Our people

David has over 20 years’ experience in education, R&D and financial services both as a neuroscientist (Melbourne and Cambridge Universities for 14 years) and leading strategy consultant where he was retained by CEOs, government departments and their executive teams to advise on their most complex strategic issues (Nous Group, Principal and Education sector leader for six years). In 2016 he created Curio, a collective of advisors, educators and product developers focused on working directly with education and training organisations to improve human learning. Over the last five years he has led Curio from Melbourne on its amazing growth journey – annually doubling in size to now over 230 people in offices across Australia and United Kingdom.

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Sarah has over 20 years’ experience working with organisations to define and deliver innovation that meets both strategic and commercial objectives. She spent nearly 10 years in the US and UK consulting to large multi-national corporations, building the commercial case for businesses to innovate in how they attract, retain and engage their employees. Since returning to Australia, she has worked with executives and boards across a diverse group of organisations, from Universities to Indigenous communities, developing strategic initiatives and building the organisational capability to deliver. More recently she worked for SEEK, using her broad experience to drive innovation and bring stakeholders together around developments in careers, education and skills.

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Mark has more than twenty years' experience in online learning and higher education leadership and management globally. His expertise includes strategy development, organisational design, faculty development, process re-engineering, business development and stakeholder management.

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Celeste Kocabay leads both our Faculty Services and People & Culture functions at Curio, playing a vital role in supporting our people and our partners. As Head of Faculty Services, she ensures our global network of associates is equipped and engaged to deliver outstanding learning experiences. In her People & Culture role, she champions a thriving workplace, fostering a culture of collaboration, growth, and care. With a unique blend of operational insight and human-centred leadership, Celeste helps shape the Curio experience from the inside out. Connect via LinkedIn

Alex is a Full Stack Developer specialising in implementing course/platform templates, delivering custom interactive tools and develop digital products. With the multiple skills in various areas, she is versed in interpreting people’s ideas and deliver quality materials at a high speed. Alex is experienced in working with learning designers and UI/UX to produce engaging course/platform template which enhance the online student experience. Alex is enthusiastic to apply the latest technology and media development trends in the design of engaging learning experiences. Alex has worked for numerous clients and extensively in Canvas as developer. With a background in multimedia development, Alex understands the nuances of good design and brings this expertise to canvas and web development.

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Catie McClean is a creative digital designer and learning experience specialist with a background in animation, illustration, and eLearning development. With over seven years of experience, she blends visual storytelling with user-centred design to craft dynamic, interactive learning experiences across education, corporate training, and public sector projects.

Her work has been recognised with a LearnX Gold Award for excellence in digital learning design. At Curio, Catie brings a rare combination of visual communication, motion design, and pedagogical insight to cross-disciplinary learning design teams.

Prior to joining Curio, Catie led the redevelopment of online learning experiences at Endeavour College of Natural Health, enhancing learner engagement through animation, branching scenarios, and interactive media. She has partnered with subject matter experts to develop microlearning content that boosted learner satisfaction and engagement, authored a successful short course featured on ABC Radio and Channel 10, and contributed to award-winning training solutions at Savv-e.

Catie is highly proficient in Articulate 360 (Storyline and Rise), Adobe Creative Suite (After Effects, Illustrator, Photoshop), and interactive media production.

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"Chloë works across the professional services and technology teams to provide strategic advice to education providers on user experience design, working closely with developers to translate user needs into achievable technical specifications for build. She is also Product Manager for Curio Course Hub, the ecommerce platform for education. She joined Curio from a digital agency specialising in the higher education, not-for-profit and membership sectors, providing expert advice on content, brand, UX, analytics and digital marketing. Prior to this, she worked as a qualitative researcher for an agency specialised in connecting brands with women.   She has led and worked on an array of projects across marketing and content strategy, user testing and research for international charities, corporations, membership associations and education institutions. Clients value her ability to thoroughly interrogate organisational and user needs to present creative, evidence-based solutions to their challenges.  "

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David Sy is the People and Culture Administrator at Curio Group, specialising in the operational backbone that supports the employee experience. He oversees critical processes such as onboarding, contract generation, and scope of work preparation, ensuring smooth and efficient execution across the organisation. With a strong focus on detail, compliance, and service, David enables Curio’s global team to work seamlessly from day one. His commitment to operational excellence and people-focused service helps strengthen Curio’s reputation as a trusted, professional, and caring workplace.

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Edmund is a Consultant at Curio, focusing on research and strategy for diverse sectors, including business and organisational strategy. His previous junior experiences in large organisations provided him the exposure to work with various corporates, major Australian charities and NPOs. He thrives in solving strategic challenges through effective collaboration and teamwork to deliver data-driven solutions.

