Join us in person for "Activating the Front Line"

Sharing time-tested best practices and the latest technologies to drive business performance by developing and empowering the front line in times of change. This is the future of hospitality training.

 

When: October 7, 2025

Time: 3:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Where: Chicago, IL

Developing your people in times of change.

Socratic Arts and Attensi are pleased to invite a select group of senior leaders in Retail and Hospitality to an exclusive event in Chicago, Illinois, focused on unlocking frontline performance to drive business results.

In a time of rapid industry transformation, frontline teams are more critical than ever. This half-day session brings together time-tested strategies and emerging technologies to elevate onboarding, upskilling, and retention.

  • Tackle Today’s Training Gaps: Address real-time skills shortages and evolving guest expectations head-on.
  • Design for Retention: Discover training strategies that drive engagement, performance, and staff loyalty.
  • Prove the ROI: Learn how to align learning outcomes with business impact in a fast-moving hospitality landscape.

Attendees will gain first-hand insights from Lan Tran of McDonald’s, join a moderated panel with Holly Christensen Sestak from Socratic Arts and Huw Newton-Hill from Attensi, and take part in curated peer discussions with fellow executives.

The program concludes with a private networking reception featuring appetizers and refreshments.

Participation is by invitation only. To ensure a high-value experience for all attendees, registrations will be reviewed based on role, industry, and alignment with the event’s focus.

We look forward to welcoming you to an afternoon of executive-level insight, strategic dialogue, and meaningful connection.

Speakers

Holly Image_2
Lan Image_2-2
Hwu Image-1

Holly Christensen Sestak

President and CEO

Socratic Arts

Holly leads Socratic Arts’ science-backed learning design & tech teams, driving measurable performance outcomes for global clients. She and her team have partnered with major organizations to design award-winning & highly effective learning solutions for IBM, Allstate, McDonald’s, the Dept of Defense, and other Fortune 500 companies. Under her leadership, Socratic Arts has pioneered technology that scales personalized mentorship based on AI & Education researcher Roger Schank’s groundbreaking work.

Holly is passionate about using human-centered design coupled with AI to transform how organizations develop talent in complex, multi-location & multinational environments.

Lan Tran

Director of Learning Design & Technology

McDonald's

Lan is a learning strategist, experience designer, and technologist with over 20 years in the learning and technology industries. She has been featured in Forbes, HR Tech Outlook, CLO Magazine, CIOReview, and Profile Magazine’s Code Breakers: Women in Tech campaign. Most recently, she was named a finalist for OnCon’s Top 100 L&D Professionals, recognized for her people-first leadership and learner-centric design approach.

Today she leads strategy focused on behavior change, continuous learning, gamification, and immersive experiences. Previously, she served as Head of L&D Governance, Technology, and Operations at Kraft Heinz.

Huw Newton-Hill

General Manager & Managing Director US

Attensi

Huw leads the company’s commercial and operational teams in delivering cutting-edge, simulation-based training solutions. Since joining Attensi in 2017, Huw has played a key role in the company’s international expansion, partnering with major global organizations including Accenture, BCG, and Zurich Insurance Group.

With a background in strategy consulting at Boston Consulting Group and investment banking at Goldman Sachs, Huw brings a sharp business perspective to digital learning. He holds an MBA from London Business School and is passionate about using technology to transform how organizations, onboard, train, and retain talent. 

Socratic Arts logo_standard 300
Attensi-Logo-Horizontal-Ocean-and-Storm-RGB

Program

A focused half-day of keynotes, a panel discussion, breakout sessions, and networking. Built to help you strengthen retention and onboarding in your organization.

  • 3:00 pm Reception

    • Happy Hour with light bites & drinks.

  • 3:20 pm Table discussion

    • Find your assigned table where a team member from Socratic Arts or Attensi will kick off the session, lead introductions, and guide the discussion.

  • 3:50 pm Presentation by Lan Tran

    • Gain valuable firsthand insights during a presentation by Lan Tran from McDonald's, as she shares her expertise and experiences in frontline development and performance. A brief Q&A will follow, so feel free to bring your questions.

  • 4:20 pm Panel discussion

    • Featuring industry experts, led by Holly Christensen Sestak from Socratic Arts and Huw Newton-Hill from Attensi.

  • 5:10 pm Vendor overview

    • Both Socratic Arts and Attensi will present highlights of their ongoing projects and current initiatives.

  • 5:30 pm Networking & appetizers

    • A 30-minute break featuring more hearty appetizers, drink refills, and time to network.

  • 6:00 pm Quick problem-solving

    • Attendees select questions from cards at each table and engage in rapid, focused discussions. Each group will then share key takeaways in a brief 3-minute report to the whole room. 

  • 6:40 pm Final networking & dessert

    • Enjoy dessert while connecting with fellow attendees during the final networking session.

 

Date & Time: 

October 7th, 2025; 3:00 pm – 7:00 pm CT

Address:

Smith & Wollensky – Chicago
318 N State St,
Chicago, IL 60654,
United States

map
Socratic Arts, 2025