What do you get when you mix a curiosity for learning, kids, and coding? You get the opportunity to create a learning organization that achieves natural Agility through a creative iterative experimentation process at all levels that breaks down the traditional hierarchy that so often constrains these forces and activities. I have a background working in government, corporate, and startups across technology, business, health, and education, and I have a passion for learning, volunteerism, and building communities.
My background also includes training in neurological and pediatric development, homeschooling my son through K-12, and volunteering with 4-H, a youth development club that focuses on leadership, communication, and community service. These experiences informed my direction in co-founding a youth technology and leadership club with my son. What I’ve learned through my experience is that kids are capable of so much more than we give them freedom to achieve, that parents have gotten stuck in a mindset of what is needed for learning, and that both are bound by mental beliefs and constraints based on traditional educational hierarchy and authority.
Does this sound familiar? There are parallels to the world of work: employees who could innovate more if given more agency, teams who could achieve more if self-organized, and leaders who are stuck in the belief of traditional ways of doing and running a business. In my talk, I’ll share the successes and challenges in developing a free, all-volunteer run non-profit club and how we are able to develop, adapt, and transform according to the needs and aspirations of our members and community. Why do I call this natural Agility? Because nearly all of our member volunteers have not ever heard of Agile, much less possess training in it. I hope to inspire and encourage participants to have confidence in their ability to help their teams have success with becoming Agile.
