SweetRush is a First-Entry, First-Time Finalist for “Learning Provider of the Year” at the Learning Awards 2020

This is SweetRush’s first year entering the Learning Awards 2020judged by UK-based Learning and Performance Institute (LPI), which noted that finalists demonstrated “innovation, exceptional performance and contribution to the learning profession.”

San Francisco, Calif., November 11, 2019 — Global custom learning solutions provider SweetRush has been named a finalist in the “Learning Provider of the Year” category at the Learning Awards 2020, a venerated competition that this year “received a record number of submissions from around the globe, from leading international brands to emerging start-ups.”

This year marks SweetRush’s first time entering this competition—a year that has yielded an unprecedented number of learning and development awards. The UK-based Learning and Performance Institute (LPI), which through the Learning Awards recognizes outstanding organizations within the learning community, states that the shortlisted finalists were “selected due to their demonstration of innovation, exceptional performance and contribution to the learning profession.”

“It’s an exciting time to be in Learning and Development. The level of innovation and the technologies that can be applied to learning solutions have never been better: We’re utilizing virtual reality, augmented reality, artificial intelligence, games and simulations—and much more—to achieve a variety of business and performance outcomes,” said Arturo Schwartzberg, Chairman and Cofounder of SweetRush. “The analytics prove their validity. But it all has to start with solid learning experience design and a goal to create learner-centric solutions. To that end, we’re fortunate to collaborate with our exceptional client-partners and form a best-of-all-minds relationship.”

Schwartzberg continued, “Being shortlisted as a finalist for Learner Provider of the Year by the Learning and Performance Institute speaks to the effectiveness of this approach, and to our team members’ work ethic in delivering excellence. We’re all appreciative of this recognition.”

“Once again, I’m delighted to see that the depth and quality of submissions have continued to rise,” said LPI CEO Edmund Monk. “I find it extremely gratifying each year to be able to get an insight into how each organization has adopted their own unique approach to learning, and how they have implemented it to drive performance within the business.”

Winners will be announced at a ceremony on February 20, 2020, in London, in combination with a charity auction to raise money for ill and disabled children’s nonprofit Dreamflight.

 View all the Learning Awards finalists.

About SweetRush

Dream for a moment that you have the expertise and tools to positively impact the lives of others. You can affect mindsets and behavior. You can help an organization grow, change, prosper, and thrive. The passionate pursuit of this expertise and the development of these tools have been at the heart of the success SweetRush has experienced collaborating with clients who share the same dream.

SweetRush’s focus on team culture and mastery of performance improvement is reflected in loyal clients, a near-zero turnover of teammates, an 18-year track record of success, and a remarkable portfolio. Our work with clients has earned us gold awards from our peers and high ranking on the top training industry lists.

Every solution we deliver is infused with creativity. Instructional creativity allows us to discover effective and unique solutions to our clients’ challenges. Artistic creativity spurs us to create visually exciting, engaging user experiences. Technical creativity allows us to embrace new capabilities and platforms as they emerge, such as virtual reality, gamification, and mobile delivery. Cultural creativity empowers our clients to create the conditions that energize and empower their people and unleash the energy in their teams. Our Talent Solutions team builds on its unique knowledge of talent, team building, and learning and development to craft a unique, creative solution for clients who need the best temporary staff to augment their team. We apply the creative lens to all things, from project management to our treatment of our teammates, clients, and the planet

We are over 175 people strong and have been in business since 2001. Every day, we give thanks for the trust of our world-class clients. Our deliverables span from analysis and curriculum mapping to the creation of blended training products, including live and virtual classroom training, custom-developed eLearning, and innovative use of emerging technologies.

Dream with us, and together let’s make a positive impact!

SweetRush Releases Free eBook on Agile Talent and Staff Augmentation for Learning and Development

Held during CLO’s annual event in Chicagowhere L&D’s best and brightest gathered and change and adaptability were themesSweetRush took home two Gold CLO Learning in Practice awards for community service and learning content.

San Francisco, Calif., October 21, 2019 — Capping off dozens of prestigious wins throughout 2019, global custom learning solutions provider SweetRush was honored by CLO Media for its work with both corporate and nonprofit clients—receiving Gold awards in the Excellence in Content and Excellence in Community Service categories.

The esteemed Chief Learning Officer Learning in Practice Awards have, since 2003, “recognized learning leaders who demonstrate excellence in the design and delivery of workforce learning and development programs […] through a combination of qualities such as leadership, vision, business acumen and strategic alignment.” 

Trophies were presented at CLO’s awards ceremony, held during its annual fall symposium—the theme of which was “Design, Build, Inspire: The Future of Learning”—where key leadership development strategists speak and L&D pros discuss industry issues. The ceremony opened with Chief Learning Officer magazine Editor Mike Prokopeak remarking on the many changes afoot in L&D, with the CLO of the Year award recipient, President James P. Woolsey of Defense Acquisition University, emphasizing the importance of adapting to a changing landscape and also being able to adapt to learners. Indeed, rapid change is the constant in the world—not just in business, but in L&D—and adaptability is essential to survival.

