The Learning Development Accelerator

What The Learning Development Accelerator does

The Learning Development Accelerator (LDA) is a private, USA-domiciled professional membership community for Learning and Development (L&D) practitioners, founded in 2020 by Will Thalheimer and Matt Richter after The L&D Conference 2020, and currently co-directed by Matt Richter and Clark Quinn. The organization offers tiered Gold and Platinum annual memberships, a bimonthly LDA Podcast, recurring free public programs (Meet the Author, Debates and Discussions, You Oughta Know), paid workshops covering leadership development, learning experience design, behavioral science, and motivation, and the annual Learning Science Conference (LSC 2026). It also operates a publishing imprint, LDA Press, with at least eight titles distributed via Amazon and BookBaby, including a French-language edition.

LDA's technology footprint is intentionally lean: the platform is built on Squarespace, with a members-only portal at members.ldaccelerator.com delivering content through live online sessions, asynchronous video series, and podcasts. There is no proprietary technology platform, no mobile app, no public API, and no disclosed data assets. Workshop and book distribution is digital-first, with selective in-person programming (e.g., LDA London Programs in central London) and partnerships that extend the catalog without requiring additional headcount (Impetus Academy, Upside Learning, Improv Inc., The Thiagi Group).

LDA's revenue model combines recurring annual membership subscriptions with one-time workshop fees ($99–$499 USD, with member discounts of 10%+; 300–650 GBP for London programs) and one-time book sales. The company does not disclose member counts, headcount, or financial figures, and has not raised institutional funding. Customer concentration is low, with the customer base consisting of individual practitioners and small L&D teams globally; no enterprise master contracts are disclosed.

Name

The Learning Development Accelerator

Legal name

Learning Development Accelerator

Website

https://ldaccelerator.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Learning Development Accelerator is a private, USA-based professional membership community founded in 2020 that serves L&D practitioners globally through tiered annual memberships, workshops, the LDA Podcast, an annual conference (LSC 2026), and the LDA Press publishing imprint.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Loudonville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Membership subscriptions (Gold and Platinum tiers): Annual membership fees providing access to exclusive programs, content, and community. Members receive discount codes for workshops and books.
2. Workshop fees (members and non-members): Fee-based workshops ranging from free introductory sessions to premium multi-day programs ($295-$499). Members receive discounted pricing.
3. Book sales (LDA Press bookstore): Sale of ebooks, print books, and Kindle editions published under LDA Press, with member discounts. Titles include The L&D Pivot Point, Interactive Techniques for Learning, The Great Reset, Eight Levers, The Motivation Blueprint, and Make It Meaningful.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Learning Development Accelerator (LDA) operates a professional membership community for learning and development (L&D) practitioners. It sells tiered memberships (Gold and Platinum), fee-based workshops, books under its LDA Press imprint, and a bimonthly podcast, all designed to help L&D professionals stay current with research, connect with peers, and apply evidence-informed practices in their work.

Product overview

The Learning Development Accelerator is a professional membership community for L&D practitioners that offers a tiered membership model (Gold and Platinum) providing access to exclusive programs and resources. The core offering centers on the LDA Membership community, complemented by the LDA Podcast (bimonthly episodes exploring L&D topics), and LDA Press publishing books by thought leaders like Clark Quinn, Matt Richter, Nigel Paine, Guy Wallace, and Lori Niles-Hofmann. Programming includes free public offerings (Meet the Author Series, Debates and Discussions, You Oughta Know motivation series) and member-exclusive content (LDA Book Club, The Nuances Series, L&D Executive Insights, Show Me How You Do It). Workshops range from leadership development (Building Leadership Capability Series with Nigel Paine and Matt Richter) to specialized topics (Interactive Fridays with Thiagi, Missing LXD, Behavior Change, Make It Meaningful). The organization also hosts the annual Learning Science Conference and regional programs like the LDA London Programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• LDA Press: An imprint of LDA for publishing books on learning and development, including titles by Clark Quinn, Guy Wallace, Nigel Paine, and Matt Richter.

