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• February Coffee Chat (In-Person)

  • When
    Thursday, February 26, 2026
  •  
    2:00 PM - 3:00 PM
  • Location
    Recess Cafe 208 S Ashley St, Ann Arbor, MI 48104
  • Spaces left
    17
  • Registered
    8 registrants

  Register

  

  
  

  
  

  In-Person Coffee Chat: Connect and Grow with Us!

  Thu Feb 26, 2:00 - 3:00 PM

  Hosted by: Shawn Lewis, A2ATD VP of Programs

  Location & Address: Recess Cafe

  208 S Ashley St, Ann Arbor, MI 48104

  
  Join us for a warm and welcoming coffee chat—an excellent opportunity for our members to connect and share in an informal setting! Whether you're a seasoned member or new to our community, this is the perfect chance to foster connections and learn more about what we have to offer.
  
  Meet your board, mingle with fellow TD professionals, and dive into meaningful conversations. This month, we’ll reflect on insights from our recent event and explore key takeaways applicable to our work and professional growth. Bring your ideas, celebrate successes, and seek support for challenges!

  
  

  Agenda:

  2:00 - 2:05 PM | Welcome & Grab Your Drink and/or Snack
  2:05 - 2:50 PM | Discussion
  2:50 - 3:00 PM | Meeting Close
  

  
  Registration Details:

  • Ann Arbor Chapter Members: Free
  • Other MI ATD Chapters: Free
  • Student Members: Free
  • Non-Members/Guests: $10

  * Member Perk - bring a friend / co-worker with you for FREE!  Register them under your account as your guest.

  
  

  All attendees (including guests) should register in advance so we can make final preparations.

  
  

  Cancellations & Refunds:

  Cancellation refund requests will be accepted in writing when emailed to finance@a2atd.org up to 24 hours before the event start time.

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• How to be More Effective in Your Instructional Design

  • When
    Thursday, March 05, 2026
  •  
    6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
  • Location
    Washtenaw Community College - Morris Lawrence Building
  • Spaces left
    25
  • Registered
    5 registrants

  Register

  

  
  

  
  

  How to be More Effective in Your Instructional Design

  Mar 5th, 6:00 - 8:00 PM

  Location: Washtenaw Community College - Morris Lawrence Building

  As we gather in-person, Amber Vanderburg will be presenting virtually. 

  
  

  Upskilling your talent is critical within any team today. Training your team effectively impacts your competitive advantage, retention efforts, and team performance. Too often, instructional design can fall short resulting in disengaged, begrudged, theoretical, outdated training. In this session, you will learn practical action steps, strategies, and approaches that you can apply today to improve the effectiveness of your training. You’ll learn how to adjust your training to the virtual hybrid and in-person dynamic of teams, alter activities to be engaging and practical, and strategically build learning design in a proven 5 step process for a richer learning experience.

  
  In this session, we’ll move beyond theory into hands-on experience designing a better program. We will share how to create an environment for better learning at the beginning of your training through purposeful warm-ups and specific questions to address in your preparations.Great training sessions don’t happen by accident but through strategic, intentional instructional design.

   

  Learning Objectives:

  • effective approaches to establish baseline knowledge and individual learning and growth opportunities
  • insight into a series of progressions and build upon baseline knowledge into collaborative learning
  • approaches you can use to lead more powerful retrospectives/ debriefs in your sessions for more concrete takeaways and discussions within different team dynamics
  • a framework to identify specific courses of action and accountability. 

  
  

  Agenda:

  5:45 PM Doors open

  6:00 - 6:30 Dinner (included with registration)

  6:15 - 6:30 Welcome and opening remarks

  6:30 - 7:30 Workshop

  7:30 - 8:00 Q&A and closing remarks

  
  

  Location Details:

  Washtenaw Community College - Morris Lawrence Building

  Community Meeting Room ML 150

  4800 E Huron River Dr, Ann Arbor, MI 48105

  
  

  Registration Details: Ticket includes Dinner

  • Ann Arbor Chapter Members: Advanced Registration $30 by Thu 2/19, Regular Registration $35 beginning Fri 2/20

  • MI ATD Chapters: Advanced Registration $35 by Thu 2/19, Regular Registration $40 beginning Fri 2/20

  • Student Members: $15

  • Non-Members/Guests: $45

  Please register by Wed. Mar 4th. All attendees (including guests) must register in advance so we can make final preparations.

  
  

  Cancellations & Refunds:

  Refund requests will be accepted in writing when emailed to finance@a2atd.org up to 24 hours before the event start time. See further information on our Event Policies page at this link.

