From 3,000 to 35,000 –
Designing customer education programs that drive adoption
At Collibra, I helped build and run Collibra University from the ground up — growing from 3,000 to 35,000 active learners across role-based learning paths and certification tracks. Course structure was grounded in data: A/B testing led us to a proven format of three five-minute lessons, SME-led use case framing, platform screencasts, and a summative assessment — optimized for completions, not just enrollments.
The case studies below represent enterprise programs I designed and delivered before transitioning to Revenue Enablement.
Collibra | Getting Started learning path
5 courses | 7 certification tracks | Launched September 2020
Design approach: Backward design — built from the desired outcome (Customer Lifetime Value report) back through every cross-functional step required to get there.
An end-to-end onboarding series for new Collibra users, spanning business and technical personas. I developed the conceptual framework and course structure; SMEs built a custom environment and assets, with each SME’s strengths mapped to specific topics and a tight production schedule.
Result
598% increase in certifications in the first six months after launch
Growing from 56 certifications over 21 months to 391 in just six months — driven by backward design, tight SME coordination, and a structured five-course onboarding path.
| Period | Metric | Number |
|---|---|---|
| Dec 2018 – Sep 2020 | Level 1 certifications issued | 56 |
| Sep 2020 – Mar 2021 | Learning path completions | 633 |
| Sep 2020 – Mar 2021 | Certifications issued | 391 |
Design principles at work
Backward design isn’t just a framework — it’s a forcing function. Starting from the CLV report and mapping backward surfaced every gap in the existing onboarding flow before a single line of content was written.
Collibra | Deloitte data quality series
3-course series | Enterprise compliance use case | 6-week production
A course series demonstrating end-to-end Data Quality workflows and downstream validation of cleansed data used for reporting and compliance. Developed in collaboration with Deloitte’s Analytics & Cognitive team. I restructured their existing materials, coached SMEs on screencast production, and guided the full content development process.
Result
Delivered on time. Zero rework after handoff.
During the in-person recording session, the team lead determined we were referencing the wrong use case. We rewrote the script on the spot, re-recorded, and delivered a complete series meeting every requirement. A high-stakes pivot — executed without slipping the deadline.
What this demonstrates
Composure under pressure and instructional rigor aren’t in conflict. When the substance changes, the framework holds.
Walmart University
14 custom courses | 5,000 users | 5-month timeline | 3-person team
A custom university platform aligned to Walmart’s Data Governance initiative, with curriculum built around their internal workflows and the Data Steward persona. All production — on-site screencasts, studio-directed narratives, branded assets — was managed end-to-end using an Asana production board I built and ran. Platform: WordPress / LearnDash (white-label).
Result
14 courses. 5,000 users. Launched on time, on spec.
Course completions and certifications confirmed strong user uptake across the Data Steward persona. A three-person team delivered a full white-label university in five months.
What we learned
Post-launch, Walmart expanded scope to 50K users and 50+ courses within six months — a scale we couldn’t staff to. The work was outsourced, and we took the lesson seriously. Honest scoping conversations and clear capability boundaries were built into every future engagement.
Allison Selby
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