Overview
Company History
News, Awards, & Press
Work for Enspire
Clients and Partners
Contact Enspire
Demonstrations & Case Studies
Enspire Learning Blog
Contact Us!
(888) 534-3484
info@enspire.com
Enspire's Leadership Team
Enspire is led by a dynamic team of creative professionals with backgrounds in education, technology, production, and business. Our leaders are committed to maintaining a company culture that empowers our team to provide innovation and value to our customers and to use effective content and technology to change the way people learn.
Bjorn Billhardt
Founder
Bjorn Billhardt is the founder of Enspire Learning. He is a recognized authority in the field of e-learning and simulation design and has been a speaker at conferences such as Training, ASTD, and ISPI. Bjorn previously worked as a consultant and corporate trainer for BAAN, a Dutch software company, and conducted training classes in Europe and the US. Bjorn also worked for McKinsey & Company, a strategic management consulting firm. A native of Hamburg, Germany, he holds an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School and a dual B.A./B.B.A. from the University of Texas, where he is an alumnus of the Plan II and the Business Honors Program.
Shon Bayer
Chief Executive Officer
Shon joined Enspire in 2003, after a 10 year career at The Princeton Review. At the Princeton Review, Shon held various senior roles including Director of Marketing, Master Trainer, and Executive Director. Since joining Enspire, Shon has helped create simulations such as Executive Challenge, built Enspire's sales and marketing capabilities, and led Enspire's product development efforts. Shon has spoken on simulation development at conferences such as ASTD Techknowledge, Training, and the Serious Games Summit. In his spare time, Shon is an active traveler, enjoys photography, and is an avid cook. Shon has a B.S. in Materials Science from the University of California at Berkeley.
Ed Garner
Vice President of Custom Solutions
Since beginning his career in the US Army as an M-1A1 tank platoon leader, Ed has devoted the last 12 years to educational technologies. He is experienced with Java and .NET development, as well as C++ and embedded systems development. Ed also has experience with Shockwave and Flash browser-delivered interactivity, and he has technical expertise in both PC and Macintosh OS X environments. As a lead programmer at Fusion Learning Systems, Ed developed "Redbeard's Pirate Quest," which was named Newsweek Magazine's "it" toy for Christmas 1999. Ed also led the Fusion engineering team, a position in which he helped build a full content management database and automated website build system. Ed joined Enspire in 2008, where he now uses his technical and managerial abilities to provide effective custom learning solutions for our clients. Ed received his B.A. from The University of Texas at Austin.
Jan Farquhar
Vice President of Content Development
Jan brings to the Enspire team over twenty years of experience writing and designing multimedia projects. Prior to joining Enspire, Jan served as an instructional designer and writer for Dell's award-winning Educational Services, where she produced training and certification material. Additionally, she was the lead writer for the EnterTech project, a multi-million dollar workforce development project funded by the Governor's office of the State of Texas. Jan has also served as a university instructor of communication studies and the performance of literature, and received several awards of recognition for excellence in teaching. At Enspire, she oversees instructional designers and content developers, managing resources effectively and ensuring our clients receive our best work. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Education from Baylor University and a Master of Arts in Communication from the University of Texas at Austin.
Melinda Jackson
Director of Instructional Design
Mindy has more than 15 years experience in project management and 12 years experience in instructional systems design. She received her master's degree in instructional technology from the University of Texas at Austin. Mindy is former project director of the Digital Media Collaboratory, a transdisciplinary research lab at the IC2 Institute of the University of Texas at Austin whose mission is to research, develop, implement and study the impact and influence of new interactive technologies and digital content that enhance human performance and improve the social good. She has led numerous instructional design projects for interactive, classroom, and blended curricula and instruction. Mindy's graduate studies focused on electronic performance support systems and the use of personal digital assistants (PDAs) to support independent functioning for individuals with cognitive disabilities.
Blake Bush
Vice President of Multimedia
Blake Bush has over 20 years of team management and media development experience. After graduating from the University of Texas with a degree in Radio-TV-Film, Blake worked at Human Code where he served first as the Director of Visual Media and then as the VP of Production. After Human Code was acquired, Blake co-founded Amaze Entertainment's Fizz Factor Games where he served as the Production/Animation Director as well as a Project Art Lead. At Enspire, Blake is committed to nurturing a collaborative environment where talented designers work together to create highly engaging learning experiences for all types of learners.
Brandon Hudgeons
Vice President of Technology Development
Brandon leads Enspire's software development and information technology efforts. His background combines a unique blend of business, technology, and legal experience. In 2001, Brandon founded Internal Machine Industries, Inc. where he also served as President and CEO. He has also worked for Motive, Inc. as a product manager. As an attorney, Brandon represented high-tech and emerging-growth companies. Brandon has an A.B. in Computer Science and English Literature from Dartmouth College. He also has an M.S.C.E.E., an M.B.A., and a J.D. from the University of Texas at Austin.
Sammi Frye
Executive Producer
Sammi is an experienced producer who has more than two decades of experience leading projects in the educational software industry. From the trailblazing CD-ROM programs such as Compton's Multimedia Encyclopedia to custom training products for global corporations such as SAP, Sammi has led teams to create award-winning programs for over 15 years. She holds a Masters in Education in Instructional Technology from the University of Texas. Sammi has steered exceptionally complex and lengthy projects with Enspire, including award-winning efforts with past clients such as Pitney Bowes, American Heart Association, Pearson Education, and SAP.
Pam Kelly
Vice President of Business Development
Pam has over 10 years experience in sales and marketing. Prior to joining Enspire, Pam was responsible for launching Sprint's $2 billion broadband service, which brought fast Internet to both residential and business customers nationwide. During her career at Sprint, Pam built an impressive track record of exceeding sales goals by focusing on the needs of both internal and external clients. Pam holds a B.A. in Speech Communications from Texas A&M University with a minor in Business Administration.
Site Map ©2007, Enspire Learning
