Lake Superior ATD Chapter upcoming events

Building a Strategic Mindset in Leaders and Teams (28 Apr 2026)

Tue, 28 Apr 2026 16:45:00 GMT

Building a Strategic Mindset in Leaders and Teams

This session introduces leaders to the essential shift from tactical execution to strategic thinking. Participants will explore common barriers that hold people back from thinking strategically and learn practical ways to overcome them. Through interactive examples, they will see how small mindset changes can spark bigger, bolder ideas and open up new possibilities. The presentation highlights why a strategic mindset is critical in today’s fast-changing business environment and how it directly impacts results. Leaders will practice simple techniques they can bring back to their roles to reset how they approach challenges. The focus is on equipping participants with tools they can use immediately to elevate their daily work, strengthen decision-making, and contribute to long-term organizational success.

Objectives for this session:

Recognize barriers that limit strategic thinking and apply methods to overcome them

Reframe challenges to spark bigger, bolder, future-focused thinking

Practice ways to sustain strategic thinking habits that drive business impact

Our Speakers:

Mary Rapaport

Mary Rapaport brings over 25 years of experience in leadership development and strategic learning. As a seasoned consultant, she helps organizations build learning strategies, design immersive workshops, and create workbooks that spark strategic clarity. Her work centers on transforming tactical habits into strategic mindsets—empowering leaders to shift everyday challenges into long-term opportunities. She’s guided teams across industries to break through barriers and amplify their impact with simple, actionable shifts. Her practical style helps participants leave not just inspired, but equipped to apply new thinking immediately. Her sessions blend insight with energy, making strategy feel approachable and doable. Attendees consistently report stronger decision-making and renewed confidence after working with her. She’s excited to share tools that drive agency and sustainable business results.

When: Tuesday April 28, 2026

Where: Zoom

Time: 11:45-1:00 PM

Cost: $20 Member, $35 non-member

Entertain First, Inform Second: What L&D Can Learn from Social Media Marketing (19 May 2026)

Tue, 19 May 2026 16:45:00 GMT

Entertain First, Inform Second: What L&D Can Learn from Social Media Marketing

What do high-performance motorsports marketing teams and unforgettable learning experiences have in common? They both know how to grab attention, keep people engaged, and drive behavior — fast.

In this high-energy, hands-on session, you’ll explore how the same principles that fuel viral social media content and fan-favorite marketing campaigns can transform your learning strategy. Whether you're designing onboarding, compliance, or leadership development, the key to impact is simple: Entertain first, inform second.

You’ll walk away with a fresh framework for creating learning content that learners actually want to engage with — and remember.

Objectives for this session:

At the end of the session, participants will be able to apply the H.E.R.E. framework to design learning content that captures attention, drives emotional connection, and improves learner engagement

At the end of the session, participants will be able to evaluate their existing learning programs and identify opportunities to integrate hooks, brevity, emotional connection, and reinforcement

At the end of the session, participants will be able to create at least one revised learning activity that demonstrates how social-media-inspired strategies can increase learner retention

Our Speakers:

Amanda Van Den Elzen

Amanda Van Den Elzen is a tech-savvy learning consultant and the founder of BetterWork, a professional development consultancy focused on helping people and teams thrive in the age of AI. She’s known for translating complex technology into simple, usable tools for everyday work, and for designing learning experiences that actually stick.

Amanda has trained hundreds of professionals on emerging platforms like ChatGPT and Microsoft Power Platform, always with a focus on practical, tech-forward learning that empowers people to grow. Her passion lies in helping others build the skills they need to succeed, one team and one breakthrough at a time.

Outside of her consulting work, Amanda supports her family’s professional motorsports team with marketing strategy and content creation. That fast-paced, attention-driven world has sharpened her instincts for what truly engages people, and it has helped shape her unique approach to learning design: entertain first, inform second.

When: Tuesday May 19, 2026

Where: Perception Coaching, 931 E 9th Street, Duluth (Hybrid option via Zoom also available.)

Time: 11:45-1:00 PM

Cost: $20 Member, $35 non-member

The To-Do List Solution: Mastering Productivity with Brain Science (15 Sep 2026)

Tue, 15 Sep 2026 16:45:00 GMT

The To-Do List Solution: Mastering Productivity with Brain Science

Is your to-do list never ending?

Do you have trouble knowing where to start when you begin something new?

Are you constantly putting out fires, forced to prioritize what is urgent rather than what's important?

In this one-hour interactive workshop, Alegre will illuminate the three mistakes most of us make that keep us from being as productive as we want and show you the three-step, strategic framework that will exponentially increase your productivity.

But she won't just tell you what to do, she will have you implementing the three strategies immediately. You will see for yourself how these brain-science-backed strategies help you work smarter, not harder and give you the opportunity to apply them to your own life.

Objectives for this session:

Learning Objective 1: Discover the (sometimes counterproductive) role dopamine plays in motivation and learn how to harness it to be more productive

Learning Objective 2: Learn how to distinguish between "deep" work and "shallow" work and how to consider the implications when scheduling your day

Learning Objective 3: Uncover the role your chronotype plays in scheduling your day and learn how to effectively time block for better focus

Our Speakers:

Alegre Ramos

Alegre Ramos (Clifton: activator, strategic, achiever, individualization, and learner; MBTI: ENFJ) is passionate about helping people live their best lives. Author of four books including the bestselling "3-2-1-Done: Three simple strategies to get your to-do list done!", she likes to use her anthropology and business degrees to "help humans, human better!" An award-winning public speaker, she has over 20 years of experience in entrepreneurship and over 35 in public speaking. For fun, she performs stand-up comedy and produces a quarterly comedy show called Soy Saucey.

When: Tuesday September 15, 2026

Where: Zoom

Time: 11:45-1:00 PM

Cost: $20 Member, $35 non-member

Culture by Design: A SAFE Framework for Workforce Wellness and Belonging (20 Oct 2026)

Tue, 20 Oct 2026 16:45:00 GMT

Culture by Design: A SAFE Framework for Workforce Wellness and Belonging

This engaging session introduces the SAFE Framework—a practical, people-centered approach to building psychologically safe, connected, and high-performing teams. Participants will explore how intentional culture design can reduce burnout, strengthen engagement, and increase retention by focusing on safety, awareness, feedback, and empathy. Using tools such as the Culture Audit Wheel and reflective exercises, attendees will learn how to assess their workplace culture, identify areas for growth, and create environments where staff feel seen, valued, and supported. The session blends behavioral science, leadership development, and wellness strategies into a replicable model for everyday use. Participants will leave equipped with actionable insights and ready-to-use tools to foster trust, belonging, and sustainable workplace well-being.

Objectives for this session:

Apply the SAFE Framework to identify and address workplace factors that impact engagement, belonging, and retention.

Analyze team dynamics using the Culture Audit Wheel to uncover strengths and barriers to psychological safety.

Develop an action plan for integrating human-centered, trauma-informed practices that promote wellness, trust, and collaboration across teams.

Our Speakers:

Lamarr Lewis

Lamarr Lewis’ lifelong mission is to leave the world better than how he found it. He is a dedicated advocate, author, and agent of change. With a focus on community-based mental and public health, he works with diverse groups including individuals living with psychiatric disabilities, people in recovery from substance abuse, and at-hope youth (He does not use the term at-risk).

When: Tuesday October 20, 2026

Where: Zoom

Time: 11:45-1:00 PM

Cost: $20 Member, $35 non-member