The Art & Science of Learning

This is a special episode in which I’m reflecting on a unique experience that I undertook: visiting 9 Ottawa museums in just 3 days to explore how each one creates meaningful, accessible, and inspiring learning experiences. This whirlwind tour includes 7 of Canada’s national museums: Canada Agriculture and Food Museum - https://ingeniumcanada.org/cafm Canada Aviation and Space Museum - https://ingeniumcanada.org/casm Canadian Museum of History - https://www.historymuseum.ca Canadian Museum of Nature - http://nature.ca Canada Science and Technology Museum - http://ingeniumcanada.org Canadian War Museum - https://www.warmuseum.ca National Gallery of Canada (Including an interview with Kathryn Lyons, Director of Learning and Community Engagement - https://www.linkedin.com/in/kathryn-lyons-48a6253/ ) http://www.gallery.ca Plus, two additional Ottawa landmarks: Royal Canadian Mint - https://www.mint.ca/en Bytown Museum - http://bytownmuseum.ca While each of these remarkable museums easily warrants a full day, I’m using the new 3-Day Museum Pass from Ottawa Tourism, which is a great way to see what each museum has to offer. Ottawa Museum Pass https://ottawatourism.ca/en/ottawa-insider/explore-ottawas-museums-ottawa-museums-pass?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22501991642&gbraid=0AAAAA-NkCBJ8OQutpMd54a4wyAFE5Zi3B&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIntnbs-nYjgMVilN_AB2NsjYgEAAYAiAAEgKnPfD_BwE Ottawa Tourism https://ottawatourism.ca/en?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR6mJqJqOQlwQnuz9-vM4Q20AQu0eNNQlW_lnjAo_R6H20kfO0SGb_qIYC8DeA_aem_ry7fXUc3ozpQdV-neRnTGA

