​Welcome to Learning Futures!

​We’re thrilled to introduce the inaugural meeting of Learning Futures, a new community for learning technology folks in Brighton and Sussex. Our mission is to connect like-minded professionals, share insights, and explore the future of learning tech together.

​New, yet familiar

​While we’re just starting out, you’ll find some familiar faces among us. Many of us have been part of related meetups, including Brighton EdTech and Moodle Brighton, so you’re in good company!

​Agenda

​We’re still finalising the speaker lineup, but here’s a sneak peek at the evening’s schedule:

• ​6:30–7:00 PM – Networking & Welcome

• ​7:00–7:45 PM – Three lightning talks

• ​7:45–8:00 PM – Break & refreshments

• ​8:00–8:15 PM – Q&A with the speakers

• ​8:15–8:30 PM – Wrap-up and feedback

​Thank you for your interest in Learning Futures. If you have any questions, suggestions, or would like to sign-up to be a speaker, feel free to reach out.

​Speakers

​A big thank you to our speakers who are listed below!

​Launching a Youth Leadership Social Enterprise

​Mark Aberdour
Product and Tech Lead at ARLLS / Beacon Changemakers

Tosin Adebisi
Programme Manager at Programme for African Leadership at LSEThe All-Round

Leadership Learning System (ARLLS) is a youth leadership programme spun out of African scholarship charity Beacon Changemakers, Mark will share lessons from content creation through piloting, launching and measuring outcomes across schools, universities, and the workplace. Tosin will reflect on how the programme has been piloted within LSE’s Programme for African Leadership, and what this reveals about overcoming institutional barriers to piloting new products and working effectively with startups.

​Filling the gap in the creator economy

​Sally Burns
Founder of The Portal Collective

​When I moved from 16 years developing in the elearning industry to consulting with entrepreneurs, small business owners and service providers trying to get their face to face offers online, I was able to spot a major gap in the market with the tools available to them. Here I’ll be presenting the journey from noticing that gap to launching our MVP in October 2025 and what’s coming next.

​Sally is the founder of The Portal, an innovative online learning platform built on ecological principles rather than extractive tech models. As a mother of two, Sally bridges the worlds of purpose-driven entrepreneurship and parenthood while designing technology that authentically fosters human connection.

​Swimming upstream against a great torrent of disorganisation

​Stuart Lamour
UX Research, Design, and Development

In many organisations the LMS (~Learning Management System) isn’t failing because of the technology, but because it is slowly overwhelmed by competing demands, unclear ownership, inconsistent page design, and well-intentioned content sprawl. This talk is a practical case study in “swimming upstream” against that torrent of disorganisation, showing how quick, lightweight user research (micro-interviews, rapid task testing, and simple page diagnostics) can reveal where learners get stuck and what they actually need from the key LMS pages they rely on most.

The techniques discussed can be used  on any system to prioritise fixes, improve clarity and navigation, and make high-impact pages feel coherent, usable, and learner-led.