Agile Open Northwest

AIM Consulting is an award-winning industry leader in technology consulting and solutions delivery. We solve business critical challenges for our clients and are uniquely positioned to help our partners delight customers, empower employees and drive disruptive and impactful innovation. Founded in 2006 with offices in Seattle, Minneapolis, Denver, Houston, and Chicago we are ranked among the fastest growing private companies and the best companies to work due to a long track record of success with our partners and consultants. Our flexible engagement model allows us to deliver on expectations, execute on roadmaps and drive technology initiatives. In addition, we are known for our deep bench and powerful network in delivering subject matter expertise with bleeding edge technologies.

At CRR Global, leadership is a team sport. To succeed in a demanding and highly competitive environment, organizations must draw on the strengths of the entire team to continually improve both process and results. For over 20 years, we have supported systems in developing the powerful relationship that supports Agile transformation. If you’d like to know more about how to leverage the collective intelligence of your Agile team, reach out to us for details on relationship systems coaching.

The Open Space Institute(US) holds space for Open Space. The Open Space Institute(US) serves by providing access to resources on Open Space, by connecting individuals and groups to inform, inspire, mentor, and sustain each other in opening and holding space, AND by being an inclusive learning community.

Plaster Group is dedicated to partnering with our clients to identify Agile solutions that accelerate the delivery of business value and enable our partners to maintain or gain a competitive advantage in the marketplace. Whether you are just beginning the Agile journey, or are struggling to make existing Agile practices more effective, our experienced and knowledgeable consultants are passionate about identifying and implementing strategies for your success.

Since its inception, the Pacific Northwest Software Quality Conference (PNSQC) has put quality at the forefront. The conference program emphasizes three tracks of interest in developing high-quality software:

• Emerging Quality Technologies and Concepts

• Quality Management, Leadership, and People

• Testing Processes and Tools

This year’s theme is Amp It Up: Transforming Quality.

To boost the message of quality, we need to amplify the signal!

We invite you to submit proposals for the 2023 Conference. Proposals accepted up to April 15th, 2023. https://mms.pnsqc.org/ct.php?lid=188902549&mm=71798244301

Save 10% on the Global Scrum Gathering 2023 Portland and Beyond! Agile Open Northwest attendees can get 10% off the price of an in-person or virtual pass to the Global Scrum Gathering taking place May 7-10, 2023. Scan the QR code at left to get your discounted pass!

At Scrum Alliance, we envision a world where an agile way of working is so universal, it’s simply called working. Since 2001, we have supported the agile movement as the only member-driven nonprofit certifying body in the agile space. As a trade association, we were founded and funded by the community for the community, a privilege we take seriously. We continue to nurture the agile movement by providing education, advocacy, research, community, and connection. Join us in our mission to advance real-world agility by equipping and inspiring the changemaker in everyone.

Unify Consulting is a collective of genuine, curious, seasoned consultants who unlock potential and deliver with purpose and authenticity. We unify daring leaders to better the world. We’re co-creators, community-builders and truth-tellers who strive to multiply our positive impact. We unlock potential to co-create a sustainable future. If you’re tired of canned approaches and recycled ideas, and want real-world insights tailored to your people, let’s talk.

BRYSONDRA WILLIAMS

BrySondra is a newbie to agile and open space concepts coming from the world of Higher Education. She believes that agile methodology is the best way for process improvement across most industries. She is an avid traveler, reader of thrillers and young adult fantasy, and frequent cat napper.

JEFF WEAVER

Jeff is a coach, mentor, and visionary leader who creates space for others to thrive and develop into their best selves. He believes in practical Agile - using Agile methods to deliver effective solutions, regardless of framework or method. He is the founder of the AgileSEA Slack channel (agile-sea.slack.com), for agilists in the Pacific Northwest to better collaborate.

LINE MORKBAK

Line Morkbak is the Founder and Managing Director of Global LEAP Consulting, and enthusiastic about expanding the way we meet, learn, and collaborate. She supports clients on their journey to revamp traditional management tools, reinvent their meetings, and share ways to harness the productivity of remote collaboration. She employs work tools from agile practice and liberating structures, and pulls inspiration from Management 3.0 and intercultural theory. She’s a curious soul who lives, breathes, thrives - and advances - new tools, techniques, and team approaches that empower collaboration.

