Developing Leaders for More Than the Classroom
Manna University believes education should do more than help students complete assignments or earn a degree. It should prepare people to make a meaningful impact wherever God has called them to lead.
That conviction is at the heart of Manna's partnership with Cultivate Leadership Institute and Develop.Me.
As President of Manna University, Dr. Carlo Serrano has spent years in biblical higher education. For him, leadership development begins with a simple conviction: organizations never lose when they invest in people.
“An organization never loses when they are investing in people.”Dr. Carlo Serrano, President, Manna University
The Challenge
Timeless Truth. A Changing Learning Environment.
The foundations of biblical leadership may not change, but the way people access information and engage with learning has changed dramatically.
For Manna University, that created an important challenge. How do you make meaningful, biblically grounded leadership development accessible to people who are already learning, communicating, and engaging through their phones and computers?
Stefanie Ertel, Executive Director of Academics at Manna University, has worked with multiple learning management systems throughout her career. She recognized that technology shouldn't become another barrier between students and what they are trying to learn. The learning environment needed to meet people where they already were.
“People have their phones. People are using technology, and they’re doing it every day.”Stefanie Ertel
For Manna, adapting to that environment isn't about abandoning the fundamentals of education. It's about finding better ways to deliver them. As Stefanie explained, there are foundational principles of leadership and biblical studies that aren't going to change. But the environment does.
The Solution
Making Leadership Development Accessible Wherever People Are
Manna University uses Develop.Me to help extend leadership development beyond the boundaries of a traditional classroom. Learners can access development through the devices they're already using, allowing Manna and its partners to reach people regardless of where they live. That accessibility is especially important as Manna seeks to equip emerging leaders with a biblical foundation they can apply to everyday life and leadership.
“We want to be so accessible to them that they are able to learn how to lead in their everyday lives.”Stefanie Ertel
For Manna, the goal isn't simply to put more educational content online. It's to create an environment where people can learn, grow, and apply what they're learning.
The Develop.Me Difference
Technology That Keeps the Focus on Development
After experiencing several different learning management systems, one thing stood out to Stefanie about Develop.Me: The user experience.
Instead of forcing learners to spend their time figuring out complicated software, Develop.Me was designed to keep the technology in the background so people can focus on the development happening in front of them.
“What I really love about Develop.Me is the user experience and how easy it is to really focus on the things that you’re supposed to focus on.”Stefanie Ertel
A Learning Experience That Feels Like Manna
Fully Customized. Completely Familiar.
Accessibility wasn't Manna University's only priority. They also wanted the learning experience to feel like an extension of their organization—not someone else's software. Using Develop.Me's customization capabilities, Manna has been able to create an environment that reflects its brand, identity, instructors, and leadership development experience. When learners enter the platform, there is no question whose development experience they are participating in.
“We have been able to customize so many different things that it really looks like our brand.”
Stefanie Ertel
Key Outcomes
ACCESSIBLE
Leadership Development Without Geographic Boundaries
Learners can engage with leadership development wherever they are through technology they're already comfortable using.
FOCUSED
Technology That Doesn't Get in the Way
A simple user experience allows participants to spend less energy navigating software and more energy focusing on their development.
BRANDED
An Experience That Feels Like Manna
Customization allows Manna to provide leadership training within an environment that reflects its own brand and identity.
More Than Content
Creating Development That Leads to Real-World Impact
For both Manna University and Cultivate Leadership Institute, education isn't simply about completing coursework. The goal is transformation. A discussion post, paper, video, or assignment only matters if what someone learns ultimately influences how they live and lead. Carlo described that distinction clearly:
“You’re not just writing a paper. We want this to have a real impact in what you’re doing.”
Dr. Carlo Serrano
Develop.Me helps create space for that kind of development by bringing content, reflection, assignments, discussion, and practical application together within one learning environment. The technology supports the process. Developing the person remains the goal.
A Pathway to Keep Growing
Connecting Leadership Development With Higher Education
The relationship between Manna University and Cultivate Leadership Institute goes beyond software. It creates a pathway. Someone may begin with CLI because they want to grow as a leader. Along the way, they may discover a desire to continue their education and pursue an accredited degree. Through the partnership with Manna University, that next step can become possible. For Carlo, this creates an opportunity for universities to think differently about how they reach and develop future students. Rather than trying to build every development pathway from scratch, institutions can partner with organizations already doing meaningful leadership development.
“Don’t reinvent the wheel. Why not leverage the great curriculum that exists with CLI or the platform in order to reach those students who could potentially connect with your university?”
Dr. Carlo Serrano
Scaling Development Without Rushing It
Reaching More People While Protecting the Process
Technology often promises to make everything faster. That's not how Manna thinks about leadership development. The goal isn't to rush people through a program. It's to create a repeatable way to reach more people while preserving the quality and purpose of the development process. Develop.Me gives organizations a platform for extending their leadership development without making speed the measure of success.
“It’s not necessarily about doing something faster. It’s about doing it in a way that we know is going to produce the results that you want.”
Dr. Carlo Serrano
And for Manna, those desired results go far beyond course completion.
Good. Effective. Healthy. Christ-honoring leaders.
That's the outcome Manna University and Cultivate Leadership Institute are ultimately working toward.
Why Manna University Recommends Develop.Me
For organizations seeking to develop people beyond the walls of a classroom or meeting room, Manna sees Develop.Me as more than a place to host courses. It's an accessible platform that can adapt to an organization's identity, support its curriculum, and help extend its development strategy to more people. Stefanie specifically sees that potential for churches and nonprofit organizations.
“We believe Develop.Me is a compelling choice to use at different churches and nonprofit organizations because of the accessibility, but also because of being able to partner with you for your curriculum and your training.”
Stefanie Ertel
Watch the Manna University Story
Hear directly from Manna University's leadership about why developing the next generation requires timeless principles, accessible technology, and a commitment to investing in people.
Your Mission Is Developing People.
The Platform Should Make It Easier.
Whether you're developing students, staff, volunteers, residents, or emerging leaders, Develop.Me gives you one place to create an accessible, engaging, and customized development experience.
Focus on your people. We'll help with the platform.
