Harold Pliszka
Registered Social Worker, Consultant, Builder

In 2001, I merged my web development and graphic design company with a software development firm to create a full service branding and communications firm called Iron Lava Corp. Within a couple years, I bought out the other shareholder and learned much in the process. In 2015, halfway through completing a Master of Social Work, I sold Iron Lava Corp’s services/assets to another company and officially dissolved the company on 2018.

After holding several leadership positions in nonprofits (both as an employee and a contractor), I have decided to use that knowledge to assist nonprofits as a consultant. So, as a throwback to my former business, I started Iron Lava Consulting Corporation in 2025.

In 2005, I also assembled an international team to cofound a registered charity that paid school fees to help young people attend secondary schools in Guatemala, Kenya, Tanzania, and Zambia. I led that volunteer-run organization for thirteen years and am elated that the organization continues that important work years after my resignation.

But why leadership/management consulting & construction in the same company?

With Iron Lava Corp, I would have recommended two different companies to simplify branding and to avoid confusion. But I also have a bit of a rebellious streak and some rules are meant to be broken ;-).

Social work can be difficult work, and building helped ‘get me out of my head’. It also brings back the creativity and pride of completing something tangible (i.e., decks, fencing, gardening, and firepit area). My grad school specialty was in community development and everything I built in our yard provides space for community (particularly family and longtime neighbourhood friends).

Building also harkens back to my youth when my father, grandfather and uncles were periodically renovating homes. I was young but I did learn much by watching and helping them. I even had a summer job working on derelict residential buildings when I lived in Winnipeg (I later lived in one of those buildings).

So, here we are, with one person running one company providing very disparate (yet indirectly related) service offerings.