To that end, SweetRush’s expert teams are keenly attuned to shifts in and the evolution of L&D practices and learning audiences alike. Its agile, versatile professionals and extensive toolset were key to its wins:

  • GOLD for Excellence in Content – SweetRush and client-partner Bridgestone co-created a clever training program for millennial and Gen Z tire sales associatesusing colorful storytelling and lots of humor in mobile-accessible lessons, ingeniously meeting and engaging this digital-native learner base where they’re naturally at.
  • GOLD for Excellence in Community Service – SweetRush and client-partner the American Association of University Women (AAUW) collaborated on Work Smart Online, an eLearning course that supports AAUW’s mission to close the gender pay gap by educating 10 million women on salary negotiation. The mobile-responsive training included interactive video to enhance engagement. SweetRush provided assistance through its Good Things division, which works with humanitarian nonprofits and foundations.

“All of us in the learning and development field have the opportunity to make a positive impact on people’s careers and lives. At SweetRush, we’re also focused on using our craft to make the world a better place,” said Arturo Schwartzberg, Chairman and Cofounder of SweetRush. “We are humbled by the industry’s response to the work we and our client-partners do together. Pushing the creative and technical envelopes is how we serve learners in more engaging and imaginative ways—to optimize learning, retention, their own development—and we do it with a love of our profession and of helping others succeed.”

At last year’s CLO Learning in Practice Awards, SweetRush was acknowledged for its groundbreaking work in virtual reality-based training.

Discover all the CLO award winners.

About SweetRush

Dream for a moment that you have the expertise and tools to positively impact the lives of others. You can affect mindsets and behavior. You can help an organization grow, change, prosper, and thrive. The passionate pursuit of this expertise and the development of these tools have been at the heart of the success SweetRush has experienced collaborating with clients who share the same dream.

SweetRush’s focus on team culture and mastery of performance improvement is reflected in loyal clients, a near-zero turnover of teammates, an 18-year track record of success, and a remarkable portfolio. Our work with clients has earned us gold awards from our peers and high ranking on the top training industry lists.

Every solution we deliver is infused with creativity. Instructional creativity allows us to discover effective and unique solutions to our clients’ challenges. Artistic creativity spurs us to create visually exciting, engaging user experiences. Technical creativity allows us to embrace new capabilities and platforms as they emerge, such as virtual reality, gamification, and mobile delivery. Cultural creativity empowers our clients to create the conditions that energize and empower their people and unleash the energy in their teams. Our Talent Solutions team builds on its unique knowledge of talent, team building, and learning and development to craft a unique, creative solution for clients who need the best temporary staff to augment their team. We apply the creative lens to all things, from project management to our treatment of our teammates, clients, and the planet

We are over 175 people strong and have been in business since 2001. Every day, we give thanks for the trust of our world-class clients. Our deliverables span from analysis and curriculum mapping to the creation of blended training products, including live and virtual classroom training, custom-developed eLearning, and innovative use of emerging technologies.

Dream with us, and together let’s make a positive impact!

SweetRush Wins Gold Award on eLearning Industry’s List of Top eLearning Content Development Companies

eLearning Industry, the Learning and Development community’s major influencer, has chosen SweetRush for the seventh consecutive year on their annual list of the top eLearning content development companies in the world.  

San Francisco, Calif., October 18, 2019 — After hundreds of providers across the globe were evaluated throughout the year, eLearning Industry awarded SweetRush the Gold award in their annual selection of the best eLearning content development companies in the Learning and Development industry. SweetRush, a provider of custom learning solutions, emerging technologies, cultural transformation, and staff augmentation, has been honored for all seven years of the list’s existence. 

As stated on the eLearning Industry site, “SweetRush has captured a singular space in the industry. Clients trust SweetRush and love its culture of caring and commitment, and its uniquely effective solutions that connect with and motivate learners”—citing SweetRush’s analysis, solution design, and development in all facets of blended learning: in-person and virtual instructor-led training (ILT/vILT), eLearning, gamification, mobile learning, and virtual reality

SweetRush delivers the industry’s best in performance improvement, along with change management, cultural transformation, and staff augmentation services, and this new accolade follows on the heels of a remarkable line-up of Brandon Hall HCM Excellence Awards and Chief Learning Officer Learning in Practice Awards, unparalleled in the industry.

eLearning Industry has long been a recognizable name to L&D professionals, highly respected as a community hub where insights, trends, and best practices are shared. In particular, eLearning Industry offers thought leadership and keen observations through a wealth of free, value-rich eBooks and webinars covering an array of relevant L&D topics. Throughout the year, eLearning Industry’s highly esteemed “best” lists reveal deeply evaluated service providers who excel at specific areas within learning and development.

Receiving this continued recognition from eLearning Industry supports SweetRush’s aspirational goal of positively impacting the lives of a billion people through its craft. This means helping organizations and employees learn and grow as professionals through a variety of meaningful training programs, as well as supporting the vital work of nonprofits and foundations and the people they serve throughout the world.  

“It seems hard work, collaboration, passion for craft, and a belief in a positive team culture really do work. We are beyond thankful for this recognition and I cannot let this moment pass without thanking the team, who work so hard, and our wonderful client-partners who trust us to take on their challenges,” said Arturo Schwartzberg, SweetRush Cofounder. 