This is a special episode featuring highlights from the inaugural Ottawa Innovation Week, with seven insightful interviews from some of the most inspiring leaders in technology and innovation, many of whom were speakers and organizers during the week’s events. Ottawa Innovation Week is a celebration of bold ideas, creative minds, and the changemakers driving the future of technology, business, arts, entertainment, and social impact—right here in Canada’s capital. The initiative was led by Sonya Shorey, President and CEO of Invest Ottawa, in collaboration with the Ottawa Board of Trade, Ottawa Tourism, and numerous partner organizations. My interview with Sonya can be found in Episode 118 of The Art & Science of Learning podcast. Designed to showcase the strength, diversity, and growing momentum of Ottawa’s innovation ecosystem, this first-of-its-kind event brought together leading voices from across technology, entrepreneurship, investment, and research. Throughout the week, I had the privilege of speaking with seven influential figures who are shaping the future of innovation both locally and globally. From startup founders and global corporate leaders to investors and ecosystem architects, each guest shares unique insights into their field, along with personal reflections on growth, leadership, and opportunity. Featured interviews (with timestamps) include: • Veronica Farmer (11:50) – Chief Marketing Officer at Wesley Clover International and a widely respected community builder in Ottawa’s business and tech landscape • Dr. Lindy Ledohowski (37:20) – Vice President at RBCx, supporting leading tech companies with insights drawn from her background as both founder and academic • Julia Elvidge (46:20)– Co-founder of SheBoot, a trailblazer in intellectual property strategy and a champion of women’s entrepreneurship in tech • Nick Quain (59:10) – Vice President of Venture & Entrepreneurship at Invest Ottawa and a driving force behind the city's startup ecosystem • Erin Kelly (1:07:20) – Co-founder and CEO of askpolly.ai, an AI-powered platform transforming predictive analysis in public affairs and beyond • Jonathan Lowenhar (1:14:50) – Founder & Managing Partner at Enjoy The Work, a global advisory firm helping startup founders become exceptional CEOs • Andrew Holmes (1:23:20) – Founder of Sleep Efficiency Inc., and a national expert in the science and impact of sleep health From venture capital and AI innovation to women-led tech startups and the future of sleep science, this episode presents a compelling cross-section of ideas and expertise. Whether you’re a founder, investor, policymaker, or simply curious about Ottawa’s role in shaping the innovation economy, there’s something here for you. ---- Links and Guest Biographies: Ottawa Innovation Week: https://www.investottawa.ca/innovation-week/ Invest Ottawa: https://www.investottawa.ca Interview with Sonya Shorey about Ottawa Innovation Week: https://www.theartandscienceoflearning.com/e101-jan-present/e118-launching-ottawa-innovation-week-sonya-shorey Veronica Farmer Veronica Farmer is Chief Marketing Officer at Wesley Clover International where she oversees all aspects of its promotion and management, collaborating closely with portfolio companies and affiliates such as L-SPARK, Alacrity Global, and WCS Global. Recognized as one of Ottawa’s foremost community builders, Veronica holds leadership and board roles in numerous business and non-profit organizations. As the Founder and former CEO of TrueCourse Communications, a full-service marketing and communications agency, Veronica guided numerous tech, B2B, and B2C clients in Ottawa and beyond toward market success. TrueCourse was acquired in December 2024, marking a milestone in her entrepreneurial journey. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/veronicafarmer/ TechTuesday: https://www.wesleyclover.com/events/techtuesday/ Dr. Lindy Ledohowski Dr. Lindy Ledohowski is VP at RBCx, where she supports some of the Ottawa region’s biggest and best tech companies on behalf of RBCx. Prior to her work in banking, she was a professor and founder of EssayJack, an academic writing platform. EssayJack was acquired in 2021 by Wizeprep, and Lindy joined Wizeprep first as a VP and then as Chief Operating Officer. She is also an active Board member in the not-for-profit space LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindy-ledohowski/ Julia Elvidge Julia Elvidge is co-founder of SheBoot, a bootcamp for women entrepreneurs of scalable tech and tech-enabled businesses. Julia has been recognized as one of the world’s foremost IP strategists by Intellectual Property Magazine (IAM). Trained as an electrical engineer, Julia designed microchip circuits and analyzed semiconductors before moving into the business side of technology. As co-founder and President, Julia helped build Chipworks into an industry leader, delivering patent analytics and technology intelligence services to intellectual property and R&D groups in electronics companies across Asia, North America and Europe. Recipient of the Canadian Women in Communications Trailblazer of the Year Award (2008) and CATA WIT (Women in Technology) Sara Kirke Award for Woman Entrepreneurship (2007). LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliaelvidge/ SheBoot: https://sheboot.ca Nick Quain Nick Quain is Vice President of Venture & Entrepreneurship at Invest Ottawa, he spearheads support for Ottawa’s tech and entrepreneurial sectors while championing the local business ecosystem as a whole. Previously he served as co-founder and CEO at CellWand. They pioneered the use of abbreviated dialing codes in North America with their award-winning #TAXI (Pound Taxi) service and later in the mobile transportation space with The Ride app. CellWand earned numerous business and innovation awards, including the 2010 Canada’s Top 10 Competition for Technology, recognition as one of Canada’s Hottest Innovation Companies, and being named one of the top 10 Wireless Companies to Watch by IDC. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nick-quain/ Erin Kelly Erin Kelly is co-founder and CEO of askpolly.ai, the venture-backed AI company that has cracked the code for predicting human reaction to a future scenario. askpolly has successfully predicted the outcome of over 30 elections and referendums, assisted with frundraising, forecast disease spread and helped hundreds of executives hone their messages through very difficult PR situations. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erinottawa/ askpolly: https://www.askpolly.ai Jonathan Lowenhar Jonathan Lowenhar is Founder & Managing Partner at Enjoy The Work. Founded in 2015, Enjoy The Work is a San Francisco-based startup advisory firm that helps founders transform into master operators and become great CEOs. Enjoy The Work has supported more than 125 startups, representing more than $13B in combined market value. Among their global client list are notable success stories such as Tipalti, Paper.co, inDinero, RealtyMogul and Honeybook. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jlowenhar/ Enjoy The Work: https://enjoythework.com Andrew Holmes Andrew Holmes is Founder of Sleep Efficiency Inc. Before founding Sleep Efficiency, Andrew served as Senior of Cardiopulmonary labs at the Queensway Carleton Hospital in Ottawa, where he led the team responsible for a full-service out-patient cardiopulmonary department and sleep clinic. Andrew is routinely featured as the sleep subject matter expert on CTV News and CBC’s The National, offering insights into the critical role of sleep health. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-holmes-rpsgt-49961951/ Sleep Efficiency: https://www.sleepefficiency.ca

