Offbeat Sparks

PARIS

An event made to facilitate networking and exchange ideas that inform, inspire, and innovate the future of learning. 10 speakers - 5 minutes each - dozens of awesome ideas. See you next time, Bucharest community!

Watch Talks →Check upcoming events →

Aaahhh that was nice! I had such an amazing time speaking last night at Offbeat Sparks.

Free Event

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May 15th

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5:30 PM

Offbeat Sparks Chicago

Sparks Chicago 2025 is hosted by

An event made to facilitate networking and exchange ideas that inform, inspire, and innovate the future of learning. Lots of speakers - 5 minutes each - dozens of awesome ideas.

Check Speakers →

Please repeat the event, it was like a breath of fresh air, it came with lots of inspiration, and I felt less alone in L&D. Congrats! Offbeat Sparks Bucharest Participant

Woop! Woop! See you soon. Keep an eye on your email (check spam as well) for a confirmation!

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Talks to inspire

Curious what our speakers chose to explore in their 5 minutes? Recordings coming soon.

The story in pictures

I had an amazing evening with L&D professionals at the Offbeat community meetup 🥰 The format of 9 talks five minutes each is a great way for speakers to share one key message and for the audience to gain concentrated value from one evening.

About Offbeat Sparks

This event brings together sharp minds from across the field to share how they’re challenging assumptions, experimenting with bold ideas and designing learning that drives change.
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In a series of five-minute talks, you’ll hear from peers who are reimagining learning—internally, with clients and across industries. Expect thought-provoking insights, unexpected inspiration and the kind of cross-pollination that only happens when smart people share what they’re working on.

You’ll walk away with new connections, fresh ideas and inspiration for your own work.

Your Speakers

Excited to introduce you to the awesome speakers who agreed to join us in 2025!

AI & Shadows: Making real-world learning more inclusive

Rachel Fuld Cohen, COO & Co-Founder at Silicon Society

6 Steps to Accelerate Behavior Change

Matt Sandel, Director of Design for DX Learning Solutions

The Power of Conflict: Building Inclusion Through Healthy Tension

Alix Prassas, EVP & Head of Organizational Effectiveness at Momentum HCA

Beyond the Bot: The Power of Human Skills

Joe Leslie, Global Lead: AI, L&D at Golin

The Power of Choice: Creating Meaningful Change in Finance

Vivian Rohleder, Head of Curriculum Development at Cboe Global Markets

Learning Starts With a Breath

Benjamin Cardenas, Leadership Consultant & Authenticity Coach

How Do You Measure Impact?

Kevin M. Yates, L&D Detective®

Beyond Avocado Toast: How Millennials Became Your Workplace Translators

Calle Foster, Leadership Coach

Location

We'll be hosted this year by the awesome team at The Chicago School, 4th floor, 325 North Wells St.Chicago, across from The Merchandise Mart

Explore past talks

Want to get the vibe before registering? Check recordings from other Sparks events!

Event organizers

Offbeat Sparks is brought to your city by a team of awesome people

Adam Walleser

L&D Leader | Talent Professional | IO Psychologist

Stephanie Hammer

Design Thinking Facilitator | Learning Experience Designer | Strategic Communication Coach

Whitley Harris

Talent Development & Management Leader | Facilitator

Got questions?

We have answers.

Can I bring along a colleague?

Of course! But please keep in mind this is an L&D-focused event. Also, ask them to register, so we can keep track of the number of seats available at any time.

Is the event free?

100%. No hidden fees.

Where are we meeting?

The team at The Chicago School was kind enough to provide us with the location for this year's event. We'll meet at The Chicago School, 4th floor, 325 North Wells St.Chicago, across from The Merchandise Mart

What's the detailed agenda of the event?

We'll be welcoming you starting 5:30 PM, and officially start the talks at 6:00 PM. Each talk will take about 10 minutes (5 minutes for the presentation +. 5 minutes for 1 question). We will have time to network at the beginning, in a mid-break, and at the end of the talks.

I have another question. Where can I reach out?

Please feel free to reach out at ioana@offbeat.works