Jen Ashrafi is a senior virtual delivery and engagement specialist for Allstate's Enterprise L&D team. After spending over 15 years interacting with listeners, interviewing artists, and discussing current events and more in the broadcasting industry, Jen transitioned to her current role with Allstate in early 2020. Jen's L&D philosophy is to have a little bit of fun while learning a lot, because taking yourself too seriously is a barrier to growth.

William Oakley has presented to over 750,000 people across four continents. He’s a professional educator, with seven years of classroom education experience. He currently serves as a virtual delivery and engagement specialist for the Enterprise Learning and Development team at Allstate, where he uses his experience to “make boring stuff not boring” and to inspire people to enjoy learning.

Dawn Peterson is a passionate professional who is energized by change. For more than 25 years, she has helped organizations to exceed their development and talent retention goals. Using attention to detail and comprehensive analysis, Dawn has established a long history of delivering proven results and impactful learning programming. She has worn many different "hats" during her career: instructional designer, graphic designer, manager, consultant, and mentor. Over the years, Dawn has honed an ability to anticipate needs, solve problems, and translate needs directly into results- driven development.

After an anaphylactic reaction to a nut at the age of two, Caitlin Miller realized the difference the compassion of the nurses made and envisioned making a positive impact. Caitlin is a driven professional who is goal-oriented and able to prioritize tasks to achieve strategic objectives with proven success. Her passion about making the most of highly challenging circumstances has carried throughout her career as a nurse and as a people-leader in the training department.

Seth Warburton is a passionate learning designer and project leader with a great love for learning science, teaching, storytelling, presenting, and multimedia technology. He started his career as a TV producer and junior high school teacher, but he quickly fell in love with the combination of those two professions in the form of instructional design. He has had the opportunity to expand the impact and quality of instructional video on multiple L&D teams and has mentored instructional designers in the application of effective adult learning principles. He is currently a senior instructional designer and a SCRUM master.

Michael Farnsworth has been part of the training and instructional design team at Verisk, Property Estimating Solutions, for over five years and is currently a senior instructional designer. Before joining Verisk, Michael received a digital media degree from Utah Valley University, with an emphasis in graphic design, game development, and animation. While there, he was introduced to Scrum. He has been using that knowledge to implement and modify Scrum for the instructional design team at Verisk.

Dr. Parker A. Grant is an instructional designer, eLearning developer, and learning consultant in the L&D community. He is a co-founder of IDLance. Parker has 30 years of experience in the L&D industry, including 16 years in a Fortune 50 company as a trainer, instructional designer, and training manager before starting his own consulting practice in 2008. He earned his master's in educational technology and a PhD in adult learning, with a specialization in mental models and concept mapping.

Andrea Dottling, MEd is a writer, instructional designer, technologist, consultant, drummer, artist, and reformed stand-up comedian obsessed with/working in instructional design since 2015. Parker Grant gave Andrea her first freelance instructional design gig (ever!) She holds a BA from NYU in history, education & dramatic lit, an MA in media studies from The New School, and an MEd in learning & tech from Western Governors University. Her favorite thing to learn about is new techniques for making art with markers and watercolor paints.

Allie York is a learning experience designer, project manager, and eLearning developer. She's been in the business of educating adults and children for over 11 years. She received her MS in chemistry from Colorado School of Mines, which allows her to teach college-level general chemistry on occasion and has given her many of the valuable project management skills she utilizes in her work today. When she's not in her director role at IDLance, she designs, develops, and consults the creation of eLearning programs for all types of industries through her business, York & Yours: Creative Education Solutions. 

Kimberly Kilby is the director of curriculum for professional development at New York Life. She brings over 20 years of experience in the learning and development space. Her experience ranges from instructional design, eLearning design/development, and in-person and virtual facilitation to curriculum management and coaching. Kim is part of New York Life's Learning & Organization Development Team and is focused on helping managers and employees continue their personal development journey so they can be the best version of themselves. Kim holds the CPLP credential, numerous facilitation certifications, and BA from St Leo University.

Nisha Abraham has over 15 years of combined industry, research, and higher education experience, and before joining Engageli worked as the assistant director of the Sanger Learning Center at The University of Texas at Austin. She specializes in instructional design, training and facilitation, and has served as an adjunct faculty member at South University. She received her BS in cell and molecular biology from The University of Texas at Austin in 2007, her MS in biology from Texas A&M University in 2012, and an MA in STEM education from The University of Texas at Austin in 2019.

Adam Roderick leads the L&D team in efforts to build a culture of learning at Milo's Tea Company and to ensure Milo's is a place people come to grow. Adam received his bachelor’s in psychology from the University of Alabama at Birmingham and a master’s in clinical counseling from the University of Montevallo. Adam is driven by opportunities to empower others to achieve things they never thought possible.

Ashton Hammonds joined Milo’s Tea Company almost four years ago as a learning & development specialist. She has played a huge part in the success of the company’s learning programs and has been an invaluable resource to the learning team as a whole. Ashton is deeply passionate about the growth, development, and advancement of all associates. She has gained over 10 years of direct experience in the L&D field since graduating with a bachelor’s degree in mass communications from The University of Montevallo. Ashton is pursuing the Associate Professional in Talent Development (APTD) Certification.

