On April 28th, 2026, our client community and the Heuristic Solutions team gathered in Arlington, Virginia. Why? For a full day of hands-on learning, forward-looking conversation, and connecting with the people who use the platform. AKA, LearningBuilder Academy!
Sessions ranged from practical and informative to conceptual and aspirational. There were many chances to offer feedback, share knowledge, and ask questions. A month after this year’s event, we’re still buzzing with inspiration, excitement, and motivation, and wanted to share some of the major highlights from the day:
On the Adventure Together: A Thematic Approach to Academy
Academy 2026 centered on providing attendees with four key takeaways: a clear view of what’s new in LearningBuilder, practical skills for immediate use, a real voice in shaping future products, and direct access to the Heuristics team. Whether in structured sessions or spontaneous conversations, our aim was for everyone to leave with something new and useful. We organized this year’s programming around four interwoven themes:
- Guidebook Sessions: Attendees left with actionable strategies for optimizing current LearningBuilder implementations and gained insights into best practices for daily operations.
- Program Horizons: Participants explored future trends, leaving with concrete ideas for planning new initiatives and strategies to proactively address upcoming changes.
- LearningBuilder Roadmap: Attendees gained firsthand knowledge of upcoming features and actively contributed feedback that will directly influence platform development priorities.
- Campfire Huddles: Participants expanded their peer networks, exchanged solutions to common challenges, and fostered ongoing support relationships within the LearningBuilder user community.
Get Acquainted with the Latest Major Learningbuilder Features
If you’ve been heads-down running your program, Academy offers a moment to catch up on things worth trying. Attending LearningBuilder Academy is one of the best ways to learn about features and capabilities you may not have realized were already available.
This year, we spotlighted the Learning Hub, our Portfolios feature, new API Call configuration tools in the admin area, our soon-to-be-released text extraction feature, and more. We showed how these updates might impact clients’ daily workflows. We also provided context on our company goals, such as ensuring all clients are “current,” or up to date with upgrades and migrations to our new PCI-compliant software. To make this more enticing, we showed how our latest releases can streamline your system processes, admin tasks, and candidate journey.
Discover What You Can Do Now, Explore What You Could Do Soon
Academy 2026 focused on the “how.” Our priority was to connect customers to system tools, tips, and tricks that save time, help them use new features, and maximize existing ones. We aimed to empower clients to handle more on their own, reducing the need for support requests.
So, from member account management to third-party integrations and program reporting, we broke it down for our attendees. Using screenshots, live demonstrations, and infographics, we translated complex concepts into practical, hands-on system skills. As a result, attendees left knowing how to handle common account management tasks, navigate integrations more intentionally, create better reports, and apply these skills within the system with confidence.
Face Time with the Experts, a Direct Line to Answers
A major benefit of LearningBuilder Academy is direct access to the more “behind-the-scenes” team members. Every program is different, so we ensured opportunities to consult with LearningBuilder experts on your unique challenges, goals, and ideas.
For example, we rebooted our ever-popular roundtable, “What the Heck?! Why Doesn’t LearningBuilder Do X?” Some discovered, through either the experience of fellow customers or the Heuristics team, that LearningBuilder does, in fact, “do X.” Others were able to voice their challenges as a means to weigh in on our next product roadmap priorities.
We also introduced many members of our Services, Support, and Success teams and explained how they can assist our users. This helped client attendees know who handles their requests and who they can talk to when they want to make a change.
We also created space for one-on-one interactions throughout the day, often over shared meals and socializing. Academy attendees and the Heuristics team all appreciated having this informal context.
Great Things Happen in Person
Some of the best moments of the day often weren’t on the agenda. It’s not that they weren’t planned; we worked hard to create the conditions for them to occur.
One such standout moment: During our “How to Build a Tent” session, a spontaneous conversation between a client attendee and one of our implementation analysts led to a shared epiphany about our recent Merge Accounts feature. It was exactly the kind of win that can happen when we gather together, in person. Knowledge comes alive when it is shared and received in the moment!
Continue Your Credential Management Adventure with LearningBuilder
If you participated in Academy 2026, we hope you left with new knowledge and skills, a stronger voice in shaping our product’s direction, and clear ways to overcome your team’s challenges. If you didn’t make it this year, you now know what awaits you next year. Keep an eye out for LearningBuilder Academy 2027 announcements. We can’t wait to see you again.
