Erin Huizenga

Enigma
DISC Type : Dci

Learning Committee, EO Chicago Board at Entrepreneurs'​ Organization

Chicago, Illinois, United States

Overview

Erin Huizenga is the Founder and CEO of Desklight, a learning innovation firm that designs large-scale learning systems for leadership teams. A TEDx speaker and author of "Learning in the Wild, " she has a background in innovation at IDEO and has taught at Northwestern University, holding a certificate in AI strategy from MIT Sloan.

Outside of work, Erin is an active member of the entrepreneurial community in Chicago. Her creative pursuits include completing the improv program at The Second City and studying letterpress design. She is also a certified group fitness instructor, reflecting a personal interest in health and wellness.

Interesting fact: Erin served as a City Innovation Coach for Bloomberg Philanthropies, where she taught design innovation methods directly to mayors and city leaders.

Personality Overview

Friendly Yet Blunt

Challenger

Fast Follower

They can sound friendly and charming but can quickly change gears to become inquisitive and probing  They are generally strong communicators and are not easy to convince. They are likely to ask many questions and look heavily for supporting proof as well as information.

Topics They Care About

Learning Experience Design
Her company, Desklight, focuses on creating "learner-centered" programs for organizations like the Smithsonian. She advocates for making learning engaging, equitable, and effective.
Leadership Development
Her book, "Learning in the Wild, " provides leaders with actionable habits to foster team engagement, collaboration, and continuous growth within their organizations.
Design Thinking
With a background at innovation firm IDEO, she applies design thinking principles to help organizations reinvigorate their learning programs and solve complex challenges.

Media Appearances

Erin has no verified media appearances

Work History

6-2025
Learning Committee, EO Chicago Board at Entrepreneurs'​ Organization
2020 - 2021
City Innovation Coach at Bloomberg Philanthropies
2016 - 2017
Senior Design Strategist at Gensler
2015 - 2018
Adjunct Faculty Member at IIT Institute of Design
2014
Founder + CEO at Desklight

Education

Empowering Adult Online Learning: Theory and Best Practices from Harvard University
Certificate in Artificial Intelligence: Implications for Business Strategy from MIT Sloan School of Management

More Information

Social Presence :

Prographics :

Exp : 15 Location : Chicago, Illinois, United States Job Level : Leadership Designation : Learning Committee, EO Chicago Board at Entrepreneurs'​ Organization
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Insights For Selling To Erin

During A Call Or A Meeting

DO's

  • Use phrases like ‘clear evidence’, ‘data-based results’ etc.
  • Leverage 'negging', or the art of asking negative questions like "you must not be convinced yet..."
  • Be prepared for a mix of questions and inquisitiveness, answer them in the tone in which they have been asked

DONT's

  • Avoid long presentations and just 'high-level' value proposition, dive into the details
  • Don’t try to rush them into a decision, provide all necessary information first
  • Don’t be too objective but make sure to pad your storytelling with data points

When Cold Calling

When Writing An Email

While Negotiating & Closing

    The secret to closing fast with Erin is

  • Proven value, strong objective evidence are important for them, rapport can impact decisions a little.
  • Will you ever get a clear answer from Erin

  • They are practical and friendly, but can give a clear response with a little prodding

Insights For Deal Planning

    How fast (or slow) will Erin move?

  • They like to be detailed, so unless they develop strong conviction, they can take their time to arrive at decisions
  • Can Erin take some risk or not?

  • They evaluate their decisions systematically and do not take risks that often, unless you can get them to develop strong conviction

You And Erin

Personality Compatibility


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