Executive Advisory board

Ruth Clark earned her doctorate in instructional psychology and educational technology from the University of Southern California. During the past 25 years, she has written 7 books translating research evidence into practical guidelines. These include Evidence based Training– 3rd ed. and e-Learning and the Science of Instruction 4th ed. coauthored with Dr. Richard Mayer. She has presented many workshops in face-to-face and virtual classroom settings on evidence-based design and development of multimedia workforce learning environments. Ruth was selected for the Thomas E. Gilbert Award for Professional Achievement by ISPI in 2003.

Julie Dirksen is a consultant and instructional designer who applies to behavior strategies in learning & development. 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

Karl M. Kapp, Ed.D., is a professor of Instructional Technology at Bloomsburg University where he teaches instructional game design and gamification classes. He has authored or co-authored eight books including The Gamification of Learning and Instruction and the widely popular, Play to Learn. Author of eight LinkedIn Learning courses including “Gamification of Learning,” and “Learning How to Increase Learner Engagement,”Karl shares his expertise through consulting, workshops and one-on-one mentoring with start-up firms, Fortune 100 companies and various governmental agencies. Karl speaks, consults and conducts workshops around the world always working to bring fun, play, learning and productivity together.

Dorothy Leab is a public health professional with a strong focus on health system strengthening. She has provided various types of service including technical assistance, research for innovations, capacity building and learning, design and facilitation of international workshops and trainings. With more than 20 years of experience working in Africa and Asia, Dorothy has designed and implemented complex multi-countries projects supported by UNICEF, WHO, Gavi, IntraHealth, Save the Children, the BMGF, the World Bank, Biocodex, GSK, and Sanofi.

Dorothy received the 2014 Gates Vaccine Innovation Award in recognition of her engagement in EPIVAC, an on-the-job blended training program for district medical officers to improve immunization program performance in 11 Francophone African countries.

Dr. Stella Lee has over 20 years of progressive experience internationally in consulting digital learning initiatives with higher education, government, NGOs, and the private sectors. Today her focus is on enterprise-wide learning strategy and governance, digital ethics for learning, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and e-learning applications, learning management system (LMS) design, evaluation and learning analytics. Stella has served as subject matter expert in evaluating e-learning standards for the United Nations’ International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), and conducted postdoctoral research with iCore Research Lab at Athabasca University, Canada’s Open University. She has a doctorate in Computer Science with a focus on adaptive learning technology from University of Hertfordshire. Stella serves as Canada’s Startup Advisor and is the technology columnist for Training Industry Magazine. She runs a consulting company called Paradox Learning Inc. and is based in Vancouver, Canada.

Imani Mance, Director of Supply Chain Learning at The Home Depot, has spent most of her career focused on improving business outcomes through people focused leadership and talent development. Imani has a unique background that includes information technology, consulting, web and graphic design, instructional design, learning strategy, and human resources.

She leverages this experience to champion learning solutions that are “frictionless”–solutions that not only seamlessly integrate into the dynamic working environment of employees today, but are inclusive of diverse groups of learners. Imani serves on the board of the African American Pulse, an associate resource group at The Home Depot that works to foster a diverse and inclusive workplace. Imani’s approach to her work as a learning professional is easily summed up by her belief that… “Everyone shows up wanting to do a good job, and it’s my job to make doing a GREAT job easier.”

Mirjam Neelen is currently Head of Global Learning Design & Learning Sciences at Novartis. She has over 15 years of industry experience, working at a wide variety of companies. In her current role, she is responsible for the global learning design strategy and plan, integrating a data-driven approach. She takes a holistic approach to learning, architecting instructional and informational solutions, including performance support, and knowledge management. She also leads matrixed teams and provides advisory and consultative support to all learning teams on learning design practices.

Mirjam is a proud advocate for evidence-informed approaches to learning experience design and has a collaborative blog with Paul A. Kirschner on  https://3starlearningexperiences.wordpress.com/. Together, they have recently published a book on evidence-informed learning experience design. She presents about her work regularly. 

She has completed an MSc in Learning Sciences, an MA in Psycholinguistics and a BA in Speech Therapy

I am a senior learning strategist with over 20 years of L&D experience across many industries, including international banking, management consulting, and marketing. My specialization is large-scale digital learning transformations. I am passionate about helping companies navigate through the ambiguity of change. After leading and completing numerous EdTech implementations, I have developed the data-based methodologies and frameworks that will empower your L&D teams to move from business support function to strategic business driver. While you are here, be sure to visit the blog, download a free copy of my eBook, and learn about the ways I can help your team as I have others

Clark Quinn, Ph.D. provides strategic learning technology solutions to corporations, government, not-for-profits, and education organizations. An internationally known consultant, speaker, and author of five books as well as numerous articles and chapters, he integrates a deep understanding of thinking & learning with broad experience in technology to improve organizational execution, innovation, and ultimately performance. In 2012, Clark was recognized as the eLearning Guild’s first Guild Master. He thinks ‘out loud’ at learnlets.com, tweets as @quinnovator, and works on behalf of clients through Quinnovation.

Designer, analyst, author, and facilitator who writes about evidence-based workplace learning. Coaches trainers, instructional designers, instructors, and experts to build valuable instruction. New books: Write and Organize for Deeper Learning and Practice and Feedback for Deeper Learning, on Amazon.

Typical work includes analyzing learning environments and what is needed to make them work well (too much of what is done is ineffective or nonsense), researching, analyzing, and writing about what evidence (especially training, performance support, technology, and information design) says offers the best outcomes. I work with clients with hard training and performance problems and help L&D practitioners grow their skills via workshops and mentoring.

I speak at training and learning conferences, am quoted frequently in publications, and have authored or co-authored numerous books. You can find me on Twitter @pattishank.

Dr. Sivasailam “Thiagi” Thiagarajan is the founder and Resident Mad Scientist at The Thiagi Group. Thiagi has written over 50+ books on training and development, including more than 3000 games and activities, most of which have been translated into Chinese, Japanese, French, and German. Specific to this session, Thiagi has three books, containing detailed instructions for conducting and debriefing hundreds of jolts. His monthly newsletter features new jolts.

Guy W. Wallace is a Performance Analyst and Instructional Architect. His specialty is Curriculum Architecture Design. An ISD consultant since 1982 with over 80 clients he has worked across the USA, and in Canada, Germany and The Netherlands. He has also worked in training functions for Wachovia, Motorola, and Wickes Lumber.

His teams have won awards for work at AT&T, Change Healthcare, General Motors, Hewlett Packard, Imperial Oil, and Siemens Building Technologies.

Guy was awarded the 2010 Honorary Life Member Award, the highest honor of the International Society for Performance Improvement, for his contributions to the technology of Performance Improvement, and his contributions to the Society.

Emma Weber is the founder of Lever – Transfer of Learning, and developer of the Turning Learning into Action™ methodology. Born in England, now carrying an Australian passport, in 2002 Emma left a successful corporate career in London to start her own business in Australia, following her passion for coaching and learning.

Emma’s firm belief, and the platform on which she has built her successful global business, is that the key aim of learning in the workplace is to create tangible business benefits. She established Lever – Transfer of Learning to help organisations and their employees convert learning to effective action back on the job.

Under her guidance Lever Learning now delivers Turning Learning into Action™ programs throughout 16 countries and in 11 languages. Emma is the author of Turning Learning into Action: A Proven Methodology for Effective Transfer of Learning, published by Kogan Page in 2014.

A recognized authority on the transfer of learning, Emma has been a guest speaker on learning effectiveness at conferences in Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia and the USA.