Meet the Team
we’re so glad you’re here
Erin “Big” Diehl is a Business Improv Edutainer, Failfluencer, and Professional Zoombie. Through a series of unrelated dares, Erin created improve it!, a unique professional development company that pushes others to laugh, learn, play, and grow.
Among her many accolades, Erin is most proud of successfully coercing over 30,000 professionals to chicken dance.
Erin Diehl is a graduate from Clemson University, and a former experiential marketing and recruiting professional as well as a veteran improviser from the top improvisational training programs in Chicago, including The Second City, i.O. Theater and The Annoyance Theatre.
Erin has spoken on global stages both virtually and in person - with companies like Uber Freight, Walgreens, Motorola, LinkedIn and The Obama Foundation (to name a few)! She is a member of The Chicago Innovation Awards Women’s Cohort and graduate of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Business Program.
She is also the proud host of a Top 1% Global Podcast, The improve it! Podcast, which you can find anywhere you listen to pods!
When she's not playing pretend or facilitating, she enjoys walking on the beach with her husband, son, and eight pound toy poodle, BIGG DIEHL.
Empirical evidence has shown that improvisational training has the ability to improve an employee’s trust, teamwork, communication, presentation skills, creative problem solving, and can improve a company’s overall corporate culture. No one knows that better than Cristy Mercier, she’s studied and performed this amazing art form at many institutions, some of which are The Second City, the iO Training Center, the Annoyance, and Comedy Sportz .
As the Director of Talent for improve it!, Cristy has conducted workshops across the country, leveraging improvisational techniques to improve employees’ skills in corporate settings, facilitating sessions for clients such as Exelon, Motorola Solutions, Groupon, Elkay Manufacturing, Accenture, The PrivateBank, Quicken Loans, Milhouse Engineering, Crowe Horwath, and many more.
Jenna McDonnell is a graduate of DePaul University, where she studied Organizational Communication and Media. Through her business and nonprofit roles, she has extensive experience building client and community partnerships, managing events, and bridging gaps for introverts just trying to make it in an extrovert’s world. As the Director of Client Experience at improve it!, she has built relationships with amazing leaders at organizations including Uber Freight, Adobe, Warby Parker, Primex Family of Companies, LinkedIn, and Chegg, in addition to managing virtual and in person events across North America, Europe, and Asia. She loves connecting with leaders and helping to align their learning goals with improve it!'s impactful and fun-filled programs.
Reach out to Jenna at jenna@learntoimproveit.com if you're interested in learning more or want to bring us in to work with your team!
Through improve it!'s work with clients, she once found herself unexpectedly presenting to former President, Barack Obama. And to answer your question, yes, it was the best moment of her life.
Rachel Oliveros is a Loyola University Chicago alumni where she majored in Marketing and studied abroad in Rome. Rachel has had a history with improve it! prior to working on the podcast, starting as an intern to a Client Services Associate. And now, as the Podcast Manager of improve it!, she works closely with Erin to do all things podcast. On top of being creative with show graphics and communicating with inspiring podcast guests, she also enjoys working in Advertising Sales with ViacomCBS. Reach out to her if you're interested in being a guest on The improve it! Pod!
Nicole Entzeroth is a graduate from Loyola University Chicago, where she completed a double major in the English Honors Program and Economics, and also a minor in Psychology. Through internships in marketing & communications, research, and two years of teaching in the St. Louis Public School district as a Teach for America corps member, she is experienced in relationship building, facilitation, instructional design, and creative storytelling.
At improve it!, she is the Marketing Manager and focuses on bringing ideas to life to build and maintain client relationships.
Our Improv Professionals
Each of our improvisers are trained at the top theaters in Chicago, Charlotte, LA, NYC, and all across the United States. All are active members of these organizations and perform frequently on the highest level improv stages, as well as many being featured in film and tv. They are also business professionals who understand the need for improv in the workplace, with years of experience leading professionals outside of their comfort zones, laughing, learning, and growing along the way.
