Samantha Thomas, M.Ed.
I turn the science of learning and the power of play into experiences that change how people lead.
Learning leader / Speaker / XPBoost co-founder
I believe work can be a place where people grow, contribute, and find joy. Great leadership helps make that possible.
I’m Samantha Thomas, a learning and leadership development leader, speaker, and co-founder of XPBoost. My work connects business priorities with the moments that shape how people show up for one another.
From building manager development at Activision Blizzard to leading learning and development at RVO Health, I’ve designed programs, developed teams, and helped leaders turn insight into practice. My career also includes work at Microsoft, Amazon, and T-Mobile.
With a Master of Education and a background in instructional design, I bring both learning science and creative energy to the room. Think practical strategy, thoughtful questions, and an experience people remember.
Connect with me on LinkedInThe experience gets people involved.
What they do next is what matters.
Activision Blizzard / Leadership & growth
As Director of Learning & Development, I built experiences that connected manager capability, career growth, and the realities of leading in a gaming organization.
Manager effectiveness rating
Program satisfaction
Career Labs attendance
Selected outcomes from my learning and development work at Activision Blizzard.
RVO Health / Learning & development
I led learning and development across leadership programs, performance management, competencies, and the learning platform, connecting the systems with the support managers need.
Lead Now pilot satisfaction
A six-week blended leadership experience paired in-person learning with virtual sessions. Manager Moments Now extended the work into recurring conversations about feedback, coaching, communication, and performance.
Pilot results reflect participant satisfaction. The broader work also included manager resources and Docebo LMS leadership.
My approach
The XPBoost motto
An estimated 90,000 hours of our lives are spent at work.
It doesn’t have to suck.
Keynotes that spark a conversation.
Workshops that put people in it.
Upcoming speaking engagement
Orlando, FL
Signature keynote
A practical look at joy as part of leadership, culture, and performance. Explore how leaders can create the conditions for people to do meaningful work together.
Hands-on workshop
Building blocks become a way to examine communication, collaboration, and team dynamics. Build something together, then unpack what the experience reveals about your leadership.
Immersive leadership simulation
An adventure inspired by Dungeons & Dragons that brings decisions, delegation, and communication into focus. Experience the challenge, reflect together, and connect the learning to work.
Learning strategy & innovation
AI, learning, and the human judgment that connects them. A conversation about using technology with intention and asking better questions about capability, ethics, and impact.
Selected speaking experience
Transform 2026 · Learning 2024 · TICE 2024 · CLO Exchange 2024 · ISPI 2023
XPBoost↗
We met at Activision. We shared a belief. People grow when they’re fully engaged in an experience.
John Reynolds and I created XPBoost to bring that belief into leadership development, executive coaching, and fractional HR consulting.
We design around your people and goals, from a single immersive workshop to a broader development journey.
Start a conversation with XPBoostPublished writing and conversations
from Training Industry, HR Grapevine,
and Authority Magazine.
Training Industry / Fall 2025
How learning teams can use AI to support better decisions, build capability, and keep human understanding at the center of their work.
Read the articleHR Grapevine / December 2024
Co-authored with Adam Hickman
How reflection, emotional intelligence, and supportive relationships help leaders and teams build resilience through change.
Read the articleAuthority Magazine / Featured interview
A conversation with Sam about the leadership lessons we learn from the people we work for.
Read the interviewPlanning an event? Developing your leaders?
Let’s talk about what you want people to do differently.