Kyle Dismukes is a learning specialist working toward building a culture of learning at Milo's Tea Company, where people come to grow. Kyle has received certifications in LEAN Six Sigma Yellow Belt and TTISI DISC Certification. Kyle is dedicated to empowering and supporting others in achieving their developmental goals and career aspirations.

Sam Lee is an experienced learning design expert at Mckinsey & Company. With over 10 years of executive education, learning design, and capacity- building experience, she has designed and managed professional learning content products for a range of organizations including Udacity, Columbia Business School, and Population Council. She holds a master's degree in international educational development from Columbia University and is passionate about combining creativity and instructional design skills with technology to create impactful learning solutions for busy professionals across the globe.

Veronica Gomez is a learning designer with a background in educational technology, psychology, and web design. A Costa Rican native, Veronica is passionate about developing others and creating joyful learning experiences.

Mark Nilles, a director of learning and impact at Humentum, is a learning professional with a nontraditional L&D background. His work has focused on introducing new teaching and learning approaches to the Humentum portfolio. Expanding the reach and impact of learning through eLearning is an important aspect of Mark’s work. His perspective is informed through years of training and capacity building for international development and humanitarian relief professionals around the world. Mark has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Wisconsin¬¬–Madison and a master’s degree in international education from Florida State University.

Karen Cordova is a senior instructional designer in international development with a decade of experience in creating effective training programs for various organizations and industries. Her expertise includes leading instructional design for various training types, developing curriculums, and using evaluation tools to measure program impact. Karen has worked internationally for over 10 years and has a background in communication working with adult learners. As an affiliate faculty member at Regis University for over 20 years, she facilitated courses in intercultural, marketing, and conflict management. Karen is committed to creating engaging learning experiences that support learners.

Anthony Galardi is passionate about the impact technology can have on learning. With nearly a decade of experience in EdTech, a master's degree in educational policy & curriculum, and seven years as an educator, he has watched technology empower learners in classrooms and workplaces across North America. Since joining Babbel in 2022, he has helped businesses identify and break down language barriers for successful intercultural teamwork and communication. He is currently studying Latin American Spanish, and hopes to take his 1.5 year old son back to Berlin where his son was born before moving back to Michigan.

With 20+ years in the industry, Thomas J. Crawford has a passion for education and technology. His career spans from classroom teacher to a visionary learning and development leader creating initiatives in educational and corporate environments in both the US and UK. His most recent experience has taken him to the building materials industry where his focus has been on developing industry specific curriculum and providing career development opportunities for employees. A native New Yorker living back on Long Island, he enjoys spending his time at the beach, cooking for family and friends, and traveling to new and exciting places.

Minette Chan is an L&D leader with 15+ years of experience in both startup and Fortune500 technology companies such as Visa, Siemens, and Ooyala. Minette has been recognized as an Innovation Awardee by the Chief Learning Officer magazine and a Top 40 Under 40 leader by Training magazine. Her programs have garnered "Excellence in Learning" awards by Brandon Hall, including "Best Results of a Learning Program," "Best Advance in Technology Implementation," and "Best Certification Program." Minette holds an MA in learning design and technology from Stanford University, and is a doctorate in education candidate at the University of Pennsylvania.

If there's an innovative way to build enthusiasm for learning and engage L&D professionals, Sierra Marquardt will create it, promote it, and launch it in her role as program manager for the Learning Guild. Building on her background in education, nonprofit, and corporate training, Sierra brings passion and purpose to crafting memorable, learner-centered online and in-person experiences. Sierra earned an MA in psychological and quantitative foundations from the University of Iowa, where she specialized in educational psychology and learning sciences while also earning her Certificate in Online Teaching. A committed lifelong learner, Sierra is pursuing her PhD in instructional design and performance technology at Baker University.

Shanna Smiley currently serves as the National Director of Multicultural Leadership Development (MLD) for the YMCA of the USA. MLD is a national strategy that strives to address the barriers, gaps, and systems that have contributed to an underrepresentation of diverse leaders throughout the organization, and works to diversify leadership pipelines all across the country to ensure that our YMCAs better reflect the diverse communities that we serve. A recognized leader in the Equity and People Development fields, Shanna is a 2001 graduate of Purdue University. Her previous career roles include working for Walt Disney World, Starbucks Coffee Company, and Qdoba.

Rosa Espinal is an HR leader with 25+ years of experience in various industries. Rosa leverages communication, collaboration, and Six Sigma skills to build impactful training programs that optimize the performance of teams and transform company culture. Rosa holds the ATD Certified Professional in Talent Development (CPTD) certification and is completing her bachelor’s in HR administration with American Public University. In her spare time, Rosa volunteers with ATDCFL. Whether in her role as senior HR/OD manager at CareerSource Central Florida or working independently with consultants and other associates, Rosa partners with stakeholders across all levels, creating unified approaches that drive continuous improvement, achieve operational excellence, and transform corporate culture.

