11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. CT
JW Marriott Austin
110 E 2nd St.
Austin, TX 78701
Speakers
John Robison, COO, KTGY
Donovan Helminiak, Director of KM, KTGY
The path to becoming a “Learning Organization” rarely starts with a blank page. At KTGY, our evolution began with a realization: the components we needed were already there. But when traditional mentorship models are strained and professionals often don’t know what they need to learn — we recognized that connecting these dots and outlining the path required intentional design.
In this session, COO John Robison and Director of Knowledge Management Donovan Helminiak share how design firm KTGY is evolving from isolated learning initiatives to a purposeful ecosystem. They trace the journey from executive leadership programs to technical mentorship, from live training sessions to on-demand resources — all while maintaining the human-centric culture that defines their firm.
They will tell the narrative through two lenses: the Operational view of creating space and championing these programs, and the Tactical view of building infrastructure and advising on strategy.
We clearly see ourselves as “becoming,” not “finished.” We’ll openly share our active pilots, including the implementation of an LMS to scale on-demand needs and our early exploration of how AI might support — not replace — the learning process. We don’t have all the answers, but we’re committed to learning alongside our people as we navigate what’s next.
- Recognize the shift: Understand why traditional “learning by osmosis” is no longer sufficient and how to evolve toward intentional development strategies.
- Audit and connect: Learn to identify existing learning activities — from formal programs to informal mentorship — and connect them into a cohesive L&D strategy.
- Balance the partnership: Explore how executive sponsorship and tactical execution must work together to create sustainable learning cultures.
- Embrace experimentation: Learn practical approaches to modern tools (LMS, AI) while maintaining focus on human development and acknowledging the ongoing nature of the journey.
