In this episode, Phylise Banner talks to Ben Harkins, owner of Floodgate Games, to explore the intersection of tabletop games and collaborative learning. As a game designer, Harkins shares his journey from creating educational games for school projects to launching successful titles on Kickstarter. The conversation delves deep into how game design principles mirror learning design, examining concepts like strategic depth, victory conditions, and user interface considerations. 

Together, they explore the unique advantages of physical tabletop games over digital experiences, the importance of clear rule structures, and the role of play in creating engaging learning environments. The discussion offers valuable insights for learning designers, educators, and anyone interested in using games as educational tools, highlighting how the "magic circle" of gameplay can create powerful learning experiences through collaborative problem-solving and strategic thinking. 

ABOUT BEN HARKINS

Ben Harkins is the founder and owner of Floodgate Games, a tabletop game publisher known for creating immersive gaming experiences. With a background in software engineering and team leadership at Aon/Modern Survey, Harkins combines his technical expertise with creative game design to develop innovative tabletop games. His company's most successful titles include Sagrada, a dice-drafting game about crafting stained-glass windows, and Fog of Love, which reimagines romantic comedies as a board game experience.

At Floodgate Games, Harkins oversees all aspects of game development, from initial design and art direction to manufacturing and distribution. His approach emphasizes creating games that foster meaningful social interactions and deliver lasting experiences for players. 

Prior to founding Floodgate Games, Harkins led engineering teams at Aon/Modern Survey, where he developed HR analytics and administration solutions, focusing on data modeling, software architecture, and data visualization. This technical foundation informs his current work in game design, where he applies principles of user experience and system design to create engaging tabletop experiences.

The Innovations in Training podcast is presented by Training magazine.

In this episode, Phylise Banner interviews Ethan Webb, co-founder and CEO of Mindsmith, an innovative AI-powered elearning authoring tool. Ethan shares the origin story of Mindsmith, which emerged from his co-founder's experience transitioning in-person English classes to online learning during 2020. The conversation explores how Mindsmith is disrupting the traditional elearning authoring space by incorporating AI to streamline content creation while maintaining quality. Ethan discusses the importance of allowing teams to experiment with AI technology, Mindsmith's approach to handling bias and accessibility, and their innovative cloud-based SCORM solution that enables dynamic content updates. We conclude with Ethan's vision for the future of AI in learning and development, emphasizing how L&D professionals can adapt and thrive by embracing AI as a strategic tool rather than viewing it as a threat to their roles.

ABOUT ETHAN WEBB

Ethan Webb is a co-founder and the CEO of Mindsmith, an AI-native eLearning authoring tool. He started Mindsmith in college. He lives with his wife and son in Utah. He loves "outdoorsy" stuff like rock climbing, backpacking, canoeing, and anything fun in the beautiful Rocky mountains.

The Innovations in Training podcast is presented by Training magazine.

In this episode, Hector Valle interviews Josh Cavalier, founder of JoshCavalier.ai and a 30-year veteran in learning and development. Josh shares his journey with generative AI since its early days, from experimenting with ChatGPT in late 2022 to developing comprehensive AI training programs. The conversation explores how AI is transforming learning and development, with Josh highlighting the shift towards AI-powered content creation, automated workflows, and the future role of L&D professionals as learning journey orchestrators. 

Josh provides fascinating insights into how organizations are measuring AI productivity gains and improving accessibility through AI tools. The discussion concludes with a compelling vision of how AI agents could revolutionize instructional design, while emphasizing the continued importance of human oversight in learning and development.

ABOUT JOSH CAVALIER
Josh Cavalier has been creating learning solutions for corporations, government agencies, and secondary education institutions for nearly 30 years. He is an expert in the field of learning & development and has applied his industry experience to the application of ChatGPT and other Generative AI frameworks for business and life skills. Josh is passionate about sharing his knowledge and has a popular YouTube channel that shares tips and tricks on Generative AI. 

The Innovations in Training podcast is sponsored by Symtrain — an AI-training platform that automates time consuming role-play exercises required to prepare your employees for interactions with customers. Symtrain helps teams learn more, faster by creating an immersive CX training experience.

The Innovations in Training podcast is presented by Training magazine.

In this episode, Phylise Banner interviews Alan Pringle, COO at Scriptorium. Starting with the definition of content operations, Alan explains how organizations can make sure they are making the most of their content by taking a strategic approach to content management, and building intelligence into their content. While considering how best to orchestrate that “single source of truth” with learning content, Phylise and Alan discuss approaches to serving up that single source to multiple audiences. Alan also shares his insights into the trends driving the evolution of content operations, and explains how to leverage technology to optimize content creation and delivery.

ABOUT ALAN PRINGLE
A pillar in the content industry, Alan Pringle is an experienced content strategist and the COO at Scriptorium. Driven by a mission to connect your content creators to your consumers, he pinpoints technologies and process improvements so your content accomplishes your corporate goals. He then guides your team through company culture and change management obstacles.

As a strategist, Alan identifies the technology that will do the heavy lifting of managing your content lifecycle. He shows your team how these advances make their professional lives better while allowing them to contribute to the growth of your organization. As part of his role at Scriptorium, he also: 

• Interviews a variety of content stakeholders to fully scope pain points and inefficiencies in current workflows.
• Calculates projected ROI.
• Evaluates software vendors and tools to recommend best-fit solutions.
• Provides practical guidance on minimizing change resistance.

His background in English and journalism helped him discover the world of technical communication (techcomm). His instinct for optimizing processes quickly led him into content strategy and operations. As a strong voice in all things content, his speaking engagements have taken him around the world. 

Outside of his work at Scriptorium, you can find Alan enjoying chocolate, pastries, and discovering new culinary delights anywhere he goes.  

Alan holds a BA in English from Wake Forest University. He lives in Cary, North Carolina, in the United States.

The Innovations in Training podcast is sponsored by Symtrain — an AI-training platform that automates time consuming role-play exercises required to prepare your employees for interactions with customers. Symtrain helps teams learn more, faster by creating an immersive CX training experience.

The Innovations in Training podcast is presented by Training magazine.

In this episode, Phylise Banner interviews May Habib, the CEO of Writer AI. May shares her expertise in natural language processing and machine learning, highlighting the potential of AI to revolutionize the writing industry. May also emphasizes the importance of training and enabling employees to leverage AI, ensuring that no one is left behind in this transformative process. The conversation delves into the future of paid versus free AI tools, the role of curiosity in shaping the right questions, and the need to address bias and diversity in AI-generated content. Despite the rise of AI, both Phylise and May emphasize the enduring value of skilled human writers who can infuse creativity, personal stories, and authentic human interaction into their writing.

ABOUT MAY HABIB
May Habib is co-founder and CEO of Writer, an AI writing assistant for teams. May graduated with high honors from Harvard, is a member of the World Economic Forum, and is a Fellow of the Aspen Global Leadership Network.

The Innovations in Training podcast is sponsored by Symtrain — an AI-training platform that automates time consuming role-play exercises required to prepare your employees for interactions with customers. Symtrain helps teams learn more, faster by creating an immersive CX training experience.

The Innovations in Training podcast is presented by Training magazine.