As the head of talent management at Delek US, Mark C. Lewis remains driven by his unwavering belief in the potential of people and the transformative power of effective talent strategies to drive organizational excellence. He joined Delek in April 2020 as the senior director for L&D and rapidly expanded his scope to ultimately become the head of talent management in February 2021.  He leads the areas of talent acquisition, L&D, talent planning, and organizational performance for over 4,000 employees. Mark provides the organization with highly effective and technologically advanced employee development, consulting, and talent to support the operating goals, mission, vision, values, and strategic plan while enhancing individual, team, and organizational effectiveness. Prior to joining Delek, Mark was head of L&D for Marathon Petroleum Corporation’s Transportation and Rail organization, where he led the strategy and execution of L&D programs for over 2,100 employees. Mark holds a bachelor’s degree in aviation administration from the University of Nebraska-Omaha and a master’s degree in management from Bellevue University. He is a graduate of George Mason University’s Chief Learning Officer Executive Development Certificate Program and is a Society for Human Resource Management Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP). Mark is an Air Force veteran and served 24 years as a senior intelligence officer, retiring at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.

John Mehalek is chief strategist in designing and delivering the Cisco Illuminate Program. At Cisco, John has designed and delivered several enterprise-wide learning initiatives within the new hire, leadership, teams, and well-being spaces. Prior to Cisco, John was a leadership consultant, coach, and trainer. His certifications include DiSC, EI, Situational Leadership, CPTM.

Patrick Hutchinson is senior leader for the learning data, measurement & tools team as part of Cisco's Learning & Careers organization. He has been in the L&D field for over 15 years and has held a variety of leadership roles in learning operations. He has a passion for technology and measurement. His certifications include: SCPM (Stanford), and Leader of Data Science (NC State).

Rich Baker is the Sr. Enterprise LMS Administrator for ICE, a Fortune 500 company that designs, builds, and operates digital networks to connect people to opportunity. With more than 25 years of learning experience, Rich focuses on ensuring every employee has the opportunity to grow their career through education opportunities. Rich is the founding chair of the organization's diversity, equity, and inclusion employee roundtable. Rich also is known as the go-to individual on many of ICE’s training initiatives, such as Office 365 training, the Guru program, and support of the leadership programs. As an active representative of ICE in the community, Rich serves on organizational committees for JASMYN, which focuses on LGBTQ+ youth in the Jacksonville community.

Diane Williams is the Human Resources Director of Talent Engagement for ICE, a Fortune 500 company that designs, builds, and operates digital networks to connect people to opportunity. With more than 25 years of human resources experience, Diane is responsible for developing and managing several company initiatives including employee learning and leadership development; diversity, equity, and inclusion; the summer intern program; the mentor program; and the Women in IT program. Diane also facilitates many of ICE’s training initiatives such as Diversity & Inclusion for Leaders, FranklinCovey’s Unconscious Bias, 6 Critical Practices for Leading a Team and Speed of Trust, and John Maxwell’s 5 Levels of Leadership. As an active representative of ICE in the community, Diane serves on the Jacksonville Women’s Leadership Forum (JWLF) Board as president and on the CareerSource Northeast Florida Board. Diane’s leadership and expertise have transformed ICE’s employee programs, linking talent engagement and development to business strategy.

Terri Walker is a people business partner director supporting the National Field Sales organization at TriNet. She is a results-driven Leader with over 20 years of experience in human resources and organizational development. Her core competencies include strategic workforce planning, talent management, DEIB, succession planning, training and development, employee relations, benefits design, and policy development. Terri is skilled in delivering results to improve organizational culture, employee performance, business growth, and innovation.  

John Casella has nearly 16 years of experience designing, leading, and implementing innovative workforce services and programs, including those in IT. John provides oversight, performance management, and strategic direction of the JobWorks Education & Training division, where he helps to bridge the tech talent gap across the US. John contributes to the management and development of JobWorks virtual products and platforms, including the JobWorks Virtual Job Fair Platform, Learning Management System, and more.

Scott Thompson has 16+ years of experience in the credentialing and assessment industry. He currently serves as an IT-Pro Territory Manager with Pearson VUE, where he helps empower learners with world class learning materials and certification.

Bryan Ochs is a veteran of the training and certification industry, with over 20 years of experience in product development, channel development, and partner management. At Pearson VUE, Bryan leads efforts to create new products and services to increase the number of candidates certifying across all exams.

Jaime Winkel is a Marketplace Diversity Manager at TEKsystems, responsible for leading DEI collaboration across TEK’s customer base. Jaime’s passion, and the mission of the Marketplace Diversity team at TEK, is to drive positive impact in our communities and create opportunity in technology for people from historically marginalized groups in equitable and inclusive ways. Jaime has worked in technology at TEKsystems since 2006 and sits in Columbus, Ohio.

Minette Chan is an L&D leader with 15+ years of experience in both startup and Fortune500 technology companies such as Visa, Siemens, and Ooyala. Minette has been recognized as an Innovation Awardee by the Chief Learning Officer magazine and a Top 40 Under 40 leader by Training magazine. Her programs have garnered "Excellence in Learning" awards by Brandon Hall, including "Best Results of a Learning Program," "Best Advance in Technology Implementation," and "Best Certification Program." Minette holds an MA in learning design and technology from Stanford University, and is a doctorate in education candidate at the University of Pennsylvania.

