Rooted in people.
Driven by purpose.
Built for what’s next.
A boutique People & Culture advisory firm serving growing organizations, providing fractional HR consulting, advisory, and project-based support in the Toronto area and beyond.
We don’t sell HR solutions.
We bring clarity, expert judgement, and values-based leadership to moments of growth and complexity.
How We Work
At EleventhRoot, our People & Culture advisory work starts with understanding how the organization, the business and its people are operating today.
We partner with leaders at pivotal moments, when decisions about structure, leadership, performance, and people systems directly shape execution. Our role is to help leaders step back, see what is truly happening across the organization, and make sound people decisions with confidence.
Our work is grounded in partnership and practical execution. We focus on building clear, fit-for-purpose foundations that support growth—without overengineering, unnecessary process, or slowing momentum
Our Advisory Work Includes
Aligning people strategy with business priorities
Strengthening leadership capability and decision-making
Designing people foundations that support performance and accountability
Supporting organizational change and transition
Advising leaders through evolving people decisions
Who We Work With
We provide HR consulting for professional services firms and HR support for financial services companies that need senior leadership and practical people systems. EleventhRoot partners with founders and senior leaders in growing organizations where people decisions have a direct impact on execution, performance, and operational stability.
We work with organizations at different stages of growth, meeting them where they are today and helping put in place what is needed for the next phase of the business.
Our clients are typically:
Founder-led, partner-led, or leadership-driven organizations moving from informal to more structured ways of operating
Growing teams where leadership, roles, and accountability are under increasing pressure
Leadership teams who value customized, practical guidance tailored to their organization
Businesses ready to invest in people systems that support both scale and day-to-day execution
Common Challenges We Support
As organizations grow, it’s common to experience:
Growth outpacing existing people systems and leadership structure
Decision-making becoming harder to align as teams and functions expand
Roles, accountability, and ownership becoming less clear across the organization
Culture shifting faster than leaders can intentionally guide or reinforce
Leaders carrying an increasing share of people decisions as organizations scale
Unclear succession or continuity plans for critical roles
Growing dependence on informal knowledge held by a small number of individuals
Our Services
Clarity | Build | Leadership | Advise
We are a founder-led human resources consulting firm serving Toronto and the surrounding GTA, helping leaders build people systems that scale. Our services support organizations at different stages of growth, with engagements that can stand alone or be sequenced as your needs evolve.
Strategic People & Culture Blueprints
A 30-day, clarity-first engagement designed to help organizations understand what needs attention across People & Culture, why it matters, and what to prioritize next as the business grows.
Fractional People & Culture Leadership
We partner with leadership teams as a fractional People & Culture leader, providing senior-level guidance, structure, and decision support during periods of growth, change, or increased complexity. This model is designed for organizations that need experienced leadership without adding a full-time executive role.
People Foundations & Systems Build
Delivers clearly scoped People & Culture projects, including performance review programs, employer branding strategies, and core people systems, built to support growth without unnecessary complexity.
Strategic Advisory
Hands-on, project-based People & Culture builds for growing organizations, focused on delivering specific systems and programs with clear scope and outcomes.
Areas We Support, Build & Implement
People Foundations & Compliance
HR policies and documentation, organizational structure and role clarity, health and safety frameworks, and compliant People Ops foundations.
Hiring, Onboarding & Talent Infrastructure
Hiring workflows, onboarding programs, ATS setup or optimization, and consistent candidate and new-hire experiences.
HR Systems & People Data
HRIS and other systems implementation, and foundational people analytics to support decision-making.
Performance & Accountability
Performance management programs, goal-setting frameworks, feedback cycles, and HRIS performance configuration.
Compensation, Total Rewards & Workforce Planning
Compensation and total rewards frameworks, pay bands, progression models, workforce planning, and succession planning support.
Culture, Engagement & Employer Brand
Engagement surveys, culture insights, EVP and employer brand development, and talent strategy initiatives.
Executive Decision Support
Senior guidance to founders and executives on People & Culture strategies, decisions, timing, and risk as complexity increases.
Leadership Team Alignment & Capability
Supporting leadership teams with clarity around expectations, decision-making, accountability, and manager effectiveness as the organization scales.
About EleventhRoot
EleventhRoot Consulting Inc. is a founder-led People & Culture advisory firm supporting early to mid-growth organizations. We work with leadership teams as they scale, helping them address gaps in people operations, leadership practices, and organizational structure.
Based in Ontario, Canada, we support companies across Canada and internationally.
Our work focuses on building and strengthening core People & Culture systems so organizations can operate effectively as they grow. This includes putting the right structures, systems, and decision frameworks in place to support day-to-day operations and leadership decision-making.
Our approach combines senior-level advisory with hands-on, project-based execution. We work closely with leaders to design and implement People & Culture solutions that fit the organization’s current stage and can be adapted as needs change.
Our Values
At EleventhRoot Consulting, our values are operating principles. They guide how we think, advise, and partner with leaders.
Our Mission
To build strong people foundations that support sustainable growth with integrity and care.
Our Vision
Organizations where trust is foundational, clarity replaces complexity, and people systems support long-term performance.
How We Operate
Integrity & Truth — Honest, principled advice in service of long-term organizational health
Wisdom — Sound judgment informed by experience, context, and pattern recognition
Courage — Steady, respectful conversations that address what matters most
Respect — Treating people as capable adults; honoring context and nuance
Sustainable Growth — Building people systems that scale thoughtfully over time
Trust & Discretion
We partner with leaders during key moments, with care, discretion, and a deep respect for context. Our role is to support and strengthen, creating an inclusive space for thoughtful decisions.
Our Expertise
Marla Lorraine
Founder & Principal Consultant
Marla Lorraine is a Certified Human Resources Leader (CHRL) with over a decade of experience building and leading People & Culture functions in growing organizations. She founded EleventhRoot to support founders and leadership teams as people, leadership, and operational decisions become more complex through growth.
Before launching EleventhRoot, Marla held senior People leadership roles within a high-growth investment management firm. She brings extensive experience in building the People & Culture function from the ground up and supported the organization through multiple stages of growth in highly regulated environments. Her work included HR infrastructure, performance and compensation frameworks, workforce planning, employee engagement, and leadership development.
Marla has led major system implementations and partnered closely with executive teams on leadership initiatives, employee relations, and people decisions. She is known for helping leaders navigate growth, change, and increasing complexity with clarity and confidence.
Her approach is structured, practical, and grounded in how businesses actually operate. Marla works directly with leaders to clarify roles, accountability, and decision-making, and to put the right people systems in place without overengineering or slowing execution.
At EleventhRoot, Marla builds People & Culture foundations that are fit for an organization’s size and stage, strong enough to support today’s needs and flexible enough to scale.
Contact Us
If you’re exploring how EleventhRoot might support your organization, you’re welcome to get in touch.
For structured conversations about People & Culture strategy and leadership support, we recommend starting with a discovery call. This conversation is designed to surface key challenges, clarify priorities, and outline potential paths forward.