Hello and welcome back to Wednesday Words. This is our first issue of 2026, and it also serves as our annual Community Letter for Experience Institute. We’re glad you’re here.

For those who are new, each year we pause to take stock of where we’ve been, what we’ve learned, and where we’re headed next. It’s our way of opening the doors and sharing a behind-the-scenes look at the work with the people who make this community what it is.

On a personal note, I still have a hard time believing this is our 13th year?!?

Experience Institute began when I was a bright-eyed twenty-something who simply wanted to learn and grow through experience. If you had told me then that my Leap Year Project would turn into a team serving thousands of people around the world, from large organizations with household names to small and local communities, I would have smiled politely and told you to keep walking.

But that’s exactly what’s happened!

Over the years, our mission, team, and work have evolved and expanded. So has the community we care deeply about—learning leaders, managers, builders, founders, HR partners, educators, and humans trying to grow with intention in a noisy world.

But one thing remains true: we're committed to using experiential learning to change the way people work and live.

As most of you know, I'm no longer the CEO. I remain the founder and chairman, and I get to work closely with Sara Loncka, who has led the company with clarity, care, and courage for the past 18 months. She, along with Erin, Amelia, Zak, Katie, and our larger network of coaches, designers, and facilitators, continues to take this work to new heights. It's one of the greatest joys of my life to watch it unfold.

I’ll hand the keyboard to Sara from here…

- Victor

Twice today, I've been asked why I do this work. Both times, I was transported back to my early twenties—a Missouri transplant newly arrived in Los Angeles, on a four-day trip into the city to learn about its challenges and the people addressing them.

I went because I thought it would be a novel way to get to know other students & explore LA. I left a changed person. That's when I discovered the power of experiential learning for real transformation.

Here's what I mean: Life and work can feel like a hamster wheel. Established assumptions. Patterns. Ways of being that calcify without us noticing. Then, an unexpected interruption. Something that makes us shake our heads, open our eyes wider, look around with a different lens, and say: "Wait, what?"

Those moments introduce new ways of thinking, interacting, seeing ourselves, and the world. Those moments introduce new ways of being.

That's the business we're in.

What we saw in 2025 (and what it means for 2026)

Last year, many companies struggled to prioritize learning and development. Too many unknowns. "The only constant is change—but really!" became the refrain. People scrambled for stability before they could think about growth.

But here's our belief: We need to find effective ways to work and lead in a world of constant change. There won't be a return to "normal." Normalcy will be redefined, and then redefined again.

And yet—this is a time ripe for possibility.

We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to rethink systems that have been broken for a long time. To redesign work so it's more human, not less. To ask better questions about what we want to make, who we want to become, and how we want to do it together.

That tension between uncertainty and possibility? That's exactly where Experience Institute does its best work.

What we're committing to

We're doubling down on experiential learning as the method for true transformation. Not training. Not compliance. Transformation that interrupts ineffective ways of working and creates space for better ones.

We're focusing on the most crucial areas for development right now:

• Making clear-headed decisions when nothing feels certain

• Innovating while the ground is moving

• Leading people in an age of AI (not around it, not despite it—in it)

• Communicating with clarity when everyone's overwhelmed

Experience Institute remains a learning studio. We help teams learn through experience. That learning leads to real behavior change, stronger relationships within and across teams, shared language and camaraderie—and ultimately, better outcomes for individuals and businesses.

At our core, we believe learning should feel human. Slightly uncomfortable in the right ways. Practical. Reflective. Alive.

If something here landed

If you've read this far, thank you. And if something resonated—really resonated—I'd love to hear from you.

What are you working on this year that actually matters? Where does learning feel stuck, stale, or long overdue in your organization? What kind of experience would genuinely help right now, not just check a box?

Hit reply and tell us one thing. We read every response.

Thanks for being here. Here's to a great year, together.

Sara & Victor