Alex Ryan, Evolve’s Chief Solutions Architect, leads the Evolve Solutions Group team. Alex has spent the last 25 years consulting internally and externally for start-up to Fortune 100 organizations to define and develop solutions to address people, process, culture, and technology change and learning challenges. Alex specializes in designing solutions that meet the learner at the point of need and in the flow of work.
Anthony W. Scott, Esq. (“Tony”) is a Director in county government, bringing decades of leadership across the public, private, and military sectors. A first-generation college graduate and professional, Tony credits discipline, education, and a deep commitment to service as the foundation of his success. His career reflects a consistent dedication to leading with integrity, building strong teams, and driving meaningful change in the communities and organizations he serves. As founder of I.S.I. Publishing LLC, Tony produces impactful books and speaking engagements focused on leadership, professional growth, and personal development. He is the author of Unlocking Potential: Tips, Strategies & Insights for Young Black Professionals and Overcoming Imposter Syndrome: You Belong at the Table! A U.S. Marine Corps veteran of Desert Storm and Desert Shield, Tony earned his B.A., M.P.A., and J.D. from Cleveland State University College of Law. Tony serves in several leadership roles, including President of the Zeta Omega Foundation, Governance Chairman for the Black Professionals Association Charitable Foundation (BPACF), and Mentoring Chairman of the Norman S. Minor Bar Association (NSMBA). A proud member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., he continues to champion initiatives that drive opportunity, equity, and community impact.
Betty Dannewitz is a Solutions Architect at Blanchard® and the creative force behind ifyouaskbetty, where she helps learning professionals think differently and build immersive, human-centered experiences. With over two decades of experience in Learning & Development, Betty is known for helping organizations harness innovation—through AI, immersive tech, and human-centered design—to create learning that actually moves the needle.At Blanchard, she leads work that empowers teams to become more agile, curious, and change-ready, blending creativity with real-world strategy. Her superpower? Making complex ideas feel practical, engaging, and immediately actionable.Whether she's on stage or in a virtual room, Betty inspires L&D professionals to embrace the unknown, challenge the norm, and lead boldly into the future of work.
Christy Tucker is a learning experience design consultant with over 20 years of experience helping people learn. She specializes in using scenario-based learning to engage audiences and promote skill transfer to real-world environments. She has created training for a wide range of clients, including Fortune 500 companies, nonprofit associations, state and local government agencies, universities, and more. Christy has been blogging about instructional design and elearning for over 15 years and is a regular speaker at industry conferences and events.
As a leading industry expert and 20+ year pioneer of virtual training, Cindy Huggett, CPTD, has vast experience partnering with global organizations on learning strategy and technology solutions. She’s the author of six acclaimed books, including Virtual Training Tools and Templates, 2nd edition; Designing Virtual Learning for Application and Impact, and The Facilitator’s Guide to Immersive, Blended and Hybrid Learning. A sought-after speaker and workshop leader, Cindy has taught thousands of professionals across all industries how to create engaging virtual learning experiences and to stay on top of technology trends for practical use. She has served on ATD’s global Board of Directors, holds a master’s degree in international affairs, and was one of the first to earn the prestigious Certified Professional in Learning and Performance (CPLP, now CPTD). Based in North Carolina (USA), Cindy serves clients globally.
David is an award-winning e-learning designer, LinkedIn Learning course author, and host of the E-Learning Challenges blog. As the Director of Training at Articulate, David brings over 18 years of experience in designing, developing, and managing training programs for corporate users and clients.
Dawn Tedesco has extensive experience in employee and management skills development and over 20 years’ operations and HR management and training experience with corporations, associations, and non-profits. She has designed and developed training programs for several large organizations and now specializes in project management, instructional design, eLearning development, onboarding, critical skills training, assessments and learning strategy, certifications, and learning management system services for corporations and associations. Dawn is a graduate of the Hospitality Business School at Michigan State University and earned a M.S in Labor Relations from the University of New Haven.
Destery Hildenbrand is a Learning Technology Consultant with over 17 years of experience designing and delivering innovative learning solutions. He specializes in immersive technologies, instructional design, and AI-enhanced learning, helping organizations transform complex concepts into engaging, practical experiences. Through his work with corporate, higher education, and tech sectors, Destery bridges the gap between emerging tools and real-world application to create training that sticks.
James Gilchrist is the Director and Founder of Lighthouse L&D Consulting, a boutique L&D consultancy delivering custom, performance-based training and leadership programs for global clients and cross-cultural teams in the finance, healthcare, and non-profit sectors. He is both a Brand Ambassador and Lead Community Builder for iSpring Solutions and has spent over 20 years solving business issues with learning solutions for major financial market infrastructure companies supporting U.S. and global financial systems. He is a frequent keynote speaker and presenter at online and in-person L&D events, including panel discussions, podcasts, virtual and in-person conferences on modern learning strategies, leadership development, and community building. He is known for his "People First, Tools Second" approach to scaling success and for his thought leadership on LinkedIn where he shares tips and best practices related to leadership development, L&D team building, authenticity in the workplace, and personal transformation.
Jennifer Flanigan is the founder of Mind Your Business Consulting Group and host of The Learning Curve podcast. She brings 17 years of project management experience leading global LMS implementations and learning operations. Jennifer specializes in turning data into strategic insights that align learning programs with business goals and drive continuous improvement. Her approach combines analytics and inclusive design to create engaging experiences for diverse learner populations.