  
  

  About our Presenter:

  Amber Vanderburg is a multi-award-winning international businessperson, keynote speaker, and founder of The Pathwayz Group. In 2016, she left her job in corporate HR to become the only female, only American, and only blonde Academy elite football coach for the Adidas Gameday Academy/Paris Saint Germain Academy in Bangalore, India. She worked with an international team of coaches to transform organizational design, training development, and corporate culture to cultivate a higher-performing team. Today, Amber and The Pathwayz Group work with international teams struggling with co-worker tension, inefficient processes, and unmet performance expectations in an action-focused approach to become more effective, efficient, and enjoyable.

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• March Coffee Chat (In-Person)

  • When
    Tuesday, March 10, 2026
  •  
    9:00 AM - 9:50 AM
  • Location
    Black Diesel Coffee 1423 E. Stadium Blvd. Ann Arbor, MI, 48104
  • Spaces left
    28
  • Registered
    2 registrants

  Register

  

  
  

  
  

  In-Person Coffee Chat: Connect and Grow with Us!

  Mar 10th, 9:00 - 9:50 AM

  Hosted by: Jen Garant

  Assistant Director, Learning and Engagement, University of Michigan

  Location & Address: Black Diesel Coffee 

  1423 E. Stadium Blvd. Ann Arbor, MI, 48104

  Join us for a warm and welcoming coffee chat—an excellent opportunity for our members to connect and share in an informal setting! Whether you're a seasoned member or new to our community, this is the perfect chance to foster connections and learn more about what we have to offer.
  Meet your board, mingle with fellow TD professionals, and dive into meaningful conversations. This month, we’ll reflect on insights from our recent event and explore key takeaways applicable to our work and professional growth. Bring your ideas, celebrate successes, and seek support for challenges!

  
  

  Agenda:

  9:00 - 9:05 AM | Welcome & Grab Your Coffee

  9:05 - 9:40 AM | Discussion

  9:40 - 9:50 AM | Meeting Close

  
  Registration Details:

  • Ann Arbor Chapter Members: Free
  • Other MI ATD Chapter Members: Free
  • Student Members: Free
  • Non-Members/Guests: $10

  * Member Perk - bring a friend / co-worker with you for FREE!  Register them under your account as your guest.

  All attendees (including guests) should register in advance so we can make final preparations.

  Cancellations & Refunds:

  Cancellation refund requests will be accepted in writing when emailed to finance@a2atd.org up to 24 hours before the event start time.

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• 2026 Pre-ATD Michigan Speakers Conference

  • When
    Friday, April 24, 2026
  •  
    9:00 AM - 3:30 PM
  • Location
    Virtual + Limited In-Person Seating
  • Spaces left
    45
  • Registered
    5 registrants

  Register

  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  2026 Pre-ATD Michigan Speakers Conferencene 

  One Ticket - All Day Access

  Fri Apr 24th, 9:00 AM - 3:30 PM Virtual via Zoom

  
  

  We’re thrilled to present this joint ATD Ann Arbor and ATD Detroit event with support from Innovative Learning Group, a leader in creating performance-first learning that drives results. 

  It's that time of year again! Join us for a 1-day virtual conference featuring four talented Michigan-based speakers who will be presenting at the ATD International Conference & EXPO 2026. Whether you stay for the full day or hop online as your schedule allows, this event is designed to give you valuable insights and inspiration.

  
  

  ** By registering, you'll receive access to the recordings of these sessions for you to watch at your convenience. **

  
  

  MI ATD chapter member bonus: a limited number of seats are available to chapter members to participate in person, as a watch party at the ILG Office, in Troy MI. Enjoy free refreshments and lunch while networking with fellow Michigan ATD members.
  

  
  

  Agenda: See below for session descriptions

  09:00 - 09:15 AM   Doors open and light refreshments

  09:15 - 09:30 AM   Welcome and opening remarks

  09:30 - 10:30 AM   Matthew Pierce Building Loyalty, Retention, and Reach Through Customer Education

  10:30 - 10:45 AM   Break

  10:45 - 11:45 AM   Esther Jackson Build, Buy, or Bot: Rethinking Talent Development for AI Disruption

  11:45 - 12:45 AM   Lunch break / networking

  12:45 - 01:00 PM   Welcome back remarks

  01:00 - 02:00 PM   Betty Dannewitz Tech-Induced Imposter Syndrome: Overcoming Self-Doubt in an AI Obsessed World

  02:00 - 02:15 PM   Break

  02:15 - 03:15 PM   Megan Torrance Cutting Through the Chaos: AI Implementation Guide for L&D

  03:15 - 03:30 PM   Closing remarks / survey

  03:30 PM*  Optional In-Person After Hours' VR Experience (Sponsored by Innovative Learning Group)

  
  

  Registration Options:

  • Virtual Advanced Registration | MI ATD Chapter Members: $25. Register by Apr 2.
  • In-Person Advanced Registration Watch Party & After Hours | MI ATD Chapter Members: $30. Register by Apr 2. Price includes lunch and refreshments. 
  • Virtual | MI ATD Chapter Members: $35. Register between Apr 3 - Apr 24.
  • Virtual | Student Members: $15.
  • Virtual | Non-Members: $45.