View all the award winners and top eLearning content development companies.

About SweetRush 

Dream for a moment that you have the expertise and tools to positively impact the lives of others. You can affect mindsets and behavior. You can help an organization grow, change, prosper, and thrive. The passionate pursuit of this expertise and the development of these tools have been at the heart of the success SweetRush has experienced collaborating with clients who share the same dream.

SweetRush’s focus on team culture and mastery of performance improvement is reflected in loyal clients, a near-zero turnover of teammates, an 18-year track record of success, and a remarkable portfolio. Our work with clients has earned us gold awards from our peers and high ranking on the top training industry lists.

Every solution we deliver is infused with creativity. Instructional creativity allows us to discover effective and unique solutions to our clients’ challenges. Artistic creativity spurs us to create visually exciting, engaging user experiences. Technical creativity allows us to embrace new capabilities and platforms as they emerge, such as virtual reality, gamification, and mobile delivery. Cultural creativity empowers our clients to create the conditions that energize and empower their people and unleash the energy in their teams. Our Talent Solutions team builds on its unique knowledge of talent, team building, and learning and development to craft a unique, creative solution for clients who need the best temporary staff to augment their team. We apply the creative lens to all things, from project management to our treatment of our teammates, clients, and the planet

We are over 175 people strong and have been in business since 2001. Every day, we give thanks for the trust of our world-class clients. Our deliverables span from analysis and curriculum mapping to the creation of blended training products, including live and virtual classroom training, custom-developed eLearning, and innovative use of emerging technologies.

Dream with us, and together let’s make a positive impact!

SweetRush Releases Free eBook on Agile Talent and Staff Augmentation for Learning and Development

Staff Augmentation for Learning and Development: The Agile Talent Solution for Modern Business is a practical guide for L&D managers, sharing how to find L&D talent with the right skills, onboard them to your team, and vet staff augmentation vendors.

San Francisco, Calif., Oct. 21, 2019 — Leading custom learning solutions and staff augmentation provider SweetRush has published its fourth free eBook, Staff Augmentation for Learning and Development: The Agile Talent Solution for Modern Business—a timely and relevant how-to guide for Learning and Development (L&D) managers, whose departments are tasked with creating a high volume of learning programs as the need for employee training grows.

These managers must meet the vital business challenge of 1) finding the right L&D talent—in a market where highly skilled talent is scarce—and 2) ensuring these professionals are ready to work when needed in response to the frenzied pace of change in business models, organizational cultures, technology, and other areas—and the training these things necessitate. Savvy organizations are already utilizing staff augmentation—or agile talent—as a secret weapon in their L&D departments, enabling them to quickly design, develop, and deploy learning programs to more capably upskill or increase knowledge in workers.

Staff Augmentation for Learning and Development: The Agile Talent Solution for Modern Business is a comprehensive guide that delivers real value and practical, actionable insights for L&D managers. SweetRush Manager of Talent Solutions Rodrigo Salazar-Kawer takes readers on an educational journey that features how to find professionals with the skills and knowledge their teams and initiatives require, how to rapidly bring on this temporary talent and integrate them into their team, how to effectively onboard and off-board consultants for optimal impact and return, and how to find and thoroughly vet L&D staff augmentation companies when seeking a staffing partner.  

“Everyone knows that finding great talent in a tight labor market is increasingly tough. While this is true, great people are always available somewhere, and it’s essential you find them,” says Salazar-Kawer. “You need every possible advantage in your talent acquisition and management, and sometimes the right thing to do is to go the temporary talent route because the ROI just makes sense.”

Salazar-Kawer continues: “With globalization and connectedness leveling the playing field, organizations with lean and agile management strategies have a competitive advantage. The agile talent model is part of that Fourth Industrial Revolution approach to business. HR departments and hiring managers, therefore, must adopt their own strategies for responding to needs that are constantly in flux, and for hiring specialists faster and meeting overall business objectives.”

Download Staff Augmentation for Learning and Development: The Agile Talent Solution for Modern Business.

About SweetRush

Dream for a moment that you have the expertise and tools to positively impact the lives of others. You can affect mindsets and behavior. You can help an organization grow, change, prosper, and thrive. The passionate pursuit of this expertise and the development of these tools have been at the heart of the success SweetRush has experienced collaborating with clients who share the same dream.

SweetRush’s focus on team culture and mastery of performance improvement is reflected in loyal clients, a near-zero turnover of teammates, an 18-year track record of success, and a remarkable portfolio. Our work with clients has earned us gold awards from our peers and high ranking on the top training industry lists.

Every solution we deliver is infused with creativity. Instructional creativity allows us to discover effective and unique solutions to our clients’ challenges. Artistic creativity spurs us to create visually exciting, engaging user experiences. Technical creativity allows us to embrace new capabilities and platforms as they emerge, such as virtual reality, gamification, and mobile delivery. Cultural creativity empowers our clients to create the conditions that energize and empower their people and unleash the energy in their teams. Our Talent Solutions team builds on its unique knowledge of talent, team building, and learning and development to craft a unique, creative solution for clients who need the best temporary staff to augment their team. We apply the creative lens to all things, from project management to our treatment of our teammates, clients, and the planet

We are over 175 people strong and have been in business since 2001. Every day, we give thanks for the trust of our world-class clients. Our deliverables span from analysis and curriculum mapping to the creation of blended training products, including live and virtual classroom training, custom-developed eLearning, and innovative use of emerging technologies.