Marilyn Goodwin is a leader with over 30 years of experience at Lilly, USAA, H-E-B, and Whataburger focusing on talent development, employee experience, and strategic initiative implementation. She founded MGoodwin and Associates as an L&D/OD independent consultancy providing expertise in leadership development, change management, performance management, and competency models. MGoodwin and Associates consults and collaborates with L&D leaders to enhance their team’s ability to provide impactful performance solutions. Marilyn holds an MA in instruction systems technology from Indiana University.

Jennifer R. Demchar-Graves is a learning & development manager for Boston Consulting Group within IT Service Management. She previously worked for Kroger, Morgan & Morgan, and Chewy.com within Organizational Change Management, Business Operations, and Learning & Development teams. Jennifer is a 2021 alumna of the Learning Guild’s Thirty Under 30 program. Jennifer graduated from Nova Southeastern University with a bachelor’s degree in secondary English education with an ESOL Endorsement. Jennifer completed her executive certification program for Project Management at Florida Atlantic University and earned her Project Management Professional (PMP) certification.

Stephanie Borglum is a learning program manager for Morgan & Morgan in Atlanta, Georgia, and a 2022 alumna of the Learning Guild's Thirty Under 30 program. Previously a classroom educator, Stephanie translates her expertise as a teacher into learning experiences for the teams she supports. Stephanie strategically partners with the business to develop full onboarding programs and continuing professional development experiences for various teams across the firm and with the company's global partners, leveraging the expertise of her instructional design and communications teams from intake through evaluation. These strategic partnerships have provided L&D with a seat at the table, exemplifying how learning inputs can improve business outputs.

Florence Bromfield’s career has taken her through different experiences, leading to the learning business partner role. For the first 13 years, Florence worked in education in China, in nonprofit education in the US, and in international education at a university. She developed strong skills in adaptability, intercultural communication, and learning/program design. With Unum for five years in talent management and learning, Florence has become more experienced with HR, performance consulting, change management, and project management. She has a master’s in international education and is working on a data analytics certification through Coursera.

Erika Wharton, learning business partner at Unum, has 17 years in L&D and has held various roles including facilitator, eLearning developer, and director of digital learning. She has led/co-led sessions with TICE, Workday Rising, ATD, and DevLearn. Her gamification work is award-winning, and she loves sharing her expertise with others.

Bob Mosher, the chief learning evangelist at APPLY Synergies, has been an active and influential leader in the learning and training industry for over 30 years, and is renowned worldwide for his pioneering role in eLearning and new approaches to learning. Before co-founding APPLY Synergies consultancy with Conrad Gottfredson, Bob served as the chief learning evangelist for Ontuitive, director of learning strategy and evangelism for Microsoft, and executive director of education for Element K. He is an influential voice in the IT training industry, speaking at conferences and participating in industry associations. Bob was awarded the Guild Master Award in 2014 for his accomplishments and contributions to the eLearning community.

Sara Chizzo, executive director, business development at APPLY Synergies, has been an innovator in the L&D space for more than 20 years and is thrilled to bring her experience and passion for the 5 Moments of Need to APPLY Synergies.  While she started out in corporate technical training, Sara quickly pivoted to the learning measurement and analytics space, helping to launch two companies, KnowledgeAdvisors and Performitiv. During that time, Sara built up the commercial teams to help scale up the companies and was a frequent speaker at industry events on the transformative power for becoming a data-driven L&D organization. In between her stints in the measurement and analytics space, Sara worked for Harvard Business School Publishing in the virtual leadership content space and Fuse, a next- gen learning experience platform company. In coming to APPLY Synergies, Sara felt it was the perfect time to apply everything she’d learned and experienced to the already powerful 5 Moments of Need framework. Sara’s job is to introduce this approach to new organizations, help existing clients to optimize the value they see from 5 Moments of Need, and help evolve APPLY Synergies’ measurement capabilities.

Bob Mosher, the chief learning evangelist at APPLY Synergies, has been an active and influential leader in the learning and training industry for over 30 years, and is renowned worldwide for his pioneering role in eLearning and new approaches to learning. Before co-founding APPLY Synergies consultancy with Conrad Gottfredson, Bob served as the chief learning evangelist for Ontuitive, director of learning strategy and evangelism for Microsoft, and executive director of education for Element K. He is an influential voice in the IT training industry, speaking at conferences and participating in industry associations. Bob was awarded the Guild Master Award in 2014 for his accomplishments and contributions to the eLearning community.

Dr. Frank Nguyen is a learning executive who specializes in transforming learning organizations through strategy and technology. He has led enterprise learning for Fortune companies including AIG, Amazon, American Express, Intel, MicroAge, and Sears. Frank has published extensively on the intersection of eLearning, instructional design, and performance support. He is a recipient of the Learning Guild Master and the ISPI Distinguished Dissertation awards. His work on compliance training, learning strategy, business transformation, and technology has been recognized by Brandon Hall and Chief Learning Officer. Frank has served on a variety of learning industry committees for Adobe, ATD, BJET, Brandon Hall, eLearning Guild, and ISPI.

