Building Community Through Informal Gatherings

ABOUT ANDY KORTZ

Andy Kortz is currently the Chief Technology Officer at Integra Testing, where he leads technology transformation and drives operational efficiency in aggressive growth organizations. Andy also is a co-lead for the ELC Local Chapter initiative in Chicago. With over 20 years of experience in enterprise architecture and software development, Andy has consistently delivered innovative solutions while reducing IT expenses and improving application value. Drawing on his expertise in cloud technologies, data solutions, and integrations, Andy focuses on fostering a culture of continuous learning, building and empowering high-performing teams, and delivering customer-centric solutions in fast-paced environments.

ABOUT JAMES TYACK

James Tyack leads the Learner Success team at Coursera, creating engaging and personalized learning experiences for millions of learners worldwide. An avid user of Coursera and a lifelong learner himself, James is passionate about leveraging technology, including AI, to transform lives through education. Prior to Coursera, he led integration and growth teams at PagerDuty, driving innovation and adoption of incident response tools and best practices.

Beyond his professional work, James is the chapter lead for the South Bay Engineering Leadership Community (ELC) group, fostering collaboration among tech leaders. He is also a proud dad to a one-year-old, balancing his career and personal life with a deep commitment to growth and connection.

ABOUT JOHN ROSS

John Ross is the Director of Infrastructure and Cloud at KUBRA, expertly navigating IT infrastructure and cloud solutions. Based in Toronto, John's career showcases a diverse range of experiences from large corporations to dynamic startups. He has a knack for aligning technology with business objectives, building robust teams, and managing platform migrations to the cloud. With experience in leading industry names like Ingram Micro and Symantec, as well as in the telecommunications sector, John combines strategic insight with a personable approach. His passion for sailing mirrors his love for innovation and precision in professional pursuits.

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SHOW NOTES:

• Scaling communication practices in parallel with scaling your org with Andy Kortz (1:18)
• Tools for bridging communication gaps between groups & building trust (2:49)
• Use humor strategically to break tension / build trust (5:16)
• Andy’s introduction to ELC Chicago & the best parts of that community (8:57)
• Engineering challenges / conversations from ELC Chicago (10:24)
• What engineering leaders can learn from the best online courses - making a “Day One” commitment with James Tyack (12:28)
• Frameworks for putting the “Day One” commitment into practice (14:49)
• What making a “Day One” commitment looks like @ Coursera (17:59)
• Why the commitment needs to be made explicit (19:25)
• Practical exercises to encourage innovation & foster creativity (21:06)
• Strategies for getting hands-on with your learning (23:10)
• James’s experience with ELC South Bay & connecting with leaders in a specific space (25:05)
• How to make the most out of attending your first ELC event (26:27)
• How to level up your teams through servant leadership with John Ross (27:52)
• Realizing you’re the bottleneck & tips for stepping back / increasing team trust (30:49)
• John’s experience with ELC Toronto & what ELC means to him (33:12)

LINKS AND RESOURCES

• Check out all of our local chapters & get involved here: elc.community/home/clubs

This episode wouldn’t have been possible without the help of our incredible production team:

Patrick Gallagher - Producer & Co-Host

Jerry Li - Co-Host

Noah Olberding - Associate Producer, Audio & Video Editor https://www.linkedin.com/in/noah-olberding/

Dan Overheim - Audio Engineer, Dan’s also an avid 3D printer - https://www.bnd3d.com/

Ellie Coggins Angus - Copywriter, Check out her other work at https://elliecoggins.com/about/