Dream with us, and together let’s make a positive impact!

SweetRush a Gold “Great Employer” Among 2019 Stevie Award® Winners

Among over 600 would-be 2019 Stevie Award® winners, SweetRush won Gold as a Great Employer in the Leadership or Skills Development Solution Provider of the Year category. Judges cited its “near-zero turnover and remarkable clients” and “amazing talent.”

San Francisco, Calif., October 7, 2019 — Global custom learning solutions provider SweetRush took home Gold in a venerated competition that this year judged more than 600 potential 2019 Stevie Award® winners—with SweetRush taking the top spot as the Leadership or Skills Development Solution Provider of the Year. The Stevie Awards for Great Employers recognize the world’s best employers and the human resources professionals, teams, achievements and HR-related products and suppliers who help to create and drive great places to work.

More than 60 esteemed professionals from across the globe evaluated this year’s contenders, with judges heralding SweetRush’s “variety of skill development programs” and its “several recognitions for the quality of their services.”

Judges called its virtual reality collaboration with Hilton, the Exceed with Empathy VR learning program, “innovative, a great example of learning” and said that demonstrated “a clear message” that shows “how transformational you can be” when applying gamification.

They also called out its support of 25 nonprofits and foundations in “applying craft for the betterment of mankind—and saving lives,” noting that a global humanitarian aid organization “chose SweetRush to create its critical volunteer safety program.”

Judges said that SweetRush had “one of the best applications” they’d seen, offering a “variety of training options for leaders.” Judges closed their thoughts with this: ‘Training is an essential part of every organization [and] helps employees to keep updated with latest trends in industry, customer expectations. Leadership and skill development helps employees to think in innovative way […] which helps ultimately organizations in terms of growth.” 

“In the fourth edition of the Stevie Awards for Great Employers, the judges were impressed by the Stevie winners who dedicate each day to making the lives of their employees and teams better, through training, software, programs, and more. We are pleased to celebrate them in 2019 and look forward to what they will accomplish in 2020,” said Michael Gallagher, founder and executive chairman of the Stevie Awards.

“At the heart of our day-to-day work is a strong sense of caring and commitment, and our client-partners are aligned with our culture,” says Arturo Schwartzberg, Cofounder and Chairman of SweetRush. “This approach is integral to our creative process and the programs we co-design for learners, as is our collective resolve to innovate meaningful, more immersive ways of reaching them to increase learning. Having our team and our body of work recognized by the Stevie Awards is very satisfying, and it drives us to achieve even more.”

In other Stevie Awards competitions news, SweetRush was a winner in Custom Learning Solutions for the fifth consecutive year last spring.

About SweetRush

Dream for a moment that you have the expertise and tools to positively impact the lives of others. You can affect mindsets and behavior. You can help an organization grow, change, prosper, and thrive. The passionate pursuit of this expertise and the development of these tools have been at the heart of the success SweetRush has experienced collaborating with clients who share the same dream.

SweetRush’s focus on team culture and mastery of performance improvement is reflected in loyal clients, a near-zero turnover of teammates, a 18-year track record of success, and a remarkable portfolio. Our work with clients has earned us gold awards from our peers and high ranking on the top training industry lists.

Every solution we deliver is infused with creativity. Instructional creativity allows us to discover effective and unique solutions to our clients’ challenges. Artistic creativity spurs us to create visually exciting, engaging user experiences. Technical creativity allows us to embrace new capabilities and platforms as they emerge, such as virtual reality, gamification, and mobile delivery. Cultural creativity empowers our clients to create the conditions that energize and empower their people and unleash the energy in their teams. Our Talent Solutions team builds on its unique knowledge of talent, team building, and learning and development to craft a unique, creative solution for clients who need the best temporary staff to augment their team. We apply the creative lens to all things, from project management to our treatment of our teammates, clients, and the planet.

We are over 150 people strong and have been in business since 2001. Every day, we give thanks for the trust of our world-class clients. Our deliverables span from analysis and curriculum mapping to the creation of blended training products, including live and virtual classroom training, custom-developed eLearning, and innovative use of emerging technologies.

Dream with us, and together let’s make a positive impact!

About the Stevie Awards

Stevie Awards are conferred in eight programs: the Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards, the German Stevie Awards, The American Business Awards®, The International Business Awards®, the Stevie Awards for Great Employers, the Stevie Awards for Women in Business, the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service, and the new Middle East Stevie Awards. Stevie Awards competitions receive more than 12,000 entries each year from organizations in more than 70 nations. Honoring organizations of all types and sizes and the people behind them, the Stevies recognize outstanding performances in the workplace worldwide. Learn more about the Stevie Awards.

