News & Thinking

What happens when decades of trusted learning and development expertise meet purpose-built AI? In this episode, Ken Taylor, CEO of Training Industry, and Amanda Longo, Vice President of Brand Strategy, explore TIA, Training Industry’s new AI-powered assistant, designed specifically for L&D professionals to support learning strategy and performance.

When done well, learning design grabs participants’ attention like a great marketing campaign and engages them emotionally and intellectually to make learning stick.  That’s the premise of “Think Like a Marketer, Train Like an L&D Pro,” a book written by our guests  Mike Taylor and Bianca Baumann.  In this episode, you will learn how to elevate traditional training approaches with marketing tools such as learner personas, journey mapping, and content strategy that come together in high impact learning campaigns.

What does it take to build a learning culture that truly sticks? Brad Garfinkel, Vice President of Learning and Development at Members 1st Federal Credit Union shares how a clearly defined culture — grounded in the belief that “we is greater than me” — shapes everything from onboarding and frontline training to leadership development and career pathways. 

What happens when classic instructional design models meet cutting-edge AI tools? In this episode of Powered by Learning, Transcarent's Director of Learning and Development Sheldon Thomas talks about applying the ADDIE model to a modern healthcare call center environment, from multi-stage onboarding to AI-enabled simulations. Learn how his team balances speed, personalization, and strong design to deliver training that actually changes performance.

How does a three-person L&D team support 23,000 associates across seven states? In this episode, Chris Chappell, Director of Learning & Development at Weis Markets, shares how servant leadership, clear career paths, and just-in-time video microlearning are elevating the employee experience—and the customer experience—across retail, manufacturing, and logistics.

The advertising agency business is rapidly changing, making learning and development more essential than ever. In this episode of Powered by Learning, Sean McGlade, Senior Vice President of Talent and Learning Solutions at the 4As, shares how the association provides agencies of all sizes with innovative learning experiences that keep their business leaders, media strategists and technical and creative teams ahead of the competition.

UGI Corporation’s Global Enterprise Lead, Learning & Development Wendy Laverty shares how “Breakthrough Thinking” is reshaping leadership, structure, and strategy at UGI. She explains how a series of workshops with team members has encouraged intentional reflection, language, and a culture of curiosity that’s unlocking new solutions and sustainable change.

Our guest Mike Kaput of SmarterX takes us inside the new AI Academy, a membership-based learning platform for organizations and individuals. Find out how their AI Academy delivers AI literacy for all—through frameworks, certifications, and personalized learning journeys that help organizations roll out AI training responsibly and at scale.

We’re celebrating 100 episodes of Powered by Learning with a special conversation with past podcast guests Dr. Kristal Walker, Marjorie Van Roon, Ajay Pangarkar, Robyn DeFelice, and Connie Malamed. Together, we reflect on the past five years in L&D—AI’s promise (and limits), the rise of data-informed decisions, accountability for performance and ROI, and the renewed push for personalized, human-centered learning. Listen for an energizing look at where L&D is headed—and how your organization can evolve.

Instructional design isn’t just about what learners know—it’s about what they can do. In this episode, Dr. Karl Kapp discusses his new book, Action First Learning, and why engagement, application, and challenge are essential for lasting impact.