Mike is passionate about social justice and learning. He bleeds purple and gold (Go Dawgs!). He enjoys traveling and wants to see the world. His secret desire is to learn how to cook authentic Italian food.

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Mike Saunderson — PhD, MSEd, MSW

Leader in Needs Assessment, Evaluation, and Performance

With over 14 years of experience as a strategic training and evaluation leader, I have consistently delivered results by partnering with Fortune 500 companies and federal agencies. My approach involves designing, implementing, and measuring learning programs that drive real-world behavior change and deliver business results. I am an expert in aligning instructional design with organizational goals, assessing learning transfer and return on investment (ROI), and leveraging data to optimize continuous improvement. My experience spans performance consulting, stakeholder engagement, and instructional technologies across diverse sectors.

I have a PhD in Learning Design and Technology from the University of Hawaii at Manoa. My research focused on the transfer of training to on-the-job behavior and the factors that influence the transfer of training to on-the-job performance.

Recognized Industry Thought Leader

In the January 2026 issue of Training Industry Magazine, I was featured in the Learning Leader Spotlight. The magazine sought to learn about my 14 years of experience supporting Fortune 500 organizations in training needs assessment, instructional design, evaluation, and business impact. To read the article, click on the Read More button.

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Industry experience

  • Healthcare, Life Sciences, and Regulated Environments

  • Government and Federally Funded Programs (including EPA initiatives)

  • Travel, Hospitality, and Customer Experience Operations

  • Financial Services and Data-Sensitive Organizations

  • Corporate L&D across Fortune 500 and mid-market organizations

Function experience

  • Performance Diagnosis & Needs Analysis

  • Learning Transfer (Levels 3 & 4) and ROI Evaluation (Phillips ROI)

  • Instructional Design for Adult and Workplace Learning

  • Evaluation Strategy, Measurement, and Executive Reporting

  • Compliance, Risk, and Audit-Defensible Training

  • Manager Enablement and Performance Support

  • Grant Evaluation and Program Accountability

Professional Background

  • 14 + years supporting Fortune 500 organizations and public-sector clients

  • Former consultant and independent contractor (1099) on multi-month and multi-year engagements

  • Experience designing self-paced eLearning, blended learning, and performance support solutions

  • Frequent advisor to leaders seeking to align learning with KPIs and business outcomes

Academic & Professional Credentials

  • Ph.D., Learning Design & Technology – University of Hawaiʻi

  • Graduate education from the University of Washington and Purdue University

  • Active contributor to ATD, ISPI, AECT, and Training Magazine Network

  • Published author and conference presenter on learning transfer, evaluation, and ROI

Joan enjoys raveling, coloring, and Iowa hawkeye football and basketball

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Joan Melgaard — MSIT

As a dynamic and entrepreneurial learning and development leader, Joan specializes in transforming organizational goals into actionable strategies to drive performance and foster a culture of continuous improvement. With extensive experience in both Fortune 500 companies and smaller organizations, Joan excels at building partnerships, analyzing opportunities, and mitigating risks.

Joan has served a diverse range of industries, including healthcare, insurance, banking, hospitality, sports and entertainment, real estate, telecom, and retail, with expertise spanning business functions, from new employee sourcing and onboarding to leadership development, diversity and inclusion, and quality management.

As the founder and former president of EthnoPraxis, Joan led a dedicated team that helped clients achieve their business and performance objectives. By conducting thorough needs analyses and evaluating operational processes, EthnoPraxis developed tailored solutions to deliver measurable business results (KPI and ROI).

Before founding EthnoPraxis, Joan worked as a Senior Consultant at LRA by Deloitte and Vice President of Marketing at Mirror Worlds Technologies, roles that equipped her with a unique blend of operational innovation and instructional design expertise.

Joan is committed to leveraging data-driven insights to measure learning effectiveness and deliver results. Her approach is rooted in collaboration, ensuring that solutions resonate with employees, leaders, and align with business strategies.

 

Industry experience

  • Consumer Goods

  • Financial Services

  • Government

  • Healthcare

  • Hospitality

  • Relocation

  • Retail

  • Tourism

Function experience

  • Corporate Communications

  • Customer Service

  • Human Resources

  • Marketing

  • Operations/Logistics

  • Patient Services