 

SweetRush Tops Leaderboard in Game-Based Learning Awards

SweetRush’s game-based learning work has received recent notice, winning five Gold awards from the Brandon Hall Group for games and simulations and being named a top 20 creator of gamification in learning by eLearning Industry and Training Industry.

San Francisco, Calif., September 23, 2019In the game of life, there are some wins worth truly relishing. SweetRush, a global provider of custom learning solutions, is having such a moment—as is its client-partners—celebrating several recent game-based learning awards and honors—including just being named on eLearning Industry’s Top 20 eLearning Gamification Companies list. An arbiter of who’s producing the most noteworthy programs and breaking new ground among learning companies, eLearning Industry’s new list highlights the most innovative and trusted creators of games for learning throughout the world.

This inclusion on eLearning Industry’s list is SweetRush’s latest recognition for its use of gamification in learning in the last six weeks, having also been named a Top 20 Gamification Company by Training Industry—for the sixth consecutive year—and having 28 wins at the Brandon Hall Group HCM Excellence Awards, including:

  • 3 Gold awards in the Best Use of Games or Simulations for Learning category for:
    • A holistic sales training program featuring serious games that teach sales skills, mobile app product knowledge games, and a gamified learning portal
    • A sophisticated board game and simulation for sales managers 
    • A virtual reality simulation that builds empathy
  • 2 Gold awards in the Best Advance in Custom Content category for an online empathy-building simulation and an eLearning program with gaming elements

Given these collective honors, the creative collaborations between SweetRush and its world-class client-partners—who represent a broad cross-section of industries—are resulting in many best-in-class applications of gamification and game-based learning in the Learning and Development industry.

“Games are getting better and more sophisticated every day. With simulations and especially virtual reality, they’re considerably more immersive and can allow learners to experience an environment that might otherwise be too costly or too inconvenient for employees to travel to,” says Arturo Schwartzberg, Cofounder, and Chairman of SweetRush. “But what’s very persuasive about games and simulations is the great instructional value and incredible effectiveness they can have. It’s not just about ‘fun and games’; there’s real merit to them.” 

“And we are fortunate to work with outstanding client-partners who are at the top of their respective industries,” continues  Schwartzberg. “They’re exceptional in their intellect, awareness, and willingness to take smart risks. When we all put our heads together, great ideas flow freely and bear real fruit. These honors are as much theirs as they are our team members’, and wouldn’t be possible without them.”

View more of our recent awards and other recognition for a variety of work.

About SweetRush

Dream for a moment that you have the expertise and tools to positively impact the lives of others. You can affect mindsets and behavior. You can help an organization grow, change, prosper, and thrive. The passionate pursuit of this expertise and the development of these tools have been at the heart of the success SweetRush has experienced collaborating with clients who share the same dream.

SweetRush’s focus on team culture and mastery of performance improvement is reflected in loyal clients, a near-zero turnover of teammates, a 18-year track record of success, and a remarkable portfolio. Our work with clients has earned us gold awards from our peers and high ranking on the top training industry lists.

Every solution we deliver is infused with creativity. Instructional creativity allows us to discover effective and unique solutions to our clients’ challenges. Artistic creativity spurs us to create visually exciting, engaging user experiences. Technical creativity allows us to embrace new capabilities and platforms as they emerge, such as virtual reality, gamification, and mobile delivery. Cultural creativity empowers our clients to create the conditions that energize and empower their people and unleash the energy in their teams. Our Talent Solutions team builds on its unique knowledge of talent, team building, and learning and development to craft a unique, creative solution for clients who need the best temporary staff to augment their team. We apply the creative lens to all things, from project management to our treatment of our teammates, clients, and the planet

We are over 175 people strong and have been in business since 2001. Every day, we give thanks for the trust of our world-class clients. Our deliverables span from analysis and curriculum mapping to the creation of blended training products, including live and virtual classroom training, custom-developed eLearning, and innovative use of emerging technologies.

Dream with us, and together let’s make a positive impact!

SweetRush a Finalist for 2 CLO Learning in Practice Awards 2019

SweetRush has accomplished the difficult feat of being shortlisted for two CLO Learning in Practice Awards 2019, in the Excellence in Community Service and Excellence in Content categories, for clients Bridgestone and the nonprofit AAUW.

San Francisco, Calif., September 17, 2019Global custom learning solutions provider SweetRush has been named as a finalist in two categories—Excellence in Community Service and Excellence in Content—of the 2019 Chief Learning Officer (CLO) Learning in Practice Awards. SweetRush is one of only two organizations that were named as finalists in two categories of these prestigious and highly selective awards. Being named a finalist means that SweetRush will earn either a Gold, Silver, or Bronze in each category.

SweetRush will share the Excellence in Content award with its client-partner Bridgestone; their collaboration has resulted in a world-class training program for tire sales associates that features creative and nearly cinematic use of storytelling and humor. The program effectively targets the millennial and Gen Z audience using character development and 3D animation to make learning about tire technology and sales techniques accessible and fun for the demographic. 

