Learning Architect & Strategist

Melissa Cokely Learning Experience Architect

15 years designing learning strategies and experiences for enterprise clients in pharma, financial services, and tech. Recent work focuses on AI-assisted learning, prompt design, and AI-powered coaching tools — pairing strong instructional design with hands-on AI experience.

About

Human-centered learning, built for business impact.

Based in Catalonia, Spain. Working globally with teams from startups to the Fortune 500.

I design learning strategies and experiences for enterprise clients — not just courses, but the systems, programs, and ecosystems around them.

Over 15 years I've built blended programs that mix eLearning, ILT, social learning, and AI for measurable impact. My recent work has focused on AI-assisted learning, prompt design, and AI-powered coaching tools, pairing strong instructional design with hands-on AI experience.

I've led training initiatives across pharma, financial services, and tech, with additional work in media, hospitality, and higher education. I'm happiest in creative, collaborative environments that value lifelong learning, diversity, and innovation.

15+
Years designing learning
100+
eLearning courses shipped
3
Languages spoken
Lifelong learner

What I do best

  • End-to-end learning strategy & program design
  • Blended curriculum: eLearning, ILT, vILT, social
  • Stakeholder discovery & needs analysis
  • Leading & mentoring instructional design teams
  • Integrating generative AI into learner experiences

Toolkit

Articulate Rise LXP / LMS Miro · Mural Canva Asana · Hive Zoom · Teams Slack ChatGPT Claude NotebookLM Google Suite Microsoft Office
Selected Work

Programs I've designed, led, and shipped.

A snapshot of recent engagements across pharma, financial services, and tech.

01 · Pharma

AI Tools Training for a Leading Pharmaceutical Company

Held discovery sessions with stakeholders to uncover insights and pain points around the rollout of a new AI tool for marketers, then designed and developed impactful live training sessions that met them where they were.

Discovery Live training AI enablement
02 · Data & AI

Leadership & Human Skills Development Program

Designed a blended cohort program structure, roadmap, and prototypes for a data and AI company. Advised on tools and methodology, facilitated social learning communities and ILT sessions, and drove continuous program improvements.

Cohort design Facilitation Social learning
03 · SaaS

CX Onboarding Overhaul for an Accounting Software Leader

Revamped onboarding for a customer-experience team with 100+ eLearning courses and ILT sessions. Created and approved tax-code and customer-service content, and led team and client interactions end-to-end.

Onboarding eLearning at scale Program management
04 · Consumer

B2C Financial Literacy Program

Created the initial pitch and strategy for a consumer-facing program combining storytelling and gamification to teach financial literacy basics to the public — turning a dense subject into something genuinely engaging.

Strategy Storytelling Gamification
Work Samples

AI-powered learning, in practice.

Two AI-driven simulations I built and a live virtual workshop I designed and facilitated.

01 · AI Simulation

Empathy Practice with GPT

A generative-AI role-play built on ChatGPT 3.0 back in 2023 — learners practice empathy in realistic, adaptive conversations. Co-presented at a conference on AI-driven tasks and feedback for the future of eLearning.

ChatGPT 3.0 Prompt design Role-play
02 · Voice-driven AI

Hotel Guest Sim: Manuela

I created Manuela, an unhappy hotel guest voice-AI character. Receptionists practice staying professional while resolving the complaint — speaking and listening in real time, just like with a guest at the front desk.

Voice AI Character design Conversational
Virtual workshop design sample
03 · Virtual Workshop

Virtual Workshop Design

A sample from a live virtual workshop I designed and facilitated — structuring engagement, breakouts, and reflection into a cohesive flow that kept a distributed audience active throughout.

vILT Facilitation Workshop design
What I Design

Deliverables across four modes of learning.

I pick the right format for the challenge — then stitch multiple formats together into a single, coherent experience.

L

Live

Facilitated moments that move people.

  • Instructor-led training (ILT)
  • Virtual workshops (vILT)
  • Keynotes & panel sessions
  • Train-the-trainer kits
S

Self-Paced

On-demand experiences that scale.

  • eLearning modules & courses
  • Microlearning & job aids
  • AI-powered simulations
  • Interactive videos
So

Social

Learning that happens between people.

  • Cohort programs
  • Peer learning circles
  • Community-of-practice design
  • Mentoring frameworks
C

Continuous

Systems that keep learning alive.

  • Learning strategy & roadmaps
  • LXP / LMS experience design
  • AI coaching tools
  • Measurement & analytics

Content upcycling

Turn the assets you already have into learning that actually engages.

FromPDF playbook
ToInteractive microsite
FromRecorded webinar
ToAI coaching simulation
FromSME interview
ToSocial learning prompts
FromTraining manual
ToAI chatbot tutor
Experience

Fifteen years designing learning that sticks.

A career built at the intersection of education, language, and modern L&D practice.

May 2021 — Present

Lead Learning Experience Designer & Strategist

ELB Learning (formerly CoreAxis) · Remote (USA)
  • Manage end-to-end training programs: discovery, learning strategy, curriculum & program design, implementation, and evaluation.
  • Recruit, hire, and lead teams of instructional designers through creating project deliverables.
  • Create tailored learning strategies aligned with clients' business strategies to maximize engagement, retention, and impact.
  • Carry out presales discovery and needs analyses to uncover client goals, pain points, and pinpoint business impact.
2015 — 2020

Instructional Designer & Learning Consultant

Freelance · Various corporate & higher-ed clients · Spain
  • Created custom learning programs across film & media, digital marketing, e-commerce, branding, hospitality, psychology, publishing, and higher education.
  • Facilitated and oversaw blended, synchronous, and asynchronous learning sessions.
2008 — 2019

English Language University Program Coordinator & Instructor

BAU Design College & Universitat de Vic · Barcelona & Vic, Spain
  • Designed, developed, and facilitated bespoke face-to-face educational programs for students, professors, and administrators.
  • Authored official language assessment materials aligned with CEFR guidelines for EU competency requirements.

Education

MA, Applied Linguistics & Language Acquisition

Universitat de Barcelona

MA, Immigration & Intercultural Education

Universitat de Barcelona / IL3

BA, English

Boston University

Instructional Design Training

IDOL Courses Academy

Professional skills

Leadership Development Stakeholder Management Project Management ILT & vILT Facilitation Cultural Competency Learning Analytics Curriculum Development SME Management

Speaking & Media

Women in Leadership at ELB Learning (podcast host) ELB Learning · Mar 2024
Self-Help Today: Video interview series host R. Santandreu / Arcturus · 2021

Languages

English · Native Spanish · Advanced Catalan · Functional
Let's work together

Have a learning challenge worth solving?

Whether you're rethinking onboarding, launching an AI tool to your team, or designing a leadership program from scratch — I'd love to hear about it.