CHICAGO, Ill., Jan. 27, 2026 – The Nova Collective, a frontrunner in equity-centered organizational learning, has formally merged with Fairplay Learning Partners, a company that specializes in learning and development for storytelling, leadership, and the life sciences. This combination brings two longtime collaborators together into a single entity, forming a formidable team committed to revolutionizing the ways organizations learn, lead, and expand.

Nova and Fairplay have long been aligned on a core foundation and vision: to create learning that is courageous, deeply human, and memorable. Although they have frequently worked together informally, the merger represents a full-circle event, consolidating their collective knowledge, guiding principles, and personnel to generate amplified value for their client partners.

Client benefits include:

• Broader Expertise: Increased offerings in leadership, storytelling, and life sciences L&D.
• Greater Innovation: Improved digital resources, inventive program design, and progressive learning methodologies.
• Increased Capacity: An expanded, unified team prepared to grow and achieve transformative outcomes.

“Nova and Fairplay have consistently shared a common dialect of creativity, collaboration, and inclusion,” stated Scott Zoll, Partner. “This shared understanding originated more than ten years ago when several of us collaborated at Second City, where attentive listening and the ‘Yes, And’ philosophy was a leadership approach, not merely a performance technique. Formally uniting allows us to do more than broaden our services; it enables us to amplify our effect on the organizations and leaders we support.”

Introducing The Dynamic Leader Program

Coinciding with the merger, The Nova Collective is launching The Dynamic Leader Program. This leadership development offering integrates Fairplay’s learning science with Nova’s established frameworks for communication, agility, and dialogue. Honored as a 2025 Training Magazine Network Choice Awards Winner in Leadership Development, the program prepares emerging leaders to excel in rapidly evolving, high-pressure situations.

“This merger is the logical progression of a narrative we have been developing from the start,” commented Brynne Hovde, Partner.

About The Nova Collective

The Nova Collective develops equity-centered learning experiences that drive organizational transformation. Focusing on inclusion, agility, and cultural influence, Nova collaborates with Fortune 100 companies and has impacted thousands of learners across the globe.

About Fairplay Learning Partners

Previously known as Fairplay Communications, Fairplay Learning Partners was established by experts with extensive backgrounds in storytelling, communication, and leadership development. The firm has created essential programs for a diverse range of organizations, with a particular emphasis on the life sciences sector and executive leadership.