We Help Learning Professionals Create Better Training in Less Time
At Great Circle Learning
We believe your time should be spent creating meaningful learning experiences, not wrestling with formatting, document maintenance, or repetitive development tasks.
As a woman-owned, family-operated small business, we've spent more than three decades helping instructional designers, trainers, course developers, and learning leaders create professional training materials faster, more consistently, and with greater confidence.
Our mission is simple:
Design, Develop, Deliver better training, in less time, under budget, and with style.
Built by Training Professionals, For Training Professionals
Great Circle Learning was founded in 1992 as a custom training and education company serving organizations in highly regulated and performance-driven industries. Before we were a software company, we were training developers facing the same challenges our customers face every day.
We were managing tight deadlines.
We were struggling to maintain consistency across projects.
We were spending too much time on document production instead of instructional design.
So we built tools to solve those problems.
What began as an internal solution evolved into LeaderGuide Pro, Learning Design Tool, and AuthorTec; software designed to help learning professionals work faster, smarter, and more effectively.
Today, our software is used by learning teams, consultants, nonprofits, corporate training departments, government agencies, and independent instructional designers who want professional results without unnecessary complexity.
Our Philosophy
We believe instructional designers and training professionals do some of the most important work in any organization.
You are responsible for helping people learn new skills, improve performance, adapt to change, and achieve business results.
That's important work. Our role is to remove the friction that slows you down.
We create software, resources, and services that help you:
Develop training materials more efficiently
Reduce administrative and formatting work
Standardize course development processes
Improve consistency across programs
Support facilitators with high-quality materials
Deliver professional learning experiences
Meet deadlines without sacrificing quality
When repetitive work becomes easier, you can focus on the creative and cognitive work that truly matters.
A Small Company with a Big Commitment
We're proud to be a woman-owned small business and a family-operated company that values relationships over transactions.
Unlike large software vendors, we're personally invested in our customers' success.
When you contact Great Circle Learning, you're not entering a support queue managed by layers of departments. You're connecting with people who understand training development, care about your challenges, and genuinely want to help.
Many of our customers have worked with us for years because they know we'll take the time to understand their needs and provide practical solutions that work.
More Than Software
While we're known for our software, we're ultimately in the business of helping learning professionals succeed.
That's why we also provide:
Training and coaching
Content conversion services
Custom template development
Course development support
Consulting and implementation services
Best-practice guidance and resources for ILT and VILT programs
Whether you need a software tool, expert coaching, or a partner to help meet a critical deadline, we're here to support your success.
Meet The Team
Meet the team behind Great Circle Learning, a woman-owned family business dedicated to helping learning professionals create better training in less time.
Nancy Michaels
PRESIDENT
Nancy is the heart of Great Circle Learning. As President and co-founder, she is passionate about helping Learning & Development professionals work faster, smarter, and with less frustration. Her vision is a world where L&D professionals have the tools, support, and recognition they need to do their best work and still make it home on time.
Rich is the creator behind Great Circle Learning's software products. A software developer turned instructional designer, Rich combines technical expertise with a deep understanding of adult learning. His contributions to the Microsoft community earned him Microsoft MVP recognition for many consecutive years.
Pat brings decades of experience in training, management, talent development, and performance improvement. His practical approach focuses on helping organizations execute efficiently, solve problems, and create learning experiences that drive results.
