NovoEDTalks

Episodes

• 
  The Human Advantage: Why Human Skills Matter More in the Age of AI 10.09.2026 42m

  On this episode of NovoEDTalks, Melissa sits down with Irina Cavescu, Head of Portfolio at Learnlight, to explore why human skills are becoming more valuable, not less, as AI reshapes how we work. Irina shares how constant change, remote work, generational differences, and increasingly global teams are requiring people to learn, unlearn, and adapt in real time, while making skills like self-awareness, emotional intelligence, cultural intelligence, and psychological safety essential to performance. The conversation also explores why AI is pushing us to double down on what makes us uniquely human and why the organizations that thrive will treat human capability development as a core business driver, not a checkbox exercise.
• 
  Design for the Real World: Making Learning More Relevant, Human, and Useful 03.09.2026 45m

  On this episode of NovoEDTalks, Melissa sits down with James Lavis, Manager of Training and Development at Kubota Canada, to explore why learning teams need to move beyond course completion and focus on the behaviors and business outcomes they are actually trying to create. James shares why L&D belongs at the beginning of major business initiatives, how just-in-time resources and experiential assessment can better reflect the way people actually learn and work, and why sometimes the best way forward is to get back to the fundamentals of instructional design. They also discuss how AI can become a powerful sidekick for small learning teams, helping them increase capacity and work faster without replacing the human judgment and expertise that make great learning possible.
• 
  Learning Where the Work Happens: Turning Development Into Application 01.09.2026 32m

  On this episode of NovoEDTalks, Melissa sits down with Sarah Maday, Senior Learning and Development Manager at a global automotive supplier, to explore how organizations can make development part of the work people are already doing. Sarah shares how her team is moving away from treating every development need as a class or eLearning, instead using real projects, coaching, peer conversations, cohorts, and bite-sized learning to help employees apply new skills in the moment. The conversation also explores AI as a learning partner, the importance of curiosity and validation, and why L&D leaders need to focus less on delivering more content and more on helping people continuously learn, adapt, and grow.
• 
  Leadership Starts With Self-Awareness: Building the Maturity to Lead Others 28.08.2026 31m

  On this episode of NovoEDTalks, Melissa sits down with Mark Frederick, a strategic people development leader and corporate learning systems architect, to explore how organizations can create learning systems that develop people while advancing organizational strategy. Mark shares why effective development requires more than delivering courses, emphasizing leadership maturity, self-awareness, individual learning paths, and creating environments where people can flourish and apply what they learn. The conversation also explores the growing importance of durable skills, why application matters more than access to knowledge, and how organizations can use AI appropriately while keeping critical thinking, creativity, and human development at the center.
• 
  Practice Makes Performance: Building Sales Skills That Actually Stick 19.08.2026 31m

  On this episode of NovoEDTalks, Melissa sits down with Becca Hammer, owner of Hammer Enablement Solutions, to explore how continuous practice, coaching, and leadership support turn sales training into real performance. Becca shares why learning must be relevant and immediately applicable, and why sales leaders play a critical role in reinforcing new skills on the job. They also discuss how AI can make sellers more efficient without replacing the human judgment, connection, and practice that make them effective.
• 
  Moving Past the Checkbox: Creating Learning That Drives Performance 17.08.2026 36m

  On this episode of NovoEDTalks, Melissa sits down with Kari Borroel, Head of Operations, Quality, Learning and Development at AstraZeneca, to explore how learning teams can support employees across complex, global, and highly regulated environments while keeping pace with constant change. Kari shares how her team is moving beyond procedure-heavy, check-the-box training toward more varied, accessible learning experiences that meet people in the flow of work, strengthen decision making, and connect learning more directly to business performance. The conversation also dives into AI adoption, governance, experimentation, and why one of the most important capabilities for L&D leaders today is helping people question old ways of working and become more comfortable with change.
• 
  The Curiosity Advantage: Creating a Culture of Continuous Learning 13.08.2026 38m

