About
In brief
- Translating complex technology into clear, practical value for learners and customers.
- Progression from retail floor to global enterprise AI enablement and instructional design.
- Blending storytelling, methodology, and measurement to design programs that scale.
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From Retail to Enterprise AI: A Learning Journey
My path into instructional design started on the sales floor at Microsoft in 2012. I wasn't thinking about "learning experience design" then—I was figuring out how to help customers understand Surface tablets and Windows 8. But that's where I learned the fundamental skill: translating technical capability into practical value.
The Progression
2012–2013
Product Advisor
Led summer camps, workshops, and product launches—earning my first Microsoft MVP and realizing I was better at teaching the technology than selling it.
2013–2020
Learning Specialist
Built onboarding, career development, and launch enablement across Windows, Office, and Surface—earning four additional MVP awards and learning how to design learning that actually sticks.
2015
Assistant Store Manager (concurrent)
Managed Windows 10 launch, POS rollout, and store operations while still serving as Learning Specialist—seeing firsthand how operations and enablement intersect.
2017–2019
Content Developer (concurrent)
Helped digitize training materials and adopted tools like Captivate and Camtasia—where learning experience design started to become an explicit craft.
2020–2021
Training Lead
Led a team delivering customized Microsoft 365 sessions across enterprise, government, and education—tightening the link between training, adoption, and business outcomes.
2021–2022
Learning Experience Designer, Meta
Designed multi-modal training for Quest 2, Ray-Ban Stories, and Portal—blending safety, leadership, demos, and customer engagement for global retail and field teams.
2022–Present
Senior Instructional Designer, Microsoft (via GP Strategies)
Own large-scale methodology and technical programs (62,000+ learners) across Azure, Security, and Marketplace—with AI-enabled simulations and assistants now at the center of the work.
The AI Pivot
I didn't plan to become an "AI enablement specialist." The opportunity emerged when Microsoft started integrating Bongo AI into Azure training in early 2024. Someone needed to design the learning architecture-how the conversational assistant would interact with learners, what prompts would work, how to measure effectiveness.
That project (Cloud Health Foundations) became the first integration of conversational AI into Microsoft's technical training catalog. Then came Second Nature AI simulations for sales practice-pioneering enterprise deployment of generative AI role-play for technical validation. Then Copilot workflow redesign. The pattern was clear: organizations have AI tools but lack the learning design expertise to deploy them effectively.
What I Bring
Technical fluency without engineering background: I can speak credibly with AI researchers about model behavior and prompt engineering while translating implications for program leadership and field practitioners.
Design thinking at scale: Building learning experiences that work globally across diverse roles, regions, and contexts requires understanding both instructional principles and organizational dynamics.
Measurement discipline: Every program I design includes success metrics defined before development begins. Not survey scores—actual capability validation and business outcomes.
Cross-functional collaboration: The best enablement programs emerge from partnership between subject matter experts, field practitioners, product teams, and program leadership. I've built expertise in navigating those relationships.
Current Focus
I'm exploring opportunities where AI capabilities intersect with enterprise learning needs:
- Organizations deploying AI tools but lacking enablement infrastructure to drive adoption
- Learning technology companies building AI-enhanced platforms needing instructional design guidance
- Enterprise teams pioneering new approaches to capability validation and performance support
If you're working on any of these challenges, I'd be interested in connecting.
Beyond Work
I'm an advocate for neurodiversity in learning design—too much enablement assumes neurotypical learning patterns. I bring lived experience with ADHD to accessibility conversations, pushing for inclusive design that helps everyone, not just accommodating "special cases."
When I'm not designing learning experiences, I'm usually exploring Delaware's state parks, experimenting with generative AI applications, or reorganizing my digital tool stack (again).
Let's Connect
Whether you're building AI-enhanced learning experiences, scaling technical enablement, or pioneering new approaches to capability development—I'm always interested in conversations with people solving hard problems in this space.