Products and services

• LDA Membership (Gold and Platinum tiers) Annual professional community membership for L&D practitioners providing access to exclusive content (LDA Book Club, The Nuances Series, L&D Executive Insights, Show Me How You Do It, Learning Insights Monthly), member discounts on workshops and books, and a global peer network.
• LDA Podcast Bimonthly podcast hosted by Clark Quinn and Matt Richter covering L&D research, validated tools, industry controversies, and practical applications; includes a monthly AI series with Markus Bernhardt.
• LDA Press Books Books published under the LDA Press imprint by leading L&D practitioners, including The L&D Pivot Point, Interactive Techniques for Learning, The Great Reset, Eight Levers, The Motivation Blueprint, Make It Meaningful, and Designing for Learning in the Real World; sold as ebooks, print, and Kindle editions.
• Building Leadership Capability Series 12-session paid workshop series with Nigel Paine and Matt Richter covering leadership tools, contextual leadership development, systems thinking, risk management, and strategic problem-solving.
• The Motivating Change Program 12-hour interactive program ($295 non-members / $150 LDA members) exploring motivational factors during organizational change using Self-Determination Theory; co-designed with Impetus Academy.
• Missing LXD Workshop Six-session workshop ($450) developed with Upside Learning focusing on learning experience design principles separating LXD from traditional instructional design.
• Learning Design for Behavior Change Workshop Three-session workshop ($499 non-members / $199 members) with Julie Dirksen using behavioral science research to create more effective learning and inspire behavior change.
• Make It Meaningful Workshop Four-session workshop ($499 non-members / $169 members) covering the integration of learning science with engagement principles such as surprise, story, and emotion.
• LDA London Programs Three-day in-person program in central London (300-650 GBP) covering organizational learning, interactive techniques, and sustainable leadership development with Nigel Paine, Matt Richter, and Thiagi; held in partnership with Improv Inc.
• Learning Science Conference (LSC 2026) Annual Learning Science Conference bringing together L&D practitioners, researchers, and thought leaders; originated as the L&D Conference 2020, a groundbreaking six-week online conference that spawned LDA's formation.
• Interactive Fridays with Thiagi Biweekly interactive sessions applying Thiagi's 66 interactive approaches to decision-making, creativity, communication skills, and performance technology for L&D practitioners.

Quantifiable outcome

• Six months of LDA membership provided more learning about L&D than all previous years combined, per member testimony
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Impetus AcademycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerImpetus Academy, co-founded by Dr. Nathalie Aelterman (Ghent University), co-designs and co-hosts The Motivating Change program with LDA. This program uses Self-Determination Theory and is offered at member and non-member pricing. Impetus Academy clients receive the same discounted rate as LDA members.
• Upside LearningcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLDA developed the 'Missing LXD' six-week workshop in conjunction with Upside Learning, a leading elearning solutions provider. The workshop focuses on learning experience design principles separating LXD from traditional instructional design.
• Improv Inc.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerImprov Inc. is LDA's 'happy partner' for the LDA London Programs, a three-day in-person event in central London covering organizational learning, interactive techniques, and leadership development with Nigel Paine, Matt Richter, and Thiagi.
• The Thiagi GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMatt Richter is President of The Thiagi Group. LDA and The Thiagi Group collaborate on book publishing (LOLA: Live Online Learning Activities; Interactive Techniques for Learning with Sivasailam Thiagarajan and Esther Richter) and program co-delivery. The Thiagi Group is a key operational partner.
• Various L&D Authors and Practitioners (hosts, facilitators)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLDA collaborates with leading L&D authors and practitioners including Clark Quinn (co-director), Will Thalheimer (co-founder), Kat Koppett (Book Club facilitator), Julie Dirksen, Nigel Paine, Lori Niles-Hofmann, and others who design and deliver programs, workshops, and content for the community.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• MasterClass: Subscription learning platform built around creator-led courses and content bundles; structurally analogous to LDA on the all-access subscription and creator-led content side, but in consumer/lifestyle categories rather than B2B L&D.

Direct peers

• Mind Tools: Subscription-based corporate L&D content and toolkits serving individual practitioners and L&D teams; competes for the same per-seat subscription wallet as LDA's Gold/Platinum memberships.
• Association for Talent Development (ATD): The largest L&D professional membership association in the U.S.; serves the same L&D practitioner buyer with memberships, certifications, publications, and conferences, but at much greater scale and institutional entrenchment than LDA.
• Chief Learning Officer (CLO) Media: B2B media brand and executive community for L&D leaders, publishing research, hosting events, and convening senior practitioners; overlaps with LDA's Executive Insights programming and L&D executive audience.
• Training Industry: Research, media, and events company serving L&D buyers and practitioners; competes for the same practitioner attention and corporate training-research budget as LDA's research-aligned programs and LDA Press content.
• Learning Guild (formerly eLearning Guild): Long-standing L&D professional community offering memberships, online events, publications, and conferences for instructional designers and learning leaders; matches LDA's community-led, content-driven model.

Broad incumbents

• Coursera for Business: Enterprise upskilling platform with thousands of creator/university-led courses and credentials; competes with LDA for corporate L&D budgets and individual practitioner continuing-education spend.
• Degreed: Learning experience platform used by enterprises to aggregate and track learning content for L&D teams; tangential peer given LDA's narrower, community-led model versus Degreed's platform play.
• Skillsoft: Large enterprise learning platform with content libraries, compliance training, and L&D leadership development programs; competes with LDA at the corporate training budget level though via a much broader catalog model.
• LinkedIn Learning: Enterprise learning subscription bundled with LinkedIn's professional network, targeting individual practitioners and corporate L&D buyers; a structural incumbent in the L&D content subscription category where LDA competes.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/quinnovator

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Learning Development Accelerator