We’re proud to announce that Indigo Tree sponsored the Intellectual Curiosity Award at this year’s Dean’s Awards at Hertfordshire Business School. It was an inspiring evening celebrating the achievements of students who exemplify the questioning mindset that drives real progress in business and technology.
Supporting the next generation of digital talent
The Dean’s Awards recognise students who’ve demonstrated outstanding achievements throughout their time at Hertfordshire Business School. These aren’t just students who’ve ticked boxes or memorised textbooks. They’re the ones who’ve asked “why?” and “what if?”.
Sponsoring the “Intellectual Curiosity Award” felt like a natural fit for us. For website design and WordPress development, standing still means falling behind. The students we saw at this year’s ceremony understand that. They’re not content with surface-level answers. They dig deeper, challenge assumptions, and look for better ways to solve problems.
Congratulations to the 2025 winner Emilia Binaghi.
Why intellectual curiosity matters in business
Think about the last time you faced a tricky client requirement or a technical challenge that didn’t have an obvious solution. Did you reach for the first answer that came to mind? Or did you pause, ask a few more questions, and explore different approaches?
That’s intellectual curiosity in action. It’s what separates someone who simply follows instructions from someone who can spot opportunities, identify risks, and propose solutions that nobody else has considered. In an industry where technologies shift faster than you can say “WordPress 7.0”, that questioning mindset isn’t just nice to have, it’s essential.
When we’re recruiting at Indigo Tree, we’re not just looking at CVs and qualifications. We want to know what makes someone curious. What gets them excited enough to spend a weekend learning a new framework or reading about emerging web standards? Those are the people who’ll push our agency forward and help us deliver exceptional results for our clients.
A night to celebrate student excellence
The Dean’s Awards ceremony brought together students, faculty, and business partners to recognise achievement across multiple categories. Our founder Louise attended the event representing Indigo Tree, it was inspiring to see the calibre of students graduating from Hertfordshire Business School.
You could feel the pride radiating from students who’d worked hard to get to this point, and the genuine appreciation from the academic team who’d guided them along the way. It’s these moments that remind me why partnerships between education and industry matter so much.
Louise Towler
The Dean’s Awards tradition
Hertfordshire Business School has run the Dean’s Awards for many years, creating a prestigious annual celebration that recognises student success across disciplines. From accounting to marketing, from business analytics to tourism management, the awards recognise students who’ve excelled in learning, employment preparation, and personal development.
The awards ceremony isn’t just about handing out certificates. It’s about showcasing what’s possible when students embrace opportunities like work placements, study abroad programmes, and real-world project collaborations. Hertfordshire Business School has built strong connections with over 700 businesses, giving students hands-on experience that prepares them for professional life.
Our connection to Hertfordshire Business School
Our relationship with Hertfordshire Business School extends beyond a single evening of celebration. Louise serves on the Business School Advisory Board, a role that brings together partner organisations and stakeholders to help shape the school’s strategic direction.
The Advisory Board meets quarterly for knowledge exchange events and works to ensure academic content remains contemporary and delivers work-ready graduates. It’s a two-way street. The University gains insight into what employers need from graduates, whilst businesses like ours benefit from access to fresh talent and academic research.
Advisory Board partnership
Being part of the Advisory Board means we can help shape how courses prepare students for real-world careers in digital marketing, web development, and technology. We share what we’re seeing in client projects, what skills are becoming more valuable, and where we think the industry is heading.
This kind of collaboration strengthens both education and industry. Students graduate with skills that employers actually need, whilst businesses gain access to a pipeline of talented individuals who can hit the ground running.
Looking to the Future
As we look ahead, we’re excited to continue supporting initiatives that nurture the next generation of digital professionals. The students we celebrated at the Dean’s Awards are entering a workforce that needs their curiosity, their creativity, and their willingness to challenge the status quo.
Whether they end up working for agencies like ours, starting their own ventures, or joining in-house teams at major organisations, they’ll need that intellectual curiosity to keep learning, adapting, and growing. The web doesn’t stand still, and neither can we.
Sponsoring The Intellectual Curiosity Award is our way of saying that we value those qualities – and we’re committed to helping students develop them. We can’t wait to see what this year’s Dean’s Award winners go on to achieve.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Intellectual Curiosity Award?
The Intellectual Curiosity Award is sponsored by Indigo Tree as part of the University of Hertfordshire Business School’s Dean’s Awards. It recognises students who demonstrate an exceptional questioning mindset and drive for deeper understanding in their studies and professional development.
What are the Dean’s Awards at Hertfordshire Business School?
The Dean’s Awards are an annual celebration at Hertfordshire Business School that recognises outstanding student achievements in learning, employment preparation, and personal development across various business disciplines.
Why did Indigo Tree sponsor the Intellectual Curiosity Award?
Because intellectual curiosity is essential in fast-moving areas like website design and WordPress development, and the award aligns with Indigo Tree’s values around learning and problem-solving.
Why does intellectual curiosity matter in business and technology?
For WordPress development and digital marketing, intellectual curiosity helps people ask better questions, explore options, spot risks and opportunities, and adapt quickly as technologies and client needs change.
How is Indigo Tree connected to Hertfordshire Business School beyond sponsorship?
Indigo Tree’s Managing Director, Louise Towler, serves on the Business School Advisory Board, helping to shape strategic direction and ensure courses prepare students for real-world digital careers.