ATD Houston upcoming events

General Meeting: Leading Without Titles: What Actually Work for Individual Contributors (May 13, 2026)

Wed, 13 May 2026 22:30:00 GMT

Note: Event date change due to room avalibility.

This session delivers a practical, end-to-end approach to designing leadership development programs for individual contributors, positioned as a critical strategy for building future-ready organizations. Participants will engage in a structured, facilitated design sprint grounded in a real-world case study from a global organization operating across multiple regions and business functions.

The session will begin by framing the organizational challenge: leadership expectations are expanding beyond formal roles, yet most development strategies remain focused on people managers. Attendees will explore how this gap impacts decision-making speed, innovation, and organizational agility—particularly within globally distributed teams.

Using a case-based learning approach, participants will reverse-engineer a leadership development program designed specifically for individual contributors. The case will highlight key design decisions, including identifying leadership behaviors required at the individual contributor level, aligning learning objectives to business outcomes, and navigating the complexities of a global workforce.

Participants will then be guided through a repeatable fra mework for program design, focused on four key elements: defining leadership capabilities, contextualizing application within the business, building learner confidence through experiential methods, and establishing credibility through measurable outcomes.

The majority of the session will be spent in an interactive design sprint, where participants will:

Define a target audience and leadership capability focus relevant to their organization
Develop a high-level program blueprint, including delivery approach and learning methods Identify 2–3 measurable success metrics aligned to organizational priorities
Create and practice a concise stakeholder pitch to secure buy-in
Explore initial launch and scaling strategies within their organizational context

Tools and resources provided will include:

A structured program design worksheet A stakeholder pitch template (Problem → Solution → Impact → Ask)
A measurement planning guide with examples of business-aligned metrics
Sample leadership capability frameworks adaptable to different industries

No specific prerequisites are required; however, this session is most valuable for professionals responsible for leadership development, talent strategy, or organizational capability building.

ATD Capability Model – Managing Learning Programs and Integrated Talent Management

To learn more about this model see: https://tdcapability.org/#/

Barbara Davis is a Talent Management and L&D manager with 10 years of experience helping professionals—from the plant floor to leadership—grow with purpose and impact.

She designs training and development strategies that activate change, align with business goals, and elevate performance. Barbara's personal approach is grounded in a simple belief: Onward – with momentum. Whether it's building onboarding journeys, launching leadership programs, or driving process improvements, her focus on progress that lasts—growth that’s personal, practical, and strategic.

Barbara completed her Master's degree in Organizational Psychology and Talent Management in 2016 and has been working within the Chemical Manufacturing industry ever since. Barbara is also the VP of Marketing for ATD Houston.

Webinar: Stand Out: Expert Tips on CVs and Interviews (May 21, 2026)

Thu, 21 May 2026 17:00:00 GMT

This session is designed for anyone looking to strengthen their professional brand and improve their success in today’s competitive job market. Whether attendees are early career professionals, returning to the workforce, changing careers, or looking to advance internally, the content provides immediate value. With recruiters screening hundreds of profiles and interviews becoming more behavior and competency based, understanding what truly stands out is critical.

Participants will gain insider knowledge directly from a senior talent acquisition leader who has reviewed thousands of CVs and conducted countless interviews across the GCC and international markets. They will learn what recruiters really look for, what common mistakes to avoid, and how to present themselves with clarity and impact.

By the end of the session, participants will walk away with:

1. A Stronger, More Competitive CV

Practical guidance on structure, layout, and content
Tips for writing an ATS friendly CV
Clear examples of how to highlight accomplishments using data
Insight on what to include, what to avoid, and how to tailor a CV to a job

2. Confidence and Readiness for Interviews

A framework for preparing and practicing effectively
Tools like the STAR method to articulate achievements
Language for clearly presenting their value and strengths
Awareness of professional etiquette and best practice behaviors

3. Improved Professional Communication

What to say (and what not to say) to recruiters
How to send effective follow ups that enhance—not harm—credibility
Understanding salary discussions, CV gaps, and career change conversations

4. A Greater Understanding of Recruiter Expectations

Real, practical insights into how hiring decisions are made
Clarity on what differentiates a good candidate from a standout candidate
Awareness of mistakes that commonly lead to rejections

5. Increased Self Awareness and Career Ownership

The confidence to present themselves authentically and professionally
A better understanding of how to position their skills for future opportunities
Encouragement to approach the job search with strategy, resilience, and purpose

ATD Capability Model – Performance Improvement, Learning Technologies

To learn more about this model see: https://tdcapability.org/#/

ABOUT THE SPEAKER

Jennifer Kusch serves as the Head of Talent Acquisition for GCC & Pakistan at ENGIE, drawing on over two decades of HR Management expertise. Based in Dubai, she spearheads the recruitment strategies and initiatives across the GCC and Pakistan, ensuring the acquisition of top-tier talent that aligns with ENGIE's vision and goals.

