Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the hottest topic in the business world. AI is moving so fast it’s hard to keep up. The goal of this 60-minute program is to help you understand the basics of AI by demonstrating some of the most powerful tools available today. Darrin Jahnel has been in the software industry for over 25 years and has been obsessed with AI over the past 18 months. Darrin has invested the time to understand AI, he’s used the most popular tools daily, and his team has built software applications that leverage the power of this transformational technology. Darrin has a fun and engaging style of teaching and you’re sure to walk away from this talk a little smarter.

This session will help you:
•    Understand of the transformational impact from Artificial Intelligence,
•    Realize what it can and cannot do, and
•    Learn where it can be applied.

Bio:
Darrin Jahnel is the founder and CEO of Jahnel Group, a 135-person software consulting company headquartered in Schenectady, NY. Darrin leads with energy and is obsessed with creating an amazing work environment for his team. Jahnel Group has made the Inc. 5,000 list 7 years in a row and has won multiple best workplace awards for their amazing culture. Darrin earned an undergraduate degree in Business Administration from the University at Albany and a Master’s Degree in Information Systems from NYU's Stern School of Business. Prior to starting the company in 2005, Darrin worked as a software engineer on Wall Street. Darrin is happily married and has 4 children (ages 13-23).

 

You’ve heard stories from friends and colleagues - their agile project has gone “BADgile,” heading off the tracks while driving people to frustration and don’t know what to do next. Agile was supposed to solve all our problems. So why is delivery, backlog prioritization, and reducing defects so difficult? Even worse, BADgile delivery twisted the Manifesto to say "no documentation or requirements". With shorter delivery cycles, managing requirements as an asset is even more important in Agile than Waterfall because you don't have time to define everything up front. Agile Transformations have been going on for a couple of decades, so you would think companies late to the party would learn from best practices or their predecessors’ mistakes. 

 

 

 

Bio:
Steve Jones is an accomplished analyst and BA manager spanning over two decades of expertise in refining processes, services, and software across the entire software development lifecycle. With a keen eye for detail and a passion for solving intricate business puzzles, he specializes in driving process reproducibility and compliance through the adept application of business analysis tools and techniques.
A finalist for the prestigious IIBA Volunteer of the Year award for 2022, Steve currently holds the position of VP of Education for IIBA Hartford. Having earned prestigious credentials, including the IIBA Certified Business Analysis Professional (CBAP), Six Sigma Green Belt, and Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) Product Owner & Product Manager (POPM), he brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to every task and challenge he sets his sight on. Additionally, Steve holds a Master of Science in Information Management and Communications, further solidifying his credentials in the field.
Outside of his professional endeavors, Steve is a co-host of the popular Analysts After Dark show, where he shares insights and engages with fellow industry experts on the latest trends and developments in business analysis. He is an expert maker of PB&J sandwiches, having made over 8,000 of them for a local food pantry. Passionate, driven, and committed to excellence, Steve continues to make contributions to the field of business analysis and beyond.

 

The business analysis community has exemplified the skills and craft of refinement. Its members hold very similar strengths that draw our diverse perspectives together. These are rare skills that come naturally for business analysts ... the least of which is adaptability. As the needs we serve constantly evolve, so must we. Additionally, as servant leaders, we generally lead without authority and set the example and bar for others to follow suit. Our cooperation with product owners, sponsors, project managers, team leadership and a myriad of other personalities requires a skillful, deft and artistic touch. Refinement is, itself, an evolution of understanding that drives real-world change. It is truly the vehicle of the business analyst. We are not to be underestimated in our involvement within each step of this unique process.

 

 

Bio: 

Jeremy is passionate in the business analyst community and has been a practitioner in software development, retail, ecommerce, supply chain, healthcare, marketing, law and manufacturing business domains. He is an active coach and team leader within projects and promotes transformative business practices in an ever-changing industry landscape. As a consultant with The Hatch Group, he works promoting agility and BA capabilities. He has been a regular presenter as a CBAP® in the BA community. He lives in the Minnesota south metro area with his wife and three children.

