Our Story

As current leaders and professionals in the private and government sectors, we live in the current Human Resources world. In our roles, we see that the latest behavioral science research often fails to influence the daily decisions of businesses and organizations. Why? While leaders may have access to the research, they lack the right tools and frameworks to translate it into actionable strategies. As a result, outdated and ineffective approaches to motivation, learning, bias, and performance persist—limiting growth and potential at every level.

As applied behavioral scientists and HR leaders, we felt compelled to create a solution. Applied Scholar online course materials bridge the substantial gap between business and behavioral science—helping HR professionals reach and exceed their potential as effective leaders.

Backed by years of real-world experience and thousands of hours of research, our team is dedicated to equipping busy professionals with the resources they need to not only make informed decisions, but also to transform their approach to people management.

Matt is a Co-Founder of Applied Scholar and an expert in evidence-based leadership and innovation. Having served as a fighter pilot and a commander in the US Air Force, Matt brings a hands-on, operational perspective to the field of human behavior and cognitive performance. His experiences applying research findings in the most high-stakes environments brings tremendous value to Applied Scholar's efforts. Matt graduated from the US Air Force Academy and has Master’s Degrees from the University of Maryland and the University of Colorado. He co-founded Applied Scholar to help others realize their potential.

Michael is a Co-Founder of Applied Scholar and an expert in applied behavioral science. From finding roadside bombs in combat zones to enabling the success of diverse employees, Michael leverages cutting-edge research on human performance to solve complex challenges across a variety of domains. He has more than 15 years of experience applying behavioral science research in organizations, spanning his time as an intelligence officer in the US Air Force, as a management consultant at the Boston Consulting Group (BCG), and as an HR Leader both at BCG and Egon Zehnder. Michael is a graduate of the US Air Force Academy and has a Master’s Degree from the University of Maryland. Above all, Michael is passionate about how to use research from a variety of disciplines to enable us all to be at our best.