Have you ever wondered who Alison is or whether the name is an acronym? You’re not alone. Alison founder Mike Feerick travels the world, meeting Alison staff, learners and graduates in 193 countries and is reliably asked, “Is Alison your wife’s name?” or, “How did you come up with the name Alison?” Here, he shares the story of how the best free online learning platform in the world came by its name.

“When I first came up with the vision of a website that could teach for free anyone, anywhere, on any subject, at any time, I knew that coming up with the right name was very important. As the old Chinese sage Confucius was reported to have said (and I paraphrase!) “Calling something by its right name is the beginning of all wisdom”. 

Criteria for Choosing a Name

The name of the project/website had to have certain basic qualities:

1. Simplicity: It had to be a simple name, easily said. The name phonetically had to roll off any tongue in any language, as our goal from day one was to have a large global website with learners studying in every country.
2. Generic and benign: It had to be a generic, benign word to begin with – something like “Google” that could morph into many things. What I did not want to call the website was “Free Online Learning.org” as what we were planning to build was so much more than providing free learning alone.
3. Alphabetical advantage: It should begin with the letter “A”. It’s one of the most basic marketing strategies, as starting with “A” gets you placed naturally at the top of many listings. I remember some years later listening to an interview with Jack Ma at the World Economic Forum in Davos, in which he said he came up with the name Alibaba partly also because of the letter “A”!There was another reason for the “A” letter: the original company (which sold IT Desktop Training courses online) was called “Advance Learning”, so from there, I got the “A” and the “L”.  When I thought of the “Alison” name, I had to look to see if the domain was taken, and indeed it was, by a very nice American lady by the name of: you guessed it, “Alison”.

The Golden Question

Not only is the right name important, but having the matching domain/URL equally so. I found out that “Alison” was living in New Jersey, USA. I reached out and got a speedy reply. No, she wasn’t interested. “I like having this domain name,” she said, and who would not like to have their own matching namesake domain for themselves? Unsurprised, I persisted. Alison told me she had over 100 inquiries from China alone trying to buy the name. Then she asked me the golden question after some friendly exchanges: “What do you want it for?” 

I knew I had a chance when she asked that question. As carefully as I could, I wrote out my vision for educating the world for free. I shared with her some of my background; that I had already started a number of web-based businesses, and how the social mission and impact of what we could do was what excited me most. She asked for some time to think about it. She really did like having that domain name!

Sometime early in 2007, I received the email I was hoping for. Yes, we could have the domain name.  A month later, for a one-off payment of $10,000, dinner and show on Broadway, the domain was ours!

How Alison Has Grown

I have not been in contact with Alison for many years, but I hope she is happy with how we have used her precious domain name around the world. It reminds me how many acts of goodwill around the world have helped us to get this far. 

What’s in a name? Well, everything. You make it become something that in time stands alone. We hope the Alison name will become even more synonymous with free learning and empowerment in the years ahead. For my part, I invite you too to help build the brand of Alison by telling someone new about Alison when you can!

Hope you enjoyed the story! You can follow me on X and Linkedin.”

Free Courses and Much More!

Mike’s vision and passion for equal access to education worldwide has seen Alison notch up more than 40 million registered learners in the years since that theatre-loving lady agreed to sell him her domain name. Today, Alison boasts over 4,000 free courses, all accredited by CPD UK. They can be studied on your PC, laptop or phone via the app. Additional tools, like psychometric tests and career advice have grown our claim to fame as an all-round empowerment platform. Explore our courses and the resources below today! 

Resources to Help Your Career:

• Career Guide – Explore thousands of career pathways, including average salaries and course recommendations.
• Career Ready Plan – Discover the career most suited to you and get a step-by-step plan for succeeding in it.
• Resumé Builder – Create a clear, concise, impactful CV that will showcase your skills and experience

Discover Who You Are:

• Workplace Wellbeing Assessment – Understand and improve your cognitive, emotional and physical wellbeing and workplace stressors.
• Realise your career dreams with Alison’s best free Workplace Personality Test. Explore your character; discover your professional strengths and weaknesses and find your perfect career match. Upskill with personalised course recommendations.
• Aptitude Test – Assess your verbal, numerical and abstract reasoning skills. Course recommendations will help you improve in your areas of weakness.

Read Learners’ Success Stories

• Testimonials – Be encouraged by positive stories of empowerment from Alison graduates.
• Graduate Outcomes – Discover why people study with Alison.

Earn As You Learn

Why not join our Affiliate Programme? It’s a simple process. If you enjoy a course and want to recommend it to others, we’ll help you share your review and earn commission when someone you’ve brought to the site completes the course and purchases a certificate or diploma.

Helping Employers to Upskill Their Workforce

Free LMS – Upskill your employees with micro-credentials from our free learning management system. Keep abreast of your team’s progress with comprehensive reports.

Follow Alison on Facebook, X, LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok, Quora, YouTube.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Who is Alison named after?
Alison is not named after a specific person related to the founder, such as his wife. The name was chosen based on specific criteria to create a simple, memorable, and effective brand for a global audience.

2. Is the name Alison an acronym?
No, Alison is not an acronym.

3. Why was the name Alison chosen for the platform?
The name Alison was chosen because it is simple, easily pronounced in many languages, generic enough to allow for brand growth, and starts with the letter “A,” giving it an alphabetical advantage in listings.

4. How has the Alison platform grown since its inception?
Since its inception, Alison has grown to become a leading free online learning platform with millions of learners worldwide, offering thousands of free courses across various subjects.

5. Can I follow the founder, Mike Feerick, on social media?
Yes, you can follow Mike Feerick on X and Linkedin to stay updated on Alison’s latest developments and his insights on global education.

6. How can I help build the Alison brand?
You can help build the Alison brand by sharing the platform with others and promoting its mission of free education and empowerment. Spreading the word helps more people discover and benefit from Alison’s resources.