CASE STUDY
Unlearn AI is a leading healthtech company that builds technology to create digital twins of patients, enabling pharmaceutical companies to run more efficient clinical trials with smaller control groups. This innovation has the potential to bring life-saving treatments to patients faster.
As a rapidly growing startup, Unlearn operates in an environment where things change quickly. Teams had recently navigated multiple department and team reorganizations, and the pace wasn’t slowing down.
When Theresa Vermeersch joined as Director of People, she heard clear feedback from across the organization. Managers were handling ongoing changes in isolation and wanted to feel more confident in supporting their teams through these transitions. But individual skills alone wouldn’t solve the problem. Unlearn needed to create a community of managers who could lean on each other, share strategies, and navigate issues as a whole.
While the need for a community was clear, building this amid ongoing change presented distinct obstacles. Unlearn needed a solution that could develop individual capabilities, strengthen cross-functional relationships, and nurture a broader collaborative culture. To this point, there were four main challenges for the engagement:
“I wanted to create a community of managers that were able to lean on each other, talk to each other, and really make sure that they were able to support their teams through the many changes that we've experienced.”
Theresa Vermeersch, VP of People at
Unlearn.AI
Elevate worked closely with Unlearn to create a custom program that addressed their unique needs, blending live workshops, self-directed learning, and individual coaching support.
In-Person Leadership Offsite
The program launched with a live offsite workshop with the theme, “Building Trust and Leading Through Change.” Managers explored practical frameworks like the Trust Equation and Change Curve, completed DiSC assessments to understand communication styles across the team, and connected through small group discussions that created the foundation for ongoing peer support
Manager Accelerator Program
Eight Learning Library classes were integrated into Unlearn’s internal system, covering essential leadership skills. Topics included:
Classes were self-facilitated 45-60 minute sessions every month, allowing managers to learn at their own pace while still creating consistent development touchpoints.
Group Leadership Coaching
Monthly group coaching sessions created space for managers to practice frameworks, share real challenges, and learn from each other. Managers engaged with content ahead of time, and used coaching sessions for collaborative application and support
Leadership Coaching “Office Hours”
Throughout the engagement, a dedicated Elevate leadership coach held regular office hours where Unlearn’s managers could sign up for individual one-on-one sessions. Rather than requiring rigid commitments or scheduling, this flexible model allowed managers to access individual coaching exactly when they needed it.
"Elevate has thought of everything — how the partnership best supports me as a People leader, how we can empower other managers internally to easily lead sessions so the program scales and creates community, and how to develop a customized program that supports the exact needs of our group"
“Having Elevate in my corner as a thought partner and, what feels like, an extension of my team has been an enormous benefit to me.”
We are on a mission to help leaders be the kind of manager they would want to work for. Speak with a leadership development expert to learn how Elevate can level up your team’s leadership skills:
We've helped hundreds of leaders, managers, and rising teams with our science-based frameworks and sessions. 98% of attendees say Elevate improved their confidence to manage their team, and 95% of attendees said they’d recommend Elevate to others.
We've helped hundreds of leaders, managers, and rising teams with our science-based frameworks and sessions. 98% of attendees say Elevate improved their confidence to manage their team, and 95% of attendees said they’d recommend Elevate to others.
