Leveraging Digital Transformation to Enhance Learning Experiences

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.

Iuliia Algasova’s professional journey began as an English and Spanish language tutor in her first year of university. After three years, she became a language trainer at IQ Consultancy company, where she planned and delivered lessons, prepared teaching materials, and helped students improve their language skills. Simultaneously, she worked part-time as a content writer at Livingston Research, honing her skills in producing well-researched content and collaborating with a writing team.

After finishing her master’s degree she joined EPAM as a language instructor, developing goal-oriented courses for IT specialists and assessing students in IELTS format. After one year on the job, she started creating customized ESL courses for IT specialists, which deepened her enthusiasm for instructional design and led her to a senior content specialist role in the Content Design Center department. She progressed through the roles of lead content specialist and associate manager to her current position as the head of the Content Design Center. Overall, her professional journey gave her great experience in managing instructional designers, overseeing learning content development, and creating departmental strategies.

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.