Jane Bozarth, the director of research for the Learning Guild, is a veteran classroom trainer who transitioned to eLearning in the late 1990s and has never looked back. In her previous job as leader of the State of North Carolina's award-winning eLearning program, Jane specialized in finding low-cost ways of providing online training solutions. She is the author of several books, including eLearning Solutions on a Shoestring, Social Media for Trainers, and Show Your Work: The Payoffs and How-To's of Working Out Loud. Jane holds a doctorate in training and development and was awarded the Guild Master Award in 2013 for her accomplishments and contributions to the eLearning community.

Megan Torrance is CEO and founder of TorranceLearning, which helps organizations connect learning strategy to design, development, data, and ultimately performance. She has more than 25 years of experience in learning design, deployment, and consulting . Megan and the TorranceLearning team are passionate about sharing what works in learning, so they devote considerable time to teaching and sharing about Agile project management for learning experience design and the xAPI. She is the author of Agile for Instructional Designers, The Quick Guide to LLAMA, and Making Sense of xAPI. Megan is also an eCornell Facilitator in the Women's Executive Leadership curriculum.

Debbie Richards, president of Creative Interactive Ideas, is a learning architect, self-proclaimed geek, and early adopter of learning technologies. For over 30 years, she has helped enterprise teams design, develop, and deliver immersive learning programs with measurable impact. Passionate about working with and mentoring other learning professionals, Debbie is a director at L&D Cares. The nonprofit group provides talent development professionals with no-cost coaching, mentoring, and resources to help them thrive and flourish in their careers. She is the past president of the Association of Talent Development, Houston chapter, and a past national advisor for chapters. Debbie has authored two TD at Work guides, Seeing the Possibilities With Augmented Reality and Preparing Your Organization for New Technologies.

Heather Appell is committed to creating a world where people eagerly look forward to engaging learning that quickly and efficiently meets their needs— and the needs of their business. Heather's 15+ years of experience and leadership in learning and performance spans industries including technology, banking, accounting, and aerospace. In addition to receiving awards from Boeing, Nordstrom, and EverTrust Bank, Heather was recognized by Training magazine as a "Top Young Trainer."

Nicki Atkinson is passionate about successful learning experiences that drive organizational results and learner engagement. Her ideal learning experience is one where learners feel safe, supported, inspired, and empowered. Nicki’s learning and development career spans 18 years and has included instructional designer, eLearning developer, program delivery manager, and learning strategist. She partners with leadership across ServiceNow, where she is a learning program manager, to develop a comprehensive strategy to develop the motivation, knowledge, and competencies that ServiceNow customers, partners, and internal learners require to achieve business outcomes.

Brooke Barker is a learning enthusiast with six years of experience educating others. As an instructional designer, she brings a passion for creativity to her work, supporting the customer service-learning team. Originally a chemistry instructor, she believes adult learning is both a science and an art. Brooke is a graduate of Sam Houston State University.

Before joining CenterPoint energy as an LOD specialist on the employee learning team, Robyn Cole-Jackson was a reading and language arts instructor for nine years. At CenterPoint Energy, she and her team help create learning opportunities for employees to grow in their professional careers and leadership. She is a graduate of Grambling State University and a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority.

Alfred Remmits has been the founder of three learning companies. In 2015 Alfred founded Xprtise, which has grown over the past eight years into a leading workflow learning & performance technology company with offices in the Netherlands, UK, and US. Alfred’s focus is on promoting the concept and approach to workflow learning based on the 5 Moments of Learning Need methodology in combination with digital coach technologies. Alfred is a regular speaker at events on topics like workflow learning, digital coaches, and adaptive learning. Alfred has a master's degree in social science from the University of Amsterdam.

With a background in international business and organizational learning and development, Robin de Graaf began her professional journey as an eLearning developer and has evolved into a learning & performance consultant at Xprtise, a leading workflow learning & performance support company. In her role as a learning & performance consultant, Robin collaborates with many diverse and international clients, focusing on streamlining their onboarding and training and fostering continuous learning on the job. Specializing in workflow learning and electronic performance support, Robin is passionate about leveraging her academic foundation and practical experience to drive innovation in organizational learning.

Jen Ashrafi is a senior virtual delivery and engagement specialist for Allstate's Enterprise L&D team. After spending over 15 years interacting with listeners, interviewing artists, and discussing current events and more in the broadcasting industry, Jen transitioned to her current role with Allstate in early 2020. Jen's L&D philosophy is to have a little bit of fun while learning a lot, because taking yourself too seriously is a barrier to growth.

William Oakley has presented to over 750,000 people across four continents. He’s a professional educator, with seven years of classroom education experience. He currently serves as a virtual delivery and engagement specialist for the Enterprise Learning and Development team at Allstate, where he uses his experience to “make boring stuff not boring” and to inspire people to enjoy learning.

Adam Eling leads Ingenuiti's Client Services team, driving impactful results worldwide. With 15 years in global learning, he's a seasoned speaker at training events. Adam thrives on curiosity, uncovering solutions by questioning. He values his talented team and embraces the evolving learning and development landscape. Based in Charleston, SC, he cherishes family time at the beach, hiking, and reading.

