Meet our 2022 speakers

Rich Vass

VP Learning Solutions,

ELB Learning

Richard Vass is a dynamic, experienced consultant and professional facilitator with over 25 years in the field of human performance and development. As at ELB Learning, Richard has forged relationships with leaders in the field of professional learning services and has provided significant contributions to an impressive list of clients. In 2008 Richard was recognized by the Association of Talent Development (ATD) as a Certified Professional in Learning and Performance.

Jack Gayler

Digital Learning Designer,

Transition Associates & Video Interact

Jack’s remarkable learning design work comes from his excellent practice in elearning, graphic design, interactive video and VR. Voted ‘CenarioVR Rockstar of the Year 2022’ his projects have recently won international awards. Creative, fast, open, attentive and understanding Jack loves to delight his clients and colleagues with truly innovative learning solutions that deliver real impact. On every project he finds new ways to excite and intrigue the learner demonstrated by ROI to his clients and excellent learner survey feedback.

Karl Kapp

Professor of Instructional Technology,

Bloomsburg University

Karl M. Kapp, Ed.D., is an award-winning professor of Instructional Technology at Bloomsburg University in Bloomsburg, PA. where he teaches instructional game design, gamification classes and online learning design.  He is the Director of Bloomsburg’s Institute for Interactive Technologies and is recognized internationally as an expert in the application of games, game-thinking and gamification to learning.  Karl earned his doctoral degree from the University of Pittsburgh.

He is currently a senior researcher on a grant sponsored by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) which involves the application of microlearning and gamification to help childcare workers identify child abuse. Karl has co-founder of Enterprise Game Stack, a company that has created a digital card game tool for instructional designers. He is also the creator of the popular web video series, “The Unauthorized, Unofficial History of Learning Game.”

Mark Orlando

Learning & Development Specialist,

A.W. Chesterton Company

Mark Orlando is the Learning & Development Specialist at A.W. Chesterton Company, joining the company in January 2018. With over 25 years of training, development, IT and communications experience, Mark brings a breadth of knowledge to A.W. Chesterton. In his current role, Mark is responsible for creating interactive online training sessions on the company’s learning management site (LMS), Chesterton University, which he manages along with the company’s other online learning and meeting platforms.

Mark holds a BS in Communications from Salem State College, Salem MA and an MS in Leadership and Organizational Communications from Northeastern University, Boston, MA.

Shannon Pirie

Group Vice President Education & Global Brand Ambassador,

IT Cosmetics

Shannon Pirie is the Group Vice President and Global Brand Ambassador at IT Cosmetics, where she is responsible for leading all education initiatives, including creating and implementing training programs for the field teams and cosmetic retailers. A beauty industry veteran, Shannon combines empathy with expertise to bring the products to life in a way that is both relevant and authentic for women across all walks of life. Her rich portfolio of industry and entrepreneurial experience has been instrumental in IT Cosmetics’ unprecedented success and growth, helping to transform the beauty company into one of the fastest growing and top-selling prestige brands.

Shannon’s in-depth background in the beauty and clinical counselling spaces means that she is adept at servicing diverse consumer audiences through a lens of empathy and understanding. Prior to her work with IT Cosmetics, she worked with adolescents as an intensive case manager, but her passion for helping others soon led her to a career in the beauty industry. Drawing upon her experiences in therapy, she views the makeup chair as a “sacred space,” where she can help her customers make decisions that positively shape the trajectory of their lives.

Brigham Sunday

President,

Storybox Studios

Brigham has been successfully creating and producing videos and animation for over 12 years.  As the owner and founder at StoryBox Studios he has built up a team of 15 employees with offices in Buenos Aires and Ogden, UT.  He and his team continue to produce award-winning content, both as live-action and animated videos.  With a background in education, Brigham continues to explore new and innovative approaches to video, using the latest technology and tools.  In his free time, you can find him coaching softball, salsa dancing, or posing as a professional goat herder.

Geoff Curless

Senior Vice President of Custom Learning Solutions,

ELB Learning

Geoff Curless is SVP, Custom Learning Solutions for ELB Learning. Prior to joining ELB, through acquisition, he led sales and customer success for Rehearsal and is seen as a foremost expert on video-based practice and coaching technologies. Geoff has more than 20 years of experience in the learning technologies space. In his off time, he enjoys Clemson football and taking care of his two rescue pups, Cam and Kota.

Matthew Black

Global Chief Learning Officer,

Edelman

Matthew Black is the Global Chief Learning Officer for Edelman.  In this role, Matthew is responsible for building a high-quality learning and development function which includes the design and delivery of the organization’s learning strategy including the strategic design, curriculum roadmap, program delivery, and, technological infrastructure.

