Meet Our Team

Principal Ethicist & Co-Founder

Kyle Barbour, PhD

As the Founder and Principal Ethicist of Hearth Ethics Studio, Kyle leads a specialized bioethics and policy consultancy designed to solve the ethical challenges of modern healthcare and biotechnology organizations. His advisory approach is defined by an authentic dedication to helping our communities, organizations, and people to flourish through rigorous ethical analysis and evidence-informed policy.

Holding a PhD in Philosophy alongside specialized graduate training in healthcare ethics, he is certified in TCPS-2, PHIA, and GBA+. Kyle’s practice is built on translating rigorous bioethical frameworks into practical, legally robust ethical policy that mitigates risk, protects professional standards, and safeguards institutional integrity.

Beyond his consulting work, Kyle is an active scholar within bioethics and has published peer-reviewed articles in leading journals and acts as a frequent reviewer for the Canadian Journal of Bioethics. He is also a successful university lecturer and has taught courses in ethics, critical thinking, and the philosophy of law. This experience helps him to translate complex ethical theory, regulations, and legislation into actionable organizational strategy.

Chief Operational Officer & Co-Founder

Kara Osmond

As the Chief Operational Officer and Co-Founder of Hearth Ethics Studio, Kara directs the operational, financial, and creative infrastructure that powers our specialized consultancy. Her approach is defined by a commitment to organizational excellence, ensuring that the behind-the-scenes mechanics of the firm run with the same precision, integrity, and rigor that Hearth brings to every client engagement.

Bringing a diverse background that spans clinical leadership and graduate-level academic training in religious studies, Kara’s work focuses on translating Hearth’s high-level strategic vision into seamless internal workflows, robust outreach, and a cohesive, impactful brand presence across all platforms.

Beyond her role at Hearth, Kara is a dual-certified clinical professional (PVTAP and COVT) and serve as the Lead Practical Vision Therapist at a private clinic. This experience in leading dedicated care environments informs her management approach, allowing her to bridge the gap between structured financial and digital operations and the deeply human, empathetic focus central to Hearth’s mission.

Associate Ethicist (AI and Emerging Technology)

Dylan White, PhD

Dylan works at the intersection of artificial intelligence and ethics, helping organizations navigate the moral and regulatory questions that AI systems raise. This has become urgent work in healthcare and biotech, where AI is rapidly reshaping how care is delivered, research is conducted, and decisions are made.

He hold a PhD in Philosophy from the University of Guelph, where his research specialized in the ethics of AI. Dylan currently serve as AI Governance Lead for the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, where he develops practical policy for the responsible use of AI in the public sector. He is also a Visiting Fellow at the Centre for International Governance Innovation’s Digital Policy Hub, a leading Canadian think tank, where his work focuses on AI policy.

Alongside his applied work, Dylan teach university courses on the ethics of artificial intelligence at Memorial University of Newfoundland and has taught at the University of Guelph, giving him the ability to translate complex ethical theory into terms that organizations can act on.