Planting Seeds We May Never See Grow
This ancient wisdom guides our work: "A society grows great when old people plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in" and it is this wisdom - the practice of planting for future generations, of believing in transformation we may never fully witness - that is the heart of Seed Room Consulting.
We are Sobia Ali-Faisal and Mueni Mutinda, friends since our high school days at Charlottetown Rural, and partners in the work of cultivating justice, liberation, and collective transformation. Our friendship, forged in the hallways and classrooms of rural PEI, has grown into a shared commitment to planting seeds of change in organizations, communities, and systems - seeds that will continue to grow long after our work is done.
Our paths to this work are different yet deeply connected.
International Development Specialist, Coach, Facilitator, Founder of Mutinda Consulting Inc.
Mueni brings over 20 years of experience rooted in relational accountability - the belief that transformation happens through the quality of relationships we build and the ways we show up for one another. Among others, she has worked in multiple countries as Regional Lead for Canadian Foodgrains Bank's agricultural program (2016-2021) coordinating 13 community-based organizations serving 50,000+ farmers. Her executive leadership of Canadian nonprofits (2022-2024) centered equitable leadership and equity-centered policy frameworks, while her consulting work through Mutinda Consulting Inc. has included designing the inaugural Harmony Builder's Workshops for White Allies in PEI, creating a Workplace Accountability Framework centering Black, Indigenous, and People of Color, and facilitating anti-Black racism workshops for over 200 Algonquin College leaders.
As an African Canadian immigrant, she understands intimately the dynamics of power, belonging, and cross-cultural adaptation. Her recent work leading trauma-informed community consultations for PEI's Anti-Racism Action Plan centered people on the margins and produced concrete, actionable recommendations grounded in their lived experiences. Whether facilitating province-wide Indigenous food security consultations, producing COP26 side events on climate and gender, conducting strategic reviews and evaluations, or working with communities across East and West Africa, Mueni's work is anchored in her commitment: "To foster meaningful relationships which, grounded in love, center those whom society puts on the margins." Relational accountability isn't just a value; it is also the method, the practice, and the measure of impact.
Email: mueni@seedroom.ca
Applied Social Psychologist, Researcher, Community Organizer, Co-founder of BIPOC USHR
Sobia brings the grounding of academic rigor, public health expertise, and community-rooted activism. With a PhD in Applied Social Psychology and extensive training in applied research, including qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods approaches, she has built a career at the intersection of scholarship, public health, and community wellbeing. Her research on Muslim sexual health and the lived experiences of marginalized communities informs policy, programming, and culture change across sectors.
She is also an experienced educator and facilitator, having taught at the university level and delivered dozens of workshops that translate complex social, psychological, and public health issues into accessible, transformative learning. Her applied practice is strengthened by ongoing professional development in areas such as Canadian labour law and human resources - training that enhances her ability to guide organizations through ethical, trauma-informed, and legally aware decision-making.
Sobia’s leadership reflects both vision and dedication. She served as the inaugural Executive Director of Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour United for Strength, Home, Relationship (BIPOC USHR), and later as the inaugural Director of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion & Human Rights (EDIHR) at UPEI. She now continues her leadership as Chair of the BIPOC USHR Board. Across these roles, she has built structures, relationships, and programs that centre marginalized communities, weaving together research, public health insights, and anti-oppressive practice to create lasting institutional and community change.
Email: sobia@seedroom.ca
Together, we are friends, researchers, facilitators, and strategists who believe that transformation is not a destination but a practice—one that requires patience, care, and the willingness to plant seeds knowing we may never see the full harvest.
A powerful spiritual teaching reminds us that even when the growing conditions seem impossible, and the world seems to be ending, if one has a seed in their hand they should still plant it. This message of hope symbolizes renewal, potential, and the lasting impact of our efforts. Every thoughtful action we take, no matter how small, has the power to take root, flourish, and benefit others. It also reflects our responsibility to care for the Earth and invest in the future - a principle that inspires Seed Room Consulting, where ideas, like seeds, are nurtured to grow and create lasting change.
At Seed Room Consulting, we work through social justice, anti-oppression, and decolonial lenses.
Our practice is shaped by:
We approach every conversation with genuine curiosity and openness to creating space for deeper understanding of the experiences, needs, and wisdom that each person brings. By asking questions that honour complexity and vulnerability we create conditions for each one to explore their own experiences and truths without judgment so learning and unlearning can take place.
Our friendship informs the mindful ways in which we work. We know that trust, integrity, and genuine relationships are the soil in which transformation takes root. We bring this same ethic of care and accountability to every partnership.
We understand that oppression operates at multiple levels: within individuals, between people, inside organizations, and across entire systems. True transformation requires us to work at all these levels simultaneously.
We know that the work of confronting injustice, unpacking power, and building alternative ways of being can be activating and vulnerable. We create spaces where people can engage meaningfully, courageously while being held with care.
We believe sustained transformation can only result when an invitation for full participation creates respectful, participatory, and fully inclusive engagement where all voices, perspectives, and experiences are heard and considered. We don't do work to people or for people - we work with them.
Race, gender, class, sexuality, ability, colonialism - these forces shape our lives in complex, overlapping ways. We bring conscious anti-oppression and gender equality analysis to everything we do, refusing to flatten the richness of people's lived experiences.