Ask for a Better World Inc.

What Ask for a Better World Inc. does

Ask for a Better World Inc. (ASK*) is a privately held, founder-owned consulting practice established in February 2019 and based in Edmonton, Alberta. The firm is operated as a solo practice by architect and IPD expert Shafraaz Kaba, who founded the company after a 19-year tenure at Manasc Isaac Architects. ASK delivers professional services rather than software, focused on Integrated Project Delivery facilitation, net-zero energy and carbon-neutral architecture consulting, community resilience planning, building retrofits, and Lean team development. Its underlying methodology combines Lean culture, design thinking, pull-planning, target value design, and IPD facilitation principles to align stakeholders and streamline project delivery on sustainable building outcomes.

The practice engages directly with clients across Western Canada and Ontario, serving a horizontal mix of architecture and construction firms, community nonprofits, government entities, affordable-housing developers, and educational institutions. Notable engagements include the priMED Mosaic Centre (Edmonton's first LEED Platinum commercial development with net-zero energy use), the Yellowhead County Administration Building (a zero-carbon-emissions building in Edson, Alberta), the Beverly Heights Net Zero Home featured on Suzuki Diaries, the La Cite Resiliente 10-year community plan, and IPD facilitation for R-Hauz's Toronto mass-timber affordable housing project. Revenue is generated through professional-services consulting fees on a project-by-project basis; no pricing model, contract terms, or revenue figures are publicly disclosed.

ASK operates without external funding, subsidiaries, or a parent company, and scales delivery through a curated network of core collaborators including EcoAmmo (IPD co-facilitation), Red-5 Lean Performance (Lean training), Revolve Engineering (geoexchange), EcoSynergy (building science), Just Powers (equitable-transition advisory), All One Sky Foundation (climate adaptation), the Canadian Wood Council (wood prototypes), Plastarc (future-of-work advisory), and the Oliver Community League (community micro-hubs). This ecosystem-buildout model enables multi-disciplinary scopes without in-house headcount but also constrains growth to the founder's personal delivery capacity.

Name

Ask for a Better World Inc.

Legal name

Ask for a Better World Inc.

Website

https://afab.world

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Ask for a Better World Inc. is a solo Edmonton-based consulting practice founded in 2019 by architect Shafraaz Kaba, providing Integrated Project Delivery facilitation, net-zero energy consulting, community resilience planning, and Lean team development to architecture firms, developers, governments, and community organizations across Canada.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sustainable Architecture Consulting

NAICS

Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services (5413), Environmental Consulting Services (54162), Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (541690)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Engineering Services (8711)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Engagement & Participatory Planning (BPAHAKAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sustainability & ESG Consulting (BPAHACAK), Affordable Housing & Community Development (Housing, Community Land Trusts) (BPAGALAC), Environmental Education, Capacity Building & Community Engagement (BPADALAO)

Keywords

• Sustainable architecture consulting
• Integrated project delivery
• Net zero energy design
• Lean construction consulting
• Community resilience planning

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Consulting Services: Professional consulting services providing trust-based project facilitation, visioning, and leadership for architecture and design projects with high performance outcomes.
2. Lean Training and Coaching: Training services delivered in collaboration with Red-5 Lean Performance to optimize team workflows and processes.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Ask for a Better World Inc. (ASK*) is a sustainable architecture and consulting practice that delivers Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) facilitation, net-zero and carbon-neutral building advisory, lean team development training, community resilience planning, and building retrofit services. The firm works with architecture firms, developers, community organizations, and government entities across Canada to enable high-performance, regenerative building outcomes through collaborative, values-aligned project leadership.

Product overview

Ask for a Better World Inc. is a consulting practice offering professional services in sustainable architecture and construction. The company provides Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) facilitation, net zero energy consulting, community resilience planning, building retrofits, innovation services, and Lean team development. These services are delivered through collaborative projects including climate resilient home resources, community hubs, affordable housing developments, and educational/professional training. The company does not offer a software product but rather provides expert consulting and facilitation services to help clients achieve carbon neutral, net zero energy, and regenerative building outcomes.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) Consulting Expert facilitation services for Integrated Project Delivery projects, helping teams set up or guiding the entire building process using lean culture and design thinking to improve efficiency and outcomes.
• Net Zero Energy Consulting Advisory services for designing buildings that give at least as much energy as they take, including passive design principles and carbon footprint reduction for materials.
• Community Resilience Planning Advisory services for building projects focused on creating resiliency within communities, ensuring spaces are equipped for social events and climate emergencies.
• Building Retrofits Consulting Advisory and facilitation services for improving existing buildings to make them more energy efficient, beautiful, and functional without demolition.
• Lean Team Development Training and coaching services to help teams work together more effectively and streamline workflow processes, delivered in collaboration with Red-5 Lean Performance.
• Innovation Consulting Advisory and prototype development services focused on finding new, more effective, and more sustainable ways of doing things to replace the status quo in the built environment.