Before joining ENGIE in January 2022, Jennifer carved out a successful career path encompassing roles such as HR Business Partner, Corporate Trainer, University Relations and Intern Manager, and Senior Recruiting Manager. Her recruitment prowess is evidenced by the nearly 1,000 employees she has personally brought on board, ranging from long-haul truck drivers to high-ranking C-suite executives. Jennifer has a Master's in Human Resource Management from Keller Graduate School, Phoenix, and a Bachelor's in Psychology from Brigham Young University, Provo.

SIG Career Transition: Virtual Career Bites (May 26, 2026)

Tue, 26 May 2026 17:00:00 GMT

Take a break, join us virtually, and invest in your next big career move! Our Career Transition SIG (Special Interest Groups) Virtual Career Bites session is all about sharpening your job search skills in a fun, supportive setting.

We will focus on virtual interviews, offering tips, tricks, and hacks for improving confidence and performance. Be ready to share how you present yourself onscreen in virtual interviews and we will offer supportive feedback from coaches and peers in supportive small group settings.

We’ll be using breakout rooms to break down the experience and run through real interview questions to boost your confidence,

Whether you’re exploring new opportunities or want to stay prepared, you’ll leave with fresh ideas, useful feedback, and a network of peers cheering you on.

Join us for learning and a dose of motivation!

Spots will fill fast—join us soon! If we reach capacity, we’ll open a waitlist.

Contact vpgroups@tdhouston.org if you have any questions.

SIG Technology: Best Practices (May 29, 2026)

Fri, 29 May 2026 17:00:00 GMT

May Topic: Scaling Talent Development with Copilot Agents
Traditional talent development relies on static documents and repetitive questions that slow your team down. You can solve this by building custom AI agents with Microsoft Copilot. These agents focus on your specific SharePoint folders or PDFs instead of scanning the entire web. This ensures your employees get answers based on your actual company information. You do not need a computer science degree to build one. You describe the task in plain English and point the tool to your files. This webinar provides a blueprint to move from a small pilot to a tool that saves your company 40 hours of search time every week.

Speaker: Debbie Richards
Debbie Richards is a leading voice in the application of Artificial Intelligence for Talent Development. As an AI Strategy Consultant at Undesto.AI and President of Creative Interactive Ideas, she guides enterprise organizations through the complex landscape of AI adoption. With over three decades of experience as a learning architect, Debbie specializes in creating clear roadmaps that help teams integrate AI tools into their learning operations, resulting in measurable improvements in engagement and performance. Currently serving as the Chief Learning Advisor at Cognota, Debbie drives innovation by combining learning operations with cutting-edge technology.

General information:

The landscape of Artificial Intelligence is evolving at a breakneck pace. To help our community stay ahead, the ATD Houston Technology SIG is dedicating monthly meetings to an ongoing exploration of AI Best Practices.

Join us on the last Friday of every month at noon for a collaborative deep dive into the practical application of AI in Talent Development. These sessions are designed as a consistent touchpoint for L&D professionals to share what’s working, troubleshoot challenges, and discover the latest tools.

Monthly Focus Areas

While the specific agenda will evolve alongside the technology, our recurring discussions will typically cover:

Strategic Implementation: Identifying high-impact use cases for AI in L&D.
Tool Selection: Criteria for choosing the right AI stack for your needs.
Ethics & Governance: Navigating data privacy, copyright, and bias.
Prompt Engineering: Practical techniques to improve Generative AI outputs.
Future Trends: Emerging AI technologies in workforce development.

Join the Conversation

Whether you are an AI novice or a power user, your perspective is valuable. This is your space to ask questions and learn from peers.

