Meet Synergy Learning Systems

Founder/Facilitator

Debbie co-founded Synergy Learning Systems in 2002 after spending years in the thick of Silicon Valley's growth — watching brilliant people struggle to work together, and realizing that the missing ingredient was almost never intelligence or effort. It was connection. Trust. A shared understanding of how people actually communicate and lead.

A Bay Area native and lifelong believer in learning by doing, Debbie has spent more than two decades designing programs that are engaging, memorable, and directly applicable to the real challenges teams face. Her core principle — Play with Purpose — shows up in everything Synergy does: serious outcomes, delivered through experiences people actually enjoy.

She's certified in True Colors, Everything DiSC, and the Five Behaviors of a Cohesive Team, and has designed and facilitated programs for organizations ranging from five-person startups to Fortune 500 enterprises. Whatever the size, the work is the same: help people understand each other better, lead more effectively, and build something worth being part of.

Debbie lives in La Selva Beach, and when she's not facilitating you'll find her hiking, biking, doing yoga, or back on her surfboard — recently reclaimed and not letting go.

Partner & Facilitator

Cabot has been part of the Synergy team since 2010 — and if you've ever been in a room he's facilitating, you understand why he's still here. He has a rare gift for meeting people where they are, creating the kind of psychological safety that lets real work happen. Teams open up, get honest, and leave changed. That's Cabot.

A UC Santa Cruz Psychology graduate with an aPHR certification and over a decade of facilitation and program design experience, Cabot brings both the science and the instincts to design programs that actually land. As Synergy's Challenge Course Manager, he's also the person responsible for what happens 40 feet up in the Santa Cruz redwoods — making sure the safety systems are dialed in and the experience is genuinely transformative, not just thrilling.

Cabot is now based in Salem, Oregon, where he leads Synergy's Pacific Northwest work — bringing the same grounded presence and depth to organizations throughout Oregon and Washington that he's brought to Bay Area teams for over fifteen years. He's a lifelong Grateful Dead fan and has the tie-dye to prove it — but in the room, what people remember is how steady and present he is.

Facilitator

Rob didn't come to facilitation from a classroom. He came from thirty years in the trenches of the utility industry — leading through crises, navigating organizational change, and managing the kind of high-stakes situations where poor teamwork has real consequences. That background shows up in everything he does.

A certified Five Behaviors Practitioner with a B.A. in Psychology from UCLA, Rob designs and facilitates workshops that balance genuine fun with serious learning. He has a talent for making the work feel approachable without letting anyone off the hook — teams leave with insights they can actually use, not just a good time.

Based in Aptos, Rob is a Santa Cruz County local through and through. Away from the facilitation room, he's an accomplished cook and mixologist who has a habit of sharing recipes with clients — because good food, like good teamwork, is best when everyone's in on it. When he's not in the kitchen or at the table, he's out on the water or on the trails, surfing and mountain biking whenever the conditions are right..

Facilitator

Roxanne brings nearly two decades of senior hospitality management experience to her facilitation work, which means she knows how to read a room and meet people where they are. She’s an IEA-accredited Enneagram teacher, Certified Professional Co-Active Coach, True Colors facilitator, and Qigong teacher—and she uses all of it to help individuals and teams build stronger relationships with themselves and each other. She joined Synergy in 2014 and brings an energetic, grounded presence to every workshop.

Consultant/Facilitator

Morgan’s been partnering with Synergy for years, bringing nearly two decades of experience helping teams reach their potential. With a B.A. in Management Communications from Point Loma Nazarene University, she combines communication theory with real-world facilitation skills to create workshops where teams actually connect and grow.

Facilitator

Molly’s spent over 30 years on teams—playing on them, coaching them, and now facilitating them. She specializes in working with athletic teams and brings a decade of professional facilitation experience to every workshop. Her core belief? “Together we are better.” She values honesty, integrity, and compassion, and weaves those qualities into her work with every group.

Facilitator

Jen’s been facilitating with Synergy for 9 years, specializing in play-based experiential learning, applied improv, and movement programs that get energy flowing. She studied at Groundlings Theater in LA and BATS in SF, earned a degree in Communications from UW-Madison, and even attended Berklee College of Music. Translation? She knows how to read a group, improvise when plans change, and keep things engaging whether you’re a room of 20 or 200.