Quantifiable outcome

• priMED Mosaic Centre achieved LEED Platinum certification and net zero energy use
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• EcoAmmocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for IPD Facilitation as well as sustainable design consulting. Worked together on the priMED Mosaic Centre, Edmonton's first LEED Platinum commercial development that achieved net zero energy use. Ongoing collaboration on high performance building projects.
• Red-5 Lean PerformancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for Lean training and coaching. Collaboration on Lean team development services. Avel Espiritu from Red-5 participated in the priMED Mosaic Centre project which initiated the Lean journey.
• Just PowerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on La Cite Resiliente: A Decade in Transition project. Working together for a just and equitable transition.
• All One Sky FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLeading collaboration to develop Climate Resilient Virtual home for citizens of Edmonton Metropolitan area and Wetaskiwin. Creating online resource for home preparedness for climate emergencies.
• Canadian Wood CouncilminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDeveloping prototypes for low-rise commercial buildings typically made of steel and concrete, redesigning them with standard dimensional lumber. Includes Commercial Retail Unit and light industrial warehouse prototypes.
• PlastarcminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on bringing ideas for the new world of work, helping organizations navigate future workplace considerations post-COVID.
• Oliver Community LeagueminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on the Main Street Challenge project, developing community micro-hubs with digital directory of local shops, events and live music.
• La Cite FrancophonecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on La Cite Resiliente project providing a 10-year community plan for Edmonton's Francophone community, guiding creation and leverage of community partnerships for resiliency and carbon neutrality.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Arup: International engineering and design consultancy with deep sustainability, net-zero building, and resilience practices. Broad incumbent comparable on integrated design and high-performance building advisory for complex institutional clients.
• Stantec: Major Canadian-headquartered engineering, architecture, and environmental services firm with a dedicated sustainability and buildings practice. Broad incumbent serving many of the same developer, municipal, and community-sector clients as ASK.
• Integral Group: Global engineering consultancy with a deep sustainability and net-zero buildings practice. Offers overlapping net-zero advisory and building performance services to similar developer, institutional, and government clients but at materially larger scale.
• DIALOG: Canadian architecture, engineering, and design firm with an integrated sustainability practice covering net-zero buildings, community planning, and IPD-adjacent project delivery. Broad incumbent offering overlapping services to ASK's enterprise and community clients.
• WSP Canada: Global professional services firm with a substantial sustainable buildings and decarbonization advisory practice. Competes with ASK on net-zero consulting mandates for large institutional and government clients across Canada.

Direct peers

• mcCallumSather: Ontario-based architecture and engineering firm with integrated IPD, Lean, and high-performance building practices serving institutional, community, and developer clients. Comparable peer in net-zero and IPD facilitation services within the Canadian market.
• Manasc Isaac Architects: Founder Shafraaz Kaba spent 19 years at this Alberta architecture firm focused on net-zero and carbon-reducing building projects. Manasc Isaac is a direct peer in sustainable architecture consulting with deeper institutional scale.
• EcoAmmo: ASK's named partner for IPD facilitation and sustainable design consulting. Co-delivered the priMED Mosaic Centre and offers directly overlapping services in net-zero project facilitation and high-performance building advisory, making it the closest comparable peer.
• Red-5 Lean Performance: Co-delivers ASK's Lean training and coaching offering and shares the priMED Mosaic Centre origin story. Red-5 is a direct peer in the Lean construction facilitation and team-development niche that ASK also serves.

Emerging players

• Revolve Engineering: ASK's named engineering partner providing geoexchange system design and energy-risk advisory. Smaller emerging player with overlapping technical expertise in low-carbon building systems that often co-deliver with ASK on projects.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Ask for a Better World Inc.