SADE DANIELS

Sade Daniels is a highly sought public speaker, award-winning spoken word artist and has amassed close to two decades of experience working within the child welfare system and for reform efforts that center communities impacted by family separation. Sade uses her lived experiences navigating systems in her youth, professional expertise partnering with children and families as a provider and an activist, and poetic artistry to challenge inequities, honor the community’s role in its own liberation, and promote healing.

WINSLOW HERMSON

Winslow Hermson is a sideways E-shaped person (rather than T) with three major depths: agile software development, wish-coaching, and performing arts of all flavors. For a salary, they coach agile thinking and self-organization to software developers and their managers to keep everyone focused on continuous improvement. At the moment they do this at a major bank. For their side gig they are a genie, helping others understand the essence of their wishes, and partner to manifest them. Because it amuses him, Winslow often claims to raise champion naked mole rats.

AKI NAMIOKA

Aki has been an Agile practitioner since 2002 and a Certified Scrum Master since 2010. She specializes in Agile coaching, and has helped several organizations transform into high-functioning Agile teams, using XP, Scrum, and Kanban. Aki’s background includes Boeing, IBM Global Services, and Cisco Systems. Aki enjoys learning from others in the Agile community, and is active in BeyondAgile and Agile Open Northwest.

APRIL JEFFERSON

April leads with empathy and courage while partnering with others to help unlock their full potential. She believes the path to authentic growth and change begins with invitation and a people-centered approach. She favors a blended mindset of agile, lean, design thinking, open space, and improvisation when engaging. April values connecting people to ownership of their needs and goals. You may find April coaching organizations, speaking at conferences, facilitating social change as a Design Action Lab partner, or mentoring youth.

WINSLOW HERMSON

Winslow Hermson is a sideways E-shaped person (rather than T) with three major depths: agile software development, wish-coaching, and performing arts of all flavors. For a salary, they coach agile thinking and self-organization to software developers and their managers to keep everyone focused on continuous improvement. At the moment they do this at a major bank. For their side gig they are a genie, helping others understand the essence of their wishes, and partner to manifest them. Because it amuses him, Winslow often claims to raise champion naked mole rats.

NORA BEYERLE

I journeyed into technology via a music education. Working in the software industry since 2000, I’ve explored responsibilities of business analysis, project management, and people management. It was the agile values and principles that resonated strongest with me, and I have since focused on coaching agile development teams and championing individuals. I appreciate all the learning opportunities within our agile community of practice! I enjoy volunteering at AgilePDX, and now joining Agile Open Northwest. Additionally I am looking forward to further collaborate with Future of Work communities. I believe that people can change the world, and that we can achieve this by being curious, open, and kind.

QUINTON (Ron) QUARTEL

Quinton will tell you his life purpose is to “unleash the human spirit in the workplace.” He loves all things software and nurturing business/development harmony in particular. 

His agile and Extreme Programming journey started in 2002, and over the years, he has built strong technical skills and a deep understanding of agile methods. He has put these to good use in several roles during his career: developer, development manager, and agile coach. 

In 2014 Quinton had an epiphany about a new way of working. A way that makes self-organisation inescapable rather than just paying lip service to the concept. This method aligned with his vision and has been his passion ever since.

STEVE KUO

Steve accepted Agile and Extreme Programming (XP) into his professional career more years ago than he likes to count. Although it took him a few years to get fully into all the disciplines, he’s a firm believer and staunch advocate for the XP technical practices. Steve is most frequently embedded with a team helping them to become excellent. It’s also not uncommon to see him helping friends, teaching classes, or attending conferences extolling the virtues of code craft, deliberate practice, and collaborative working. He continues to run experiments discovering new ways to work and bring joy to the workplace.

WILLEM LARSEN

Willem Larsen has been training software teams to master the skills of high performance and accelerated learning for a decade. He is the author of the Language Hunter’s Kit, co-author of 5 Rules For Accelerated Learning, host of the yearly Thermodynamics of Emotion Symposium, founder of the non-profit Language Hunters, and both a wildlife tracker and Search and Rescue tracker.