Steve “Doc” Martin has over 25 years’ experience, with the last decade focused specifically on helping organizations make the transition to greater agility via working with agile values, principles, and practices.

Steve has worked in a wide range of industries including Healthcare IT, Finance, Insurance, Biotechnology, Medical Devices, Publishing, and Communications, over a wide range of organizational structures, from startups to the Fortune 10.

In addition to training in Scrum, Steve is also an adjunct instructor in the Doctor of Business Administration program at Franklin University teaching topics in leadership and change management.

Jeff Cheney is a dedicated trainer and coach at Soaring Connections, focusing on multiple aspects of Business Agility. His training and coaching are grounded in computer science degrees from Baylor University and the University of Southern California, three decades of experience in the efficient and effective delivery of software and hardware products, and a passion for the human element of business. Jeff has led agile transformations at NetApp, Western Union, and Cisco Systems, and has trained hundreds of students worldwide. 

Jeff holds numerous SAFe certifications, including SAFe Practice Consultant, SAFe Release Train Engineer, SAFe Product Owner/Product Manager, and certifications in SAFe DevOps and SAFe Lean Portfolio Management. Additionally, he is trained in Lean Startup, Kanban, and holds a Green Belt in Lean. These qualifications enable him to bring a breadth of experience to his training, sharing insights on both successful and misapplied techniques.

His teaching style is hands-on and interactive, emphasizing active engagement and participation. Jeff encourages students to connect course content with their real-world experiences, fostering a deeper understanding. By sharing stories of his professional journey and experiences, he ensures students gain practical knowledge they can apply in real-world situations and on certification exams. Jeff’s approach prioritizes not just certification but the wisdom that comes from practicing the techniques and theories discussed in class, preparing students to excel in their roles.

Kate Brown Gonzales is a distinguished Agile Coach known for her expertise in guiding organizations through transformation and enhancing team performance by applying Agile and Lean approaches. Kate has become a sought-after consultant, speaker, and mentor in the Agile community. 

She has worked with a diverse range of organizations, from startups to Fortune 100 companies, helping them adopt Agile frameworks such as Scrum, Kanban, and SAFe (Scaled Agile Framework). She is certified in SPC 6.0 (SAFe Program Consultant), and her training sessions are known for their practical insights and engaging delivery, making complex concepts accessible and actionable.

MBA, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT Business School) Generating Business Value; PMP, SAFe SPC6 / LPM6 & RTE6

Hernan is seasoned Agile Coach, Trainer, and Transformation Leader with extensive experience in Fortune 2000 organizations. Hernan possesses strong leadership skills that facilitate effective change management, transformation, and process improvement. He is recognized for executing and implementing innovative strategies, successfully leading global IT operations in supply chain, distribution, operations, and logistics. With hands-on experience in transitioning organizations from a transactional mindset to an agile one, Hernan also brings consulting expertise across various industries including manufacturing, retail, insurance, telecommunications, media, financial services, energy management & automation, non-profit, franchise networks, and hospitality. Hernan has been teaching SAFe classes private and public since 2018. 

Expertise:

• DevOps & program Agile Coach & Trainer

• Business Agility / Innovation & Transformation

• Value Stream Mapping

• Vendor Packages Implementation / Integration

• Customer Centricity / Design Thinking

• IT & Business Strategy Development & Implementation

• Supply Chain Management

• Cloud & Digitization Evaluation & Implementation

• Sales / Marketing / Hospitality / Financial & HR Applications

• Financial Management

A results-driven Web Developer with 10+ years of experience in web development. A proven track record of architecting, developing, and implementing interactive websites. Adept at leveraging SEO strategies and user-centered design principles to engage users and grow web traffic.

Eric Rapin is the founder and CEO of Lucid Agile, Inc. and a Scrum Alliance Certified Scrum Trainer®, leading efforts to adopt and improve organizations use of Scrum and other Agile methods. He has been working in software product development in various roles for over 30 years. Beginning his career as a software engineer and moving through various product development roles from dev to test to release and performance, Eric has covered the gamut in the software world, half of that time in various management roles. Eric discovered that many things he had started doing were articulated best by the Agile world and found a natural home there. Eric has worked at many leading companies such as Nortel, Apple, Sun Microsystems, Openwave, Adobe, Tableau, and Salesforce.Eric focuses most specifically on Retrospective Facilitation and has been active in the Retrospective Facilitator’s Gathering community for over 10 years.

Patrick Foster

I’m a leader who serves as an Agile Coach in organizations.

I help senior leadership plan long-term strategic decisions while embracing the Agile mindset.

I also work with teams to help them become self organizing on their journey of providing value to the customers.

I see my clients as creative, resourceful, and whole and I’m here to walk alongside them to achieve business outcomes.

Elena Vassilieva is an executive leadership coach who uses virtual reality (VR) and artificial intelligence (AI) to facilitate sustainable and immersive feedback for conscious leadership development. Elena integrates principles of Conversational and Emotional IQ and Systemic Team coaching with an Agile/Lean empirical approach to create a personalized holistic coaching
experience. Drawing on her years of training, mentoring, and coaching executives and teams in Agile transformation, she now serves as a trusted advisor for thought leaders who engage in digital transformation.
Elena is an experienced people development leader known for her ability to creatively align business strategy to people’s practices while keeping a passionate focus on workplace culture and values.
Elena is an ICF Certified Coach, ORSC, and AoEC Certified Systemic Team Coach, Certified Visionary Leadership Coach.
As the Scrum Alliance Certified Coach and Certified Agile Leadership Educator, Elena is teaching, training, and coaching teams and individuals to become great Agile professionals and Agile leaders. She brings together diverse and passionate voices dedicated to developing thriving workplace cultures, creating joy and value with the Agile approach, and embracing the agile mindset in work and life environments.
Elena works with leaders and teams around the globe, helping them engage in digital transformation and mapping out powerful organizational shifts to create a sustainable culture focused on learning and innovation. She helps executives in global companies find alignment around cultural and social diversity and aligns around shared purpose, shared values, and business goals.
Elena blends her diverse experiences as a trusted advisor, professional consultant, coach, researcher, and VR documentary producer.

