Our Story

From research vision to global platform

Virbela began in 2012 inside a research lab at the University of California San Diego. The company’s earliest foundations were created by Alex Howland, PhD and Ron Rembisz, organizational psychologists who collaborated on the original proposal submitted to the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC).

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The original idea was bold

What if business education could move beyond lectures and case studies, and instead use virtual worlds to recreate real interpersonal challenges such as communication, collaboration, decision making, conflict, and leadership?
GMAC awarded the team a 1.75 million dollar innovation grant, and early prototypes revealed something powerful: learners behaved more authentically in immersive virtual environments than in classrooms or on video. They took risks, collaborated more naturally, and engaged in meaningful interpersonal practice.
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This insight became the foundation of Virbela.

Over the next decade, Virbela evolved into a platform that powered global organizations, most notably supporting eXp Realty as it scaled into a fully remote company with tens of thousands of people working inside a virtual campus.
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New Chapter

In 2024, after several years as part of a public company, Virbela entered a new chapter. Alex Howland and Erik Hill—now serving as co-founders of the reacquired entity—purchased the Virbela assets and relaunched the company as Virbela LLC. This transition returned Virbela to its entrepreneurial roots with a renewed focus on:
Build strong cultures across distance
Accessible browser based worlds
AI-driven leadership development and simulations
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    What We Build

    Virbela Virtual Worlds

    Full 3D campuses, offices, classrooms, and event venues that make remote collaboration feel social, immersive, and energizing.
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    Virbela Go

    A browser based version of Virbela that runs without a download, allowing teams and learners to join shared virtual spaces with a single link.
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    AI Powered Training Simulations

    A next generation layer that blends virtual worlds with generative AI to create interactive simulations for leadership, communication, and decision making.
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    Leadership development at the center

    From the beginning, Virbela has been grounded in organizational psychology and learning science. Leadership development is not an add on—it is a core pillar of the company.

    The virtual world provides psychological realism. AI provides personalization and feedback. Your competency model and culture define the target.

    Traditional leadership programs often lack:

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    Real practice, not just concepts
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    Safe spaces to try, fail, and adjust
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    Direct observation of behavior in context
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    A tight link between competency models and what leaders actually do

    Virbela puts learners inside realistic leadership simulations. They practice:

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    Difficult performance conversations
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    Coaching team members
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    Navigating ethical dilemmas
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    Managing conflict and misalignment
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    Leading through change
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    Making decisions with incomplete information
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    Why Virbela Matters Now

    As organizations embrace distributed and hybrid work, two challenges keep emerging:
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    1. Building a strong, connected culture when people are not in the same place
    2. Developing leaders who can thrive in complex, fast changing environments

    Virbela helps solve both.
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    Real Presence. Real Practice. Real Results.

    Presence over flat screens

    Immersive environments restore energy, serendipity, and social dynamics missing from standard video calls.

    Scalable experiential learning

    AI simulations allow organizations to give thousands of people realistic practice in critical leadership moments.

    Scientific foundations

    Our approach is rooted in organizational psychology, competency modeling, and more than a decade of R&D supported by partners such as GMAC and leading enterprises.

    Global accessibility

    Whether through our 3D worlds or Virbela Go, people can work and learn from anywhere.
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    Looking ahead

    We believe the future of work and learning is experiential, social, and supported by intelligent systems. Virbela will continue to push the boundaries of immersive technology and AI so organizations can:
    Build strong cultures across distance
    Develop exceptional leaders at scale
    Create more inclusive learning experiences
    Practice the moments that matter
    The mission that started in a research lab in 2012 still guides us today:
    Help people become better leaders by giving them a world where they can practice.‍

    Leadership

    Why Virbela Matters Now

    As organizations embrace distributed and hybrid work, two challenges keep emerging:
    ‍
    1. Building a strong, connected culture when people are not in the same place
    2. Developing leaders who can thrive in complex, fast changing environments