Jerry Zandstra is Ingenuiti's senior director of learning. Dr. Zandstra holds two master's degrees and two doctorates, and he has been in the learning, training, and development space for more than 30 years. eLearning Industry has named Dr. Zandstra as a Global Learning Trailblazer for 2022 and 2023.

David Kelly is the Chairman of the Learning Guild. David has been a learning and performance consultant and training director for over 20 years. He is a leading voice exploring how technology can be used to enhance training, education, learning, and organizational performance. David is an active member of the learning community, and can frequently be found speaking at industry events. He has previously contributed to organizations including ATD, eLearn Magazine, LINGOs, and more.

David Kelly is the Chairman of the Learning Guild. David has been a learning and performance consultant and training director for over 20 years. He is a leading voice exploring how technology can be used to enhance training, education, learning, and organizational performance. David is an active member of the learning community, and can frequently be found speaking at industry events. He has previously contributed to organizations including ATD, eLearn Magazine, LINGOs, and more.

Jennifer R. Demchar-Graves is a learning & development manager for Boston Consulting Group within IT Service Management. She previously worked for Kroger, Morgan & Morgan, and Chewy.com within Organizational Change Management, Business Operations, and Learning & Development teams. Jennifer is a 2021 alumna of the Learning Guild’s Thirty Under 30 program. Jennifer graduated from Nova Southeastern University with a bachelor’s degree in secondary English education with an ESOL Endorsement. Jennifer completed her executive certification program for Project Management at Florida Atlantic University and earned her Project Management Professional (PMP) certification.

Megan Underwood (she/her) is a passionate educator and learning designer with over 14 years of experience teaching and instructing everyone from children to older adults, including people with disabilities. She has a keen interest in how people learn and how it can better be supported by technology.

Keiko Takeshita is the training program manager for the Department of Homeland Security, Office of the Chief Financial Officer. She is responsible for managing learning and development opportunities for the third largest federal agency. Her team provides trainings that the CFO-enterprise can use to improve their day-to-day skills and advance their careers. To address the needs of a hybrid workforce, she has made it a priority to make training more accessible and enjoyable.  She received her bachelor’s degrees in psychology and criminology from the University of Idaho, and her master’s degree in terrorism and homeland security policy from American University.

Gail Norris has been with Siemens over 20 years in a variety of functions and is currently the director of SITRAIN Digital Industries Learning for the US. Developing people is a passion well suited for her current role. Her passion is skills and people development, bringing ultimate career aspirations to success and identifying hidden and adjacent skills and capabilities. She is the originator of the Strategic Workforce Plan for her business unit, as well as creating an employer experience initiative to drive employee engagement. Gail has also been engaged in DEI&B activities since early in her career, engaging in women's networks across multiple employers, as well as advocating for the positive impacts of diversity on business impact. Her hiring philosophy is, ˜Never hire in your own image!' This allows for diverse perspectives and experiences to flourish in her organizations. Previous experience includes roles in program management, business excellence, and procurement for Siemens, as well as roles in supply chain, operations accounting, audit and consulting for Siemens, and for aviation and accounting organizations.

From an associate degree in electronics to a master’s degree in cybersecurity, Emily Howarth has pursued non-traditional technical pathways and helped others to shape their future. She was elected as a Fellow of the Manufacturing Skills Institute in 2020 and awarded the statewide NSHE Regent's Teaching Award in 2015. She is a veteran of the US Air Force, and is finishing her PhD in technology and innovation.

Lucas Stidham is a learning & development professional who has over 20 years’ experience in the industry. His formal education includes a bachelor’s degree in music from Northern Arizona University, a master’s degree in music education from Boston University, and a master’s degree in leadership from Grand Canyon University. Lucas joined Living Spaces in 2013 and made an immediate impact on business results. He has built a learning & development team that has been recognized by suppliers and industry peers as a world-class learning organization. He has been a featured speaker with the Learning Guild and Leap HR Retail.

Julio Montalvo joined Living Spaces in 2011, working in retail sales, and has worked his way up to the top ranks in learning & development. He is responsible for all innovations and leads a team of five instructional designers. Julio thrives in modern methods and modalities and encourages his team to write quirky, entertaining, and engaging content. He has been a leader in all major learning initiatives and is a go-to leadership facilitator and coach. He is a certified Gallup Global Strengths Coach.

Lisa Foster, a Dallas native, is a passionate, bilingual, leadership and development professional empowering others through education and training. Lisa has a bachelor’s in Spanish with a marketing minor from Texas Tech University. Currently, Lisa enjoys teaching leadership courses and coaching frontline leaders for Baker Construction Enterprise as a field development specialist. Lisa has worked and taught in various industries over 20+ years in training and development. Topics taught include Spanish for the healthcare professional, English for manufacturing, critical thinking, and safety culture transformation. What inspires her most is encouraging and equipping people with the knowledge and confidence to be their best selves.

