We’re taking our rainbow heart energy on the road! 

If you’re headed to Los Angeles for the ATD Conference this May, our own John Cleave, Carla Torgerson, Joe Henderson, and Rodrigo Salazar would love to say hello. This dynamic quartet is looking forward to three days of sun, fun, inspiration, and talking shop.

Start the conversation early with this sneak preview of their favorite topics and the questions they’re most excited to tackle with fellow L&D leaders and innovators like you.

Joe Henderson, SweetRush Director of Client Solutions

What would I love for people to ask me: I’m really interested in diving into how organizations can modernize and scale delivery for a highly mobile workforce, especially for teams with varying levels of tech access. I’d also love to chat about practical AI integration. Specifically, what are the high-value use cases that L&D teams are actually seeing success with right now, rather than just the theoretical possibilities?

What kinds of conversations I’m hoping to have with fellow L&D leaders and innovators: I’m eager to hear from leaders who are already deploying AI internally, whether that’s through chatbots or automated content workflows. Beyond AI, I always enjoy discussing large-scale curriculum initiatives. I’m particularly interested in how others are building long-term growth paths (like the journey from Manager to VP) while keeping learners engaged and measuring the actual impact on the business over time.

What I’m most looking forward to at ATD 2026: This is a massive milestone for SweetRush: 2026 is our first year with a dedicated booth and a full team on the ground!  Beyond the excitement of our first official exhibit, I’m particularly stoked for Wednesday, May 20, when Carla Torgerson and John Cleave are presenting “Microlearning & AI: Practical Approaches for High-Impact Learning.” I think their take on high-impact delivery is going to be a highlight of the conference.

Rodrigo Salazar, SweetRush Director of Talent Solutions

What would I love for people to ask me: I’d love for people to ask me to weigh in on the challenges they’re trying to solve behind the scenes, not just what training they need. Some of my favorite conversations start when someone says, “Here’s what’s going on in our business,” and we get to explore what kind of support would actually make the biggest difference.  I really enjoy talking through team structure, capability gaps, and creative ways to help L&D organizations move forward with the right people in place.

What kinds of conversations I’m hoping to have with fellow L&D leaders and innovators: I’m hoping to have honest, practical conversations about where L&D is headed, especially around how teams are adapting to AI, rising business expectations, and the need to do more with the right mix of people and capabilities. 

I’m always interested in hearing how leaders are structuring their teams, where they’re feeling pressure, what skills are becoming harder to find, and how they’re balancing speed, quality, and innovation. I also really enjoy talking with people who are rethinking traditional approaches and looking for smarter, more human ways to build capability at scale.

What I’m most looking forward to at ATD 2026: More than anything, I’m looking forward to connecting with smart, thoughtful people who care about the future of learning. Events like ATD are energizing because they create space for new ideas, meaningful conversations, and the kind of connection that’s hard to replicate over email or Zoom. I’m excited to learn, share perspectives, and come away inspired by the work others are doing across the industry.

John Cleave, SweetRush Director of System Solutions

What would I love for people to ask me

• Will microlearning be needed in the future with genAI being increasingly able to create and deliver training on demand? Are “courses” going to go away?
• What new tools and techniques do you see emerging to create and deliver microlearning?
• How do you see the L&D professional’s mindset changing as we move into a world where genAI is everywhere?
• Will compliance training ever die off or become less relevant?

What kinds of conversations I’m hoping to have with fellow L&D leaders and innovators

• Brainstorming around how to keep humans in the loop (unpromptability) as L&D delivery becomes increasingly technological and automated.
• What new L&D challenges will arise in the future, and what challenges will be going away or becoming easier.
• How we can apply genAI to learning analytics in order to understand the impact of training on real-world performance.

What I’m most looking forward to at ATD 2026

• Hearing about organizations’ L&D problems and needs and brainstorming ways to address them.
• Ways to embed training into workspaces and tasks and techniques to provide learning in the flow of work (LIFOW).
• Learning about new approaches and techniques for making people smarter and better able to perform.

Carla Torgerson, SweetRush Solution Architect

What would I love for people to ask me

• How do you think L&D is evolving with the capabilities of genAI enabling more just-in-time learning? 
• Where does microlearning continue to fit in the mix of L&D?

What kinds of conversations I’m hoping to have with fellow L&D leaders and innovators

• How to continue to provide human value as L&D is impacted by genAI.
• How learning can become increasingly learner-centric with the advent of genAI.

What I’m most looking forward to at ATD 2026

• Seeing so many L&D colleagues in person. I love networking and seeing so many old friends—and making new ones!
• Learning from all the sessions. I love to see what other people are doing and use that to improve my own work.  

Meet the SweetRush ATD 2026 Crew

Got curiosities, insights, experiences, or more questions about any of these topics? Let the rainbow heart signal lead you to Booth #2047 in the LA Convention Center and ask us about the umpromptable pouch. :)

We can’t wait to connect!