October 2025 Breakfast Meeting - How to use the PMI PMO Practice Guide

Christina Samore Webinar Library
 
Presentation Title: 

How to use the PMI PMO Practice Guide 

Presentation Summary: 

Join us for an engaging panel discussion on how to apply the PMI PMO Practice Guide in real-world environments. This session will explore practical ways PMO leaders and practitioners can leverage the guide to improve delivery, governance, and organizational alignment. PMO Joe will be moderating and Panelists Kim Essendrup and Pitch Balasubramanian will share their experiences, insights, and lessons learned to drive PMO maturity and business value. Attendees will gain actionable takeaways they can bring back to their organizations to enhance effectiveness and credibility. Whether you are new to PMOs or a seasoned leader, this discussion will provide valuable perspectives on turning guidance into practice.

Speaker: Joe Pusz 

Joe Pusz, PMO Joe, Founder and CEO of PMO Squad Staffing, is an internationally recognized leader in the Project Management and PMO community, Keynote Speaker, Author, Project Management Innovator and creator of the Purpose-Driven PMO and Organizational Project Delivery Journey. Joe speaks globally on Project Delivery, Leadership, PMOs, Purpose-Driven Mindset, and other trending Project Delivery topics.  He is Co-Founder of International PMO Day, the Veteran Project Manager Mentoring Alliance, The PMO Leader Global Community and host of Project Management Office Hours.

Pitch_Balasubramanian.jpg

Speaker: Dr. Pitchiah Balasubramanian  

Dr. Pitchiah “Dr. Pitch” Balasubramanian is a seasoned business technology leader with more than 30 years of progressive program and project leadership experience across multiple industries. He currently serves as an Assistant Teaching Professor at Arizona State University and as Treasurer/CFO (second term) of the PMI Phoenix Chapter. A proud PMI member since 1999, he holds PMP, PgMP, PMO-CP, and ITIL certifications.
Dr. Pitch was a charter leader of the IT PMO at DaimlerChrysler Financial Services and has played a pivotal role in establishing, leading, and maturing enterprise and functional PMOs since 2000. His expertise spans program/project governance, organizational change, stakeholders' management, and aligning strategy with execution to drive meaningful organizational transformation.
Deeply committed to developing future leaders, he mentors and coaches high school students in STEM-based robotics competitions and frequently speaks at conferences worldwide, sharing insights on innovation, leadership, and project management excellence.
 
 

Speaker: Kim Essendrup, PMP CEO and Co-founder of RAIDLOG.com 

Kim is a PMP-certified project manager, TEDx speaker, author, and entrepreneur who knows how to turn project chaos into clarity. With over 20 years of experience managing projects, programs, and PMOs, he’s seen it all—and he’s not afraid to share the lessons learned along the way.

As the CEO and co-founder of RAIDLOG.com and author of The Ultimate Guide to RAID Logs,, Kim helps teams and organizations tackle risks, streamline decisions, and get critical initiatives back on track. He’s also the co-host of the popular Project Management Happy Hour podcast, where he mixes practical advice with real-world stories and a dose of humor to keep things fun.

When he’s not in the weeds of risk registers or project plans, Kim can be found on his bike training for epic climbs, reading the classics, or exploring new ways to make project management tools smarter and simpler. If you want to connect with someone who’s as passionate about PM as he is about helping others succeed, find him on LinkedIn.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/kim-essendrup/  

September 2025 Breakfast Meeting - Hybrid Agile Processes for Project Management

Christina Samore Webinar Library
 
Presentation Title:   Hybrid Agile Processes for Project Management

Presentation Summary: 

Over the past few years, many organizations that manufacture tangible products have attempted Agile project management approaches for new product development. Unfortunately, many of these processes fail to deliver the expected results in speed-to-market and flexibility. Additionally, many firms label their processes “agile” but slip backward to predictable systems that remain bureaucratic and intractable. The solution is a hybrid waterfall-agile process.  

In this session, we will identify various processes and systems for new product development (NPD). You will learn about two specific approaches to hybrid project management that can enhance the culture and outcomes of innovation in your organization. We will discuss case study examples of companies adopting different processes to add flexibility while minimizing risk. Comparing and contrasting a non-profit using WAGILE Product Development and a manufacturer using Lean NPD, you will learn how culture and risk tolerance impact the choice of an effective project management process. You will leave with new insights of customer, financial, technical, and people risk to adopt a hybrid waterfall-agile process for product development within your own firm.