The American Association of University Women (AAUW) partnered with SweetRush to develop Work Smart Online, which is a finalist in the Excellence in Community Service category. Featuring interactive video and responsive design, the course supports AAUW’s mission to close the gender pay gap by educating 10 million women on salary negotiation. This collaboration was done as part of SweetRush’s Good Things division, which provides services to foundations and nonprofits supporting humanitarian and other causes.  

“We live and breathe our philosophy here at SweetRush: We care deeply about the world, and we are committed to helping those who are helping others and changing our world for the better. This is why we created Good Things,” says Andrei Hedstrom, Chief Executive Officer and Cofounder of SweetRush. “In the last few years alone, we’ve helped 25 nonprofits and foundations. I’m incredibly proud of our people for driving the Good Things initiative forward and supporting organizations that are taking on the most complex societal and environmental issues of our time. Being shortlisted for the Excellence in Community Service award is a testimony to SweetRush’s passion and sense of duty; this award belongs to our teammates and the good people at AAUW.”

The full list of Chief Learning Officer Learning in Practice Awards 2019 finalists can be found on the CLO website

About SweetRush

Dream for a moment that you have the expertise and tools to positively impact the lives of others. You can affect mindsets and behavior. You can help an organization grow, change, prosper, and thrive. The passionate pursuit of this expertise and the development of these tools have been at the heart of the success SweetRush has experienced collaborating with clients who share the same dream.

SweetRush’s focus on team culture and mastery of performance improvement is reflected in loyal clients, a near-zero turnover of teammates, a 18-year track record of success, and a remarkable portfolio. Our work with clients has earned us gold awards from our peers and high ranking on the top training industry lists.

Every solution we deliver is infused with creativity. Instructional creativity allows us to discover effective and unique solutions to our clients’ challenges. Artistic creativity spurs us to create visually exciting, engaging user experiences. Technical creativity allows us to embrace new capabilities and platforms as they emerge, such as virtual reality, gamification, and mobile delivery. Cultural creativity empowers our clients to create the conditions that energize and empower their people and unleash the energy in their teams. Our Talent Solutions team builds on its unique knowledge of talent, team building, and learning and development to craft a unique, creative solution for clients who need the best temporary staff to augment their team. We apply the creative lens to all things, from project management to our treatment of our teammates, clients, and the planet.

We are over 150 people strong and have been in business since 2001. Every day, we give thanks for the trust of our world-class clients. Our deliverables span from analysis and curriculum mapping to the creation of blended training products, including live and virtual classroom training, custom-developed eLearning, and innovative use of emerging technologies.

Dream with us, and together let’s make a positive impact!

SweetRush and Hilton to Share Work at XRDC AR/VR Conference

The SweetRush SPARK team and Hilton’s Blaire Bhojwani take the stage at the XRDC AR/VR conference to showcase two highly successful VR learning programs they collaborated on and pioneered. Come learn about working in VR environments, getting leadership buy-in, and more.

San Francisco, Calif., Sep. 16, 2019 — Global custom learning solutions provider SweetRush and longtime client-partner Hilton will present at this year’s AR/VR conference XRDC, the nation’s “premier conference for augmented, virtual, and mixed reality innovators,” on October 14 in San Francisco. Their presentation, “A VR Training Case Study: Hilton Hotels and SweetRush,” will be held on the Fort Mason Festival Pavilion’s Innovation stage at 1:00 p.m.

Since 2017, SweetRush’s SPARK team and Hilton have collaborated on and pioneered the use of VR for learning for Hilton’s initiatives, innovating every step and component of their projects—from formats (like 360-degree video and 3D environments, which were blended) to content distribution (the SPARK team invented and built a VR delivery platform). The resulting VR programs have generated excitement around emerging technologies for learning at Hilton—and among those in the learning and XR industries.

At the AR/VR conference, Lozano and Bhojwani will guide attendees through two award-winning programs—which Gamasutra calls an “unorthodox, innovative application of VR technology”—designed to help Hilton team members understand and develop empathy for fellow team members and hotel guests. Attendees can expect to gain vital insights into the design and development process, learn what kind of business and learning challenges VR is best suited for, discover how to get leadership buy-in, and get ideas around creating a measurement strategy.   

“Breaking new ground in corporate learning and development to make training more impactful and effective has been exhilarating, and Blaire and the Hilton team are the kind of partners you want when blazing new trails,” said Lozano. “We’re thrilled to be presenting these case studies with Blaire at AR/VR conference XRDC, which is a tremendous recognition of what we’ve accomplished together.”

About SweetRush

Dream for a moment that you have the expertise and tools to positively impact the lives of others. You can affect mindsets and behavior. You can help an organization grow, change, prosper, and thrive. The passionate pursuit of this expertise and the development of these tools have been at the heart of the success SweetRush has experienced collaborating with clients who share the same dream.

SweetRush’s focus on team culture and mastery of performance improvement is reflected in loyal clients, a near-zero turnover of teammates, a 18-year track record of success, and a remarkable portfolio. Our work with clients has earned us gold awards from our peers and high ranking on the top training industry lists.