Help Shape the Agenda

We tailor each session based on member needs. Please submit your specific questions or suggested topics in advance to: presidentemeritus@tdhouston.org

Deep Dive Webinar: Applying Change Management to Your Talent Development Career Journey (June 01, 2026)

Mon, 01 Jun 2026 23:30:00 GMT

Applying Change Management to Your Talent Development Career Journey

Discover what really happens in the brain when we try to change—and why authenticity and personal values are the key to making change stick. In this interactive session, talent development professionals will explore the internal and external pressures that shape personal growth, reflect on where they are versus where they want to be, and build a practical roadmap for meaningful, values aligned change. Through guided discussion, case studies, and individual application, participants will leave with clarity, confidence, and a personalized plan for moving forward with purpose.

By the end of this webinar, participants will be able to:

Understand the neuroscience behind change management
Map out a change initiative to transition to being the talent development professional that fulfills their full potential
Close the gap between where they are in their talent development career and where they want to be

ATD Capability Model – Performance Improvement, Learning Technologies

To learn more about this model see: https://capability.td.org/

Speaker: Malak Chabkoun

If you’ve ever hung a picture and decided to go beyond eyeballing it to make it even, you might have used a tool called a level. In my life as a learning and development professional, I like to think of myself as a human level by asking myself: how do I design learning and development opportunities so they land in the most even way for the target audience?

My experience as a researcher, learning and development professional, and organizational development consultant put me in a unique position to create comprehensive and impactful development solutions for both individuals and organizations. I am also an adjunct professor in government at a local community college.

When I have some free time, I enjoy volunteering, reading, painting, hiking, plants, coffee, and spending time outdoors. I always look forward to the cooler weather for a better outdoor experience!

General Meeting: Love As A Change Strategy (June 09, 2026)

Tue, 09 Jun 2026 16:30:00 GMT

Note: Different location and time for this event

Most organizational transformations fail because they treat change as a clinical process rather than a human one.

In this session, the authors of Love As A Change Strategy will introduce the LAACS Framework. Moving beyond traditional change management, the authors will share a "behavior-first" model designed to navigate the messy, emotional, and deeply personal journey of transformation.

Participants will learn how to use vulnerability and psychological safety as strategic tools to ensure that change isn't just a temporary shift, but a human-centered evolution that actually sticks.

ATD Capability Model – Building Personal Capability

To learn more about this model see: https://tdcapability.org/#/

Vice President, Softway and Culture+ Co-author of the Bestselling Books "Love as a Business Strategy" and “Love as a Change Strategy” Chris Pitre is a student of the world and enjoys anthropology, history, travel, and culinary experiences.

His interests in global cultures naturally led him to travel around the world, cofacilitating Culture Rise, a leadership development training program, and managing client relationships globally. Chris is a native Houstonian who loves everything Beyoncé. He has a BA in Business Administration from The George Washington University in Washington, DC.

Keynote Speaking | Love As A Strategy

Workshop: Applying AI in L&D (July 30, 2026)

Thu, 30 Jul 2026 14:00:00 GMT

Step beyond basic prompting and learn how to design AI colleagues that expand the capacity of your L&D team. This full day, hands on workshop walks participants through live contrasts between simple prompts and engineered prompt systems, builds AI fluency through practical mental models, and includes a rapid AI readiness audit of your L&D stack. The session dives into production ready AI pipelines—from content factories to scenario studios—while teaching advanced tactics like prompt chaining, vibe programming, and multimodal inputs. In the afternoon, participants use AI to design and stress test end to end learning journeys, create persistent learner personas, and simulate real learner experiences using learning science principles. The day culminates in an AI Project Studio, where attendees build and test a real workflow and leave with a 90 day AI action plan, a reusable prompt and persona library, and a clear roadmap for embedding AI into everyday L&D practice.

Upon completion of the workshop, participants will be able to:

Identify high value opportunities for AI augmentation by analyzing current L&D workflows and determining where AI can meaningfully improve efficiency, quality, or scalability.
Differentiate between tactical AI usage and strategic AI integration, enabling participants to make informed decisions about when to use simple prompting versus when to design full AI supported systems.
Design AI enhanced learning solutions using structured reasoning, applying mental models and design principles to create workflows that are predictable, ethical, and aligned with organizational needs.
Embed evidence based learning science into AI generated outputs, ensuring that retrieval practice, spaced learning, feedback loops, and cognitive load considerations are intentionally incorporated.