  • In-Person Watch Party & After Hours | MI ATD Chapter Members: $40. Register between Apr 3 - Apr 22. Price includes lunch and refreshments. 

  
  

  Location: ILG 1130 Coolidge Hwy., Troy, MI 48084 

  
  

  *MI ATD chapter member extra bonus: Optional In-Person After Hours' VR Experience (Sponsored by Innovative Learning Group)
  In-person attendees are invited to stay after the final session for an optional networking hour, generously sponsored by Innovative Learning Group (ILG). Join fellow attendees for light snacks and beverages, informal conversation, and the opportunity to experience ILG’s Virtual Reality training solutions firsthand. This relaxed, hands-on experience is designed to spark conversation, encourage connection, and offer a fun, immersive way to explore emerging learning technologies before kicking off the weekend. 
  Participation is optional and open to registered in-person attendees only. Space is limited.

  
  

  Cancellations & Refunds:

  Cancellation refund requests will be accepted in writing when emailed to finance@a2atd.org up to 24 hours before the event start time.

  
  

  Speakers:

  Matthew Pierce 

  

  is a video creator and instructional designer focused on practical, effective visual communication. As Growth and Content Marketing Manager at TechSmith, he hosts The Visual Lounge podcast, formerly led customer education, and helps create content across video, social media, web, and PR. He has helped develop professional development coursework for the University of Florida’s College of Journalism and Communications and speaks at learning, customer education, and marketing events.

  
  

  Building Loyalty, Retention, and Reach Through Customer Education

  Customer education is more than support. It’s a powerful way to drive loyalty, retention, and growth. But too often, it gets stuck in a loop of generic help docs or uninspired courses. In this session, we’ll explore practical ways to use video, blogs, podcasts, and academies to teach, engage, and truly support your customers. We’ll examine what makes customer education different, what kinds of content work, and how to align learning with business outcomes, without overcomplicating the process. Whether you're building from scratch or looking to improve what you already have, you'll leave with clear examples, tested strategies, and a fresh way to think about customer learning.

  
  

  
  

  Esther Jackson 

  

  serves as the head of Lynnjac Consulting and as an educator at the collegiate level. With published work including Adaptability in Talent Development and the July 2025 TD at Work issue on C-Suite Personas.

  
  

  Build, Buy, or Bot: Rethinking Talent Development for AI Disruption

  AI isn’t coming. . . It’s already here, quietly reshaping how we lead, decide, and communicate. The question is no longer whether AI belongs in learning—it’s how to use it wisely. This session challenges participants to rethink traditional build-or-buy decisions in light of rapidly advancing AI capabilities. Participants will leave with a sharper lens for evaluating learning solutions and a practical approach they can apply within their own organizational context.

  
  

  
  

  
  

  Betty Dannewitz 

  

  is a Learning Solutions Architect with 20+ years in corporate L&D and Founder, CEO, of the Actual Betty and ifyouaskbetty LLC.

  
  

  Tech-Induced Imposter Syndrome: Overcoming Self-Doubt in an AI Obsessed World

  Technology, especially AI, is advancing faster than ever, and with it comes an overwhelming sense of comparison, constant upskilling pressure, and the feeling of never being "good enough." Imposter syndrome in the tech-driven workplace is real-making you question your skills, worth, and achievements, even when you have the credentials to back them up. In this session, you'll uncover how rapid technological change fuels imposter syndrome and gain practical tools to combat it.

  
  

  
  

  
  

  Megan Torrance

  

  CEO of TorranceLearning, leads a team of learning experience designers & engineers in reimagining workplace learning. Her firm has served Fortune 1000, major research universities, global associations, and federal agencies for over two decades.

  
  

  Cutting Through the Chaos: AI Implementation Guide for L&D

  Let's explore how learning and development professionals can lead meaningful, human-centered AI adoption across their organizations. Participants will be introduced to three practical tools: the AI Impact Zones, the W.I.S.E. A.T. A.I. framework for responsible implementation, and the AI Implementation Canvas - a strategic planning tool with fourteen dimensions to help teams navigate complexity with clarity. Through hands-on work with a realistic scenario, participants will practice using the Canvas to explore key implementation questions and build confidence in your role as an AI change agent. Attendees will leave with a copy of the Canvas and a clearer sense of how L&D can lead, not just support, this transformation.

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