Learning Objectives:

1. Understand risk in innovation from a perspective of requirements uncertainty and technical uncertainty.
2. Describe different hybrid waterfall-agile project management approaches to new product development.
3. Compare and contrast case studies from the design of NPD systems based on risk tolerance and culture in two different organizations.
4. Identify factors of customer, financial, technical, and people risk in your organization to adopt hybrid waterfall-agile approaches for product development.

Teresa Jurgens

Speaker: Teresa Jurgens

Speaker Bio:  

Teresa Jurgens is a writer, speaker, and executive coach helping leaders tap into creativity for successful innovation. She helps organizations improve time-to-market for new products by building collaborative teams and delivering enhancements across the innovation ecosystem. Teresa has worked with product teams around the world in a variety of industries, including food and beverage, home appliances, medical devices, publishing, petrochemicals, non-profits, and more. She is the author of The Innovation Book series, including The Innovation Process Book available at Amazon. Teresa lives in Tucson and enjoys hiking among the majestic saguaro cactus.

August 2025 Breakfast Meeting - Imposter Syndrome - Diagnosis and Treatment

Christina Samore Webinar Library
 
 

Presentation Title:  Imposter Syndrome - Diagnosis & Treatment

Presentation Summary:

Join Kate Anderson, Co-Founder of the PM Happy Hour Podcast, for an engaging session on Imposter Syndrome – Diagnosis & Treatment. Learn how to recognize the signs of impostor syndrome in project work, apply the 3R Strategy (Recognize, Reframe, Reinforce), and develop a toolkit to build confidence and own your expertise. With her unique blend of empathy, strategic insight, and storytelling, Kate empowers project professionals to overcome self-doubt and lead with confidence.

Learning Objectives:

At the conclusion of this session, attendees will be able to:

  • Recognize the signs of Imposter Syndrome in real-world project work.
  • Apply the 3R Strategy (Recognize, Reframe, Reinforce) to shift out of self-doubt.
  • Build a personal toolkit to reinforce confidence and own your expertise

Kate Anderson

Speaker: Kate Anderson, PM Happy Hour Podcast Co-Founder

Speaker Bio:  

    • Kate is a dynamic entrepreneur, consultant, community builder, and project management thought leader. By blending empathy with strategic acumen, they help organizations and individuals overcome challenges, build trust, and achieve long-term success.   
    • As the founder of PM Happy Hour, a thriving community and podcast for project managers, they help those who often feel alone or out of their depth to connect, develop soft skills, and build the confidence to succeed at the highest level. Through innovative coaching methods grounded in empathy and empowerment, they teach others how to manage uncertainty, lead with confidence, and deliver exceptional project outcomes.
    • A passionate storyteller and D&D enthusiast, they bring worlds to life by weaving rich narratives filled with complex characters and moral dilemmas. Whether coaching entrepreneurs, facilitating project management workshops, or guiding adventurers through perilous campaigns, they are dedicated to fostering growth, collaboration, and meaningful change.

Mentorship Kickoff of Cohort 5 - May 08th 2025

Mrs. Nisha Kadakia Webinar Library


Presentation Title: Mentorship Kickoff of Cohort 5 - May 08th 2025

Recording link: Mentorship Kickoff of Cohort 5 - May8th 2025

Presentation Summary:

Speaker:

Speaker Bio:

 

 

 

 

July 2025 Breakfast Meeting - Understanding the Perception and Value of Time

Christina Samore Webinar Library
 
 

Presentation Title: 

Understanding the Perception and Value of Time

Presentation Summary: 

Discussing how different cultures view time and what we may gain by changing our perspectives. 

The learning objectives will be focused on two areas. First, a look at on how many Americans view time. Second, gaining an awareness of how other cultures perceive time. The benefits of this discussion is to help our members gain more of an appreciation for different work style approaches which are helpful in the multi culture environments many of us work in.

Speaker: Rachel Gersten

Rachel Gersten Headshot

Speaker Bio:  

Rachel Gersten is a state employee who enjoys working with numbers as a Business and Finance Manager. She considers herself a life long learner whose views on education were formed early from her family of teachers. Rachel has a Masters in Business Administration. Two years ago she happily added the initials PMP to her email signature. After earning her certification she has been an active volunteer with the PMI Phoenix Chapter.

 
 

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