For Immediate Release — Intrepid by VitalSource, a cohort-based learning platform to connect, practice, and upskill, has been honored with two Gold Brandon Hall Group Technology Excellence Awards™ for 2025. The 2025 Brandon Hall Group Excellence in Awards™ recognize stand-out achievements for work in Learning and Development, Talent Management, Talent Acquisition, Human Resources, Sales Enablement, Future of Work, and Education Technology.
Recognizing Leading-Edge Innovation with INSEAD and Intrepid
Best Advance in Education Delivered Through Technology (Gold Award)
INSEAD, in partnership with Intrepid, received Gold for its Microcredentials initiative—a globally scalable, on-demand learning experience that blends academic rigor with cutting-edge automation. Through seamless integration across Salesforce, PeopleSoft, Intrepid, and Accredible, INSEAD has created a fully automated learner journey that begins with course selection and payment and ends with a verified digital credential.
Learners from over 40 corporate and public sector partners benefit from instant access, personalized communications, real-time insights, and a frictionless user experience. With strong learner satisfaction (4.47/5 average), 70%+ completion rates, and dramatically reduced admin overhead, INSEAD’s approach represents a bold new standard in executive education.
Best Advance in Social Learning Technology (Gold Award)
Intrepid earned Gold for its Design for Collaboration course, an open-access program that models the very collaboration skills it aims to teach. Offered at no cost to the learning industry, the course uses Intrepid’s social learning features, including structured peer projects, discussion threads, peer voting and feedback, AI-powered practice, and more, to immerse participants in real-time collaborative and applied learning.
With 90% average activity engagement, 99% course recommendation, and proven business impact (such as a 30% faster onboarding ramp-up at one global tech company), the program demonstrates how technology can scale human connection. The course equips L&D professionals with immediately usable tools and frameworks while showcasing Intrepid’s commitment to advancing the field.
“We believe great learning experiences should do more than deliver content, they should inspire connection, accelerate impact, and solve real-world challenges,” said Sam Herring, Vice President and General Manager of Intrepid by VitalSource. “These wins with INSEAD and for our own Design for Collaboration course highlight how powerful it can be when innovation and purpose go hand in hand.”
Intrepid and INSEAD’s wins were announced on December 4, 2025. A full list of winners can be found here.
How the 2025 Brandon Hall Group Awards Were Determined
Entries were evaluated by a panel of veterans, independent senior industry experts, Brandon Hall Group analysts, and executives based upon these criteria: fit the need, program design, functionality, innovation, and overall measurable benefits.
Excellence Award winners are scheduled to be honored at Brandon Hall Group’s HCM Excellence Conference, February 9-12, 2026, at the Hilton West Palm Beach, Florida. Select winners will also serve as presenters in breakout sessions, sharing their leading practices during the conference.
“The Excellence in Technology Awards celebrate the most forward-thinking innovations shaping the future of learning, talent, and human capital management,” said Rachel Cooke, Brandon Hall Group Chief Operating Officer and leader of the Excellence Awards program. “This year’s winners exemplify how technology can unlock new possibilities—improving performance, enabling smarter decision-making, and transforming how organizations support and develop their people.”
About Intrepid by VitalSource
Intrepid by VitalSource is a cohort-based learning platform to connect, practice, and upskill at scale. Intrepid supports mission-critical learning programs by combining collaborative experiences, real-world application, and measurable outcomes.
Organizations around the world use Intrepid to deliver learning that is engaging, social, and tied directly to business performance. By bringing together peer interaction, applied activities, and flexible technology, Intrepid empowers companies to build skills, foster collaboration, and drive meaningful, lasting impact across their workforce.
About INSEAD, The Business School for the World
As one of the world’s leading and largest graduate business schools, INSEAD brings together people, cultures and ideas to develop responsible leaders who transform business and society. With campuses in Europe (France), Asia (Singapore), the Middle East (Abu Dhabi), and North America (San Francisco), INSEAD brings together a diverse community of students, faculty, and organizations to shape responsible leaders who can navigate complex global challenges.
Its 160 faculty members from 38 countries teach and research across a wide range of management disciplines, serving more than 1,500 degree participants each year in programs including the MBA, Global Executive MBA, Master in Management, and specialized master’s degrees. More than 18,000 executives also participate annually in INSEAD’s Executive Education offerings.
Unified by its mission to be “The Business School for the World,” INSEAD advances knowledge, develops leaders, and contributes to society through rigorous research and innovative pedagogy.
About Brandon Hall Group™
Brandon Hall Group is a leading research and professional development firm focused on Learning and Development, Talent Management, Leadership Development, and Human Capital Management. For over 30 years, the organization has provided data, benchmarking, insights, and certification programs that help companies improve employee performance and build future-ready talent strategies.
Brandon Hall Group’s HCM Excellence Awards® program, widely regarded as the industry’s premier recognition, honors organizations that achieve measurable success through innovative programs, technologies, and practices. Each year, the group evaluates entries from global enterprises, government agencies, nonprofits, and education institutions, highlighting the strategies shaping the future of work and workforce development.
