2020 has been a challenging year – despite the obstacles brought on by COVID-19, Rivers Agile continues to see impressive growth. We’ve retained our entire staff, restarted the hiring process, and are steadily gaining new clients. Keep reading to learn how we are keeping the momentum going into Q4 and beyond.
Reviving Hiring
An unfortunate impact of COVID-19 has been widespread layoffs across all industries, but we are fortunate that downsizing has not become an issue. Rivers Agile has gained more engineers and hired new employees each year in order to scale – aligning with our strategy for success. The global pandemic has not changed that theme for 2020, so the hiring process starts anew. While recruitment and interviewing are virtual due to COVID-19 conditions, we are having a direct and welcome impact on the Pittsburgh tech ecosystem. The workforce grew by more than 3% – which might be minimal growth, but given the current climate, ANY growth is an achievement. With our clear plan for constant and steady progress, we have been able to promote internal staff to director positions, expanding our leadership team to five members with Dewey Vozel as Director of Software Engineering and Kelley Reed as Director of Marketing.
About Dewey Vozel
Dewey Vozel joined Rivers Agile in July of 2018 as a Software Engineer, but he quickly earned the title of Team Lead and implemented a process of the professional growth of his team. Before joining Rivers Agile, Dewey was a Senior Technical Consultant and Delivery Team Lead with CGI (formerly Summa) with more than 20 years of experience in various technology stacks and methodologies, and leading development teams with successful, on-time project delivery. Rivers Agile is fortunate to have an engineering mind of his caliber. Dewey’s critical thinking and commitment to quality are welcome additions to the leadership team’s competencies. Dewey earned his Masters of Science, Information Systems from the University of Phoenix in September of 2008.
About Kelley Reed
Kelley Reed joined Rivers Agile in February of 2018 as the organization’s Marketing Strategist. At that time, the firm had not yet found its voice within the marketplace. With fresh perspectives and talent, Kelley developed and executed a concise and comprehensive marketing strategy to gain greater exposure and establish Rivers Agile as a leader within the tech space. Her plan contributed to the implementation of the Workshop program and the expansion of Rivers Agile’s portfolio (by 500%). Promoting Kelley to the leadership team, as the Director of Marketing, is both a recognition of her daily impact and leadership, but also her resolve to position Rivers Agile for optimal growth and expansion into other markets. Kelley earned her Executive Masters of Business Administration (EMBA) from the Quantic School of Business and Technology in October of 2019.
Growing our Portfolio
We might not be meeting in-person, but demand hasn’t slowed, nor has our delivery. An expanded portfolio and consistently greater yields have led us to seek a more appropriate headquarters to meet the current needs of our team and clients. Lockdown guidelines have slowed the opening of our expansion office, but we have pivoted to accommodate the rapid growth of Rivers Agile. Pittsburgh is home to a diverse high-technology talent pool, and we are proud to contribute to the local market and economy. Our new North Shore office enables Rivers Agile to create a permanent home for our Workshop program, increasing its presence and allowing for continued maturation of our consulting firm.
Celebrating New Clients
Our growth is possible, in large part, because of our expanding client list. Even throughout the pandemic, we have continued to gain new clients every month. And we strive to meet the needs of our clients in any and all situations. Whether clients are facing challenges due to COVID-19 or they are met with new opportunities, we partner with them to creatively solve problems and craft innovative technology solutions.
The first company to participate in the Rivers Agile Workshop (RAW) proved to be a timely investment. The Workshop program focuses on startups in Machine Learning, Financial Technology, and Artificial Intelligence. FiCrowd, a crowdfunding solution for banks and credit unions, joined the Workshop as businesses were struggling to navigate the government stimulus process. Rivers Agile is committed to partnering with startups and fostering innovation like financial technology (FinTech), despite COVID-19 challenges.
Surprising, but Welcome Changes
We are maintaining our momentum into Q4 with active commitment to our clients and partnering with more organizations in the future. Despite some delays, our office, team, and projects are still moving forward. We are proud to bring more opportunity to the Pittsburgh area through job creation, startup guidance, and technology innovation. Through the Workshop initiative, Rivers Agile continues to provide the support and guidance startups need to develop a commercially-viable business. While 2020 has not been an easy year, we’re finding that many organizations are using this new business climate to evaluate Rivers Agile as a replacement to long-standing vendors. With the changes brought on by 2020, organizations are searching for real partners and Rivers Agile is here to help. Contact us today to share your story and learn more about what Rivers Agile has to offer.