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Emily is a learning designer who specializes in creating dynamic, visually rich educational experiences. With a strong background in digital learning, visual design, and classroom instruction, she seamlessly blends multimedia and graphic design into every course she builds. A former teacher and trainer with 16 years of experience, Emily has designed complete learning solutions, including graphics, multimedia, and interactive elements, for clients such as Siemens, Epson, the All American Soap Box Derby and Photon. Her creative approach turns traditional content into engaging, impactful learning journeys.

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Erin is an award-winning learning designer and digital education strategist with over a decade of experience spanning K–12, higher education, and corporate learning. Her career includes teaching, academic lecturing, research, and strategic design of digital learning environments.

Erin has led national and international initiatives in media literacy, online safety, and digital capability, partnering with organisations such as Google, UNICEF, and Telstra. Known for her creativity and leadership in co-design, she expertly aligns pedagogy, technology, and user experience to deliver impactful and inclusive learning solutions at scale.

At Curio, Erin applies her expertise to the design of inclusive digital learning programs. Her career highlights include leading the eSmart Digital Licence project, reaching over 8,000 students across 98 schools in nine months, and co-designing a national suite of learning resources with input from over 1,000 educators, young people, and families. She has overseen curriculum development aligned to Australian and international standards and led UX testing and iterative development for eLearning solutions using platforms such as Articulate Storyline, Rise, Moodle, and Webflow.

Erin has also developed interactive curriculum frameworks deployed internationally, advised on LMS selection and SCORM integration, and contributed research to the Journal of Advertising Research on media engagement.

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Gabby is a digital designer who has a keen interest in all things graphic and UX design, with a love for finding inspiration around her. She is passionate about learning and growing as a newer designer from her peers and in her work. Working with various clients in the education field, Gabby approaches projects with a love of problem solving and boosting engagement.

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Ark is an experienced instructional and learning designer and digital learning developer with over 10 years of expertise across vocational and higher education. He specialises in designing effective and engaging courses tailored for adult learners and working professionals.

Throughout his career, Ark has developed learning experiences across diverse disciplines, from medicine and health programs to leadership and professional skills courses, always with a focus on practical, real-world application. He brings a strong background in digital learning design, including content development, competency mapping, and close collaboration with subject matter experts. His previous work includes contributing to a government-funded digital platform aimed at delivering accessible education at scale.

At Curio, Ark partners with high-profile clients, where he applies his expertise to deliver impactful learning solutions. Prior to joining Curio, Ark served as a Digital Innovation Project Officer, training educators in digital tools and supporting initiatives designed to enhance communication and employability skills for migrants and refugees.

Passionate about accessibility and the power of well-designed content, Ark is committed to creating meaningful learning experiences that drive real educational outcomes.

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Ian is a collaborative problem-solver who excels at turning chaos into order. His experience in training and project management fuels his passion for streamlining processes and achieving meaningful outcomes. Curio Group’s vibrant projects and values resonated with him, making it an ideal match. Naturally detail-oriented, he thrives in Project Coordination, where he loves watching plans unfold. Beyond work, he’s a music lover, often humming melodies, discovering cafés, or unwinding outdoors. A self-proclaimed foodie, he’s constantly seeking delicious vegetarian eats. With a knack for planning and a zest for life, Ian brings both precision and enthusiasm to everything he does.

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As People & Culture Coordinator at Curio, Jamie provides both administrative and strategic support across all aspects of People & Culture here at Curio. Jamie's previous roles focused on providing HR/People Operations support to organisations working within the social impact space across both North America and APAC regions. Originally from the United States, Jamie moved to Australia to pursue her Master of Management (Human Resources) from the University of Melbourne and has been living in Melbourne ever since.

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Jemima has over 15 years’ experience as a learning designer, teacher and assessor/examiner in adult and higher education. She is passionate about designing inclusive, accessible and adaptive learning experiences that take account of learners’ diverse contexts, purposes and values. Before joining Curio, Jemima worked at the University of Cambridge Judge Business School co-designing and developing online modules for master’s degree programmes in business, management, finance and entrepreneurship. Previously, she worked as a teaching fellow in English for Academic Purposes at the University of Bath. Jemima has an MSc in Digital Education from the University of Edinburgh, and her areas of interest include cultivating criticality and leveraging emerging technologies in online learning environments.

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Joanne is a learning designer with a background in education and a passion for creating engaging, accessible digital learning experiences. She has worked with global teams and subject-matter experts to co-create a wide range of learning solutions, from rapid e-learning modules to blended and fully online programs.

Joanne combines instructional design expertise with visual storytelling and technical skills. She is proficient with tools such as Moodle, H5P, Canva, Procreate, and Affinity Designer, and has developed learning content across STEM, communication skills, and professional training domains.

Joanne is driven by a commitment to making learning more human, effective, and fun—continuously exploring innovative ways to enhance digital education.