The workshop package includes:

A full-day, hands-on session for entry-level AI users.
A printed workbook for specific exercises and note-taking.
A copy of Josh's book, Applying AI in Learning & Development, for every attendee.
Lunch will be provided.

What to bring:

Plan to bring your own laptop and charging device.
WIFI connection details will be provided.

Speaker: Josh Cavalier

Josh Cavalier is on a mission to bridge the gap between Learning & Development professionals and the transformative power of Artificial Intelligence. His own "aha!" moment arrived in late 2022 when an AI generated a remarkably effective educational video script on his prompt, instantly revealing its potential to revolutionize learning. Drawing on 30+ years of experience, including leading Lodestone Digital to radically improve clients' edtech implementations, Josh now guides organizations through the complexities of AI integration.

Through JoshCavalier.ai, he directly addresses the concerns and opportunities facing L&D. Forget the fear of job loss – Josh argues AI necessitates a shift in roles, amplifying the need for human expertise and insight. He cuts through the myth of "automatic" AI, emphasizing that L&D professionals are crucial collaborators in the process. His focus? Pragmatic strategies and tools that help teams navigate the AI ecosystem, understand human-machine partnership, and significantly increase their AI skills.

Josh makes complex AI accessible and actionable. His training, popular YouTube channel, and the fun, interactive live show "Brainpower" reach thousands, offering easy-to-use methods for working with AI. Committed to the L&D community, he consults, runs workshops, and shares his strategic insights at major industry events (DevLearn, Learning Solutions, ATD ICE), empowering professionals to leverage AI for hyper-personalized learning and greater organizational impact.

Deep Dive Webinar: Building Your Circle of Success (August 06, 2026)

Thu, 06 Aug 2026 16:30:00 GMT

Building Your Circle of Success: Strategies to Strengthen Connection, Visibility, and Career Momentum

In every career breakthrough, there is a network of people—seen and unseen—who make that growth possible. Yet most professionals move through their careers without a clear understanding of who is in their corner, what support they truly need, or how to intentionally cultivate the relationships that accelerate advancement.

This 90-minute session takes a deep dive into the research-backed framework introduced in Who Are Your SPECS? Redefining Career Empowerment for the Future of Work, revealing the five critical roles that form a powerful Circle of Success. Participants will learn how to map their current circle, identify gaps, and strengthen the connections that fuel confidence, clarity, and long-term career mobility. Through guided reflection, practical tools, and real-world examples, attendees will walk away with a clearer sense of their relational ecosystem—and a strategy for building a more aligned, supportive, and opportunity-rich network. This session is designed for leaders, emerging professionals, ERG/EEG members, and anyone committed to building a career rooted in connection, agency, and intentional support.

By the end of this webinar, participants will be able to:

Explain the five SPECS roles and how each contributes to a high functioning Circle of Success.
Map their current relational ecosystem, identifying who is currently supporting their career growth and where critical gaps exist.
Assess the quality and alignment of their existing relationships in relation to their long term career goals.
Identify the types of support they need most—confidence, clarity, advocacy, opportunity, or accountability—and match those needs to the appropriate SPECS roles.
Apply the SPECS framework to real world scenarios through case studies that illustrate how intentional relationships accelerate advancement.
Develop a personalized strategy for strengthening, expanding, or rebalancing their Circle of Success to increase agency, mobility, and career empowerment.

ATD Capability Model – Performance Improvement, Learning Technologies

To learn more about this model see: https://capability.td.org/

Speaker:

Dr. Brandi R. Muñoz, PCC, CMCS, SPHR, NCOPE, an Executive Coach, Career Strategist, and Conflict Resolution expert with a doctorate in Organizational Leadership. With over 15 years of experience in talent development, leadership coaching, and strategic HR advisory, I specialize in empowering professionals and organizations to navigate change with clarity, authenticity, and measurable impact.

Currently, I serve as the Program Manager for Coaching & Mentoring at Memorial Hermann, where I design and lead system wide initiatives aligned with the organization’s mission to advance health and personalize care. Beyond my work at Memorial Hermann, I continue to coach professionals and leaders on a limited basis and teach doctoral students, ensuring my personal vision of fostering growth and leadership development remains at the core of everything I do.