Meet Synergy Learning Systems
For nearly 25 years, Synergy has been transforming teams, Synergy has been transforming teams through experiences that stick—from business simulations and leadership workshops to outdoor adventures and personality assessments. We believe everyone should accomplish meaningful work and find joy in the process.
We work with teams of every size and stage: scrappy startups finding their rhythm, established companies navigating change, world-leading business schools bringing theory to life, and C-level executives in nearly every industry from tech to manufacturing.
Founded in 2002 by Debbie Dutra and Mark Lord, Synergy started with a simple idea: blend proven organizational development models with experiential learning and skilled facilitation to create breakthroughs teams can't get from lectures alone. Mark brought vision, partnership, and an unshakeable belief in people — and his spirit lives in everything we do. Whether we're facilitating Big Picture™ simulations in conference rooms, guiding teams through Five Behaviors workshops, or leading challenge activities in the redwoods, our approach stays the same — Play with Purpose.
We design for impact. We customize proven content to meet your specific needs. And we create the conditions for teams to practice (not just learn about) trust, healthy conflict, commitment, accountability, and results.
Headquartered in Santa Cruz, California (Northern California’s Greater Bay Area) with an office in Salem, Oregon, we’ve had the privilege of working with teams shaping the future. Over two decades in, we’re still energized by watching teams discover what they’re capable of together.
meet our team
what we believe…
human potential
Great organizations are made of engaged, empowered individuals. We use designed experiences and reflection to ignite and inspire team growth.
1+1=3
Great ideas are unleashed through action and interaction. Together, we create greater outcomes than the sum of our separate efforts.
growth x adventure
We lead people into the unknown — with intention, support, and a belief that the best growth happens just outside your comfort zone.
relevant and balanced
We blend proven content with your specific context — so the experience feels relevant, not generic, and the learning actually lands
learn by doing
We don't teach people about teamwork — we put them in situations where they have to practice it. That's when real change happens.
play with purpose
We practice and learn in settings that encourage risk and experimentation, so our clients can grow and apply their knowledge to solve real-world problems.

