The Scrum Academy

What The Scrum Academy does

The Scrum Academy, operating under the legal entity Look Forward Consulting, Inc., is a privately-held Scrum and Agile training and consulting firm headquartered in Casper, Wyoming. Founded in 2009 and led by President Carlton Nettleton — a Certified Scrum Trainer (CST) since 2012 with 25+ years of Agile experience and direct involvement in designing the Scrum Alliance's advanced certification programs — the company delivers a structured curriculum of Scrum Alliance-certified courses ranging from foundational CSM and CSPO certifications through advanced A-CSM, A-CSPO and CSP-level workshops. Courses are delivered in English and Spanish through public virtual events and customized private engagements, complemented by a published book (Fourteen Observations of Good Scrum Practice).

Beyond certifications, the company offers a portfolio of professional services: Scrum Team Tune-up workshops targeting specific ceremonies (Sprint Planning, Retrospectives, PBR, Definition of Done, User Stories) priced at a $4,000 minimum; 3-4 month coaching engagements for up to three development teams; strategic planning workshops (Reclaiming Your Roadmap, Unlocking Peak Performance); and a Dedicated Fractional CPO service embedding 80-100 hours per month of product leadership into a single startup client. Distribution is hybrid: self-serve virtual event registration for public courses, direct enterprise sales for private training, and content marketing through blog, book, webinars, and conference speaking.

The business is bootstrapped with no external funding, operates with a lean team (President, Operations Director, and a mascot VP), and has trained 5,000+ students cumulatively with alumni on every continent except Antarctica. Reported client logos span enterprise technology and financial services (VMware, Splunk, Wells Fargo, Workday, Natixis, Feedzai, OLX, Webex), though no client concentration or revenue figures are disclosed.

Name

The Scrum Academy

Legal name

Look Forward Consulting, Inc.

Website

https://thescrumacademy.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Scrum Academy is a privately-held Agile training firm led by Certified Scrum Trainer Carlton Nettleton, delivering Scrum Alliance certification courses (CSM, CSPO, A-CSM, A-CSPO), Scrum Team Tune-up workshops, coaching engagements, and a Fractional CPO service to individual practitioners, enterprise teams, and startups globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Training and Consulting

NAICS

Professional and Management Development Training (61143), Business Schools and Computer and Management Training (6114), Professional and Management Development Training (611430)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Learning, Training & Corporate Education Consulting (BPAHAGAE)

Keywords

• Scrum certification training
• Agile consulting services
• Scrum team coaching
• Product owner training
• Organizational agile transformation

Headquarters

HQ city

Casper

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Public Certification Courses: Two-day immersive workshops for Scrum certifications (CSM, CSPO, A-CSM, A-CSPO). Offered in English and Spanish. Pricing ranges from €645 to €845 for European courses. Includes exam fees, certification, and two-year Scrum Alliance membership.
2. Private Team Training: Customized training programs for organizations with one or more teams. Minimum starting price of $4,000. Tailored to specific organizational needs and challenges.
3. Scrum Team Tune-ups: Targeted workshops addressing specific Scrum challenges (Sprint Planning, Retrospectives, PBR, Definition of Done, User Stories). Starts at $4,000 minimum, with pricing varying based on specific needs.
4. Dedicated Fractional CPO: High-touch fractional Chief Product Officer service for startups. 80-100 hours per month engagement. One startup at a time with dedicated service. Helps establish product processes and validate ideas.
5. Coaching Engagements: Three to four month coaching engagements where consultants coach and mentor up to three development teams. Part of the Plant-Grow-Nurture service continuum.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Scrum Academy provides Scrum and Agile education, certification, and consulting services. It delivers Scrum Alliance-certified training (CSM, CSPO, advanced and professional-level certifications), private team training, targeted Scrum Team Tune-up workshops for specific ceremonies and artifacts, longer-term coaching and optimizing engagements, and a Dedicated Fractional Chief Product Officer advisory service for startups. Offerings are delivered through live virtual public courses and customized private engagements.

