Session Description:

Talent development is core to all professional services firms’ continued health and potential growth. Especially during times of extraordinary change, with new workplace modalities and an increasingly intergenerational workforce, the time has come to invest in learning and development (L&D) programming for everyone, regardless of title or tenure.

L&D does not have to be overly complicated in scope or lengthy in duration; it just needs to be effective. This session has been selected for the AIA’s 2025 Conference and will present best practices and design principles for producing high-impact learning experiences. Participants will create a takeaway in the form of a check-list they can use to assess their current L&D initiatives and guide their future investments.

Presenter: Laura Weiss, Founder + Principal, Design Diplomacy LLC

With over 25 years as an innovation partner for global brands, Laura Weiss CPCC, PCC is an executive coach, professional mediator, facilitator, and educator.

A former licensed architect, Laura spent a decade with the renowned design firm IDEO as a Practice Director and Associate Partner and also served as a Principal in Korn Ferry’s Leadership and Professional Development practice. She has held teaching appointments in architectural design and design leadership at the University of Virginia, the California College of the Arts, and the Yale School of Architecture, and has been a director on several nonprofit boards including the American Institute of Architects’ Strategic Council, Public Architecture, and the Yale Alumni Association’s Board of Governors.

To learn more about Laura, please visit her website or LinkedIn profile.