Robert James Weidner
Founder
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Robert has over 20 years of experience in adaptive product development, leading large-scale organizational redesign to promote business agility. During this time, he's helped numerous companies — from startups to the Fortune 5 — implement modern and customer-centric software development practices. From technology and product training to executive coaching, Robert has worked with hundreds of teams and dozens of organizations to remove waste and optimize flow. During this time, he's had white-papers published on topics ranging from Agile Adoption to Open Space Design, and also authored the master’s thesis, Delivering Value: The Benefits of Cultural Agility. As a founding member of the Agile Twin Cities and A_Society meetups, Robert supports the local community and coordinates events that are free to the public. In addition, he was part of a small task force assembled by the Scrum Alliance to design standards and write exam questions for the latest updates to their industry leading certifications, published in 2019.
Robert has the following nine higher education diplomas:
Master of Science at University of Wisconsin-Platteville
Organizational Change Leadership (MSOCL)
Master of Arts at Lakeland College
Counseling, with an emphasis on Higher Education (MAC)
Bachelor of Arts at Lakeland College
Business Administration (BBA) · Computer Science (BACS) · Marketing (BAM)
Associate in Applied Science at Mid-State Technical College
Network Specialist · Programmer/Analyst, with an emphasis on Web Design (AAS-CIS)
‘A’ School and ‘C’ School at United States Navy
Information Systems Technician (IT) · Information Systems Administrator (NEC-2735)
In addition, he holds the following designations:
Axelos
ITIL Level 1
CompTIA
Certified Technical Trainer (CTT+)
Department of Defense
Top Secret SCI Security Clearance (TS SCI)
NAVMACS Ship System Operator (NEC-2350)
Information Systems Administrator (NEC-2735)
Lean Kanban University
Kanban Management Professional (KMP)
The LeSS Organization
LeSS-Friendly Scrum Trainer (LFST)
Certified LeSS Practitioner (CLP)
Napa Valley Wine Academy
Napa Valley Wine Expert (NVWE)
PADI
Open Water Diver
Paul Ekman Group
Micro Expressions, Expert Level (METT)
Subtle Expressions, Expert Level (SETT)
Facial Action Coding System (FACS)
Pragmatic Marketing
Foundations
Focus
Build
Market
Launch
Price
PMC-VI
Product Manager
Product Marketer
Project Management Institute
Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP)
Scaled Agile
SAFe Program Consultant (SPC)
SAFe Agilist (SA)
Scrum Alliance
Certified Enterprise Coach (CEC)
Certified Team Coach (CTC)
Certified Agile Leader (CAL)
Scrum Foundations Instructor (SFI)
Certified Scrum Professional – Product Owner (CSP-PO)
Certified Scrum Professional – Scrum Master (CSP-SM)
Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO)
Certified Scrum Master (CSM)
Certified Scrum Developer (CSD)
Scrum, Inc.
Certified Scrum@Scale Practitioner (S@S)
Scrum.org
Professional Scrum Master I (PSM I)
Professional Scrum Master II (PSM II)
Professional Scrum Master III (PSM III)
Professional Product Owner I (PPO I)
SCRUMstudy
Scrum Fundamentals Certified (SFC)
Splunk
Splunk Certified User
Splunk Certified Power User
Wine, Spirit & Education Trust
Award in Wines & Spirits, Level 1 (WSET L1)
Award in Wines & Spirits, Level 2 (WSET L2)
Robert has taught graduate and undergraduate courses in Organizational Effectiveness, Managing Project Teams, Technology Strategies for Healthcare Management, and a myriad of other topics. He is an adjunct instructor, and a frequent guest speaker for other curriculum programs.
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Robert served in the United States Navy, where he became a plank-owner of the USS Harry S. Truman, an aircraft carrier that was -- at the time -- the largest ship in the world. Robert was forward deployed in support of Operation Southern Watch to enforce the Iraqi No Fly Zones, in relief of the battle group that contained the USS Cole shortly after it was bombed by terrorists in the Yemen; and then again as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Over a period of eight years in the Navy, Robert earned the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, Good Conduct Medal, Expert Marksmanship Medal, Certificate of Merit, and two Letters of Appreciation. His enlistment ended when he was honorably discharged with a service-connected disability. He is now an avid supporter and member of the Disabled American Veterans (DAV) organization.
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In his spare time, Robert enjoys visiting new destinations with his wife and children, preparing good food and pairing it with quality wine, writing, reading, learning new things, kayaking, disc golf, and a myriad of other activities.
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