Concentric Sky

Concentric Sky was a software development company founded in 2005 by Wayne Skipper and headquartered in Eugene, Oregon. It began as a client-services and product-development firm, building mobile applications, websites, data-visualization tools, and software for organizations in education, media, science, government, and technology. Over time, the company developed a particularly strong identity in learning technology and digital credentials. Its early work included an iPhone application created with GoldMoney, educational iOS applications developed with Encyclopaedia Britannica, NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day application, a website for Michael Moore's film Capitalism: A Love Story, and data-visualization projects for the World Bank and the United Nations. The company also created study applications with National Geographic and an iPad edition of Encyclopaedia Britannica. These projects established Concentric Sky as a specialist in combining interface design, mobile development, content delivery, and complex information systems. The company's strategic direction increasingly shifted toward open standards and education infrastructure. It participated in the Open Badges movement, helped establish the Oregon Badge Alliance, and later worked with the MacArthur Foundation spin-off Collective Shift on Open Badges 2.0. In 2015, it launched Badgr with edX. Badgr became the company's best-known product: a platform for issuing, managing, and displaying digital badges and other verifiable learning credentials. By early 2018, the platform reportedly served nearly 10,000 organizations worldwide. Its reach expanded through integrations and partnerships involving Mozilla, Canvas, Microsoft Teams, Blackboard, Open edX, and other education and workforce organizations. Concentric Sky also worked on broader learning and workforce initiatives. Through its partnership with Collective Shift, it developed LRNG and assumed development responsibilities for GlassLab Games, an education-focused game studio associated with titles such as educational versions of Civilization and SimCity. After GlassLab Games closed at the end of 2018, Concentric Sky helped release parts of the project as open source. Other initiatives included Open Pathways, EdRec, comprehensive learner records, the Open Skills Management Toolkit, and the Open Skills Network, which it co-founded with organizations including Western Governors University and Walmart. The company contributed to standards and industry collaboration through work connected to the Internet Engineering Task Force, the IEEE Industry Consortium for Learning Engineering, the World Wide Web Consortium, and decentralized-identity communities. Its projects addressed digital badges, skills taxonomies, learner records, digital transcripts, and portable evidence of education and employment. Partnerships with public education systems included the California Community Colleges System, the Washington community college system, the Georgia Department of Education, and SURFnet in the Netherlands. Wayne Skipper remained chief executive officer through the company's acquisition, while Cale Bruckner became president in 2015. Concentric Sky was acquired by Instructure in April 2022. Publicly available reference material does not establish whether Concentric Sky continued as an independent operating brand after the transaction. Its best-documented legacy is the development of Badgr and its contributions to open, interoperable approaches for representing learning and workforce achievement.

