LATEST IMPACT

• 1000+ managers and executives trained in collaborative problem-solving
• $3MM saved from a scaled train-the-trainer program
• 26% increase in design org’s confidence to influence product and business partners

MY STORY

From siloed engineer to collaborative leader

I used to work as a mechanical engineer, siloed from my teammates and leadership.

I was embarrassed that I didn't know how to lead meetings with other engineers, business people, and product managers.

I was told by a boss that I shouldn’t be talking to customers. I tried to learn more by going to graduate school at Stanford but got denied entry.

So, I did two things differently.
1) I started practicing where I had control. I led bad brainstorming sessions. I conducted mediocre customer interviews. They started to get better.
2) I quit. And found a new company, Peer Insight, an innovation consultancy, that was supportive of a new, collaborative way of working.

Tim and Natalie took a chance on a young engineer with potential. I was blown away by the culture and how my leaders led collaborative working sessions. They were vibrant, inclusive, and productive. I saw firsthand how it led to better product and business outcomes for our clients.

I was hooked and never looked back on this new way of working.

To date, I have led 1000s of product and design professionals across start-ups, Fortune 100s and non-profits in this new way of working. I am just getting started.

MY BELIEF

People are better together

The problems of today are too challenging and urgent to solve alone.

We need a new type of leader who can orchestrate high-performing teams to solve tough problems. This can’t wait.

It is a belief and way of working I continue to learn from the last 15 years working in start-up tech companies, design consultancies, and Fortune 500 companies.

Now, I’d like to share what I have learned about collaboration and facilitation after equipping dozens of organizations and leading 100s of workshops to create momentum for positive change.

WHAT I DO

I lead cultural change

I am currently partnering with bp’s Chief Product Officer to bring a discovery-driven culture inside the organization through a new capability-building strategy to solve the energy trilemma by making it affordable, secure, and sustainable.

I have also led transformation efforts at Capital One, turning a 40,000 person analyst-driven culture into a customer-centered product culture.

I do the work side-by-side with teams to directly create impact and understand the biggest barriers getting in the way of the org’s transformation vision.

I facilitate high-impact workshops

I facilitate global teams when the stakes are high to get to an outcome quickly. I have:

• led a sudden, urgent org change workshop with global VPs to decide who to fire and how to structure the new team.
• facilitated the misaligned C-suite of a mid-size healthcare company to gain clarity on their product roadmap.
• led a 300-person immersive workshop to get an entire national non-profit leadership team to take immediate action in their local communities on a new company vision

I practice what I teach to continue to grow my facilitation and leadership skills.

I teach collaboration and creative problem-solving

I teach custom facilitation training to high-potential employees inside large organizations like bp and Autodesk. I have taught human-centered storytelling at Nike, design thinking at Microsoft and have trained 1000s in creative problem-solving techniques.

I am currently an adjunct professor at Florida State University teaching Innovation by Design to undergraduate students.

WHERE I LIVE

From Maryland to Florida

(via Oregon)

I was born and raised in the United States in the Washington D.C. Metro area. In 2013, I quit my job to travel the world for 9 months which led me to Portland, OR in 2015.

Now, I live in Tallahassee, FL with my wife, Amber, and our adorable 3-year-old Yorkie, Sasha.