We’ve spent our careers helping L&D prove its impact
We’re David Ells and Bill Conran. We helped build SCORM Cloud, the first xAPI-compliant Learning Record Store, and Watershed. Now AI has given L&D its best chance yet to prove its impact, and we built Arcs to help it get there.
David Ells, cofounder and head of technology
More than 18 years building learning technology. Helped create SCORM Cloud and the first xAPI Learning Record Store at Rustici Software, was CTO then CEO at Watershed, and CEO at Open LMS.
Bill Conran, cofounder and head of commercial
More than 20 years in enterprise learning and HR technology. Led global sales at Open LMS, ran commercial strategy at Watershed, and grew the learning and compliance software business at UL Solutions.
A once-in-a-generation chance
Two things changed at once.
AI training became L&D’s biggest program. Rolling it out is the biggest training effort many L&D teams have ever run, and leadership wants to know it’s working.
And AI became L&D’s best analyst. It can now dig into the numbers and tell you what they mean, as long as it has the right data.
What’s missing for both is the data. That’s what Arcs brings together.
With learning and business data in one place, L&D can do more than report on training. The reporting shows the throughline to impact, AI flags what’s working and what isn’t, and L&D spends its time making strategic decisions.
This is L&D’s moment. We built Arcs so it doesn’t miss it.
Decades of learning tech, and L&D still struggles to show its impact
It’s L&D’s catch-22: no proof, no budget. No budget, no proof.
The LMS was never built for reporting
LMSs were built to deliver and track training, so their reports stop at who finished what.
The answers live in other systems
The throughline from training to impact lies in connecting data from HR, sales, support, operations, and the learning tools outside the LMS.
Data on its own isn’t enough
Even with all the data in one place, teams need to fit that data into their operating models to drive program success.
Without proof, L&D budgets are at risk
When things get tight, L&D teams often face more pressure than others, and it’s hard to defend a budget without evidence.
The best of every place we’ve worked
Between us, we’ve built teams at Rustici, Watershed, and Open LMS. Now we’re building Arcs’ culture as carefully as its product.
Long-time partners
We first worked together building Watershed, then at Open LMS. Arcs is what we’re building together next.
Positive debate
We argue things out and keep each other honest. Two views make for checks and balances, and better decisions.
In service of L&D
We’re here for the L&D teams who spend their days on LMS problems when they’d rather be planning what their people learn next.
Be very real
We say what we know, and what we don’t.