LEARNING COLLECTIVE

Web series featuring industry leaders sharing their wealth of knowledge for learning & development professionals.

Welcome!

We’re glad you’re here to learn more about our industry’s experts sharing their knowledge + insights. Let us know who you’d like to learn from and/or what topic you’re interested in learning more about.

Sarah Mercier-CEO of LearningNinjas

Sarah Mercier

CEO, Learning Ninjas

Sarah Mercier specializes in innovative learning technology and strategic implementation of learning solutions. Sarah is the founder of MeLearning Solutions
and a national facilitator for the Association for Talent Development – ATD’s Master E-Learning Instructional Designer. Her innovative learning solutions have been recognized by winning industry awards, such as Best of Show at FocusOn Learning DemoFest for xAPI for Interactive eBooks, and Best Performance Support Solution at DevLearn DemoFest for Critical Success Factors training and assessment tool. Sarah is a frequent speaker at industry conferences and business events in the areas of instructional strategy, learning technology strategy, and learning solution design and development. Her work has been published in: ATD’s 2020 Trends in Learning Technology, The Book of Road-Tested Activities, TD Magazine, Learning Solutions Magazine, CLO Magazine, and a variety of other training and workforce publications.

JD Dillon

JD Dillon

Chief Learning Architect, Axonify

JD Dillon is one of the most prolific authors and speakers in workplace learning. With his practical approach, JD helps organizations apply modern learning principles and achieve measurable results through employee development. For 20 years, JD has worked in operations and talent development with some of the world’s most dynamic organizations, including Disney, Kaplan, Brambles and AMC. He is now the Chief Learning Architect with Axonify, where he collaborates with an award-winning team to build technology, content and services that enable frontline employees around the world do their best work every day.

Kevin Thorn

Kevin Thorn

Owner, NuggetHead Studioz

Kevin is an award-winning elearning designer & developer, consultant, and owner of NuggetHead Studioz, LLC., a boutique custom design and development studio specializing in online learning experiences. With his combined military and industry experience, Kevin started the Studioz in 2012 working with clients in various industries solving problems in a wide-range of creative projects. Kevin is a well-known industry speaker and trainer on elearning development, design workflows, and is a certified facilitator in LEGO® Serious Play® methodologies.

Sean-Putman-xAPI-data-expert

Sean Putman

Sean has been an instructor, instructional designer, and developer for over 15 years. He has spent his career designing and developing training programs, both instructor-led and online, for many different industries, but he has had a strong focus on creating material for software companies. Sean has also spent the last few years focusing on the use and deployment of the Experience API (xAPI) and its affect on learning interventions. Sean has spoken at many industry conferences on the subject and is co-author of “Investigating Performance” a book on using xAPI and analytics to improve performance.

Ray-Jimenez

Ray Jimenez, PhD

Chief Learning Officer, Vignettes Learning

Ray Jimenez, Ph.D., spent 15 years with Coopers & Lybrand in the areas of management
consulting and implementation of learning technology solutions. As a management consultant, Ray has worked with various experts from different domains and industries. Over the past few years Ray has been dedicated to the development and creation of
https://situationexpert.com/. Ray is the author of Microlearning for Disruptive Results (soon to be released), Microlearning Impacts Report, 3-Minutes eLearning, Scenario-Based Learning, Do-It-Yourself eLearning, Story Impacts Learning and Performance eBook and Story-Based eLearning Design.
He is the Chief Learning Officer of Vignettes Learning architect on https://trainingmagnetwork.com/. He is a sought-after expert and workshop facilitator for Training Magazine, eLearning Guild and ATD Conferences.

Jen Murphy, PhD, CEO of Quantum Improvements Consulting

Jennifer Murphy, PhD

CEO

Jennifer Murphy, PhD, is the founder and CEO of Quantum Improvements Consulting (QIC), an Orlando-based firm specializing in the application of emerging technology to training for complex skills. A cognitive psychologist by trade, her work focuses on how to design, develop, implement, and evaluate training technology for the Department of Defense and other clients. At QIC, she leads a growing team of learning science professionals. In addition to her many peer- reviewed publications, her work has been featured in the New York Times, the Pentagon Channel, and Signal Magazine.