In the ever-evolving business landscape, mastering the art of navigating organizational politics is a vital key to success for business analysts and project managers. Join us for an engaging keynote session that will unravel the complexities of organizational politics and empower business analysts to thrive amidst these dynamics. Through an engaging blend of thought-provoking insights, captivating stories, and real-world examples, we will equip your audience with the essential skills and strategies to navigate the waters of their organization. 

 

 

Bio:
With a Strategic Business Analysis and Organizational Development background, Vincent Mirabelli is every organization's “secret agent” for saving your people time, money, and energy. Named a top 10 thought leader on Culture, Change, and Business Management by Thinkers360, he is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP®), Certified Business Analysis Professional (CBAP®), and Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt. Through keynote speaking & customized workshops, Vincent empowers leaders and organizations to develop cultures of high performance and continuous improvement while working with clients across diverse industries and sectors. Guaranteed to be entertaining, humorous and transformational, Vincent teaches us that to succeed in business today, we must take an authentic and empathetic approach, creating organizational processes and cultures where everyone feels seen, heard and valued like a true part of the team.

Many of us are experiencing unique levels of volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity (VUCA). We can’t control VUCA outside our teams, but inside our teams, we can. This session shares metaphors, mechanics, and tools for teams to establish a simple rhythm of expectation setting, always ready to pivot, and never blinking when you must pivot.
Rob will take us on a journey to re-imagine those Four Adjectives (RACI) as Five Verbs, enabling us to take control.  He will help us to understand the Laws of Marginal Cost, and why they cannot be ignored.  And lastly, Rob will enable us to convert communication traffic jams into communication
Symphonies.

This session will help you:

 

Bio:
Robert Snyder is the founder and president of Innovation Elegance, LLC. His thirty-year career spans roles such as developer, project management, change management, sales enablement, and the performing arts. His career path includes corporate roles, consulting roles, startups, PMP, and Agile certifications. He’s performed in numerous vocal, dance, and theater ensembles. Robert earned his BS in Electrical Engineering from the University of Illinois and his MBA in Strategy from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.

Robert is publishing a series of books on innovation methodology.

 

Strategy Analysis is an effective way to define and understand the “why” behind a proposed change and determine whether it is worth doing. Business Analysts work with stakeholders impacted by a change to define the objectives of that change and the risks involved. Effective Strategy Analysis increases the probability of success of any initiative at any level within the enterprise.
In this presentation Aaron will discuss best practices of the Business Analysts’ work during Strategy Analysis. We will take a practical look at how business analysts work to define the change and the strategy to achieve it. Come and discuss the concepts of Strategy Analysis with Aaron and learn how to use these concepts to increase your success and sustain your business analysis career.

 

Aaron Whittenberger, CBAP, AAC, CPOA, A-CSPO is a Senior Enterprise Business Analyst and leader in the Business Analysis Center of Excellence (BACoE) for an insurance carrier, where he is currently working with other business analysis leaders to develop Standards of practice, a BA Blog and a BA Knowledge Center for the business analyst community of 80 business analysts. Aaron works in an agile environment.
Aaron is the Founding President of the Bluegrass IIBA Chapter and a 2016 Inductee into the Bluegrass Business Analysis Hall of Fame. He is a champion for the IIBA®, business analysis as a profession and the recognition of its practitioners. He is an avid Business Analyst, Blogger, Mentor, Trainer and Presenter. Aaron is a frequent speaker at IIBA® and corporate meetings and conferences in the region. He has over 35 years of Business and IT experience including 19 years of Business Analysis and 15 years of consulting experience. Aaron earned his Certified Business Analysis Professional™ (CBAP®) certification in 2008, Certified Scrum Product Owner® (CSPO®) in 2018, IIBA Agile Analysis Certification (IIBA®-AAC) in 2019, Certificate in Product Ownership Analysis (IIBA®-CPOA) in 2021, ICAgile Certified Professional – Agile Product Ownership (ICP-APO) Certification in 2022, and the Advanced Certified Scrum Product Owner® (A-CSPO) from Scrum Alliance in 2024.
Aaron lives in Northern Kentucky and has four sons. In his family life, Aaron enjoys family time, and a good round of golf; we’ll see if he ever has one. You may connect with Aaron on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/aaronwhittenberger or Twitter: @TheWittyBA.