In this super special Bonus Episode of NAKM Pod, 2/3 of the Empower KM team sit down for an honest, behind-the-scenes conversation about what it took to bring Empower KM to life in February 2026.

From the moment it started feeling real to the beautiful messes along the way, this team reflects on what we built, what surprised us, and what we'd do differently next time.

Take a listen!

Things to take note of:

www.empowerKM.com

Our new fancy email: team@empowerKM.com

Save the Date for Next Year:

February 15-19, 2027

solid dates TBD - but we're planning a virtual day, in person days and professional development workshops!

In this episode, Brittany and Rachel talk with Amy Carlton about her “accidental” path into knowledge management and what the work really looks like inside Novartis. From calling out the checkbox culture of “lessons learned” to redefining what KM actually means in practice, this conversation gets real about the discipline. We also dig into storytelling as a driver for buy-in, the influence of teaching on how we share knowledge, and why people—not tools—are at the center of it all.

Links:

The KM CoP Playbook Example

The unofficial Tattoo shop of NAKM in Dublin

Knowledge Summit Dublin

Jana Thuaud didn’t set out to work in knowledge management. She found her way there through environmental science, development work, and years of documenting what actually happens on the ground.

In this episode, she shares what that journey taught her about KM in the real world. Not the polished version, the human one.

Brittany and Rachel dig into why organizations are still defaulting to websites, repositories, and webinars in 2026. The honest answer? They’re easy to measure, easy to fund, and easy to explain.

They also get into:

• The gap between knowledge products and actual knowledge flow
• Why KM still gets treated like information management
• The role of culture, context, and access in global work
• What it really takes to build trust and connection across teams

The throughline is simple. KM doesn’t move because of tools. It moves because people decide it matters.

A grounded conversation that cuts through the noise and brings KM back to what it’s always been about: people, relationships, and making the work actually work.

Notes:
Check out this great webinar by Jana and her team - https://www.gefislands.org/webinar/islands-forum-setting-bar-synergized-sids-knowledge-chemicals-and-waste

In this episode, Brittany and Rachel sit down with Rob Taylor, a KM practitioner with over 40 years of experience, to explore where knowledge management is headed and what might need rethinking.

They unpack common KM buzzwords, the real impact of AI, and the ongoing tension between technology and human connection. The conversation also dives into community, trust, and why KM works best when it centers people, not just systems.

After almost 40 years of corporate life as both a consultant and functional head Rob is now an AI trainer and KM consultant as www.AIxKM.co.uk

Rob will be speaking at KM World Europe in April 2026 https://www.kmworld.com/Europe/2026 on “Getting back to the core of community”

If you’re in London, UK then contact Rob about joining a friendly group of KMers who meet up every couple of months: Rob@AIxKM.co.uk

Brittany and Rachel sit down with Dr. Matt Finch to explore what the future has to do with knowledge management and why it matters more than we often give it credit for. With a background that spans strategy, foresight, and information science, Matt brings a fresh perspective on how KM practitioners can think beyond the present.

They dig into scenario planning, storytelling as a strategic tool, and why getting comfortable with uncertainty might be one of the most practical skills in today’s work. The conversation also touches on learning through play, engaging audiences who do not think they care about KM yet, and making foresight feel more human and accessible.

Plus, Brittany and Rachel share a behind-the-scenes look at Empower KM, what they set out to build, what they learned, and why it continues to feel like community disguised as a conference.

If you are thinking about what comes next and how KM can help you get there, this episode is for you.

Here are some of the resources mentioned in today's show:
Ramírez and Ravetz on feral futures - https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0016328710002880

The Oxford Scenario Planning Approach - https://mh.bmj.com/content/early/2026/02/20/medhum-2025-013691

Ludi Price's work on fan taxonomies - https://blogs.city.ac.uk/ludiprice/2019/01/30/a-model-of-fan-information-behaviour/

Elizabeth Salzberger-Wittenberg on endings and beginnings - https://www.routledge.com/Experiencing-Endings-and-Beginnings-From-Birth-to-Old-Age/Wittenberg/p/book/9781032264660

In this episode, Brittany and Rachel sit down with Maggie Starkey to talk about the real work of knowledge management — the part that lives in relationships, not just repositories.

They explore why interpersonal skills are core KM capabilities, not “nice to have” extras. From building trust and practicing active listening to navigating layoffs and organizational change, this conversation centers on the human side of knowledge work.

Maggie shares insight on resilience, the emotional weight KM professionals often carry, and why the value of KM isn’t always immediately visible — but is absolutely critical to long-term business success. They also dig into the impact of AI, the challenges of knowledge transfer, and what it means to protect expertise when people move on.

If you care about trust, connection, and making knowledge work actually work — this one’s for you.

In this episode, Brittany and Rachel sit down with Angela to explore her journey from serving as a Knowledge Management Specialist at USAID to her current work in holistic health advocacy.

They unpack what it is really like to practice KM inside a large federal system, where information exists everywhere but is not always accessible in ways that truly empower people. Angela shares candid reflections on operational onboarding gaps, lack of standardization, records management inconsistencies, and ongoing IT challenges that made knowledge flow harder than it needed to be.

But this conversation goes beyond systems and structure.

It is about transformation.

Angela reflects on how her experience at USAID sharpened her systems thinking, strengthened her leadership skills, and ultimately shaped her transition into holistic health advocacy. Brittany and Rachel explore the throughline running beneath it all: information is power.

Whether navigating global development structures or advocating for your own health, access to clear, organized, trustworthy knowledge changes outcomes. In her current work, Angela applies core KM principles such as clarity, accessibility, governance, and empowerment to help women better understand their bodies, their options, and their agency within healthcare systems.

In this episode, Brittany and Rachel discuss:

• The realities of knowledge management inside large institutions
• Operational onboarding and standardization challenges
• Records management and IT barriers
• How KM skills translate across industries
• The connection between knowledge access and empowerment
• Supporting women through holistic health advocacy

If you believe KM is more than repositories and documentation, if you see it as a vehicle for confidence, agency, and access, this episode will resonate.

Because when knowledge flows, people flourish.

Learn more and connect with Robust Health Advocacy
Phone - 240-997-3995
Email - forestang@mail (not Gmail)
WhatsApp - @AD Trees
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/angelaforest/
Alignable - https://www.alignable.com/bowie-md/robust-health-advocacy-healthy-gut-phenomenal-life?user=3638379

In this episode of Not Another KM Podcast, Brittany and Rachel welcome their first guest, John Hovell, Director of Strategic Partnerships at Power + Systems, to unpack what they are officially calling The KM/OD Situationship, and unofficially calling (How Do We Get Rid of John?!)

They dig into where Knowledge Management (KM) and Organizational Development (OD) overlap, where they diverge, and why the lines between them can feel blurry at best. They talk definitions, common misconceptions, and the ongoing identity struggle that seems to follow OD around. More importantly, explore how both disciplines show up in real organizations and what happens when they are practiced intentionally.

Finally, they also get into experiential learning, systems thinking, and why change does not stick without clarity, structure, and shared understanding.

Smart. Honest. A little nerdy. Exactly how we like it.