Leadership Insights from the idea+ Launch
On March 19th, we proudly unveiled idea+, Ibis’s new leadership development platform - and we’re still energized by the global response.
This platform represents years of collaboration, research, and deep listening to what organizations truly need: practical, human-centered tools to strengthen interpersonal skills and drive effective leadership in today’s complex work environments.
If you couldn’t attend the live event, we’re happy to share with you a recording of the session with insights from our expert panel and keynote speakers.
In her opening remarks, Shilpa Pherwani, Ibis CEO, drew attention to LinkedIn’s 2024 Workplace Learning Report:
She went on to emphasize how idea+ is built specifically to meet this demand, combining immersive experiences with evidence-based tools that go beyond traditional training.
A Strong Signal from Industry and Academia
The event featured insights from a range of distinguished voices in business, academia, and creative learning design:
Bryony Bouyer, former executive at Hasbro and an early user of idea+, shared a clear call to action:
"Investing in your people now is a strategic decision. idea+ offers something different: not just content, but contextualized tools and real scenarios where leaders can apply them in real time. What more could you want?”
Dr. Suzanne Devlin, Chair of the Organizational & Leadership Psychology Department at William James College, echoed that sentiment:
“The best professional development bridges the gap between theory and practice. With idea+, we’re integrating academic rigor with actionable strategies. Our partnership with Ibis is grounded in shared values and a commitment to preparing leaders for real-world complexity.”
This Isn’t Checkbox Training
Throughout the event, attendees voiced frustration with conventional leadership training—programs that rely on click-through content and passive learning.
As Teja Arboleda, Chief of Creative Services at Ibis, put it:
“It takes real characters to derive empathy. In idea+, language and cultural nuance show up in our scenarios—not as afterthoughts, but as defining features. Authenticity matters. And sometimes leaders forget these are actors because it feels so real.”
Rahul Kay, Director of Client Success at Ibis, added:
“We hear this again and again: ‘If I’m not feeling it, I’m not learning.’ That’s the bar we’ve set. idea+ is visceral on purpose, because that’s how behavior shifts.”
Explore idea+ for Your Team
We created idea+ to help organizations move from theory to practice—to strengthen the people skills that support high-performing teams and resilient leadership.
If you're interested in bringing idea+ into your organization, we’d love to connect:
Thank you to everyone who attended and shared your insights. And to those who missed it—we hope you’ll reach out and see why so many are excited about idea+.