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Skillsetter

About us

Built for the people on the other side of the conversation.

Skillsetter helps people build the interpersonal skills others rely on in life's most consequential moments. The quality of a conversation can shape what happens next.

Why we're here

Interpersonal skills are too important to leave to chance.

People are routinely expected to navigate uncertainty, vulnerability, conflict, and change through instinct and experience alone. Skillsetter was built on a different premise: these skills can be made clear, practiced in realistic situations, and strengthened through feedback and repetition.

Two people in conversation across a table in a bright office

  • Research roots

    Skillsetter grew from decades of research into why some practitioners achieve better outcomes than others. Our Chief Scientist, Dr. Bruce Wampold, has helped advance understanding of the interpersonal factors that shape client experience and therapeutic effectiveness.

  • Skillsetter begins

    Skillsetter was founded in 2016 by Dr. Bruce Wampold, Kurt Shuster, and Stephan Wiedner. From the start, the goal was to translate broad interpersonal competencies into observable behaviors learners could practice, reflect on, and improve.

  • Where we're going

    What began in counseling education has grown into a platform serving fields where interpersonal interaction shapes outcomes. We're working toward a future where interpersonal skills are developed with the same seriousness as other professional capabilities, so no one enters a challenging conversation unprepared.

What guides us

The principles behind how we research, build, and work.

Skillsetter grew out of research, and we continue to support it. Researchers studying deliberate practice and interpersonal skill development can request free platform access for qualified research projects.

Ask about research access

  • Interpersonal skill can be developed

    Complex human interactions can be broken into observable skills that people can practice, reflect on, and strengthen over time.

  • Practice should feel safe and real

    Learners need space to try, reflect, and try again before the stakes are real. Practice should also reflect the situations and pressures they are preparing to encounter.

  • Technology should strengthen human judgment

    We use technology to make practice more accessible, feedback more timely, and progress more visible while keeping human judgment, emotional nuance, and connection central.

Leadership

Meet Skillsetter's executive team.

Skillsetter is a focused team working at the intersection of behavioral science, technology, and professional training.

  • Kurt Shuster

    Kurt Shuster

    Chief Executive Officer

  • Dr. Bruce Wampold

    Dr. Bruce Wampold

    Chief Scientist

  • Renato Toth

    Renato Toth

    Chief Technology Officer

  • Stephan Wiedner

    Stephan Wiedner

    Chief Operating Officer

Built for partnership

A platform backed by expertise.

Skillsetter combines software with interpersonal skills expertise, instructional design, and implementation support. We work with customers to turn broad competencies into focused, relevant practice that fits their learners and context.

  • A student at a laptop in a university library

    For academic programs

    Build a more consistent way to prepare learners for practicum, observe performance, and demonstrate competency across courses or an entire program.

  • Two colleagues talking in a meeting room while a third presents

    For organizations

    Give teams realistic, scalable practice for the conversations that shape client experience, patient care, employee trust, and workplace performance.

Prepare people for the conversations that matter most.

Better conversations are built through practice, guided by expertise, and grounded in respect for the person on the other side.

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