Matthew is a master facilitator and has delivered hundreds of leadership, management and professional skills development programs, facilitates executive coaching engagements, oversees our onboarding program, and, facilitates talent and team building interventions.

Prior to joining Edelman, Matthew was the SVP, Learning & Development for CMG/ Weber Shandwick.  In addition, Matthew has held Learning & Development roles at Daymon Worldwide and Deutsche Bank.

Rob Lauber

CEO/Founder,

XLO Global

Rob has deep experience in the learning profession and has led world-class organizations as the Chief Learning Officer at McDonald’s Corp, Yum! Brands, Inc, and Cingular Wireless (now AT&T) impacting millions of lives around the world. He has also held learning leadership roles at Coopers & Lybrand (now PriceWaterhouseCoopers), and Dun & Bradstreet.

Rob has been recognized multiple times by CLO Magazine for his work, including being named Chief Learning Officer of the Year (2013) for achieving business impact, leading business change, learning technologies and global learning. He has also led teams recognized in the Top 50 of Training Magazine’s rankings across multiple years. He is frequently a participant in panel discussions, webinars, and learning profession-related articles across the globe.

He is currently the Founder of XLO Global LLC – a consultancy and advisory business designed to drive strategic value for business and workforce development efforts.

Dr. Jean Accius

Senior Vice President of Global Thought Leadership,

AARP

Dr. Jean Accius leads a team in positioning AARP as a global thought leader by identifying emerging trends around the world, cultivating and elevating new ideas, forging global strategic alliances that become the foundation for collaboration and sparking bold solutions to change systems and improve the lives of the global population as it ages.

Dr. Accius is a passionate champion and catalyst for changing how the world sees and values aging. He is an internationally recognized thought leader on aging, longevity, equity, health systems transformation and modernizing the delivery and financing of long-term care. With tri-sector experience and deep knowledge, he has a strong track record of building high-performing teams, managing cross-functional operations and processes, and developing innovative and actionable solutions, policies, and programs to close the opportunity gap so that everyone can live longer, healthier and more productive lives.

M.H. Lines

CEO,

Stack Moxie

M.H. Lines is a CEO and female founder of Stack Moxie, an enterprise no-code platform that helps the business users managing technical applications. With a strong background in Marketing and Product Management, MH is on a mission to prove that diverse perspectives can outperform the market. Learn more at www.StackMoxie.com or Linkedin.com/in/MHLines.

Janet Joseph

Director,

Lincoln Financial Group

Janet Joseph, Assistant Vice President of LFN University (LFN U), serves as the all-things—virtual-technology reporting within the University System.  Janet managed the development and launch of LFN U platform, which currently hosts more than 2,000 training sessions and is accessible by all LFN distribution channels respectively.

Janet previously served as a member of Lincoln Financial Distributors division and began with the start-up business in 1996.  This business launched and accomplished their first record life sales goal of $30M in year 2!

Janet has a Masters in Instructional Design from the University of Massachusetts, a Masters in Business/Industrial Organizational Development from Springfield College, and a Bachelors in Human Behavior in the Workplace from the University of Massachusetts. She’s a member of LFG Business Resource Group – African American & Womens Business Resource Group, LFG Premier Partner Ambassador, e-Learning Guild, and Adobe Professional Captivate. Her hobbies include: Deep Sea Fishing, Habitat for Humanity and Walkathons.

Shaun McMahon

President & Founder,

Illuminate

Shaun ensures that the goals and expectations of Illuminate’s clients are understood, realized, and exceeded. Shaun has over 20 years of experience in training and development in the pharmaceutical, computer, and automobile industries. Before founding Illuminate in 2004, Shaun developed training programs for several leaders in the pharmaceutical industry as the director of project development at Total Learning Concepts, a pharmaceutical sales training company, and as national training manager for Medeva Pharmaceuticals. Shaun oversees operations at Illuminate and is often the main point of contact for its clients, allowing him to ensure that messages are communicated to the teams and that the end product exceeds clients’ expectations. Shaun holds a BS in marketing and entrepreneurial studies from Babson College.

Lauren McNally

Curriculum Design Manager,

Illuminate

Lauren is an expert in instructional design with extensive experience in creating innovative and impactful training programs for various industries. In her role as Curriculum Design Manager, Lauren uses her expertise in adult learning strategies to design effective and engaging training solutions. She holds a BS in Secondary Education from Pennsylvania State University and is currently pursuing a Master of Education in Learning, Design, and Technology.