Agile Leadership Network Houston

What Agile Leadership Network Houston does

Agile Leadership Network Houston (ALNH) is a Houston-based nonprofit corporation founded in 2008 that promotes agile leadership principles and practices across teams, projects, organizations, and enterprises in the Houston area. It operates as a local chapter of Agile Leadership Network, a nonprofit public benefit corporation organized in Massachusetts, and is governed by a Board of Directors (President Samant Kumar, Treasurer Shailesh Dadhaniya, Secretary Lynn Ruthrauff, Technology Director Eric Marsh) with an Advisory Board and Advisor Emeritus. The organization has no proprietary technology or software product; its core offerings are programmatic: bi-monthly hybrid meetings (every first and third Thursday), a Mentor/Mentee program launched in 2021, an Agile Kid's Camp, a tiered Volunteer program (Volunteer, Contributor, Committee Member), and facilitated Agile training delivered through sponsor partnerships (Improving, Agile Earth, Agile Learning Academy, Evolve Agility) covering Scrum.org, ICAgile, SAFe, Kanban, PMI, and Azure DevOps certifications; members can claim 1 PDU per session under PMI's Informal Learning category.

ALNH transitioned to a 100% virtual operating model in 2020-2021 as part of a Digital Transformation through Agility initiative, refreshing its logo and website with sponsor Vaca Collective. Revenue is not publicly disclosed; the organization is funded through tiered corporate sponsorships (Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze) and individual donations, with no membership fee and free event attendance. The sponsor ecosystem is led by Platinum partners Improving (training provider) and Sysco (founding partner via Ron Whitebread), with founders Robbie Mac Iver and Alan Bustamante also co-founding the chapter in 2008. The gtm motion is community-led: members are reached through events, social media (LinkedIn, Twitter/X, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube), an Eventbrite registration page, a newsletter, and word-of-mouth, with engagement structured around Connect, Donate, and Act pathways to recruit and retain members at no cost.

Name

Agile Leadership Network Houston

Legal name

Agile Leadership Network of Houston

Website

https://alnhouston.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Agile Leadership Network Houston is a 2008-founded nonprofit community organization that promotes agile leadership practices through bi-monthly networking meetings, training, and mentorship for Houston-area agile practitioners, funded by corporate sponsors and donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Community Networking

NAICS

Professional and Management Development Training (61143), Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations (8139)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Team & Group Executive Coaching (Leadership Teams) (EDABANAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Coaching Leadership & Mentoring Skills (EDABAAAG), Scaled Agile & Enterprise Product Delivery (SAFe/LeSS/Nexus) (EDABAHAJ), Mentoring, Coaching, Alumni Networking & Peer Support Platforms (EDAFAMAN)

Keywords

• Agile community networking
• Agile leadership training
• Professional networking events
• Agile methodology workshops
• Nonprofit community building

Headquarters

HQ city

Houston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Sponsorships: ALNH receives financial support from corporate sponsors at various tiers (Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze) who support the nonprofit's mission to promote agile practices in the Houston area.
2. Donations: The organization accepts donations from individuals who want to support agile community growth without actively volunteering.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Agile Leadership Network Houston operates a free community network for agile practitioners in the Houston area, hosting bi-monthly hybrid meetings on the first and third Thursday of each month. The organization facilitates knowledge sharing, mentorship, and connections to agile training and certification pathways through its sponsor ecosystem, and runs supporting programs including Agile Kid's Camp for youth education and a tiered Volunteer Program.

Product overview

Agile Leadership Network Houston is a nonprofit organization (active since 2008) operating as a community network, not a traditional product company. The organization offers a portfolio of programs including bi-monthly hybrid ALNH Meetings for professional networking, Agile Kid's Camp for youth education, facilitated Agile Training Programs through sponsor partnerships (Improving, Agile Learning Academy, Agile Earth, Evolve Agility) offering certifications, a Volunteer Program with tiered engagement levels, and a Mentor/Mentee Program. These programmatic offerings serve the Houston agile community rather than constituting a software product.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ALNH Meetings Bi-monthly hybrid meetings bringing together Houston's agile leaders to share real-world experiences and provide networking opportunities for like-minded professionals. Open to anyone interested in learning about agile practices.
• Agile Kid's Camp In-person event hosted in coordination with sponsor Improving, providing accelerated courses to teach young students about Agile practices and principles, with parallel Learning Laps sessions for parents and teachers.
• Agile Training Programs Facilitated through sponsor organizations including Improving (Scrum.org, APG, PAL-E), Agile Learning Academy (ICAgile, SAFe 5.0, PMI), Agile Earth (Kanban, SAFe, Azure DevOps), and Evolve Agility (CAL, CSM, CSPO) offering various certifications and workshops to community members.
• Volunteer Program Professional development opportunity exposing volunteers to Agile frameworks through hands-on experience, with tiered commitment levels: Volunteer (2 hours/month max), Contributor (2-4 hours/month), and Committee Member (5-6 hours/month) with participation in Agile teams.
• Mentor/Mentee Program Career development program connecting experienced agile professionals with mentees to help them reach their career goals in the agile space.