Chad-Udell-Managing-Partner-Float

Chad Udell

Managing Partner, Strategy and New Product Development, Float

Chad Udell is the award-winning managing partner, strategy and new product development, at Float. He has worked with Fortune 500 companies and government agencies to create experiences for 20 years. Chad is an expert in mobile design and development, and speaks at events on related topics. He is author of Learning Everywhere: How Mobile Content Strategies Are Transforming Training and co-editor/author, with Gary Woodill, of Mastering Mobile Learning: Tips and Techniques for Success. His newest book, Shock of the New, co-authored with Gary Woodill, was released April of 2019.

Judy Katz with Eduworks

Judy Katz

Product Manager, Eduworks

Judy Katz makes stuff that helps people learn. She is an instructional designer and product manager at Eduworks Corporation, and has worked in the field of learning and development since 1997. She holds a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Texas, an MBA from Baker University, and an MEd in instructional design with a focus on workplace learning from UMass–Boston.

Tricia Ransom

Tricia Ransom

Instructional Designer, Uber

Tricia Ransom is an instructional designer at Uber. With over 15 years of experience as an L&D consultant, eLearning developer, instructional designer, and facilitator, Tricia focuses on creating short, relevant, and social learning solutions. She holds a master’s degree in training and development from Roosevelt University, Chicago.

Tammy Rutherford

Tammy Rutherford

Director of Accounts + Marketing, Rustici

Tammy Rutherford is the Director of Accounts and Marketing at Rustici Software, which helps eLearning companies work well together by compliance with specifications such as SCORM and xAPI. She has spent more than 12 years in the eLearning space. Since joining Rustici Software in 2011, Tammy has advised hundreds of eLearning vendors, content publishers, organizations and government agencies on strategies and software solutions for implementing and taking advantage of eLearning standards in their products and systems.

Megan Torrance

Megan Torrance

CEO / President, TorranceLearning

Megan Torrance is the CEO (that is, Chief Energy Officer) of TorranceLearning, an eLearning design and development firm with an intentionally random client base. Megan brings over a decade of business consulting and project management experience to her instructional design and development work. The TorranceLearning team combines creativity with pragmatism, and fun with focus. eLearning guru by day, and ice hockey goaltender by night, Megan is devoted to not only delivering outstanding work to clients, but also creating a top-notch work environment based on trust, flexibility, compassion, and fun. TorranceLearning is based outside of Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Andrew Hughes - President of Designing Digitally

Andrew Hughes

President, Designing Digitally

Andrew Hughes, who founded Designing Digitally, Inc. in 2001, has extensive experience in the development of enterprise immersive learning solutions for Government and many of the Fortune 500 companies. He is a professor at the University of Cincinnati and has been a consultant for the Ohio Board of Regents and the U.S. Department of Education for the Office of Innovation, where he helped to develop groundbreaking learning spaces for the K-12 sector. Andrew was also named 2016 Learning! Champion from eLearning! Magazine, and has won over dozens of learning and training awards with his team at Designing Digitally, Inc.

Julie Dirksen

Julie Dirksen

Consultant + Instructional Designer

Julie Dirksen is a consultant and instructional designer with more than 20 years’ experience creating interactive e-Learning experiences for clients ranging from Fortune 500 companies to technology startups to grant-funded research initiatives. She loves brains, and games and evidence-based practice. Her MS degree is in Instructional Systems Technology from Indiana University and she’s been an adjunct faculty member at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design and an Elearning Guild Guildmaster. She wrote the book Design For How People Learn and she’s happiest whenever she gets to learn something new. You can find her at www.usablelearning.com.

Art Werkenthin, President of RISC, Inc

Art Werkenthin

President, RISC Inc

Art is President of RISC, Inc. and has over 30 years’ experience working with LMS systems in the Oil & Gas, Retail, Finance and other industries. He holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering and an M.B.A. in Information Systems Management from the University of Texas. Art is a member of the ADL cmi5 committee and frequently presents on cmi5 and xAPI. Follow him on Twitter @AWerkenthin for xAPI and cmi5 updates, as well as blog post announcements.

Duncan-Welder-RISC-Director-of-Client-Services

Duncan Welder

Director of Client Services, RISC Inc

Duncan holds a Master’s of Education from Texas A&M University in Educational Technology and has more than 20 years experience in implementation of Learning Management Systems, both domestically and abroad. He has been recognized for his application of LMSs to manage regulatory-compliance in industries ranging from petrochemicals to finance. His career is founded in traditional instructional design and computer-based training development. Duncan speaks often on xAPI, cmi5, and the evolution of learning technologies.