Where
Creativity & Technology
meet Human
Connection.
AV engineer. Experience designer. Former dancer. Current builder. 14 years in the industry — still figuring it out, still excited about it.
The AV industry doesn’t have
a Google-it problem.
It has a structure problem.
I spent years watching brilliant technicians piece together knowledge from YouTube rabbit holes and forum threads. New technicians who couldn’t afford certification courses. IT professionals who had AV dropped on their plate. Veterans with no budget for training but refusing to be left behind. There needed to be a better way — and it didn’t exist. So I built it.
From AV Installation Essentials to AV-over-IP to Project Management — every path maps to AVIXA CTS® duty areas. No more guessing what to study next.
Answers grounded in your training docs and the live web. No hallucinations passing as gospel. Bring your own API key — no vendor lock-in.
AI identifies your three weakest CTS® duty areas from your actual practice data. Study what moves the needle. Skip what you already know.
Broadcast studio, large venue audio, AV-over-IP, podcast studio — practice real-world scenarios without the career risk of getting it wrong on a live job.
CTS® is a registered trademark of AVIXA. AVHD Learning Lab is not affiliated with or endorsed by AVIXA.
I built the tool I needed
and couldn’t find.
I’m Cathy Richards-Ingram — AV engineer, experience designer, former dancer, current builder. AVHD is my personal brand, professional hub, and creative outlet: a space to elevate work in the audio visual industry while exploring what’s next in conferencing, collaboration, and immersive technology.
I’ve been in corporate AV for over a decade — long enough to watch the industry shift eras in real time. The legacy era of manual math and physical intuition. The smart-device era of handshake issues and overnight firmware updates. Both demand real skill. Neither had the learning infrastructure to match.
So I started building flashcards. Then the flashcards became a learning platform. Then the platform became an ecosystem. That’s how AVHD works: one idea refines the next, and the ADHD brain that used to derail me is now the engine.
Dancer. Choreographer. Stage performer. The same spatial thinking that built performances now wires conference rooms. The storytelling instinct never left — it just found a new medium.
My brain doesn’t do linear. It does webs. One idea connects to five others. AI became the tool that takes raw, spinning input and turns it into a refined plan — without losing the energy that made the idea worth building.
To make AV education accessible, structured, and worth the time of every technician, integrator, and IT person who just had AV added to their plate.
“That’s because you’re an engineer.” — My four-year-old, right before falling asleep next to me while I was still building. That one stays with me.
TL;DR: I asked ChatGPT who I was. It was uncomfortably accurate. I’m keeping it because it’s more honest than a formal bio.
A highly creative, tech-savvy professional with a strong background in corporate AV technology. Over 12 years of experience as an AV technician, project manager, and engineer. Deeply passionate about creating equitable, immersive, and well-designed virtual, hybrid, and in-person experiences that empower communication in the workplace.
Inventive, curious, driven by passion and purpose. You balance analytical problem-solving with artistic vision. Your ADHD gives you a unique edge in ideation and creativity — you embrace it as part of your superpower. Intentional, quality-focused, inclusive.
You’re building a brand around “AVHD” — AV expertise with a creative twist. Someone who doesn’t just use technology. You shape it to tell stories, build community, and create meaningful impact.
“Hmm. Pretty accurate. Let’s do this.” — Me, immediately afterward.
The things I actually believe.
Not a mission statement. The operating principles that show up in every project.
The fundamentals were earned, not generated. Signal flow, acoustics, system physics — these don’t expire. AI helps me build faster. It doesn’t replace what’s already true.
The best AV work is invisible. When the meeting starts and everything just works, that’s craft. That’s what I aim for and what I teach.
I use AI where it eliminates busywork and accelerates ideas. I don’t use it where it creates noise or replaces real judgment. The difference matters.
AV training shouldn’t require a $3,000 bootcamp. If a new tech can’t afford to learn properly, the whole industry pays for it eventually.
11:47 PM on a Tuesday.
That’s when most of AVHD gets built. The house is quiet. Isabel’s asleep. The laptop glows. And whatever idea has been rattling around all day finally gets space to breathe.
It’s 11:47 PM on a Tuesday, and I’m curled up in bed with my laptop glowing in the dark. My family’s asleep. Then Isabel wanders in, climbs into bed, and asks: “Mama, why do you have your computer in bed?”
I tell her I’m building something special. Something creative. Something that might help a lot of people. She quietly says: “That’s because you’re an engineer.” And drifts off to sleep.
Read the full story →
Learn.
Create.
Connect.
Three product lines. One through-line: making AV more accessible, more professional, and more human.
AI-native AV learning platform for technicians, integrators, and CTS® candidates. 9 structured paths, 980+ questions, 10 simulations, and an AI tutor that actually cites its sources.
Hybrid event templates, digital signage packs, AV social kits — designed for professionals who run the room and build the brand around it.
Notify meVirtual coworking for AV professionals — to think, build, and problem-solve alongside people who understand the work.
In developmentFrom the field.
AVHD Lab — My Why
It’s 11:47 PM on a Tuesday, and I’m curled up in bed with my laptop glowing in the dark. My family’s asleep. I’m building something I wish existed years ago.
Staying Sharp When You’re 300 Miles from the Gear
The remote AV reality, the freelancer’s dilemma, and 50+ simulation scenarios to practice without the pressure.
More writing →
AV, AI, hybrid work, and whatever’s keeping me up at 11:47 PM.
Start where
you are.
AVHD Lab is free. No credit card. No commitment. Structured AV learning that actually respects your time and your career.
CTS® is a registered trademark of AVIXA. AVHD Learning Lab is not affiliated with or endorsed by AVIXA.