2026 Badge Summit

What does it really take to build and scale a badge ecosystem to one million badges? In this interactive, game-based session, participants will play their way through Our Million Badge Story, making decisions, navigating tradeoffs, and uncovering lessons learned from the real-world evolution of the University of Phoenix’s large-scale credential ecosystem. Rather than a traditional case study, this session invites participants to step into key moments of the journey and explore the choices behind the outcomes. At each stage of the game, participants will surface insights about what worked, what didn’t, and why—connecting elements of UOPX’s story to their own contexts. The session highlights practical lessons drawn from developing PLA badges, AI-infused badges and pathways, industry-endorsed credentials, and a comprehensive skills taxonomy, with an emphasis on common pitfalls and actionable strategies participants can adapt immediately, regardless of where they are in their badge journey.