Jessica Rietjens is the founder of Atlas Learning Solutions and an experienced instructional designer specializing in corporate training and eLearning development. She has designed impactful learning solutions for organizations with expertise ranging from cloud computing to medical sales training. Jessica is passionate about creating engaging, learner-centered experiences that drive real-world results.
Josh Cavalier is the founder and CEO of JoshCavalier.ai, helping L&D professionals harness AI to transform human-machine performance. With 30+ years in education technology, he makes AI practical through training, speaking, and his live show, Brainpower. His book, Applying AI in Learning and Development: From Platforms to Performance, provides a roadmap for integrating AI into L&D using real-world platforms, tools, workflows, and ethical considerations.
With over a decade of experience in learning design and program management, Kamye Hugley specializes in creating professional development that supports meaningful organizational change. Her work spans nonprofit and education sectors, where she's led initiatives that blend instructional design with a focus on building capacity. Kamye brings a practical, people-first perspective, focusing on how learning can shift mindsets, build confidence, and empower individuals to navigate complexity. Whether adapting content for virtual environments or coaching facilitators through transformation, Kamye's approach emphasizes learning as the foundation for sustainable change.
Karen Loftus is an Instructional Designer/eLearning Developer with a multifaceted background in L&D, design, tech, and program and project management. Karen has delivered impactful learning opportunities across industries such as retail, utilities, health, and finance. She also led a team to build one of the first-of-its-kind technical theatre training programs in NYC for live entertainment. She's an advocate for educational equality and life-long learning, and she believes that Learning & Change is a process that is best tailored to each individual.
multi-project environments. She currently serves as an advanced technical training contractor for the Florida Department of Revenue's Child Support Services, where she is spearheading training rollout for customized updates to the CAMS Child Support Software system. Previously, Kimberly was a training team lead for an award-winning team that worked on some of the State of Florida’s biggest software initiatives, such as the Florida Smart ID, MyDMV Portal, the ORION Motorist Modernization Initiative, and the Florida PALM Project. Drawing on her 15 years as a special education teacher, Kimberly has a unique talent for engaging reluctant learners through gamification—a skill she has used in her curriculum and has successfully translated to adult learning. Her talk, Using Gamification to Foster a Growth Mindset, will give you practical tips to ensure your learners are actively engaged and willing to reach their full potential. A proud University of Central Florida Knight, Kimberly received a BA in Exceptional Student Education, an MA in Instructional Design and Technology, and a master’s certificate in Modeling and Simulation in Instructional Design all from UCF. She previously spoke at the Learning and HR Tech Solutions Conference in 2024, where her presentation topic was Using Rise to Leverage Onboarding and Retention. Beyond her profession, Kimberly is getting used to life as an empty nester and enjoys nature hikes with her two pit bull mixes. She is an active member of her community in Tallahassee, FL, currently serving as the Chair of the Board of Directors for the Southern Shakespeare Company.
Leo Brenninkmeyer President, Global eLearning Leo Brenninkmeyer, Owner and President of Global eLearning, is recognized as one of the leading innovators in eLearning localization. With over 30 years in global training, he has worked and lived in more than 20 countries, leading initiatives for European and Latin American companies. Fluent in five languages, Leo brings unmatched cultural and linguistic expertise to international learning strategies. He is also the Founder of Compass Languages, from which he launched Global eLearning 10 years ago to meet the growing need for specialized multilingual training solutions. Outside of work, Leo enjoys sailing, jazz, and time with his brood of kids.
Paul Lopushinsky (Law-puh-shin-ski) is the founder of Playficient, a consultancy helping organizations create better employee experiences. Areas of focus for Playficient include the following: • Employee Journey Mapping for identifying the strengths and shortcomings of the employee experience • Utilizing the Eight Play Personalities to create better work cultures that don't rely on fancy office perks or forced fun Paul has worked with organizations and associations such as Ronald McDonald House, The British Columbia Lottery Corporation, UXPressia, the Society for Human Resource Management, the Association for Talent Development and Culture Amp. Paul’s work has been featured in the BBC, Harvard Business Review, Association for Talent Development, and People Managing People.
Sheena Yap Chan is a Wall Street Journal and Publishers Weekly bestselling author, keynote speaker, strategist, and award-winning podcaster recognized for her work in elevating women’s leadership and self-confidence through the power of media and visibility. She is the founder of the Confidence Through Visibility movement and host of The Tao of Self-Confidence podcast, ranked in the top 0.5% globally with over 1.3 million downloads and 800+ interviews featuring celebrities, CEOs, and cultural icons. Her debut book, The Tao of Self-Confidence, was named one of the top 20 best self-confidence books of all time by Book Authority, while her latest release, Bridging the Confidence Gap, is a bold call to reimagine leadership by making visibility and self-trust core competencies. Through her signature VISIBLE Framework, Sheena delivers transformational keynotes and corporate programs that help organizations bridge the confidence gap, retain diverse talent, and build cultures where women are seen, heard, and respected. Her work has been featured on NBC News, FOX, MindValley, and The Manila Times, and she has spoken for global brands including NASA, Live Nation, and UKG. Sheena believes that confidence is something we can build—and that visibility creates the impact we wish to see in the world.