Every solution we deliver is infused with creativity. Instructional creativity allows us to discover effective and unique solutions to our clients’ challenges. Artistic creativity spurs us to create visually exciting, engaging user experiences. Technical creativity allows us to embrace new capabilities and platforms as they emerge, such as virtual reality, gamification, and mobile delivery. Cultural creativity empowers our clients to create the conditions that energize and empower their people and unleash the energy in their teams. Our Talent Solutions team builds on its unique knowledge of talent, team building, and learning and development to craft a unique, creative solution for clients who need the best temporary staff to augment their team. We apply the creative lens to all things, from project management to our treatment of our teammates, clients, and the planet

We are over 175 people strong and have been in business since 2001. Every day, we give thanks for the trust of our world-class clients. Our deliverables span from analysis and curriculum mapping to the creation of blended training products, including live and virtual classroom training, custom-developed eLearning, and innovative use of emerging technologies.

Dream with us, and together let’s make a positive impact!

For 4th Time, SweetRush Is a Stevie Awards for Great Employers Finalist

The Stevie Awards for Great Employers 2019 competition is SweetRush’s fourth consecutive nomination in the Leadership or Skills Development Solution Provider of the Year category. Its Gold, Silver, or Bronze award will be announced on September 20.

San Francisco, Calif., Sep. 9, 2019 — SweetRush, a leading global custom solutions provider, is proud to announce its fourth consecutive time being shortlisted as a finalist for the Stevie Awards for Great Employers. This is also the fourth year of the competition, which received more than 600 international entries in a wide range of HR-related categories.

SweetRush’s Gold, Silver, or Bronze award will be announced on September 20. The Stevie Awards for Great Employers recognize providers “that help to create and drive great places to work.” SweetRush was nominated in the Leadership or Skills Development Solution Provider of the Year category, which acknowledges the achievements of providers offering solutions for assessment tools, certificate programs, distance learning, leadership development, and training materials, among others.

The Stevie Awards for Great Employers recognize the world’s best employers and the human resources professionals, teams, achievements, and HR-related products and suppliers who help to create and drive great places to work.

“In the last few years, with the addition and development of our Cultural and Organizational Transformation team and our SPARK emerging technologies lab, we can create even more powerful learning and development solutions for our client-partners and their employees,” says Arturo Schwartzberg, Cofounder and Chairman at SweetRush. “Being entrusted with contributing to their growth is its own rewardbut our nomination for the Stevie Awards for Great Employers really is the icing on the cake.”

“We’re gratified by the number of outstanding nominations we received in the competition this year. The dedication the Stevie Award finalists have to making workplaces great for employees was evident in every nomination,” said Michael Gallagher, president and founder of the Stevie Awards.

More than 60 professionals worldwide participated in the judging process to select this year’s Stevie Award winners.

About SweetRush

SweetRush’s focus on team culture and mastery of performance improvement is reflected in loyal clients, a near-zero turnover of teammates, a 18-year track record of success, and a remarkable portfolio. Our work with clients has earned us gold awards from our peers and high ranking on the top training industry lists.

We are over 175 people strong and have been in business since 2001. Our five service areas include Custom Learning (including eLearning, mobile, gamification and classroom training), Talent Solutions (temporary talent to augment our clients’ L&D teams), SPARK (VR, AR, and emerging technologies), Cultural Transformation (culture, change management and communications), and Good Things (custom learning for non-profits and the social impact space). Every day, we give thanks for the trust of our world-class clients.

About the Stevie Awards

The Stevie Awards are conferred in seven programs: the Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards, the German Stevie Awards, The American Business Awards®, The International Business Awards®, the Stevie Awards for Women in Business, the Stevie Awards for Great Employers and the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service. Stevie Awards competitions receive more than 12,000 entries each year from organizations in more than 70 nations. Honoring organizations of all types and sizes and the people behind them, the Stevies recognize outstanding performances in the workplace worldwide. Learn more about the Stevie Awards at www.StevieAwards.com.

SweetRush and Clients Rock Brandon Hall Group Awards with 19 Golds!

San Francisco, Calif., August 22, 2019 — The Brandon Hall Group has given 28 Brandon Hall Group Excellence Awards (including 19 Golds) to SweetRush, a global leading provider of custom learning and performance improvement solutions. These awards are the Learning and Development industry’s highest honor, and as one of the top overall winners this year, SweetRush shares these awards with its trusted client-partners, the American Association of University Women (AAUW), Bridgestone, Cox Communications, Deloitte, Google, Hilton, Mondelēz, and Wells Fargo.

Brandon Hall awards 2019

Working closely with its client-partners’ world-class teams results in a “best of all minds” strategic approach to innovating learning solutions—and these collaborations are what makes winning these honors possible. Many of SweetRush’s valuable partnerships are with longtime clients, with whom it has developed synergistic alliances focused on advancing L&D to best reach and engage learners in new and exciting ways.

These awards recognize SweetRush’s vast versatility, and how the company effectively executes leading-edge learning and instructional design trends and techniques—among them storytelling, interactive video, immersive simulations, transformational games, responsive design, virtual reality, and 3D animation. The breadth and depth of its capabilities is seen in the wide variety of categories in which it won in19 categories in total, including learning strategy, innovation, change transformation, and citizenshipand in the variety of subject matter and business objectives, including sales and product knowledge training, leadership training, brand training, empathy building, new hire onboarding, change management, and salary negotiation training.