  On this episode of NovoEDTalks, Melissa sits down with Adriana Bellomo, Associate Director of Learning and Development at a biopharmaceutical solutions organization, to explore how organizations can create learning environments that build meaningful skills while keeping human growth at the center. Drawing on her unique background spanning behavioral neuroscience, microbiology, workforce development, and leadership, Adriana shares why learning should be a partnership built through practice, coaching, experimentation, reflection, and opportunities to apply what people know. The conversation also explores how AI can shorten the distance between curiosity and learning, why critical thinking and discernment are becoming even more essential, and a powerful question for L&D leaders navigating AI: Are we helping people become more capable, or simply more dependent?
• 
  Beyond Content Consumption: Designing Learning for Real-World Application 10.08.2026 33m

  On this episode of NovoEDTalks, Melissa sits down with Ryan Samia, Director of Talent and Leadership Development at Tractor Supply Company, to explore how organizations can move employees from simply knowing something to actually applying it on the job. Ryan shares how his team is designing learning as an ongoing experience through reflection, peer accountability, manager coaching, and reinforcement, while balancing the different needs of corporate, distribution center, and frontline employees. The conversation also explores AI’s role in learning, why human judgment and critical thinking matter more than ever, and how L&D leaders can move beyond content creation to become true strategic partners to the business.
• 
  Beyond the Training Factory: How L&D Becomes a Strategic Business Partner 07.07.2026 33m

  On this episode of NovoEDTalks, Melissa sits down with Alex Kinney, Director of Learning and Development at Octapharma USA, to explore how L&D teams can move beyond simply delivering training and become true strategic partners to the business. Alex shares why the future of learning depends on creating realistic practice environments, strengthening human skills, and helping employees build capabilities that translate directly into performance. They also discuss the evolving role of AI, the importance of psychological safety, and why learning leaders must focus less on producing more content and more on creating meaningful behavior change.
• 
  The Future of Leadership: Curiosity, Adaptability, and Continuous Growth 07.07.2026 40m

  On this episode of NovoEDTalks, Melissa sits down with Stephen Vellecca to explore how organizations can build leadership capability, strengthen human skills, and create learning experiences that drive meaningful behavior change. Stephen shares his perspective on moving beyond traditional training requests to uncover the real business challenges behind performance gaps, while emphasizing the importance of curiosity, adaptability, mentorship, and self-awareness in today’s workplace. The conversation also dives into the impact of AI on learning and leadership, why human capabilities like judgment and discernment matter more than ever, and how L&D teams can help people continue growing through constant change.
• 
  Leading with Care and Challenge: Why Psychological Safety and Accountability Must Coexist 24.06.2026 37m

  On this episode of NovoEDTalks, Melissa sits down with Brandon Springle to explore what it takes to build high-performing, human-centered cultures in a world defined by rapid change and accelerating AI. Drawing on neuroscience, behavioral science, and his work in leadership development and succession planning, Brandon shares why psychological safety, accountability, critical thinking, and learning agility are becoming essential capabilities for both individuals and organizations. The conversation dives into the future of work, the risks of over-relying on AI, and why talent leaders must focus less on managing programs and more on activating human capability.
• 
  Learning in the Flow of AI: Building Skills That Evolve with Work 18.06.2026 38m

  On this episode of NovoEDTalks, Melissa sits down with Yulia Barnakova to explore how AI is fundamentally reshaping learning, workforce transformation, and professional growth. Drawing from her experience leading AI adoption initiatives and executive learning programs, Yulia shares practical strategies for embedding AI into everyday work, redesigning learning experiences, and helping organizations prepare for rapidly evolving roles and skills. The conversation covers AI-powered learning assistants, process reinvention, content strategy, hyper-collaboration, and why curiosity and continuous experimentation have become essential career advantages.
• 
  The Learning Journey: Moving Beyond One-and-Done Training 09.06.2026 32m

  On this episode of NovoEDTalks, Melissa sits down with Audrey Witters to explore what truly transformational learning looks like in today's rapidly evolving workplace. Drawing on her experience launching Stanford LEAD and advising organizations on scalable learning strategy, Audrey shares why curiosity, community, applied practice, and continuous reinforcement are far more powerful than completion rates and content consumption alone. The conversation dives into behavior change, social learning, AI-enabled feedback, and why organizations must start treating learning as an ongoing journey instead of a transactional event.
• 
  Training That Moves the Business Forward: Lessons from the Manufacturing Floor 29.05.2026 37m