This is a special episode that features seven mini-interviews with speakers at last year’s Learning Ideas Conference, which was held at Columbia University in New York City. As we approach the Learning Ideas Conference 2025, taking place from June 11th to 13th, I reflect on last year’s conference and the conversations I had with some of the speakers, including the three keynote speakers. Learning Ideas Conference: https://www.learningideasconf.org The interviews can be found at the following timestamps: 0:08:25 Prof. Chris Dede Associate Director for Research, National AI Institute for Adult Learning and Online Education (AI-ALOE) Senior Research Fellow, Harvard Graduate School of Education Title of Talk: Complementing Human Minds with Digital Brains: The Role of GenAI in Learning Links: https://www.chrisdede.com 0:25:40 Dr. Alina von Davier Chief of Assessment at Duolingo Honorary Research Fellow at Oxford University Talk Title: Building Digital-first Assessments in the Age of Artificial Intelligence Links: https://www.education.ox.ac.uk/person/alina-von-davier/ 0:37:20 Dr. Christina Katopodis Senior Postdoctoral Research Associate CUNY Humanities Alliance Talk Title: Connecting Learners to Their Internal Motivations for Success Links: https://commons.gc.cuny.edu/members/ckatopodis/ 0:55:00 Sam Lee and Veronica Gomez Learning Design at McKinsey & Company Talk Title: Emerging Tech in Learning: From Overwhelming to Innovative Links: Sam Lee’s LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/junghwasamleeny/ Veronica Gomez’s LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/veronicagomezatencio/ 1:11:00 Mike Kentz Founder of AI Literacy Partners (ALP) Talk Title: Stop Grading Essays, Start Grading Chats Links: Substack: https://mikekentz.substack.com/p/a-new-assessment-design-framework ALP: https://www.litpartners.ai 1:25:45 Gary Dickelman, EPSScentral LLC and Jan Greenberg, National Center on Early Childhood Development, Teaching, and Learning (DTL) Talk Title: AI in Early Learning and How it Affects Higher Education and Workplace Learning Links: https://www.higheredandwork.org/gary-dickelman-bio https://www.linkedin.com/in/jan-greenberg-7252b1a/ 1:37:50 Teemu Patala, Co-founder & Cief Learning Officer, Airport College International Title of Talk: Fostering Innovation through Strategic Partnerships in Aviation Training Post-Pandemic Links: https://www.linkedin.com/in/teemu-patala-1b09562/ https://www.airportcollege.com

As new technologies like AI, are disrupting the way we work, there is an increasing need for effective ways to integrate these innovations into workflows. Learning to use new technologies effectively is a primary focus of learning teams around the world. But how can we quickly and proactively adapt to new technologies? McKinsey & Company’s Research & Innovation Learning Lab values developing capabilities that enable teams to stay current with their ever-changing landscape of emerging tech and lead through changes in the future. In this episode, I speak with two learning design experts who have developed a dynamic approach to fostering a culture of continuous learning and innovation with emerging tech, all within existing constraints. Sam Lee was a Learning Design Expert at McKinsey & Company at the New York City office and has recently transferred to Microsoft. With over a decade of experience in workplace learning domains, she has served in learning design and product leadership roles to design, scale, and innovate learning journeys for a global audience, focusing on future-ready digital leadership and tech skills. Sam is passionate about merging learning science and emerging technologies like AI to enable hyper-personalized learning experiences at scale. Veronica Gomez is a learning design expert passionate about learning science and co-creating joyful learning experiences. She leads global design projects for some of McKinsey’s large learning initiatives and programs. Gomez has a master’s degree in educational technology and complements that with her psychology and web design background to build human-centered experiences that strive for equitable access to learning. Sam Lee’s LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/junghwasamleeny/ Veronica Gomez’s LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/veronicagomezatencio/ Future-proof L&D’s capabilities: three questions can guide your team toward fluency in emerging technologies (ATD Magazine): https://www.td.org/content/td-magazine/future-proof-lampdrsquos-capabilities

