Alison Horstmeyer

Dr. Alison Horstmeyer is a former Fortune 500 business development executive who now bridges both corporate and academia focused on bringing an integrative biopsychosocial discipline and practice to professional development. Her research focuses on curiosity and associated mental, emotional, and motivational attributes. Her work is founded on the principle belief that for individuals to successfully navigate the contemporary VUCA landscape requires a humanistic framework that blends components of behavioral science, health science, and social science; and, above all, a learner mindset. Her work is published in various domestic and international leadership and L&D publications including peer-reviewed journals such as The Journal of Organizational Change Management, Development and Learning in Organizations: An International Journal, and Strategic HR Review as well as mainstream business publications such as Forbes and CEOWorld Magazine.

Following her departure as a corporate executive, Alison has worked with executives from organizations such as Hulu, Verizon Media, Dolby Laboratories, Transdigm, Vanguard, Anthem Blue Cross, Stanford Health Care, among others. Alison regularly works with clients focused on leadership mindset development, healthy team inter-dynamics and performance, and agile experimentation.

Alison joined the Center for Third Space Thinking as the inaugural Research Fellow in 2018 and has been contributing empirical rigor and thought leadership to our communications-driven approach to soft skills development in the workplace. Alison also serves as the Director of Client Development and adjunct faculty for USC Marshall School of Business office of Executive Education and is a frequent guest lecturer for USC Marshall Lloyd Greif Center for Entrepreneurial Studies. She holds a PhD and MS from one of the leading humanistic institutions in integrative health sciences, Saybrook University, and an MBA from the USC Marshall School of Business. She is also a certified executive coach, certified EQi facilitator, and certified yoga instructor.