  On this episode of NovoEDTalks, Melissa sits down with Sonya Overstreet to explore how learning and development teams can evolve from support functions into true business drivers. Sonya shares how Leadec is approaching workforce development across manufacturing environments by reducing barriers to learning, aligning training directly to business outcomes, and embedding performance improvement into every initiative. The conversation also dives into AI, durable skills, subject matter expert enablement, operational learning strategies, and why L&D leaders must think like business leaders to create measurable organizational impact.
• 
  Beyond Completion Rates: Designing Learning That Actually Changes Behavior 26.05.2026 16m

  On this episode of NovoEDTalks, Melissa sits down with David Posluszny to explore what it takes to build learning experiences that truly drive behavior change and business impact in today’s rapidly evolving workplace. David shares how Air Products is approaching leadership development, workforce capability building, AI adoption, and skills development while balancing the realities of lean teams, operational pressure, and accelerating change. The conversation dives into experiential learning, measurable business outcomes, ethical AI implementation, and why learning leaders must stay deeply connected to organizational strategy to remain effective.
• 
  Leadership Personas: Rethinking Talent Development in Manufacturing 21.05.2026 25m

  On this episode of NovoEDTalks, Melissa sits down with Monica Anderton to explore the realities of talent development inside a rapidly evolving manufacturing environment. Monica shares how DS Smith is navigating workforce shortages, leadership development, generational knowledge transfer, and large-scale organizational change following a major acquisition. The conversation also dives into leadership personas, learning experiences that actually stick, and why organizations must balance AI adoption with human intuition and connection.
• 
  Leadership at Scale Through Change and Complexity: Building Human-Centered Leaders in an AI Era 13.05.2026 44m

  On this episode of NovoEDTalks, Melissa sits down with Todd Harrison, Vice President of Global Leadership Development at GE Healthcare, to explore how leadership development is evolving in an increasingly AI-driven and uncertain world. Todd shares how his team is developing more adaptable, human-centered leaders through coaching, experiential learning, and scalable leadership programs designed for over 8,000 leaders globally. The conversation dives into balancing technical expertise with durable human capabilities, why coaching acts as a force multiplier, and how organizations can use AI to enhance leadership development without losing the critical human context that drives trust, judgment, and connection.
• 
  The Future of Work Requires 'Meta Skills': Leadership Lessons from Weis Markets 12.05.2026 39m

  On this episode of NovoEDTalks, Melissa Fiske sits down with Chris Chappell, Director of Learning and Development at Weis Markets, to explore how organizations can build learning cultures that prioritize curiosity, continuous improvement, and real-world application. Chris shares how his team approaches leadership development, durable “meta skills,” AI adoption, and learning measurement across a complex workforce of 23,000 employees — while balancing operational execution with long-term capability building. The conversation dives into why application matters more than content consumption, how AI should function as a “thought partner,” and why the future of work will depend on organizations developing more human-centered leadership capabilities.
• 
  Building Learning That Sticks: How Rotary Scales Development Across 1.2M Volunteers 01.05.2026 39m

  On this episode of NovoEDTalks, we sit down with Sarah Remijan, Director of Learning and Development at Rotary International, to explore what it takes to drive meaningful learning across a truly global nonprofit organization. Supporting over 1.2 million volunteer leaders across cultures, languages, and regions, Sarah shares how her team designs learning experiences that engage, stick, and translate into real-world impact—despite limited time and no formal incentives. From participant-centered design to facilitation and applied learning, this conversation unpacks how Rotary is redefining global L&D at scale in one of the most complex learning environments imaginable.
• 
  Learning Without Limits: Balancing Global Scale and Local Relevance 23.04.2026 29m

  On this episode of NovoEDTalks, Melissa sits down with Melanie Lepine, Global Head of Talent and E-Learning at a global real estate services firm, to explore how such a large, global organization is rethinking learning at scale. They unpack the shift from role-based development to skills-based agility, the growing importance of IQ, EQ, and TQ, and how organizations can balance global consistency with local relevance. Mel also shares practical insights on what actually drives learning impact—from experiential design to psychological safety and real-world application.