Podcasts can be a great way of learning but are rarely used in workplace training. In this episode, my guest is the co-founder of Assemble You, a company that develops podcasts for workplace training. We discuss strategies to design podcasts that help people retain new knowledge and about his experience as a learning tech entrepreneur. Adam Lacey is the Co-Founder of Assemble You and host of the L&D Challenges podcasts. He has 10+ years of experience creating and selling digital learning. In 2022 he launched Assemble You with his business partner. Assemble You is the home of podcast-style audio lessons and helps enable learning on the go. Links: Adam Lacey: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamlacey/ Assemble You: https://www.assembleyou.com L&D Challenges Podcast: https://www.assembleyou.com/resources/learning-challenges

Coaching can be a powerful tool to transfer learning to improving on-the-job performance. However, it is often challenging to scale coaching to an entire organization, unless we use technology. I enjoyed testing out a new chatbot coaching tool called Coach M, which was developed by Lever - Transfer Learning. In this episode, I speak with the CEO of Lever about what it looks like to have a chatbot coach and the impact it can have on learning in the workplace. Emma Weber is CEO/Founder Lever – Transfer of Learning. Emma, a learning transfer authority, made it her mission in life to make a difference to learning transfer worldwide. Frustrated by the amount of learning which is wasted when it fails to make it across the knowing–doing gap Emma created the Turning Learning into Action™ methodology to solve that problem. This methodology is deployed throughout 20 countries and in 12 languages by a talented team and Coach M, a conversational intelligence chatbot. Coach M is challenging the industry's thinking of what’s possible in learning transfer. Emma shares her passion and expertise through her writing – her first book 'Turning Learning into Action: a proven methodology for effective transfer of learning' was published by Kogan Page in 2014 and is excited to have her 1st co-written ATD Association for Talent Development) press book ‘Designing Virtual Learning for Application & Impact’ published in 2023. Links: Emma Weber https://transferoflearning.com/about-us/emma-weber-2/ Lever Transfer of Learning https://transferoflearning.com Book: Turning Learning into Action https://transferoflearning.com/book/ Coach M https://transferoflearning.com/coach-m/ Book: Designing Virtual Learning for Application and Impact https://transferoflearning.com/designing-virtual-learning-for-application-and-impact/

The University of Oxford is made up of over 30 colleges and halls spread across the city centre and beyond. These colleges are at the heart of Oxford's reputation as one of the best universities in the world and make it a very special place to study and live. With the oldest colleges being over 700 years old, it is a rare occurrence for a new college to be established. In 2019, Reuben Colleges was established as the newest college at Oxford University. It is a graduate college dedicated to fostering interdisciplinary exchange within an inclusive, innovative and impact-oriented community. My guest in this episode is the first president of Reuben College. Professor Lord Lionel Tarassenko CBE FREng FMedSci is the first president of Reuben College, and Theme Lead for the AI & Machine Learning research cluster. He is a world-leading expert in the application of signal processing and machine learning to healthcare, with a strong track record in translation to clinical medicine. Professor Tarassenko’s work has had a major impact on the identification of deterioration in acute care and on the management of chronic disease. The system which he designed for patient monitoring in critical care was the first machine learning system to gain FDA approval (in 2008). Prior to that, Professor Tarassenko had been closely involved in the development of some of the jet engine monitoring software at the core of the Rolls-Royce TotalCare® package. This won him the Rolls-Royce Chairman's Award for Technical Innovation in 2001 and the Sir Henry Royce High Value Patent Award in 2008. Professor Tarassenko was elected to a Fellowship of the Royal Academy of Engineering in 2000, and to a Fellowship of the Academy of Medical Sciences in 2013. He has won many awards for his work, including the British Computer Society (BCS) Medal, the Silver Medal of the Royal Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Engineering & Technology IT Award, among others. He was made a Commander of the British Empire (CBE) for services to engineering in the 2012 New Year’s Honours List. In May of 2024, Professor Tarassenko was appointed to the House of Lords as a non-party-political peer and will join the House of Lords as a cross-bencher (Baron Tarassenko of Headington).