what We’re About

Organizations are struggling to develop tomorrow’s leaders and current solutions are missing the mark.

We’re inviting you to PLAY better. 

Press Play Leadership Studio has built a complete leadership system for the real world. Within the flow of work, managers and senior leaders will develop in parallel, and HR teams will support them throughout the process. Same system. Calibrated differently at each level.

Not a course. Not a coach. We have created a solution that provides a common language, behavioral data, and a clear path forward that scales across your entire organization.

Are you ready to PLAY?

The leadership development gap is real—and it lives right in the middle of your organization.

75% of HR LEADERS SAY THEIR MANAGERS ARE OVERWHELMED BY THE EXPANSION OF THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES.

MANAGERS DRIVE ABOUT 70% OF THE VARIANCE IN TEAM ENGAGEMENT.

The leaders closest to your people are the least supported. That has to change.

Meet the Team

  • Crystal Neill

    CO-FOUNDER

    With over 20 years of experience designing and scaling global learning and leadership strategies, Crystal does one thing exceptionally well: unlocking potential in people and their organizations. She partners with senior leaders to achieve a competitive advantage by blending Design Thinking, adult learning, and performance metrics with a deeply human touch.

    Her superpower? Turning data into tangible breakthroughs.

    Crystal brings the same energy to the boardroom as she does to facilitation, because real learning happens when people feel engaged, seen, and are having fun.

    An innovator of communities and a champion of radical benevolence, Crystal believes great leadership starts with curiosity, courage and joy.

  • Joe Campbell

    CO-FOUNDER

    Joe Campbell has spent more than two decades leading the design of leadership and talent development programs for some of the world's most recognizable companies — Nike, SAP, Silicon Valley Bank, and Sun Microsystems. At Nike, he helped design the company's Manager Excellence program, pairing on-demand "manager workouts" with an annual leadership assessment — the same assess-develop-measure approach that powers Press Play today. He has led global learning organizations of 300+, overseen a $300M+ commercial training portfolio at SAP, and founded People Labs, a Design Thinking firm focused on solving “wicked” human resource challenges. Joe is passionate about bringing people together to collaborate on the design of a better future.

  • Carissa Ricci

    CO-FOUNDER

    Carissa has spent 20+ years in learning and development with a heavy focus on human-centered design. During her nine years in Global Talent Development at Nike, she worked across the full spectrum of the field, from instructional design to leadership development. From there, she took that expertise into the world, coaching and consulting with organizations like lululemon and AWS on learning strategy and program excellence. 

    Through it all, the leadership work kept rising to the top. When a leader finds their groove, their whole team feels it. That's what it's all about.

  • We show up as whole people, with empathy, warmth and genuine care. We put people first in every decision, interaction and design.

  • We believe in people's potential and actively create the conditions for others to grow, lead and thrive.

  • We say what we mean and mean what we say. We communicate with transparency, integrity and courage, even when it's uncomfortable.

  • Everything we do has intention behind it. We act with clarity, focus and a deep sense of why, because meaningful work demands it.

  • We build belonging by design, not by default. Every voice has a seat at the table and every perspective makes our work stronger.

  • We ask questions before we reach for answers. A hunger to learn, explore and challenge assumptions drives everything we do.

  • We don't default to the obvious. We embrace imagination, experimentation and originality to find solutions that genuinely hit the mark.

  • We bring energy, intelligence and optimism to the room. Sharp thinking and a positive outlook are our starting point, not our goal.

  • We are fully present. We tune in to what's actually happening, not what we expect or assume. For our work, for each other, and for the people we serve.

  • We take our work seriously but leave room for play. Joy, humor and lightness are part of how we think, connect and create.

  • We invest in relationships with each other, our clients and the wider world. Strong connections are the foundation of everything we build.

  • Borrowed from the art of improv, we build on ideas rather than blocking them. We say yes, and, adding momentum, possibility and collaboration to every conversation.

our values

Ready to PLAY?

Fill the form, connect with our team, and let's revolutionize the way your leaders develop today.