Alireza Boloorchi is passionate about efficiency for the whole. He believes leadership is about the courage in sacrificing localized efficiency for a greater goal. For the last 12 years, he has been helping several large and small organizations to adopt/adapt more efficient process using Agile/Lean values and principles.

He received his PhD in Computer Science and is Certified Scrum Professional by Scrum Alliance. His experience is rooted in software engineering followed up in roles such as Scrum Master, Agile coach, ENT Agile coach, and leadership in Agile organizations.

He has worked/consulted in several industries such as Finance, Game, Semiconductor, manufacturing , etc. Academia has been an important part of his professional life, and He is researching and teaching Agile in the academia as an Adjunct Professor at Oklahoma State University. And serves as reviewer for several journals such as Journal of Super Computing, Network Systems, and Information Science.

Zach Bonaker is a “benevolent trouble-maker” based in San Diego, California, USA and has more than 10 years of experience assisting organizations with achieving their goals through improved working conditions and team-centric systems of work. With experience guiding Fortune 500 companies to multi-million dollar startups, Zach draws upon agile principles, relationships, and systems thinking to redesign structures into safe, collaborative environments. Zach is an international conference speaker, frequent podcast guest, and contributor to the global agile community. When he isn’t thinking about next-generation agile ideas, Zach can be found enjoying the sunny California weather and connecting with people all over the world.

Michael de la Maza is the founder of Heart Healthy Scrum and a Scrum Alliance Certified Enterprise Coach (CEC). Previously, he was VP of Corporate Strategy at Softricity (acquired by Microsoft in 2006) and co-founder of Inquira (acquired by Oracle in 2011). He is the co-editor of Agile Coaching: Wisdom from Practitioners and co-author of Professional Scrum with TFS 2010 and Why Agile Works: The Values Behind The Results. He holds a PhD in Computer Science from MIT.

Jeff Patton helps companies adopt a way of working that’s focused on building great products, not just building stuff faster. Jeff blends a mixture of Agile thinking, Lean and Lean Startup Thinking, and UX Design and Design Thinking to end up with a holistic product-centric way of working. Jeff is author of the bestselling O’Reilly book User Story Mapping which describes a simple holistic approach to using stories in Agile development without losing sight of the big picture.

Jeff’s a Certified Scrum Trainer, and winner of the Agile Alliance’s 2007 Gordon Pask Award for contributions to Agile Development. You can learn more about Jeff, and find essays and past writing from his columns with StickyMinds.com, Better Software Magazine, and IEEE Software on his website: jpattonassociates.com. 

Amitabh (Amit) Sinha: Your Catalyst for Agile Transformation

Amitabh (Amit) Sinha isn’t just your typical advisor. He’s the  strategic force behind unlocking the full potential of individuals, teams, and organizations. As an entrepreneur, visionary, mentor, trainer, and coach, Amit is a true servant leader, driven by a passion for Agile and its profound impact on people and principles.

Championing People for Success

Amit doesn’t just manage teams; he elevates them. His leadership is rooted in Agile, Scrum, Kanban, and an innate understanding of what motivates individuals. He’s a people champion, dedicated to nurturing the best in teams, helping them discover their path to both effectiveness and happiness.

Transforming Success Stories

Amit’s track record speaks for itself. He’s spearheaded transformative journeys for countless teams, departments, and organizations. His approach has seen teams evolve into high-performing, ecstatic units. Exuberance isn’t just a word – it’s a common descriptor for teams under Amit’s guidance.

Mastering the Agile Mindset

Amit’s influence doesn’t stop at team levels. He empowers Scrum Masters, Product Owners, leaders, and executives to embrace the Agile mindset fully. Through his guidance, they learn the art of crafting effective products that genuinely delight customers.

Sharing Wisdom with the World

Amit’s contributions extend beyond organizational boundaries. He’s a sought-after speaker at prestigious forums and meetups, including the Agile Alliance conferences in Nashville (AA 2022) and Denver’s Global Scrum Gathering (GSG 2022). At these events, he has captivated audiences with his insights and vision for Agile transformation.

Leadership Coach of Choice

Amit holds the International Coach Federation (ICF) Professional Certified Coach (PCC) credential, making him the leadership coach of choice for several senior executives and C-suite professionals. His guidance doesn’t just create success; it fosters excellence.

Amit’s Universe

In the heart of Silicon Valley, Amit resides with his wife and three sons, thriving in an environment that thrives on innovation and possibility.

Amit’s not just a name; it’s a catalyst for Agile transformation. Embrace the change. Engage, partner, and collaborate with the person who can redefine success for you. Amitabh Sinha – your guide to Agile excellence.

Rakesh Sadhwani is an entrepreneur, businessman, and technical leader who possesses a wealth of industry experience and know-how.  He currently serves as the CEO of an award winning, Bay Area technical staffing and solutions firm, Vertisystem. Rakesh’s expertise includes on-shoring and off-shoring, staff augmentation, business strategy, business development and creating valued partnerships.

What sets Rakesh apart as a leader is his dedication to the relationship first, his genuine commitment to the community, enabling his staff’, and a commitment to doing what is right.  Rakesh is a true partner who sincerely listens and endeavors to deliver value above and beyond your expectations. Rakesh lives with his wife and two daughters in Fremont, California.