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Jana is a learning designer with expertise in curriculum development, e-learning design, and assessment in VET and higher education, committed to creating inclusive student-centred learning activities. Her background in TESOL Teacher training has further enhanced her ability to communicate effectively with diverse stakeholders, empowering both students and educators through well-designed learning experiences.

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Kadee is a digital designer with a background in both design and marketing. She has experience in creating graphics, multimedia content, and animation, as well as designing UX wireframes for LMS platforms and websites. Kadee enjoys tackling problems with a creative approach and is focused on using visual graphics as a tool to assist in learning and improve engagement.

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A Certified Public Accountant, Kristine brings over 9 years of combined experience in payroll and accounting. Known for a proactive and solution-oriented approach, Kristine tackles challenges with confidence, driven by the belief that every problem holds a solution waiting to be found.

With a strong foundation in financial management and a dedication to continuous improvement, Kristine supports Curio’s operations by ensuring accuracy, compliance, and efficiency across all payroll and accounting processes.

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Mark is an eLearning developer with a strong foundation in education and a passion for blending learning and technology to deliver meaningful, inclusive experiences. With a degree in Classical Philosophy and a Certificate in Teaching, he began his career as a teacher before transitioning into educational technology roles.

Mark has developed his expertise across eLearning course design, learning management systems, and user experience design, contributing to projects at organizations like Curio, Practera, and Thynker Tech. His work focuses on creating engaging and accessible digital learning environments that enhance the learner experience.

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Mel is a passionate and experienced professional, dedicated to making a meaningful impact. He values lifelong learning and innovation, drawing inspiration from diverse cultures. His global perspective, enriched by travel, books, and research, fuels his creativity and drive for success.

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Na has over 13 years’ experience in tertiary education, with a background in academic literacy instruction, learning technology, and course design. Before joining Curio, she worked across tertiary education organisations in New Zealand as a Learning Technologist and eLearning Coordinator/Project Manager, supporting staff and students in designing accessible, engaging, and learner-centred experiences. Her expertise lies in blending pedagogy and neuroscience with digital tools to enhance online learning. She holds a Postgraduate Certificate in Learning Design (NZQF Level 8), a Bachelor of English Education, and a Master of Interpreting and Translation. She is particularly interested in applying evidence-based practices to streamline learning design and improve learner engagement and outcomes.

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Oliver has over ten years experience in graphic, multimedia, and animation design through work with universities and creative agencies. Known for his love of visual systems he has designed interfaces for the education sector, concepts for global consumer brands, he has a keen eye for animation and bringing delight to users.

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Stacey has over 13 years’ experience in the higher education, VET and corporate learning sectors. Specifically, she has extensive experience in VET education, having worked as a Trainer / Assessor, Curriculum Developer and Quality Auditor across a number of leading TAFEs and specialist / enterprise RTOs. Stacey is known for leading VET curriculum development that meets at the often competing needs of student experience, industry need and regulatory compliance. Additionally, Stacey maintains a keen interest in advancing VET and adult education to meet the needs of rural and remote learners and their communities.

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Tadhg Hanrahan is an experienced web developer with a strong background in designing and delivering user-focused web solutions. With over a decade of experience spanning freelance and in-house roles, he has worked across diverse sectors, building robust, scalable websites and applications.

Tadhg brings deep technical expertise in JavaScript, PHP, HTML5, CSS3, and WordPress development, along with project management skills honed through years of freelance consulting. His career includes delivering front-end and back-end solutions for clients ranging from education to the public sector. Prior to joining Curio, he worked with Bankside Web Solutions and the Postgraduate Application Center, creating custom digital experiences tailored to client needs.

Tadhg holds a Bachelor of Science in Computing and Software Development from the Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology. At Curio, he focuses on developing and maintaining web platforms that enhance the digital learning experiences we deliver to our clients.

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Warren is a Full Stack Developer with over 20 years’ experience in the online interactive space. Although having a degree in Fine Arts, he began his career working with interactive media development and tutoring. From there he strengthened his programming skills through PHP and Perl before diving into Linux systems administration. He has worked with a variety of businesses and education providers, small and large, and uses his artistic background to bring a creative, curious, and imaginative perspective to any project. Always looking to expand his knowledge, Warren has a passion for collaborating on ideas and seeing them reach their full potential.

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I’m a curious and driven individual passionate about the intersection of education, technology, and strategy. With a background in economics and professional services, I thrive on solving complex problems and contributing to impactful learning experiences. At Curio, I’m excited by the opportunity to work alongside educators, designers, and technologists to improve learning outcomes and support institutions through transformation. I value collaboration, creativity, and continuous improvement, and I’m motivated by work that empowers learners and supports the future of education. I'm eager to keep learning and contribute meaningfully to the evolving education and training landscape.

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