Our Team

Mike Saunderson — ABD, MSEd, MSW

As the Director of Training and Evaluation at EthnoPraxis, I leverage my 10+ years of experience and expertise in training evaluation and ROI to help organizations determine the effectiveness and impact of their learning initiatives.
I partner with senior leadership to identify and determine performance gaps between the organization's current and desired state, determine what success will look like, estimate the cost of training, and define the budget.
I direct key stakeholders to identify the target audience's performance, skills, and knowledge to close the identified gap(s), identify organizational barriers to successfully transferring training, determine best practices and methods for learning content delivery, ensure training content is strategically aligned with business goals and metrics, establish measurable learning objectives, and establish evaluation plans to measure the impact on on-the-job performance and determine the impact of training on organizational metrics and return on investment.
I have an MS Ed in Learning Design and Technology from Purdue University and am currently pursuing my Ph.D. in the same field at the University of Hawaii. My research focuses on the transfer of training to on-the-job behavior and the factors that influence it.

Jean Marie Johnson — MS

Jean Marie is our Senior Learning Strategist whose lifelong passion is to “make things better” for customers and the organizations that serve them, while dignifying the contribution and experience of every employee in every role.  

An experienced writer, facilitator, and coach, Jean Marie has worked with the Fortune 500 and small businesses for over 20 years. With a background in People Development, Communications and Marketing, she wrote telemarketing scripts for one of the first business-to-business call center operations, and pioneered innovative approaches to employee on-boarding, domestically and abroad. In addition to her experience in line, staff, and consulting roles, Jean Marie co-owned and operated a top-rated Bed and Breakfast in northwestern Connecticut for 13 years, while also running a vintage clothing and accessories boutique frequented by film and theater professionals.

Jean Marie excels in respecting and understanding the nuances of both people and processes and partners with clients to optimize both. She is an avid reader of literary fiction that “tells the human story with grace, compassion and realism,” and holds a BA in Social Work and an MS in Counseling/Human Resource Development. Jean Marie joined our team in 2010.

Industry experience

• Consumer Goods

• Financial Services

• Government

• Healthcare

• Hospitality

• Relocation

• Retail

• Tourism

Ryan Zimbelman

Ryan Zimbelman is a Creative Director and Graphic Designer who works with clients to develop and execute visual solutions to complex problems. He believes that the most effective interactions are ones that make life simple for people, and that the fastest way to the heart is through the eyes. His work always strives to communicate in the simplest, most universal visual language possible.

Before coming to EthnoPraxis, Ryan led design-focused projects at the world-renowned Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle, including a successful rebranding that shifted the organization’s focus to an education-based experience.  

Ryan has a BFA in Fine Art and Design and a Certificate in Game Design and Development. Ryan joined our team in 2012.

Industry experience

• Conservation

• Education

• Healthcare

• Non-profits

• Museums

• Tourism

Function experience

• Gaming

• Graphic Design

• Marketing/Branding

• Project Management

Pete DiSantis

Pete DiSantis has extensive experience in performance improvement and management and leadership training. He brings over 40 years of experience in industrial engineering, logistics operations, management and project management. 

His internal and external consulting expertise spans various industries and includes world-class organizations such as UPS, FedEx, Airborne Express, Quest Diagnostics, among others. Pete’s unique skills blend LEAN, process improvement, leadership and information architecture with experience in brand development and execution. 

He believes everyone does the best they know how with the information they have available. His job is to shine a light onto the previously unexplored areas of an operation to make more information available.

Pete has a Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering (BIE). He first joined our team in 2008, then a client stole him for a few years. He recently rejoined us in 2018.