Taylor Blake

Degreed

Helping lead an initiative called Degreed Experiments where we evaluate emerging technologies through prototyping and research.

SVP New Initiatives

Degreed acquired Learn In and I became SVP of Product for Degreed Academies and Content Marketplace.

SVP Product

Learn In

Attract, develop, and retain your talent with a Talent Academy that: 
1) gives employees access to best external skill-building courses and programs through stipends, education benefits, or scholarships 
2) allows you to build your own programs that are cohort-based, hands-on, and collaborative

Easily meet every key learning moment and drive business performance.

Co-founder and Chief Product Officer

University Impact

University Impact sprung out of a desire to embrace a more sustainable way of creating large-scale, positive, social impact (while generating a financial return at the same time). Our mission is to find and fund ventures and businesses that are solving complex, vexing social problems with strong management teams, passion for change, and innovative business models.

Product Advisor

•  Researched, validated, and launched a suite of skill measurement products (Skill Rating, Skill Review, and Skill Certification) to measure any skill at any level. Skill measurement allows individuals and companies to identify gaps, measure progress, and get matched to career opportunities.

Product, Skills

•  Started when team was < 5 people chasing a crazy dream
•  Researched, prototyped, and built product offerings for consumers and enterprise clients
•  Oversaw client success, email marketing, content marketing, user acquisition, customer support

Founding Team / Product Manager

Kaplan EdTech Accelerator powered by TechStars

The Kaplan/TechStars Accelerator is a three month intensive, mentor-driven, deep immersion program for startups.  TechStars was ranked by Forbes as the #2 tech incubator in the world.

TechStars

The RBL Group

The RBL Group is a leadership and strategic HR consulting firm co-founded by Dave Ulrich.

Product Manager

Various

Microsoft - User experience design and research
LinkedIn - Product management for learning products
Innosight - Innovation and strategy consulting
Bloomreach - Market research

Student Intern

I help lead Degreed Experiments to explore how emerging technology (AI) can be leveraged in workplace learning. Feel free to connect or message me.

We’re here to make sure education and skills stay the key to economic opportunity in an AI-driven world—because the future shouldn’t just work for those who own all the capital or compute.

We aim to do this by:
- Helping people handle the changes AI brings to work and life.
- Teaching people how to use and get the most out of AI tools.
- Finding ways to use AI for more than just cutting costs—so we can invest back into people.

Our AI-related experiments help position L&D be at the forefront of navigating this change. Follow along, and let’s ensure human expertise continues to drive progress and opportunity.

Why Degreed? We started Degreed with a passion for lifelong learning and have since seen what works (and what doesn’t) across hundreds of the most innovative learning organizations. After we established the category of Learning Experience Platforms (LXP) at Degreed, I left to tackle a new set of ambitious challenges and cofounded Learn In.  In 2022, through acquisition, we combined the latest innovations from Learn In with Degreed’s market-leading platform to build the next chapter of products to support lifelong learning.

KPMG

Business Planning
•	Maintains a strong understanding of Global L&D business strategies, and plans for priorities
•	Is actively engaged in the governance process and learning councils led by the Strategic Business Partners (SBPs) taking input from them into the ultimate design, development and rollout plans for the solutions they will lead.
•	Supports the SBP/BPs, Head of Performance Solutions and the leads and stakeholders in various groups in developing the rolling short- and mid-term Global L&D plans including resource requirements.

Business Execution and Continuous Improvement
•	Leads the end-to-end design and development or curation of learning and performance solutions for Global Advisory
•	Scopes the proposed solution(s) and prepares the high-level proposal and associated budget/resource requirements
•	Identifies opportunities to reduce the design/development cycle and/or reduce the cost.
•	Identifies opportunities to pilot new technologies in partnership with the leadership team to curate and share content both from internal sources but also those in the public domain.

Relationship Management
Builds and maintains ongoing, productive relationships with:
•	Global L&D
•	Global People Team
•	Other global stakeholders as required
•	Audit and Tax Strategic Business Partners

Team Leadership
•	Leads project teams consisting of diverse stakeholders
•	Sets annual performance goals and development objectives.
•	Assesses performance, takes corrective action as necessary and recommends the appropriate compensation.
•	Takes action to maintain high levels of employee engagement.
•	Holds regular 1 on 1 meetings.

Director Performance Solutions Lead, Global Advisory 

BMO Financial Group

Senior Learning Experience Designer

Klick Learning Solutions

Senior Instructional Designer

The National Benefit Authority

•	Responsible for managing the training, coaching and development needs for the organization 

•	Meet regularly with Sr. Management in order to present strategies for increased operational efficiency

•	Manage all training requests for new and existing employees by meeting with department heads and key stakeholders

•	Prioritize training needs and balance them with business needs

•	Review all existing training content and edit as needed to keep current

•	Edit and maintain all departmental manuals
•	Perform needs analysis for each department, regularly, in order to assess knowledge and skill gaps
•	Design all training content, both instructor led and eLearning as well as edit materials to keep current
•	Maintain Learning Management System

•	Schedule training and assign tasks for Trainer

•	Assess all current policies and procedures and make necessary changes to increase productivity and maintain efficiency

•	Collect feedback from each training class in order to improve the learner experience

•	Monitor ongoing results of new hires to measure success of training

•	Provide refresher training as needed to ensure highest level of client satisfaction 

•	Recruiting of new employees

Manager - Learning and Enablement

Lakeview Sweets 'N' Eats Inc

Custom cakes and desserts, catering, take out meals, jams, jellies and specialty items.  A little something for everyone.

Owner/ Director

Rogers Communications

•	Work with six lines of business within the Brampton office supporting all product lines in Consumer and Business/Corporate.
•	In class training of new hire agents, existing agents and Management on systems, tools, products and more.
•	Performance management of new hire groups; work with them to improve metrics based on what line of business they support in order to achieve 100% graduation rate into operations.
•	Participation in multiple projects including management role within Operations, In charge Management role for Regional Training Manager, productivity increase pilot for the Business department in Brampton and increasing team capabilities.
•	facilitated soft skills training that focuses on increasing resolution rates and decreasing handle times.
•	Certified to deliver Acclivus R3 Service, a 2 day workshop that focuses on effective communication and problem resolution skills.

Learning Consultant

Alternative Answers - Crime Stoppers

•	Supervise a team of 8 agents taking tips for over 300 Crime Stoppers programs across Canada and the US and ensured proper procedures were follwed at all times
•	Edited reports prior to submitting to local law enforcement offices 
•	Training and onboarding of new agents on soft phone system as well as software used
•	Actioned situations that required immediate attention by local law enforcement

Team Lead

My views are my own. 

The world around us is constantly changing and it is critical to seek out new perspectives and find opportunities to grow. Learning and development is not only my chosen career path, it is a passion. I believe in working together to build skills and achieve remarkable things. 

I am a curious innovator with a passion for meaningful change. Avid reader with a TBR list longer than my expected life span. Still collecting more books. Change maker. Challenger of the status quo and seeker of new and interesting ways to support personal and professional development. Always asking “why?”.

taplio

The Battle

Taylor Blake

Ashton Cousineau

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