TopDog Learning Group, LLC is a learning and development and change management consulting firm based in Orlando, Florida, USA but with affiliations throughout the world. We specialize in human learning and performance (so if you’re looking for help with your dog, well, we only teach our own!).
TopDog provides guidance and solutions in change management (using the PROSCI© Methodology), instructional design, leadership and organizational development, learning, strategies, diversity and inclusion consulting, and custom e-learning creation. We’ve had the pleasure of working with such great organizations as The Walt Disney Company, IBM, Bayer, Covestro, Tupperware Brands Corporation, Hilton Worldwide, George Washington University, The Public Library Association, The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, The Ohio State University, accenture, and BellSouth / AT&T, among many others members of our client-partner “pack.”
Meet the TopDog Pack
We invite you to meet our pack of awesome folks working for us. Get to know our team a little bit better and feel free to send them a friendly wag:
Steve holds a B.S. in Public Relations from Millersville University of Pennsylvania, an M.A. in Educational Policy & Leadership Development from The Ohio State University, and an Ed.D. in Instructional Technology & Distance Education from Nova Southeastern University. A published author, Steve has written books and articles focusing on how adults adopt and learn using technology and employee and organizational perceptions and readiness for technology-enabled learning solutions. He’s also passionate about unconscious bias in the workplace, and how it impacts employee engagement and effectiveness.
Steve has spent much of his career consulting with clients on the right solutions for their business; specifically, as it relates to employee engagement, effective communication, learning, and measuring the impact of those interventions. A seasoned change practitioner, Steve has worked with clients to apply the Prosci®Methodology of Change to their business initiatives to help determine if change did indeed happen and to what extent. He’s also transferred this knowledge to clients to teach them the right way to facilitate change, through on-site workshops and webinars dealing with both the process of organizational change as well as how individuals’ resilience to change impact business success.
With over twenty years’ experience in strategy, education, and communication, Steve is a rare breed of professional that understands the power of using academic theory and applying it to the corporate setting to achieve business results.
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With more than thirty years experience in hospitality, Ruth is skilled in many different areas of consulting: organizational development, training & development, recruiting, and executive coaching.
As a self-described natural born tumbleweed, her professional career has led Ruth to gain considerable intercultural knowledge through work in U.K., Europe, the Middle and Far East, and in North America. Born and educated in the United Kingdom, Ruth is a naturalized U.S. citizen, and currently lives in California where she practices her dog whispering skills.
Ruth is a Certified Master Coach – Behavioral Coaching Institute & multiple individual, leadership and cultural assessment tools including MBTI, Hogan, HHG, OAI.
preferred pronouns: she/her/hers
A seasoned change management educator, Laurie has worked with multiple clients on both leadership effectiveness when dealing with change, employees’ adoption to changing times, and the psychologically impact of individual’s resilience as it relates to changing times.
The difference Laurie brings to her work is her range and depth of experience. She has an international clientele, having worked on four continents and numerous countries including the United Kingdom, Bahrain, Germany, Spain, Panama, Japan, Mexico, Australia, and Thailand, and throughout North America. Laurie has worked with culturally diverse audiences at all corporate levels, from the C- Suite to the plant floor and is equally comfortable and competent in all arenas.
She counts Lockheed Martin, SAIC, Accenture, IBM, Great American Insurance, KPMG, Beam International, Accenture, GM, Sun Chemical, Bayer, CovestraDenso, Acura, Volkswagen, Chrysler, Acura, Ford UAW, and BMW among her many client partners.
Laurie is passionate about providing engaging facilitation, training, and coaching that makes a difference to the business. She is the author of The Greet Your Customer Manual, The Teleprompter Manual and Brand-aid.
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During her tenure at JP Morgan Chase, PNC, Bayer and Covestro, Hilary has worked with all levels of audiences: from junior level employees through to those “C-Suite” senior executives and had the opportunity to work with employees and team members from around the globe.
She has expertise in leadership training, professional skills training, program design, diversity, career coaching, and talent management. As an expert facilitator and coach, Hilary’s style blends her real-world experiences, humor, and ability to simplify complex topics. She enjoys helping others reach their potential, and as a result positively impact their business results.
Hilary holds Professional in Human Resources (PHR), DiSC, and Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) certifications. She is also a DDI certified facilitator. Hilary earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from the University of Florida.
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Outside of the military, Mark has worked for major corporations and currently works for the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). It was here that Mark was able to bring his authentic self and professional expertise that garnered success. He co-authored and led the SBA’s National LGBT Outreach initiative for which was awarded the ‘Bright Idea – Innovation in American Government Award’ from Harvard University.
In addition to having lived in Costa Rica, Mark is a world traveler and a gourmet cook. One of Mark’s highest achievements is successfully completing a triathlon. He has a spirit of volunteerism and is passionate about living an authentic life to its fullest. He and his partner Aaron (aka “Mr. Wonderful”) live in Georgia and split their time between Atlanta and Lake Oconee or weekend getaways at their AirBnB in Savannah.
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She believes that creating a safe space for people to learn is critical when dealing with diversity and inclusion topics. Under her leadership, GovMojo’s services are designed to help people understand biases around diverse communities at a fundamental level, so they can build more effective working relationships and maximize productivity and efficiency in the workplace.
Debbie is a veteran of the United States Army and—after over twenty years of leadership experience at biopharmaceutical companies around the world—moved into the management consulting arena. She has an A.D. in Liberal Arts, a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, and a Master’s in Business Administration. She also teaches on engineering topics in both corporate and academic settings, and participates in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education Coalition outreach activities to middle school and high school students nationally.
Debbie also focuses her energy on various volunteer and non-profit leadership roles. She has held multiple positions in many LGBTQI employee resource groups within several international corporations as well as leadership roles within various non-profit organizations associated with equality in the workplace. She lecturers on workplace diversity and inclusion topics with a concentration on the impact of unconscious bias on LGBTQI People of Color, Bisexuals, and the Transgender Community. Since 2016 she has served as a Commissioner on the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Nursing. Debbie also is an Associate Director on the Board of Directors with Central One Federal Credit Union.
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Colette has also used external assessments (e.g., Five Dysfunctions of a Team, priosys®) to help her client-partners further examine issues of trust, conflict, commitment, and accountability within their teams.
Beyond the specific focus on business outcomes, Colette provides organizations with workplace well-being consulting to help leaders develop increased confidence and a new perspective on stress. In 2016, Colette became one of 40 Founding Members in The Women’s Lab at Centre for Social Innovation, a collaborative workspace and community for impact organizations benefiting young girls and women. When not in New York, Colette is providing consulting and facilitating services in countries such as Australia, Botswana, Bulgaria, Chile, Lithuania, Mexico, Poland, and Vietnam.
A published author, Colette has contributed her expertise books like Transform Your Life With One Call: America’s Top Life Coaches Reveal What You Need to Know and Focus on Your Vision, in addition to digital outlets such as eHow.com, Thrive Global, Real Simple Magazine, Small Business Chronicle, and Daily Burn.
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With a degree in graphic design from Savannah College of Art and Design, Rich has the impeccable eye for seeing what’s working and what’s not, and coming up with the right solutions to make the project meet — and often exceed — expectations.
In his spare time Rich enjoys yoga, travel, music, and playing with his canine children.
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