Susana Reyes Lee, PhD, CPTD, is a bilingual Dominican-American leadership development and career strategist. Dr. Lee is a training leader at Baker Construction Enterprise who is empowering frontline leaders to rebuild their own brand, shatter the status quo, and strengthen the company's brand through their coworkers. As a corporate training and organizational development executive with over 20 years of experience, she has designed, delivered, and managed face-to-face, blended, virtual, and eLearning programs. She's recertified as a Certified Professional in Talent Development through 2024 and holds a PhD from the School of Leadership and Human Resource Development at Louisiana State University (Geaux Tigers!).

Maggie Redling is a director of talent acquisition & development at Booster, and she runs Wrestling With Talent with Coleman Williams. Maggie knew from a young age that learning was her calling. She was the young girl always playing teacher and, while her students have changed from stuffed animals to employees, her motivation to help others see potential in themselves hasn't changed. Maggie's research-minded brain helps teams choose the right intervention at the right time while her positivity allows her to build quick and meaningful relationships.

Coleman Williams is a director of culture & talent at Booster. He started his career teaching high school students about business and has since found his passion for helping an organization focus on the future and build a learning culture. It is his role to develop, fine-tune, and implement talent processes and tools to align with business strategy and improve employee experiences. And, in 2020, he joined forces with his tag-team partner, Maggie Redling, to open the doors of Wrestling With Talent.

Jim Goodell, director of innovation at Quality Information Partners, is editor of Learning Engineering Toolkit. He helps lead the US Department of Education- sponsored Common Education Data Standards and the US Chamber of Commerce Foundation's T3 Innovation Network. He is chair of the IEEE Learning Technology Standards Committee, chairs the IEEE Industry Consortium on Learning Engineering Competencies, Curriculum, and Credentials SIG, and serves on the IC Industry Consortium for Learning Engineering Steering Committee.

Dr. J.J. Walcutt is a scientist, innovator, and learning engineer specializing in talent development and strategic reform across education, military, and government. She served as the director of innovation at the Advanced Distributed Learning Initiative under the Office of the Secretary of Defense and as a Human Innovation Fellow under the Office of Personnel Management. During her tenure in the government, she helped define the interoperable digital backbone required for training, education, and talent development across the military, intelligence, and greater security sector. She was an international keynote speaker as a US Delegate to NATO, Partnership for Peace.

Greg Wood is a principal learning consultant at Discover Financial Services. He has more than 14 years of experience in a variety of positions within L&D. Being passionate about learning has led to roles including facilitator/trainer, project/program manager, learning technology analyst, and learning consultant. Greg seeks opportunities to work with others and excels at building strongly respected working relationships.

Erica Mathews is a principal learning consultant for Discover Financial Services. She has a 15-year track record in designing and implementing dynamic training programs. She has demonstrated expertise in various roles including facilitator, training manager, implementation specialist, and strategist. She is passionate about building relationships and cultivating a culture of continuous learning and innovation.

Iuliia Algasova is the head of an online learning department at EPAM Systems, where she balances a love for language, expertise in learning content creation, and a passion for integrating meaningful use of AI in learning. Her work revolves around infusing education with innovation and technology while maintaining a personal, empathetic approach. Recognized as one of the Learning Guild's Thirty under 30 leaders, Iuliia uses her professional journey to inspire and pave the way for the future of digital learning.

Through conversations with her manager at SCS Engineers and networking/professional development opportunities hosted by the Learning Guild and the Association for Talent Development (ATD), Abby has learned leadership in the learning and development (L&D) industry is not defined by the capacity to manage direct reports. Abby continues to refine her technical skills and deepen her business acumen as she forges her own leadership path in the L&D space. As an instructional designer for SCS Engineers, Abby conducts exemplary needs assessments and effectively collaborates with her team to problem solve on a variety of learning challenges. While she enjoys building learning assets using Articulate, Vyond, and Camtasia, Abby most enjoys ideating with her manager on performance objectives, defining assessment metrics, and determining the optimal delivery methodology for the stakeholder’s learning need.  Abby is researching how businesses can effectively evaluate the technical and professional competencies of instructional designers, how L&D professionals evaluate business KPIs with xAPI, and defining the role of L&D professionals in organizational change management. In her work and research, Abby leverages her master’s in education from Santa Clara University, her bachelor’s in history from Bryn Mawr College, and her six years of teaching AP US History at Notre Dame High School in downtown San Jose, California.

As an instructional designer at Stanford University School of Medicine, Lani Matsumura is passionate about creating meaningful learning experiences that promote success for learners. Her passion lies at the intersection of education, technology, and healthcare, where she uses her expertise as an educator, researcher, instructional designer, and eLearning developer to shape innovative and impactful medical education for clinicians and healthcare professionals around the world. As a first-generation college student, she earned her BA in education sciences from UC Irvine, where she became a published researcher in the Digital Learning Lab. She then earned her MA in education from Stanford University, and a few years later, her MEd in instructional design from Western Governors University while actively working. Throughout her career, in addition to her full-time positions in K-12 public schools and higher education, she has spent her time presenting at various education conferences throughout California, guest speaking—recently being interviewed on the Sacramento CBS News, and volunteering at several nonprofits as an instructional designer, eLearning developer, learning designer, and instructional design mentor. Recognized nationally as a LifeChanger of the Year in 2021, she is committed to advancing learning and making an impact in education through the effective integration of technology and design.

