people sitting on chair in front of laptop computers

About Us

people sitting on chair in front of laptop computers

About Us

people sitting on chair in front of laptop computers

About Us

Our journey

Built in conversation.

Friends asked for help, then their teams did too. We grew one table at a time—listening first, co-designing small wins, and sharing what works.

person sitting in a chair in front of a man
person sitting in a chair in front of a man
person sitting in a chair in front of a man
photography of people inside room during daytime
photography of people inside room during daytime
photography of people inside room during daytime

Our values

People first — we start with care, clarity, and respect, because technology should support humans, not replace them.

We use plain language with no jargon so everyone can take part, and we co-create because ideas get better when we make them together.

Safety and trust come first—privacy, consent, and thoughtful guardrails mean there’s always a human in the loop. We focus on small wins and learn by doing, one practical step at a time.

Our approach

We start by listening to your people and the work as it is, then make sense of it together in plain language.

From there we co-design a small, sensible first step—something we can try in the room with simple prompts and clear guardrails.

We learn out loud, review what worked (and what didn’t), and iterate. You leave with practical next actions, tools you can use tomorrow, and the confidence to keep a human in the loop as you go.

Our team

People you’ll actually meet in the room

Facilitators, not slide-readers. We tailor to your world and try things together.

Debbie Malligan

Dr Dave Braendler

Co-founder

Dave Braendler is an AI strategist and community-builder focused on supporting leaders through the human side of change. He combines hands-on technical expertise with a deep understanding of trauma-informed leadership, organisational behaviour, and systems thinking. Through Humans in the Loop, he helps organisations navigate AI adoption with empathy, clarity, and courage.

Debbie Malligan

Dr Dave Braendler

Co-founder

Dave Braendler is an AI strategist and community-builder focused on supporting leaders through the human side of change. He combines hands-on technical expertise with a deep understanding of trauma-informed leadership, organisational behaviour, and systems thinking. Through Humans in the Loop, he helps organisations navigate AI adoption with empathy, clarity, and courage.

Debbie Malligan

Dr Dave Braendler

Co-founder

Dave Braendler is an AI strategist and community-builder focused on supporting leaders through the human side of change. He combines hands-on technical expertise with a deep understanding of trauma-informed leadership, organisational behaviour, and systems thinking. Through Humans in the Loop, he helps organisations navigate AI adoption with empathy, clarity, and courage.

Debbie Malligan

Debbie Malligan

Co-founder

Debbie brings decades of clinical leadership and behaviour-change expertise into the AI space, helping organisations adopt new technology in ways that actually work for real people. As co-founder of Humans in the Loop, she focuses on culture, readiness, and practical implementation — turning AI curiosity into confident, safe, everyday use across teams. Her approach is direct, human-centred, and grounded in evidence, making change feel achievable rather than overwhelming.

Debbie Malligan

Debbie Malligan

Co-founder

Debbie brings decades of clinical leadership and behaviour-change expertise into the AI space, helping organisations adopt new technology in ways that actually work for real people. As co-founder of Humans in the Loop, she focuses on culture, readiness, and practical implementation — turning AI curiosity into confident, safe, everyday use across teams. Her approach is direct, human-centred, and grounded in evidence, making change feel achievable rather than overwhelming.

Debbie Malligan

Debbie Malligan

Co-founder

Debbie brings decades of clinical leadership and behaviour-change expertise into the AI space, helping organisations adopt new technology in ways that actually work for real people. As co-founder of Humans in the Loop, she focuses on culture, readiness, and practical implementation — turning AI curiosity into confident, safe, everyday use across teams. Her approach is direct, human-centred, and grounded in evidence, making change feel achievable rather than overwhelming.

Debbie Malligan

Dr Kara Kennedy

AI Literacy

Kara is passionate about unlocking human potential through inclusive, future-focused learning. Her work bridges industry, education, and organisational change, supporting teams as they navigate uncertainty and opportunity. Through Humans in the Loop, Kara helps people build the confidence and capability needed to thrive in a changing world.

Debbie Malligan

Dr Kara Kennedy

AI Literacy

Kara is passionate about unlocking human potential through inclusive, future-focused learning. Her work bridges industry, education, and organisational change, supporting teams as they navigate uncertainty and opportunity. Through Humans in the Loop, Kara helps people build the confidence and capability needed to thrive in a changing world.

Debbie Malligan

Dr Kara Kennedy

AI Literacy

Kara is passionate about unlocking human potential through inclusive, future-focused learning. Her work bridges industry, education, and organisational change, supporting teams as they navigate uncertainty and opportunity. Through Humans in the Loop, Kara helps people build the confidence and capability needed to thrive in a changing world.

Alex Wilson

Dr Naomi Rutten

Advisor

Naomi is a nationally recognised leader in psychological safety, trauma-informed practice, and system-level wellbeing. As Founder of Ducks In A Row Trainings, President of the Australian Society for Psychological Medicine, and adviser to the Australian Chief Psychiatrist, she brings deep authority to the human risks and responsibilities of change. Through Humans in the Loop, Naomi anchors the work in compassion, safety, and ethical integrity.

Alex Wilson

Dr Naomi Rutten

Advisor

Naomi is a nationally recognised leader in psychological safety, trauma-informed practice, and system-level wellbeing. As Founder of Ducks In A Row Trainings, President of the Australian Society for Psychological Medicine, and adviser to the Australian Chief Psychiatrist, she brings deep authority to the human risks and responsibilities of change. Through Humans in the Loop, Naomi anchors the work in compassion, safety, and ethical integrity.

Alex Wilson

Dr Naomi Rutten

Advisor

Naomi is a nationally recognised leader in psychological safety, trauma-informed practice, and system-level wellbeing. As Founder of Ducks In A Row Trainings, President of the Australian Society for Psychological Medicine, and adviser to the Australian Chief Psychiatrist, she brings deep authority to the human risks and responsibilities of change. Through Humans in the Loop, Naomi anchors the work in compassion, safety, and ethical integrity.