School is in session for Zahra Sultan’s team at Identity Digital. As a learning and development partner at the internet infrastructure company, Sultan is part of a team leading a professional development academy that helps employees gain AI skills.
According to Sultan, there’s a secret ingredient that’s made the program so successful: fun.
“When learning is simple to access, clearly connected to someone’s role and reinforced through gamification, recognition and peer learning, it stops feeling like an extra task and starts becoming part of how we work,” Sultan said.
Built In spoke with Sultan about how the Identity Digital team makes AI professional development accessible and engaging for every team member.
Identity Digital is an internet infrastructure company that makes sure web addresses work seamlessly.
What’s a quote worthy truth about learning on your team?
Learning has to be easy, relevant and fun!
When learning is simple to access, clearly connected to someone’s role and reinforced through gamification, recognition and peer learning, it stops feeling like an extra task and starts becoming part of how we work.
We put this into practice through monthly ‘AI Academy’ sessions. We dig into practical AI tools, share real use cases and brainstorm ways to integrate them into our daily workflows. It’s collaborative, hands-on and designed to make AI feel accessible.
What program has the biggest impact on career development — and how do you measure its success?
Strong leaders change everything for the people around them.
In a world that keeps demanding more from managers, we think the best investment we can make is in the people leading teams. Our Leadership Development Academy focuses on strengthening core leadership competencies and equipping managers to be true career champions for their teams. When leaders model clarity, accountability and continuous growth, it creates a ripple effect across the company.
Since launching the program, we’ve seen meaningful increases in manager satisfaction and more employees saying they have clear goals. For us, it reinforces the belief that investing in leaders elevates the entire organization.
Which recurring behavior makes learning or upskilling stick?
Application and practice make learning stick!
There’s a reason we say, “practice makes perfect.” Skill building is like building muscle. You don’t grow from just one workout; you grow from repeated strain, reflection and adjustment. When teams use new skills in their daily work, that’s when learning becomes real growth.