Quantifiable outcome

• Members can claim 1 PDU per session attended under 'Informal Learning' category

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered bronze, platinum, gold, silver and minor.

• Culture n StrategybronzeStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2021Culture n Strategy (led by Sarah) guided the organization with strategic insights including the Queens Gambit Ice Breaker initiative for community engagement. Lynn Ruthrauth provides guidance on leadership development innovation.
• Vaca Collective (VACA Design Co)bronzeStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2020Vaca Collective provided branding expertise to refresh ALNH's logo and website, contributing to the organization's 2021 digital transformation.
• ImprovingplatinumStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 September 2020Improving is a Platinum sponsor of ALNH, facilitating Agile foundation training through classes, practical experiences, workshops, and certifications including Scrum.org, Applying Professional Kanban (APK), and Professional Agile Leadership Essentials (PAL-E).
• SyscoplatinumStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 September 2020Sysco is a Platinum sponsor and founding partner of ALNH. Founder Ron Whitebread is associated with Sysco and helped establish the organization in 2008.
• Agile EarthgoldStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 September 2020Agile Earth is a Gold sponsor providing Lean and Agile training and certification including Kanban Systems Design, Kanban Management, SAFe, and Microsoft Azure DevOps courses.
• Evolve AgilitysilverStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 September 2020Evolve Agility is a Silver sponsor offering Agile and Scrum training through best practices for remote collaboration, including Certified Agile Leadership (CAL), Certified ScrumMaster, and Certified Scrum Product Owner certifications.
• Whitaker ITsilverStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 September 2020Whitaker IT is a Silver sponsor contributing to the ALNH sponsor ecosystem.
• Agile Learning AcademysilverStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 September 2020Agile Learning Academy is a Silver sponsor offering classes for ICAgile, SAFe 5.0, and PMI certifications.
• Project Management Institute (PMI) Houston ChapterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHouston chapter of PMI provided initial meeting venue for ALNH and supports the agile community in Houston. ALNH is not a registered PMI provider but members can claim 1 PDU per session under Informal Learning.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• Mountain Goat Software: Agile and Scrum training/coaching firm offering courses, certifications, and resources for product owners and Scrum masters. Comparable as a specialist agile training provider serving a similar practitioner audience to ALNH members.
• ICAgile: Consortium offering agile certifications and learning tracks (ICAgile, ICP) through accredited training providers. Comparable because Agile Learning Academy (an ALNH sponsor) delivers ICAgile certifications — making ICAgile part of ALNH's training ecosystem.
• Scrum.org: Professional training and certification body founded by Ken Schwaber offering Scrum Master, Product Owner, and Professional Scrum Developer credentials. Directly comparable via Platinum sponsor Improving's Scrum.org training pathways referenced in ALNH's program.
• Lean Kanban Inc. Nonprofit organization promoting Lean Kanban practices through events, conferences, and community programs. Comparable as a mission-driven nonprofit community advancing agile-adjacent methodologies (Kanban is a key topic among ALNH sponsors).

Broad incumbents

• BetterWorks: Enterprise agile and OKR/goals platform supporting agile transformation programs for large organizations. Comparable at the broader incumbent level as a player operating in the agile transformation space that ALNH sponsors and members engage with.
• Scaled Agile (SAFe): Provider of the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) and a broader portfolio of enterprise agile transformation services. Comparable because multiple ALNH sponsors (Agile Learning Academy, Agile Earth) deliver SAFe certifications and ALNH's programming is centered on agile transformation at scale.
• Atlassian Agile Community: Large software vendor offering free agile resources, playbooks, certification paths, and an active practitioner community. Comparable as a broader agile community offering free content, training pathways, and events competing for ALNH's audience.

Direct peers

• Agile Alliance: Nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting the agile community through conferences (e.g., Agile20XX), working groups, and resources. Directly comparable as a nonprofit advancing agile principles with a community/networking mission similar to ALNH's.
• Scrum Alliance: International nonprofit professional membership organization supporting the Scrum community through chapters, certifications, and events. Closely comparable to ALNH as a nonprofit member-driven community promoting agile practice, with chapter-based local structures analogous to ALNH's Houston chapter model.
• PMI Houston Chapter: Local Houston chapter of the Project Management Institute offering professional networking, PDUs, and educational events. Already a partner of ALNH; directly comparable as a Houston-based professional development community serving project/program managers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/HoustonALN
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCElcqox3FSOSKFZXawVmvbw
• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/agile-leadership-network-houston
• Instagraminstagram.com/alnhouston_

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Agile Leadership Network Houston