Product overview

The Scrum Academy is a training and consulting organization that provides a comprehensive portfolio of Scrum and Agile education services. The core offerings consist of Scrum Alliance-certified training courses (Certified Scrum Master, Certified Scrum Product Owner, and Certified Scrum Developer) structured in a foundational-to-professional progression path. These are complemented by advanced certifications (A-CSM, A-CSPO, CSP-SM, CSP-PO) for experienced practitioners. Beyond certifications, the company offers practical team intervention services including Scrum Team Tune-ups (targeted workshops for Sprint Planning, Retrospectives, Product Backlog Refinement, Definition of Done, and User Stories) and longer-term consulting engagements (Coaching and Optimizing services). Additional offerings include a Dedicated Fractional CPO advisory service, strategic planning workshops (Reclaiming Your Roadmap, Unlocking Peak Performance), and a published book. The portfolio is delivered through public virtual courses, private customized training for enterprises, and ongoing mentorship support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Certified Scrum Master (CSM) A two-day certification course that equips participants with skills, knowledge, and tools to lead a Scrum Team effectively, covering Scrum fundamentals, removing impediments, and accelerating collaboration. Intended for professionals pursuing foundational Scrum Master certification.
• Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO) A two-day certification course that equips participants with skills, knowledge, and frameworks to navigate the complexities of being a Product Owner, covering product discovery, backlog management, and stakeholder engagement.
• Advanced Certified Scrum Master (A-CSM) An advanced two-day workshop delivered over four consecutive half-days that deepens skills in coaching, facilitation, team dynamics, scaling Scrum, and removing impediments. Prerequisites: CSM certification and one year of Scrum Master experience.
• Advanced Certified Scrum Product Owner (A-CSPO) An advanced two-day workshop that deepens skills in prioritizing the Product Backlog, developing user stories, roadmapping, facilitation, and frameworks. Prerequisites: CSPO certification and one year of Product Owner experience.
• Certified Scrum Professional - Scrum Master (CSP-SM) A two-day professional-level workshop for creating and sustaining change at the organizational level, strengthening skills in coaching, facilitation, scaling, Lean Thinking, and Kanban. Prerequisites: A-CSM certification and two years of Scrum Master experience.
• Certified Scrum Professional - Product Owner (CSP-PO) A two-day professional-level workshop focusing on product management skills including value proposition design, product launch, business models, and product economics. Prerequisites: A-CSPO certification and two years of Product Owner experience.
• Certified Scrum Developer (CSD) A hands-on course where Developers learn core Scrum and Agile concepts along with advanced technical best practices for writing, maintaining, and testing code in an Agile environment. Listed as Coming Soon.
• Private Team Training Customized training for organizations tailored to specific needs when public courses do not suit requirements or for training multiple teams together. Quote-based pricing with content tailored to organizational context.
• Scrum Team Tune-ups Online, tailored workshops facilitated by an expert Scrum practitioner covering specific team challenges including Sprint Planning, Retrospectives, Product Backlog Refinement, Definition of Done, User Stories, and Daily Scrums. Minimum starting price of $4,000.
• Coaching Services Three-to-four month coaching engagement where an experienced consultant coaches and mentors up to three development teams to energize interactions and deliver strategic objectives.
• Optimizing Services Advanced consulting services for organizations extending team-level growth, including improving time-to-market, promoting customer-centric roadmaps, and delivering innovative solutions.
• Dedicated Fractional CPO Hands-on fractional Chief Product Officer service for startups offering 80-100 hours per month of dedicated product leadership, strategic guidance, and product-market fit validation. One startup at a time.
• Reclaiming Your Roadmap Strategic planning training covering a four-step, low-tech collaborative process for executives, senior leaders, and product teams to build roadmaps aligned with business strategy.
• Unlocking Peak Performance Training on team development using the Tuckman Model, helping guide development teams from forming to high-performing status.
• Fourteen Observations of Good Scrum Practice A book by Carlton Nettleton serving as a companion guide to the Scrum Guide, offering field-tested advice on Scrum events, artifacts, people, and commitments. Available on Amazon and as an ebook.

Quantifiable outcome

• 98% of students pass the CSM exam on first attempt
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Scrum AlliancecoreOthers · 1 January 2005Long-standing relationship with the world's oldest and largest non-profit Scrum practitioner community. Carlton became a member in 2005 and a Certified Scrum Trainer in 2012. The Scrum Academy has been instrumental in updating CSM exam, modernizing learning objectives, and developing continuing education tracks for Scrum Masters and Product Owners.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Scrum.org: Founded by Ken Schwaber, co-creator of Scrum, Scrum.org provides Professional Scrum certifications and training that directly overlap The Scrum Academy's CSM/CSPO/A-CSM offerings. Both compete for the same pool of Scrum certification students and enterprise training buyers.
• Mountain Goat Software: Mike Cohn's Mountain Goat Software is a long-standing Scrum training and product ownership education firm with similar course formats, advanced certifications, and consulting services, directly competing for the same practitioner and enterprise training segments.
• ICAgile: ICAgile is a certification body that accredits Agile training providers and offers its own learning tracks in Agile coaching, product ownership, and team facilitation—competing directly with The Scrum Academy's Scrum Alliance-certified curriculum and enterprise training business.

Broad incumbents

• Scaled Agile (SAFe): SAFe is the dominant enterprise Agile scaling framework and operates a large global network of certifying trainers (SPCs). It competes for the same enterprise Agile training and transformation dollars as The Scrum Academy, though at a broader and more enterprise-scale-framework level.
• PMI (Project Management Institute): PMI offers Agile-related certifications (PMI-ACP) and a broad portfolio of project and product training that overlaps with The Scrum Academy's professional certification, training, and continuing education offerings, particularly for individual practitioners seeking credentials.
• Accenture Agile: Accenture's large-scale Agile transformation practice offers enterprise Agile training, coaching, and tooling deployment to global clients, competing for the same enterprise transformation and large-team coaching engagements that The Scrum Academy targets at a much smaller scale.

Others

• Scrum Alliance: Scrum Alliance is the certification body through which The Scrum Academy's courses grant credentials. While primarily a partner/credentialing authority, Scrum Alliance also curates its own trainer community and learning paths, making it adjacent rather than directly competitive.
• Atlassian: Atlassian's Jira and Agile tooling are the most widely deployed software supporting Scrum teams, and its Atlassian University offers Agile training that competes for enterprise L&D budgets spent on Scrum adoption—an adjacent ecosystem participant rather than direct training peer.

Emerging players

• AgileSparks: AgileSparks is an Israel-based Agile coaching and training firm offering Scrum certification, team coaching, and enterprise transformation services at a similar scale to The Scrum Academy, competing for the same international private-training and fractional coaching engagements.
• Scrum with Style (Heitor Roriz Filho): Independent Scrum trainers and small training boutiques operate in the same niche, delivering Scrum Alliance-certified courses virtually to practitioners worldwide and competing for the same individual and team-level training buyers as The Scrum Academy.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/thescrumacademy

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 The Scrum Academy