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Amy Fletcher 

Writing, Editing, Research


Featured Articles

Explore a featured selection of my commissioned writing below.

2023 L&D Trends

The global skills shortage and the imperative of meaningful diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives exacerbates the pressure on L&D, as does the need to establish a clear link between corporate training and return on investment (ROI). Transformative L&D is essential for companies that want to not only survive but thrive in this volatile external environment.

Agile companies that put L&D at the center of operations will be best placed to navigate the future of work and digital disrupt...
EdFlex Blog •

L&D Trends: Adaptive, Personalized, and Self-Directed Learning

Learning in the 20th century prioritized instructor-led teaching (ILT) and memorization. This model can still be appropriate in certain circumstances, but rapid disruption in the modern workplace means that skill sets and knowledge expire quickly. Today, employees need tools for learning in the flow of work and the ability to take command of when, what, how, and why they learn.

The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the digital transformation of the 21st century workplace. LinkedIn refers to this pe...
EdFlex Blog •

Building inclusive learning culture with learning and development

An equitable learning culture focuses on employee assets and strengths, is culturally responsive, and seeks to identify and eliminate systemic inequalities, so all employees can flourish. Creating learning equity requires making DEI a consistent priority, putting flexible learning opportunities within reach, and focusing on corporate culture as the key determinant of employee satisfaction.

Research from the Harvard Kennedy School indicates that U.S. companies do not achieve results commensurate...
National Recordings Registry •

“The Sounds of the Earth” (1977)

Library of Congress National Recordings Registry

The Golden Record is a key artifact from both the post-Apollo era of space exploration and the
ongoing search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) in the universe. Launched into space on
the Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 missions, the Golden Record is a 12-inch, gold-plated copper disk
in an aluminum cover that holds sounds and images chosen to reflect life on Earth
EdFlex Blog •

Improving communities by extending L&D benefits

Learning and development (L&D) is no longer simply about in-house training and productivity gains but also requires a commitment to continuous learning and employability. Extending L&D options to employees’ family members is an innovative way to build a culture of equitable learning and support meaningful advances in diversity & inclusion in both the workplace and the community. The workplace is changing at a rapid pace not seen since the late 19th century. The Covid-19 pandemic reset concepts s
EdFlex Blog •

What are the costs and benefits of upskilling?

The global workforce is experiencing significant disruption. The future of work involves ongoing automation of routine tasks, robotics throughout the organization, and meaningful commitments to diversity, equity, and inclusion. The COVID-19 pandemic altered the relationship between employees and employers; many workers now demand hybrid or remote opportunities and improved work-life balance.

Demographic Changes Continue to Roil the Employment Landscape Demographic changes continue to roil the e
ROVA •

Exploring Appalachia In Pigeon Forge, Tennessee - ROVA

In Pigeon Forge, Tennessee-located less than half an hour from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park—a large, white cross sits serenely on a hillside, visible from multiple vantage points in the town. Designed by the Reverend James Potter, the structure is 110 feet high and weighs an estimated 60,000 pounds. I visit Pigeon Forge frequently, and the cross always makes me think of the contradictions embedded in this small town, where a lively mix of amusement parks, thrill rides, clubs, and CBD/
The Body •

Playboy Magazine Was a Model of Reporting on HIV/AIDS in the 1980s

In an analog era, newspapers and magazines provided much of the essential HIV/AIDS reporting in the United States by disseminating updates on the evolving medical consensus that shaped an emergent pandemic politics.

Among the popular magazines of the 1980s, Playboy had a unique vantage point on the crisis. The AIDS epidemic―and the moral panic it engendered—threatened not only the magazine’s business model but its worldview. The magazine’s focus on sexual liberation, tolerance, and civil libert
Roots Music Magazine •

City of Gold: Molly Tuttle and Golden Highway

Molly Tuttle, born in Santa Clara, California, in January 1993, proves that a gifted musician can be steeped in tradition but of her own era. Tuttle recorded her first cd (The Old Apple Tree) with her father Jack Tuttle—a renowned bluegrass performer and expert—at the age of 13. She joined the all-female Goodbye Girls while at the Berklee College of music and has since won the International Bluegrass Association’s Best Guitarist of the Year award twice, in 2017 and 2018.

She is a multi-instrume
Get Proven Blog •

Understanding Venture Capital and Vendor Management

Apple TV’s WeCrashed dramatizes the real-life story of the spectacular rise and fall of WeWork, a company that promised to disrupt the co-op office industry and whose momentum depended primarily upon charismatic founder, Adam Neumann, and his gnomic pronouncements about people following “their superpowers.” WeWork burned through billions of dollars of venture capital and orchestrated a disastrous initial public offering in 2021. The streaming series lets the viewer in on the reasons why the desi
Get Proven Blog •

Best strategies for vetting potential vendors for venture capital firms

Today’s business environment challenges vendors, entrepreneurs, and investors daily. The covid-19 pandemic, high inflation, geopolitical tensions, and the supply chain crisis have combined to create a perfect storm for C-suite executives, and everyone involved in the innovation ecosystem. In an era of deep economic uncertainty, identifying the optimal vendors for your business can generate return on investment (ROI), improve customer service, and build a secure platform for growth.

But how does
Blue Zones •

Walking Leads to Longer Life, Better Outcomes

Logging more steps per day as a systematic approach to health has an intuitive appeal, especially in light of the obesity epidemic in the United States. Though the fitness industry is worth an estimated $35 billion per year, approximately 41.9 percent of the population is classified as obese. Obesity contributes to stroke, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes, among other serious conditions, and consumes an estimated $173 billion in annual medical costs.

Scientific research clearly shows that reg
EdFlex Blog •

EdFlex's Impact on the Bottom Line

This is also the first time in history that five different generations of employees may work alongside each other. Older workers are reshaping traditional retirement planning, with many of them extending their careers beyond age 65 or seeking hybrid retirement options. Amid a global talent shortage from Kornferry, retaining and upskilling these employees through targeted corporate training opportunities is essential. Younger workers are also bringing innovative ideas and expectations to the post

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Futurism •

A City of the Future in the Arizona Desert

Arcosanti is a self-described “urban laboratory” situated in the Arizona desert, approximately seventy miles from the sprawling suburbs of Scottsdale (a mega-suburb of Phoenix). In 1970, Paolo Soleri and a small band of volunteers broke ground on this architectural experiment in arcology (a Soleri neologism combining architecture and ecology). Soleri believed that arcologies would eventually displace the automobile, the suburbs, and the single-family home in favor of vertically designed, compact

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