CEO/Founder and Chief Learning Strategist

Marty is an experienced leader, entrepreneur, and learning experience designer who specializes in applying cognitive science research and technology to accelerate the development of complex skills. As co-founder of Cognitive Advisors, he created the award-winning TREK Learning Experience Manager software. Marty is also a sought-after consultant, speaker, and writer who provides skill assessment and development, learning experience design, and learning technology ecosystem consulting.

Marty has created award-winning learning experiences, designed learning ecosystems, developed cognitive apprenticeship programs, built performance support systems, conducted skills assessments, specified learning paths, constructed virtual learning environments, and developed formal, informal, and social learning strategies for dozens of nonprofit and for-profit organizations.

Executive Vice President

Amy serves as Executive Vice President at Cognitive Advisors. In this role, Amy consults with clients to understand their needs and works with our high-performing team of learning professionals and developers to produce solutions that meet those needs. Amy’s responsibilities include matching Cognitive Advisors’ resources on specific projects and leveraging industry and domain knowledge to its fullest. She is passionate about ensuring every client deliverable is aligned with the client’s business strategies and goals and meets the objectives we collectively set out to achieve.

Amy has more than 25 years of experience in learning, communication, and change management with ILT, WBT, Virtual, WebXR, Video, Print, Podcasts, and more in her portfolio. She works with all levels of clients across various industries, including automotive, banking and finance, hospitality, medical device products, pharmaceutical, retail and professional services, among others. Many of her clients are global, and her work occurs primarily in the United States, Europe, and Asia.

Director of Operations and Project Management

Jill is a long-time organizational leader and project manager with a focus on strategy, communications, team development, and growth. She has spent her career alternating between the startup and nonprofit sectors, each of which rely on an agile mindset and lean operating principles to achieve excellence.

Jill has a master's degree in Organizational Leadership from North Park University, and holds certificates in Leadership, Conflict Management, and Organizational Development.

Learning and Performance Consultant

Rebecca is a learning and performance specialist whose background includes both learning experience and user experience design. She has worked in corporate, higher education, and nonprofit environments, providing a range of services, including research, analysis, design, and project management.

Learning Experience Designer

Mark Swanson is an instructional designer, developer, and technical writer with over 25 years of experience. Mark has created e-learning courses, training materials, and educational software programs for clients in a wide range of sectors—from healthcare to technology to higher education. He also has written user guides and developed marketing videos. Mark holds a master’s degree in radio/television/film and a certificate in geographic information systems (GIS).

Mark is also an avid nature/wildlife photographer and occasional writer and filmmaker. His photographs have appeared in several publications, including Animal Tool Behavior and North American Birds. He directed and produced the educational video Sandplay in Psychotherapy and has written about natural history, culture, and the environment.

Developer

Paul is a developer, technology strategist and producer of eLearning and computer-based training programs, delivering projects to the healthcare, technology, banking, and consumer products industries. As a developer, he uses and extends rapid eLearning platforms to deliver gamified and personalized learning experiences as well as standard courseware. As a technology strategist, he works with instructional and graphic designers to maximize the appropriate use of the chosen platform to meet learning objectives.

As a producer, Paul directs the efforts of information architects, instructional designers, graphic designers, developers, graphic artists, compression artists, testers and end-user support staff in the creation of eLearning, exhibits, apps, performance support systems and websites.

Video Producer/Director

An award-winning documentary and narrative filmmaker, as well as a veteran theatrical artist, Danor brings 30+ years of content creation experience to Cognitive Advisors. He has received numerous eLearning awards for his video-based learning content for ESPN, PayPal, eBay, and The Project Management Institute. Other notable video projects include collaborations with Disney, the Hallmark Channel, and the Osmonds.

Danor combines his Hollywood production experience with his enthusiasm for creativity and keen attention to detail to ensure a winning edge for audience/learner entertainment value and attention-retention.

Strategic Partner, Leadership Development and Coaching

With over 35 years’ experience as an HR leader driving talent development at the enterprise level for corporations, research universities, and other nonprofits, Leigha supports both leaders and organizations to attract, retain, and engage high-performing teams that get results and thrive, even in challenging times.

Leigha helps leaders succeed and grow the critical skills that allow them to unleash the full potential of their teams, drive positive change, and enhance their ability to work across functions to influence and drive positive transformation.

Leigha’s services include executive coaching for individuals and groups, change leadership assessment and facilitation, learning needs assessment, curriculum architecture, learning and development strategy, leadership development consulting, and custom learning solution design (live, virtual, and online).

She holds a master’s degree in Adult Education, is a certified Marshall Goldsmith Stakeholder Centered Coach, a certified Change Intelligence®/CQ® Facilitator, and holds certificates in project management, mediation, appreciative inquiry, and design thinking.

Strategic Partner, Strategic Planning

David has more than twenty-five years of experience developing and implementing strategic plans as a chief executive officer, staff member, board chair, and consultant. David facilitates planning processes that are inclusive, ambitious and, most importantly, achievable.