According to Jessica Schlauer, learning new things, expanding her horizons, and stepping out of her comfort zone are traits she has had her whole life. It has always been a great pleasure for her to infect others with her curiosity and thirst for knowledge. Her professional career in the L&D field started during her bachelor's and master's degree in business psychology, during which time she also spent a semester abroad in New York . She gained varied experience in HR via internships and working student positions, especially in the field of personal and organizational development in various industries such as market research, logistics, consulting & coaching, insurance, and tourism. After successfully completing her master's degree, she started working full-time for Thomas Cook as a learning & development specialist focusing on the global implementation of its digital academy. After 2.5 years at Thomas Cook where she last worked for the group as an L&D consultant in Peterborough, she got the great opportunity in December 2019 to build up the Techem Academy.

Kennedy Scott is an experienced professional with a decade-long career in the field of L&D. Starting as a certification coordinator, she demonstrated a keen eye for detail while overseeing and driving the certification program. The program achieved remarkable success, reaching two all-time highs in learner certifications. She also played a key role in the implementation of a new LMS. Kennedy transitioned to an eLearning content development role in 2018, where she has been a key contributor in the launch of new learning initiatives such as microlearning and gamification within the organization. The creation and launch of an eLearning game has had substantial success within the organization with high levels of participation and overwhelmingly positive feedback. Throughout her career, she has made significant contributions to an eLearning content development library. Her bachelor's degree in organizational leadership helped prepare her for her current role as the eLearning supervisor, where she is responsible for leading a team of four content developers and focused on supporting 7,000+ learners within her organization.

Megan Torrance is CEO and founder of TorranceLearning, which helps organizations connect learning strategy to design, development, data, and ultimately performance. She has more than 25 years of experience in learning design, deployment, and consulting . Megan and the TorranceLearning team are passionate about sharing what works in learning, so they devote considerable time to teaching and sharing about Agile project management for learning experience design and the xAPI. She is the author of Agile for Instructional Designers, The Quick Guide to LLAMA, and Making Sense of xAPI. Megan is also an eCornell Facilitator in the Women's Executive Leadership curriculum.

In 13 years working for the Church, Nathan Meidell has been an educator, trainer, curriculum developer, and learning designer on projects ranging from vocational rehabilitation and workforce training to global integrated curricula for members and friends. Nathan is also currently tasked with identifying vendor partners to assist where he sits at the hub of learning for the Church’s 25 departments. With varied products sometimes reaching millions of learners worldwide, Nathan has become keenly interested in deciphering the intricate patterns of influence operating on individuals within complex educational systems. He loves leveraging a range of perspectives in this effort of helping others find fulfilment and realize their potential, from L.S. Vygotsky and Michael W. Apple to Jesus Christ. Nathan had occasion to study this in depth when completing his MS in curriculum and instruction at Utah State University under the influential mentorship of Vygotsky expert LeAnn G. Putney and Suzanne Jones.

Marcella Roberts currently works in sales enablement, where she has owned the process of optimizing content management systems and building a new learning program from the ground up. Prior to joining the corporate L&D world in 2022, she spent over a decade designing and delivering learning content in higher education. She is also completing a master's degree in organizational performance and workplace learning from Boise State University, which helps to fulfill her continuous passion for expanding her knowledge of performance improvement and learning design.

Working in the L&D industry since 2000, Ben Jacobson has produced eLearning, instructor-led courses, and blended learning curriculums for a wide range of industries and subject matters, including food production and safety, industrial manufacturing, safety and compliance, sales and other “soft skills,” and software applications. Ben has a passion for understanding and breaking down complex topics and finding new and creative ways to make them more easily accessible to learners.

Katie Felton is the current director for the Anthology Academy at Anthology, Inc. Throughout her 10-year career in ed tech, she has worked in everything from implementation to professional services to customer training. Prior to joining the corporate world, Katie worked at Houghton College in New York, supporting non-traditional students returning to school to earn their bachelor's degrees. Her interests and focus areas include adult education, customer training, change management, equity in the workplace, and leading and mentoring teams.

K.C. Williams had a 20-year career in higher education as professor, museum curator, and faculty chair, among other roles. She was the inaugural director of the Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning at NW Florida State College, later serving as campus lead for strategy and innovation. Since joining Anthology, K.C. has led teams of content creators, instructional designers, and strategists collaborating to build and maintain Anthology Academy. Adult learning, human performance technology, and supporting faculty and staff development are her areas of interest.

Destery Hildenbrand is an XR solution architect with Intellezy. Destery has over 17 years of experience in training and development and seven years focusing on immersive technologies. Destery has spent time in corporate environments and higher education. Destery's primary focus is helping organizations plan, design, and develop engaging learning experiences through Immersive technology.

Betty Dannewitz is an immersive experience designer with over 18 years in corporate learning and development. She is also a speaker, podcaster, and high-performance coach. Betty's passion is to help people become better humans and she advocates that innovative technology, like augmented reality, has a HUGE role in making that happen.