SweetRush is also serving and supporting a broad array of industries: nonprofit/foundation, healthcare, automotive, telecommunications, business services/consulting, technology, hospitality, manufacturing, retail, and banking/finance.

Here is the complete list of SweetRush’s 2019 Brandon Hall Group Excellence Awards:

19 GOLD AWARDS

Excellence in Learning
Best Results of a Learning Program
Best Advance in Custom Content (x2)
Best Use of Blended Learning
Best Use of Games and Simulations (x3)
Best Use of Mobile Learning
Best Use of Video for Learning
Best Use of Virtual Worlds
Best Unique or Innovative Learning Program (x2)
Best Advance in Creating an Extended Enterprise Learning Program
Best Learning Program Supporting a Change Transformation Business Strategy
Best Advance in Competencies and Skill Development (x2)

Excellence in Corporate Initiatives
HCM Citizenship

Excellence in Talent Acquisition
Best New Hire Onboarding

Excellence in Sales Performance
Best Sales Training Program for Extended Enterprise

6 SILVER AWARDS

Excellence in Learning
Best Advance in Creating a Learning Strategy (x2)
Best Learning Program Supporting a Change Transformation Business Strategy
Best Advance in Competencies and Skill Development

Excellence in Leadership Development
Best Advance in Leadership Development

Excellence in Sales Performance
Best Sales Onboarding Program


3 BRONZE AWARDS

Excellence in Learning
Best Advance in Creating a Learning Strategy

Excellence in Leadership Development
Best Unique or Innovative Leadership Program

Excellence in Sales Performance
Best Unique or Innovative Sales Training Program


“At the heart of each of these awards are relationships between organizations and individuals, committed to using their craft to serve others. We are truly blessed to serve our client-partners’ teams—to help them grow in their abilities and careers,” said Andrei Hedstrom, SweetRush CEO and Cofounder. “Thanks to each and every person, both on our client-partners’ teams and on the SweetRush team, for coming together and creating another banner year of award-winning learning solutions!” 

“I am so thankful, grateful, to the SweetRush team that is so committed and to our client-partners who collaborate with us and trust us to provide experiences that will have a profound impact on the behavior of their employees,” said Arturo Schwartzberg, Chairman and Cofounder at SweetRush. “And we believe strongly that we are making a difference, not only in bottom lines, but in people’s lives through our extensive work for non-profits—one of which, AAUW—won a Gold Brandon Hall Group award!” 

“The HCM Excellence Awards recognize programs that measurably benefit organizations,” said Mike Cooke, Brandon Hall Group CEO. “Many human capital management departments are unable to confirm that their initiatives help the business’s bottom line. Because we focus on measurable benefits, our awards program is universally recognized and highly prestigious.”

Award entries were evaluated by a panel of veteran, independent senior industry experts, Brandon Hall Group analysts and executives based upon the following criteria: fit the need, design of the program, functionality, innovation and overall measurable benefits.

If you’d like to speak to SweetRush about its award-winning approach to learning and development, visit the company website.

View the winners on the Brandon Hall Group website. Congratulations to everyone who won!

About SweetRush

Dream for a moment that you have the expertise and tools to positively impact the lives of others. You can affect mindsets and behavior. You can help an organization grow, change, prosper, and thrive. The passionate pursuit of this expertise and the development of these tools have been at the heart of the success SweetRush has experienced collaborating with clients who share the same dream.

SweetRush’s focus on team culture and mastery of performance improvement is reflected in loyal clients, a near-zero turnover of teammates, a 18-year track record of success, and a remarkable portfolio. Our work with clients has earned us gold awards from our peers and high ranking on the top training industry lists.

Every solution we deliver is infused with creativity. Instructional creativity allows us to discover effective and unique solutions to our clients’ challenges. Artistic creativity spurs us to create visually exciting, engaging user experiences. Technical creativity allows us to embrace new capabilities and platforms as they emerge, such as virtual reality, gamification, and mobile delivery. Cultural creativity empowers our clients to create the conditions that energize and empower their people and unleash the energy in their teams. Our Talent Solutions team builds on its unique knowledge of talent, team building, and learning and development to craft a unique, creative solution for clients who need the best temporary staff to augment their team. We apply the creative lens to all things, from project management to our treatment of our teammates, clients, and the planet.

We are over 150 people strong and have been in business since 2001. Every day, we give thanks for the trust of our world-class clients. Our deliverables span from analysis and curriculum mapping to the creation of blended training products, including live and virtual classroom training, custom-developed eLearning, and innovative use of emerging technologies.

Dream with us, and together let’s make a positive impact!

About Brandon Hall Group

Brandon Hall Group is an HCM research and advisory services firm that provides insights around key performance areas, including Learning and Development, Talent Management, Leadership Development, Talent Acquisition and HR/Workforce Management.

With more than 10,000 clients globally and 25 years of delivering world-class research and advisory services, Brandon Hall Group is focused on developing research that drives performance in emerging and large organizations, and provides strategic insights for executives and practitioners responsible for growth and business results.