agile connect rochester

October 30th, 2025 | 8:30AM - 5:00PM

Hyatt Regency Rochester

Agile Connect Rochester is the premier gathering for Agile professionals in Upstate New York—bringing together agile practitioners, scrum masters, product owners, developers, and company leaders from over 40 companies.

Join us for a high energy day of learning, collaboration, and practical insights designed to help you grow your skills, make new connections, share experiences and drive Agile success at your organization.

Where Agile minds meet and momentum builds |

AGENDA

8:30AM - Registration and Breakfast

9:15AM - Kickoff

9:30AM - Keynote

11:00AM - Breakout Wave 1

12:00PM - Lunch

1:00PM - Breakout Wave 2

2:30PM - Panel and Wrap up

3:30PM - Happy Hour

Event Information

Hyatt Regency Rochester is attached to the South Avenue Parking Garage, which serves as the main parking facility for the Hotel. Fees will apply for parking.
There will be an extra room available for those who need to step away for a meeting/call during the event.

Keynote speaker

Cliff Gilley, VP Analyst, Gartner for Product Teams

Clifton Gilley is an analyst with Gartner’s Tech Product Manager team within the Technology and Service Providers research unit. Mr. Gilley’s research deals with product management across various technology domains, with a special focus on digital product management and Agile product design and development principles. He joined Gartner in 2018 and has served as Key Initiative Leader for Product Development and Product Life Cycle Management, as well as played critical roles in the development of the High Tech Product Management Score and High Tech Product Management Benchmarks tools. Prior to Gartner, Mr. Gilley worked as a product manager for nearly twenty years at a variety of companies in the greater Seattle area, specializing in modernizing B2B legacy platforms and providing support and coaching to organizations engaging in transitions from waterfall development practices to Agile and Scrum approaches.
First, Fire All the Agilists!
The practice of Agile is under assault from many directions – for both good and bad reasons. Increased scrutiny, skepticism, and failed long-term transformations have overtaken the benefits that Agile approaches have brought to many organizations. Now is the time to take a critical look at what Agile was, is, and will be – the future of the practice will be informed by the past but might also not resemble what we’ve seen before. Clifton Gilley from Gartner will discuss the past, present, and future of Agile practices, teachings, and approaches – focusing on the need to merge business acumen with technical excellence.
Visit Cliff on LinkedIn

Breakout speakers

Darian Rashid

BRINGING OUT OUR INNER CREATIVE BEAST
Breakthrough ideas aren’t reserved for a lucky few. With the right facilitation, any team can generate creative, high-impact solutions. In this interactive, workshop-style session, you’ll work through a series of fast-paced exercises that teach the mindsets and methods behind lateral, “out-of-the-box” problem solving—and how to lead others through it. No prior experience required—just curiosity and a willingness to have fun.

CONNECT ON LINKEDIN
Sean Murray

AI AS A TEAMMATE: EXPLORING THE BENEFITS, PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS, AND EFFECTIVE WAYS TO COLLABORATE WITH AI
Think of AI not just as a tool, but as a tireless new colleague, one that expands your capabilities, boosts productivity, and fuels innovation. In this session, you’ll explore how to collaborate with AI as a trusted partner: breaking down silos, broadening expertise, and uncovering its real value through hands-on exercises. We’ll also tackle the crucial question of responsible AI use and its ethical implications. You’ll leave with actionable strategies to integrate AI into your daily work and elevate what’s possible.

Connect on linkedin
Diana Kleps

CULTURE AS THE CORE OF AGILITY FROM TEAMS TO ORGANIZATIONS
Agile thrives when culture and motivation move together. In this interactive breakout, you’ll learn how to turn culture into a strategic asset by connecting agile principles to daily practices and translating values into action. Through flow visualization, role clarity, and a hands-on board exercise (To Do / Doing / Done with WIP limits), you’ll explore how people, process, and impact align to drive faster, higher-quality outcomes—and embed agility into your team’s DNA.

Connect on linkedin
Chris Decosmo/Stephen Devay

TRANSPARENCY METRICS
Metrics tell stories—some honest, some misleading. Join this interactive breakout to explore how transparency metrics can bring your team’s story to life. Using a simple “Metrics Canvas,” we’ll identify measures that encourage reflection, reveal real progress, and build trust across teams and stakeholders. You’ll gain fresh ideas for shaping metrics that inspire improvement instead of enforcing compliance.
Jason Gibson

DOJOS TO UNLOCK MATURING YOUR ORGANIZATION