Creating the space for what really matters in 2026

Creating the space for what really matters in 2026.

As we welcome 2026, I want to offer a sincere thank you to all our clients, partners and practitioners. Working alongside you, supporting the growth of your people, your teams and your organisations, continues to be a real privilege.

Over the past year, one pattern has stood out more than any other: we’re no longer struggling with access to learning.

Content is plentiful, but connection is becoming rare.

With AI bringing us instant insights, personalised paths and curated resources at scale, learning content has never been more accessible. And yet, what people are calling out for isn’t more information.
It’s space.
It’s connection.
It’s the opportunity to reflect, explore challenges and make sense of change together.

Because learning that transforms us requires more than content, it needs conversation, curiosity and community.

ThirdSpace2

The Third Space: where learning becomes real.

ThirdSpace

At People Untapped, we call this essential environment The Third Space. It’s the bridge between the learning experience and the real world, the place where insight turns into action, where confidence grows, and where teams strengthen their ability to learn and perform together.

Recently, we shared 14 practical ways organisations can intentionally create this space, from peer learning circles and action learning projects to virtual learning cafés and community playbooks.

If you’d like to talk through how these might take shape in your organisation, we’d be delighted to explore it with you.

Looking ahead to 2026.

This year, our focus remains clear: to unlock brilliance in people, teams and organisations through learning that is meaningful, connected and built to fuel performance. Thank you for being part of our community. Here’s to a year filled with insight, connection and continued growth.

Warm wishes,
Marisa Knowles
CEO, People Untapped

Marisa Knowles | CEO | UK

Marisa is the heart and soul behind People Untapped. As CEO, she brings 20+ years of HR leadership – from global corporations to scaling start-ups – and is a Qualified Executive Coach, TMSDI accredited, and a Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses UK Programme alumna on a mission to help leaders and teams unlock their full, untapped potential.

🎓 Her expertise spans organisation design, strategic talent management, cultural transformation, and building high-performing teams. Marisa blends big-picture strategy with a down-to-earth, creative style that makes transformation feel thrilling (not terrifying).

💡 Her leadership is equal parts straight-talking and supportive – she’ll ask the tough questions and champion you as you discover breakthrough answers. Expect bold conversations that shift perspectives and drive real change.

Fuelled by coffee, curiosity, and carefully curated playlists that energise any room, Marisa lives for lightbulb moments. Her philosophy? Think bigger. Be bolder. Go further – together. Watch out world!