The Bio
Who am I?
I'm a former post-secondary Educator with over 15 years of experience as an Instructional Designer (Learning Engineer) building education that works — in higher ed, corporate learning, and everything in between. I've designed training programs for organizations ranging from Fortune 500 companies to top-tier universities, and I bring the same level of care to every project, whether it's a compliance course or a full onboarding program.
But what really drives my work? It's the belief that thoughtful design can genuinely move people forward in their careers and their lives.
Philosophy
Learning is not a uniform experience. It is shaped by each individual's prior knowledge, lived experience, environment and the way information is presented. No two learners arrive the same way — and good instructional design never pretends they do.
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Three principles are central to everything I build:
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Create conditions for learning, not just content. Learning happens in environments where people feel safe, respected and seen. Whether online, in a classroom or corporate training room, inclusivity isn't a checkbox — it's the foundation. This means clear instructions, scaffolding, or resources, like just-in-time "how-to" gifs. When learners feel psychologically safe, they take risks. When they take risks, they actually learn.
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Make it matter. Curriculum built around relevance and practical application creates intrinsic motivation that no compliance deadline ever could. This means knowing your audience and sometimes it means discovering who they are in real time. When learners can connect new concepts to their real work, real relationships and real goals, discovery becomes its own reward.
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Guide, don't lecture. The most powerful shift an educator can make is stepping out of the role of information source and into the role of learning facilitator. When learners are equipped to find, evaluate and apply knowledge independently — to distinguish credible information from noise — they've gained something that outlasts any course.
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And if I'm being honest? I learn something from every learner I work with. That's not a platitude — it's the engine behind everything else. Every insight feeds back into the process, sharpening analysis, refining design, and closing the distance between idea and impact.
Personally...
I'm a writer at heart, from a novel, to screenplays, to a one act play — most of it fiction about technology, which probably surprises no one at this point. I process the world by writing it down, and that instinct shows up in everything I design — clarity first, always.
I'm also an introvert, which in this industry sometimes gets mistaken for quiet. It's not. It's listening. It's noticing what others skip past. It's the reason I love to build solutions, like a Community of Practice — because magic happens in the space you create for other people to learn and collaborate.
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In 2015, I moved to California on a leap of faith, then spent the next decade moving around, building a career working for giants before moving back home to Minnesota. As a result, I'm comfortable working and living anywhere.
Education
2008 - 2011
M.Ed. Learning Technologies
University of Minnesota
This degree formalized what I was already learning in practice — how technology and pedagogy intersect to create meaningful learning experiences. It remains the theoretical backbone of every design decision I make.
2008 - 2011
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate, Online Distance Ed.
University of Minnesota
At a time when online learning was still finding its footing, this concurrent graduate certificate gave me early fluency in the principles and practices of distance education. That head start has proven useful every single day since.
2007
B.S. in Career and Technical Education
University of Minnesota
This is where it all began — a degree focused on preparing learners for real careers, real workplaces, and real life. It planted a belief I still carry: education should always connect to something that matters. Earning this degree while working full-time only reinforced its impact.
Certifications
2020 - 2026 (current)
Project Management Professional (PMP)
Project Management Institute
2020
Management Essentials Certificate
Harvard Business School Online
The PMP formalized what years of managing complex learning projects had already taught me. It added rigor, language, and a framework that makes cross-functional collaboration significantly smoother.
A humbling and genuinely useful deep dive into organizational decision-making and leadership. It gave me a sharper lens for understanding the business context behind every learning initiative I support.
2025 - 2026
AI Certifications
ChatGPT 2.0, Gemini, Stable Diffusion, Deep Seek, Claude
The landscape is moving fast — and staying current isn't optional. These certifications are part of an ongoing commitment to understanding not just how AI tools work, but how they can responsibly enhance learning design.
Tech Stack
1
Authoring Tools
Articulate 360 (Storyline & Rise), Photoshop, Acrobat, Camtasia, Audacity, HTML, SCORM, xAPI & more.
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EdTech Systems
Canvas, Moodle, Cornerstone, Brightspace, Degreed, Veeva, SharePoint, GCP, AWS, LRS & more.
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Project Management
Smartsheets, Trello, MS Project, Microsoft Office Suite, Google Workspace & more.
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