Concentric Sky was established in Eugene, Oregon, in 2005 by Wayne Skipper. The company initially operated as a software development and digital design firm, serving clients across technology, education, science, media, and public-sector fields. Its early portfolio demonstrated a focus on mobile software, information-rich interfaces, and applications that made specialized content easier to access. In 2008, Concentric Sky worked with GoldMoney on an iPhone application intended to support transfers of digital gold units. In 2009, it partnered with Encyclopaedia Britannica on iOS applications for the K–12 market, built NASA's official Astronomy Picture of the Day application, and developed a website connected with Michael Moore's film Capitalism: A Love Story. In 2010, the company worked with the World Bank on data-visualization applications and with National Geographic on study applications for the National Geographic Bee. The same period included expert testimony by founder Wayne Skipper in connection with the Federal Trade Commission's review of Google's proposed acquisition of AdMob and recognition of Concentric Sky as a development partner by the Internet Engineering Task Force. The company continued to expand its education and information-design work in 2011 and 2012. It developed a data-visualization application for the United Nations and designed an iPad edition of Encyclopaedia Britannica, which received an Appy Award. Work for Cengage Learning later received multiple Codie Awards. In 2013, work associated with electronic medical-record usability resulted in a United States patent. These projects helped establish Concentric Sky as a firm capable of combining custom engineering with large-scale content and learning systems. A major strategic transition began in 2014, when Concentric Sky joined the Open Badges movement and launched the Oregon Badge Alliance with partners including Oregon State University. It also released an open-source Android viewer for Khan Academy content. In 2015, Cale Bruckner became president, while Skipper continued as chief executive. Concentric Sky led development of Open Badges 2.0 with Collective Shift and launched the Badgr project with edX. Badgr became the company's principal product and was used by thousands of organizations for issuing and displaying digital learning credentials. In 2016, Concentric Sky announced a broad partnership with Collective Shift focused on education technology and workforce readiness. The company developed LRNG-related technology and took over development of GlassLab Games, whose portfolio included educational adaptations of well-known simulation and strategy games. GlassLab Games closed at the end of 2018; Concentric Sky subsequently supported efforts to make portions of the games available as open-source projects. During 2017 and 2018, the company broadened its standards and credentialing work. It became a founding member of the IEEE Industry Consortium for Learning Engineering, worked with education agencies and networks including the California Community Colleges System, the Georgia Department of Education, and SURFnet, and introduced Open Pathways as an open technology standard. It also created a program for recognizing learning content aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards. Badgr was adopted in additional education ecosystems, including Canvas, and became a destination for users migrating from Mozilla Backpack. From 2019 through 2021, Concentric Sky increasingly focused on the connection between education, skills, credentials, and employment. SURFnet announced a plan to use Badgr as the basis for a national digital-credential strategy in the Netherlands. The company developed tools with California community colleges to help students and families connect education programs with employment opportunities. It worked on comprehensive learner records with the University of North Texas, participated in initiatives involving Salesforce, Walmart, and the United States Department of Commerce, and announced partnerships with organizations including IACET, Credential Engine, Emsi, Blackboard, Postman, and Open eLMS. It also co-founded the Open Skills Network and released the Open Skills Management Toolkit with Western Governors University. The company continued standards work through a proposal for Open Badges 3.0, connecting its experience with web standards and decentralized identity. In early 2022, it announced partnerships with the National Student Clearinghouse and ISTE. In April 2022, Instructure acquired Concentric Sky. Available reference material identifies the transaction but does not provide enough information to determine the post-acquisition status of the Concentric Sky name as an independent brand.

1. 2022Acquired by Instructure

   Instructure acquired Concentric Sky in April 2022.

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2. 2020Open Skills Network founded

   The company co-founded the Open Skills Network and expanded Badgr activity into Microsoft Teams, learner records, and workforce initiatives.

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3. 2018Open Pathways and Badgr ecosystem expansion

   Concentric Sky released Open Pathways, expanded Badgr integrations, and supported Mozilla Backpack users migrating to Badgr.

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4. 2016Collective Shift and GlassLab partnership

   A broad partnership with Collective Shift expanded the company's work in learning technology, LRNG, and educational games.

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5. 2015Badgr launched with edX

   Concentric Sky launched the Badgr digital credential project with edX and led Open Badges 2.0 development with Collective Shift.

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6. 2014Entry into the Open Badges movement

   The company joined the Open Badges movement, helped launch the Oregon Badge Alliance, and released an open-source Android viewer for Khan Academy content.

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7. 2012Encyclopaedia Britannica iPad application

   Concentric Sky designed and built an iPad edition of Encyclopaedia Britannica that received an Appy Award.

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8. 2010World Bank, National Geographic, and standards work

   The company developed data-visualization applications with the World Bank, study applications with National Geographic, and became an IETF development partner.

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9. 2009Expansion into education and public-interest applications

   Concentric Sky worked with Encyclopaedia Britannica on K–12 iOS applications, launched NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day application, and developed a website for Capitalism: A Love Story.

   Source
10. 2008GoldMoney mobile application partnership

    The company announced a partnership with GoldMoney to create an iPhone application for transferring digital units of gold.

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11. 2005Company founded in Eugene

    Wayne Skipper founded Concentric Sky in Eugene, Oregon, as a software development company.

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Custom software development and open education technology focused on digital credentials, learning records, skills data, and interoperable standards.

• BadgrDigital credentials and badges2015

  Badgr was Concentric Sky's flagship digital credential platform. It enabled organizations to issue, manage, and display digital badges representing learning, skills, and achievements. The platform became part of a broader open-standards ecosystem and was adopted or integrated by education and workforce organizations, including edX, Canvas, Mozilla's former Backpack user community, and Microsoft Teams.

• Open PathwaysOpen education technology standard2018

  Open Pathways was an open technology standard introduced to help describe and connect learning pathways, credentials, and progression. It reflected Concentric Sky's effort to move beyond isolated badges toward interoperable systems that could represent how education and workforce experiences relate to one another.

