We approach our projects with a sense of excitement for what’s ahead.

The world is changing: we read, write, research, watch, and converse in a constantly shifting mix of digital spaces and in-person interactions.

The COVID-19 pandemic pushed us further than we ever thought possible into the digital realm: since March 2020, we, as a society, learned to innovate and create with people we’ve only met online, to develop rich working relationships with no water cooler in sight, and to build exciting digital environments for our businesses.

What we at Crosscut know for sure: despite a rapidly changing technological world, learning is still a social process, eye contact still matters, and spirited dialogue is still the best way to get to the bottom of an issue. Conversation, collaboration, and dynamic problem-solving remain at the heart of any meaningful learning experience. Our technological choice-making always prioritizes the human experience.

With this in mind, we introduce to new clients our central design questions: Who is your audience and how can we create custom online learning programs as nuanced and diverse as they are? How can your learners inspire our design? What existing technology can best support the learners you are trying to serve?
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Our team loves nothing more than to sit around a virtual table interviewing clients about their work and coming up with fresh and far-reaching ways to teach it.

Leah Siepel | Founder

Leah Siepel is a relentlessly thoughtful educator and artist who has combined her loves for design, teaching, and learning into an innovative, boutique online course design business.

She's the rare seasoned expert in the Wild West of online learning. Leah has created learning products for a wide range of institutions and professionals -- universities, start-ups, non-profits, and creatives of all types. Her courses are consistently well-loved; the music theory course that she designed enrolled 20,000 learners in the first six months. 

Leah has served as the Director of Instructional Design at The Juilliard School and Senior Instructional Designer at Amplify Learning. She’s taught at New York University, New School University, Adelphi University, and the Internationals Network for Public Schools. She has an MA in Education, a BA in History and Psychology, a background in modern dance, and a love of writing and the visual arts. 

She lives in Brooklyn and the Hudson Valley with her husband, son, kittens, and five Tonka trucks.

Sara Hashim | Director of Design

Sara Hashim is an award winning Creative, Educator and Leader who, through branding and a focus on the visual and strategic systems they inhabit, helps people and businesses uncover untapped potential, realize core values, and create beautiful, tangible spaces for ideas to thrive.

Liz Thiers | Content Producer

​Liz has worked on a wide range of digital projects, specializing in production and media management. She has most recently worked with Amplify to create a digital curriculum for middle school and to translate a grade school print curriculum into a digital pilot. ​​

Kiva Singh | Artist & Illustrator

​Kiva Singh is an artist and illustrator living in Los Angeles. She specializes in film advertisements and conceptual artworks that help creative directors express their vision.

Julie Palomba | Content Producer

Julie Palomba has worked as a content producer in educational media for four years. She built dynamic and user-friendly curriculum for Amplify Education. She recently completed a Fulbright grant in Madrid, Spain.

Nina Summer | Illustrator

​Nina Summer is a Swiss visual artist based in Brooklyn, New York. She has worked with a wide range of companies as including Collective Arts Brewing, Headstrong Nation and Impeesa Productions among others. She also works with private clients and educational programs. 

Jeremy Friedman | Writer & Editor​

​Jeremy Friedman is a writer, editor and indexer with a decade of professional experience. He writes web content and press releases and edits books and academic papers.

Walker Higgins | Videographer

​Walker Higgins has filmed and edited online course videos for The Juilliard School as well as videos for a host of small and large businesses. He specializes in video editing, digital cinematography, media management, video production, pre-production coordination, and improvising when unexpected problems arise. 

Tamur Qutab | Videographer

​Tamur Qutab is a graduate of the  SUNY Purchase Film Conservatory who specializes in non-fiction visual storytelling. Tamur has worked as a researcher and curator for Aeon Video as well as a freelance editor for online platforms such as NowThis News and Elite Music Mentor. 

Sarah Roach | Writer & Editor

Sarah Roach is a writer and editor who has worked with a wide array of clients - from non-profit organizations to global brands. ​