Last week, senior Learning & Development (L&D) leaders from across Toronto gathered 54 floors above the city at Canoe Restaurant for an exclusive, invitation-only evening hosted by Cognota and Deloitte. Against a backdrop of skyline views, fine dining, and meaningful conversation, one thing was clear: the future of L&D will be shaped by our ability to adapt—not only to technology, but to tighter budgets, shifting strategies, and evolving expectations.
A Private Gathering with Purpose
Held on June 26th, 2025, the Talent and L&D Leaders Dinner brought together a diverse group of senior leaders for an off-the-record conversation centered on one big question: how can L&D evolve to meet the moment?
The evening followed a thoughtfully curated structure to spark discussion:
- 🥂 Drinks & Networking
- 🍽️ Dinner and Dialogue
- 💡 Closing Reflections and Takeaways
With AI and LearnOps® as central themes, attendees shared their current challenges and aspirations, walked through real-world use cases, and explored how to align people, processes, and platforms to better meet today’s learning demands.
The Questions That Moved the Room
Each course of the evening was paired with a compelling discussion prompt, designed to unlock candid insights and peer exchange:
🥂 Appetizer: Budget Pressures & Strategic Priorities
“How are budget pressures changing your expectations around L&D strategy and operations?”
📊 Insight: 49% of employers cite budget and resource management as their top operational challenge in L&D.
Leaders reflected on doing more with less, the growing expectation to prove impact, and how they’re aligning teams and tools more strategically to demonstrate business value.Leaders reflected on doing more with less, the growing expectation to prove impact, and how they’re aligning teams and tools more strategically to demonstrate business value.
🍽️ Main Course: Building an AI-Ready Tech Stack
“What would an ‘AI future-ready’ tech stack look like in your organization?”
📊 Insight: Only 9% of L&D teams today are operating at a predictive maturity level.
Attendees discussed the foundational elements required to responsibly and effectively implement AI in learning—beyond experimentation. Topics included data infrastructure, ethical considerations, automation readiness, and the importance of starting with real learner needs.
🍰 Dessert: Rethinking the Operating Model
“If you could redesign your L&D operating model today, what are the 3 capabilities you would prioritize?”
📊 Insight: Organizations with formalized LearnOps practices report 10–30% efficiency gains, stronger business alignment, and better executive buy-in.
The group explored what a modern L&D operating model should look like—from cross-functional collaboration to agile planning, capacity management, and performance tracking.
A Shared Commitment to Progress
This dinner was more than a networking event—it was a forum for action. It showed how L&D leaders are leaning into tough conversations, pushing beyond traditional structures, and exploring frameworks like LearnOps® to build scalable, data-driven, and AI-enabled learning organizations.
“While technology is evolving faster than ever, it’s our ability to adapt our operating models, mindsets, and metrics that will set us apart.”
— Ryan Austin, CEO, Cognota
Looking Ahead
Thank you to everyone who joined us for this unforgettable evening—and to Deloitte for co-hosting and contributing to such a thoughtful conversation.
As we continue to navigate the complexities of learning in a rapidly changing world, events like this remind us of the power of community, strategy, and innovation.
Stay tuned for future gatherings as we continue shaping the future of learning—together.
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