• Open Skills Management ToolkitSkills data and workforce technology2021

  Developed with Western Governors University, the Open Skills Management Toolkit supported work on organizing, managing, and using skills information. It was part of Concentric Sky's broader effort to connect credentials and learning records with labor-market and workforce applications.

• EdRecDigital transcripts and learner records2018

  EdRec was a Concentric Sky initiative focused on digital education records and blockchain-based transcripts. Its approach was recognized in the United States Department of Education's Reimagining Higher Education Ecosystem Challenge and sought to improve portability and trust in learner achievement records.

• LRNG technologyLearning pathways and education technology2016

  Through its partnership with Collective Shift, Concentric Sky developed technology associated with LRNG, an initiative centered on connected learning experiences, pathways, and recognition of learning. The work extended the company's role from software delivery into infrastructure for documenting and organizing learning journeys.

• 2017Great American Eclipse digital badges

  United States

  Concentric Sky offered digital badges commemorating the Great American Eclipse, applying its credential technology to a large public cultural and scientific event.

  Outcome. The reference identifies the badge program but does not provide participation figures.

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• 2015International Year of Light installations

  United States · International

  Concentric Sky's Light At Play design team created LED-powered art installations that were presented at events associated with the International Year of Light.

  Outcome. Installations were shown at venues including the Smithsonian and the National Academy of Sciences.

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• 2012Silicon Shire

  Eugene, Oregon

  Concentric Sky promoted the Eugene metropolitan area under the Silicon Shire concept and organized Shire-themed activities intended to support regional technology identity and community engagement.

  Outcome. The initiative became associated with local events and regional technology promotion.

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• 2012Shire for the River

  Oregon

  The company hosted the Shire for the River fundraiser in partnership with the McKenzie River Trust as part of its locally focused community activities.

  Outcome. The event supported the partner conservation organization; the available reference does not state a fundraising total.

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• 2022Acquisition by InstructureM&A

  Concentric Sky had developed Badgr into a widely used credentialing product and had built partnerships across learning-management, education, and workforce technology.

  What changed. Instructure acquired Concentric Sky in April 2022.

  Aftermath. The acquisition placed Concentric Sky's technology within Instructure. Public reference material does not establish the precise continuing status of the standalone Concentric Sky brand.

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• 2020Formation of the Open Skills NetworkStrategy

  Education and workforce organizations were seeking more portable ways to describe skills and connect learning with employment.

  What changed. Concentric Sky co-founded the Open Skills Network with partners including Western Governors University and Walmart.

  Aftermath. The initiative broadened the company's focus from digital badges to shared skills infrastructure and workforce pathways.

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• 2018Release of Open PathwaysStrategy

  The company sought to extend digital credentialing beyond individual badges toward connected learning and workforce pathways.

  What changed. Concentric Sky released Open Pathways as an open technology standard.

  Aftermath. The release reinforced the company's positioning around open, interoperable education technology.

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• 2015Launch of Badgr with edXProduct launch

  Concentric Sky was participating in the Open Badges movement and was working with Collective Shift on standards for portable digital credentials.

  What changed. The company launched Badgr with edX as a platform for issuing and managing digital badges.

  Aftermath. Badgr became Concentric Sky's best-known product and expanded to thousands of organizations through later partnerships and integrations.

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• 2022Concentric Sky is acquired by Instructure

  Instructure acquired Concentric Sky in April 2022, bringing the company and its Badgr digital credential technology into the Instructure group.

  M&A
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• 2020Microsoft Teams integrates Badgr

  Microsoft announced an integration of Badgr into Microsoft Teams, extending the platform's distribution into a widely used collaboration environment.

  Product launch
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• 2020Concentric Sky co-founds the Open Skills Network

  Concentric Sky joined Western Governors University, Walmart, and other partners in creating the Open Skills Network to support interoperable skills data and workforce pathways.

  Other
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• 2018Badgr selected as Canvas's native badging solution

  Badgr was announced as the native badging solution for Instructure's Canvas learning management system.

  Product launchM&A
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• 2018Mozilla users migrate from Mozilla Backpack to Badgr

  Following Mozilla's decision to retire Mozilla Backpack, its users were directed toward Badgr as a replacement service.

  Product generation
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1. Concentric Sky
2. Concentric Sky official website