

What does Shelbie love the most about working at BEworks?

What Shelbie loves most about working at BEworks is the incredible people. She is in consistent awe of the opportunity to work with such thoughtful scientists from wide backgrounds who love identifying challenges and developing solutions, and who have fun doing so together.