Austin received his degree in Public Affairs and Policy Management with a specialization in Human Rights Policy from Carleton University. Prior to his role at Strategies North, Austin spent 4 years working in politics and the non-profit sector in Ottawa where he developed core competencies including strategic policy development, evaluation, information architecture, public engagement, and government relations. In 2016 he was presented with a certificate of recognition from the United Nations Refugee Agency for campaigning work throughout the Syrian Refugee Crisis. Austin is passionate about facilitating community-led solutions that have the opportunity to scale from the ground up.