#38: Using Agile for Social and Societal Transformation with Kubair Shirazee

Kubair Shirazee, Founder of Peace through Prosperity, joins Brian to share his experiences using Agile tools for social and societal transformation, helping to empower marginalized communities and break the cycle of poverty.

Overview

In this episode of the Agile Mentors podcast, we explore how Agile can be applied outside of software development as a powerful tool for driving societal transformation with Kubair Shirazee, the Founder of the Peace through Prosperity project.

Kubair takes us on his journey of using Agile methodologies to empower marginalized communities by supporting business owners in creating long-term solutions that are helping to break the cycle of poverty.

Listen in as he shares some of the challenges he has faced in implementing these methodologies and offers listeners detailed information on how to get involved in the Peace through Prosperity Scrum Masters Experience Academy and insight into ways you can make an impact in your community.

Listen Now to discover:

[01:07] - Brian introduces to UK-based Kubair Shirazee, Agility Coach through Agilitea and Founder of the Peace through Prosperity project that uses Agile to foster social and societal transformation.
[02:33] - Kubair discusses how Agile, which emphasizes people and relationships, can be applied to social and societal transformation.
[04:43] - Kubair explains how marginalized solopreneurs in conflict zones and developing countries can use Agile principles to maximize their potential.
[07:18] - The targeted way entrepreneurs with mobile businesses in marginalized communities use Agile to leverage what they've learned in the past to help them capitalize on future opportunities.
[08:42] - How Agile coaching and support helped a barber named Anwar to go from having a beat-up chair on the street to owning a salon.
[11:14] - Not just increased revenue—touching the lives of over 2400 marginalized micro-entrepreneurs in 12 short years.
[12:57] - Back to Anwar's story, how focusing on the pillars of empiricism and developing a product goal helped him shift his mindset and grow his business.
[16:27:] - We don't just hijack people's lives; it's all about creating relationships and collaborating with people to co-create solutions that work for them.
[20:21] - How finding out you have the power to write your own story is the first crucial step towards realizing your full potential and overcoming the challenges of marginalization.
[21:55] - Brian explains how Agile helps people manage challenging goals in any and every environment.
[22:55] -How Peace through Prosperity helps provide long-term, sustainable, and impactful solutions to help create an environment of financial stability.
[27:34] - Peace through Prosperity aims to empower marginalized communities to create a better future without resorting to extremism or outside help.
[28:42] - The exciting opportunity to get involved with Peace through Prosperity through the Scrum Masters Experience Academy and work with teams in Pakistan, Yemen, and Egypt to gain valuable Scrum experience in just six months.
[30:10] - Kubair shares how to become involved with the mission to meet the needs of marginalized communities in your own location (using Peace Through Prosperity's open-source programs).
[34:41] - How individuals like Dominique de Cooman, CEO of Dropsolid, are helping fund Peace Through Prosperity and how you can, too.
[36:39] - "Scrum is industry agnostic. Scrum is something if we if we all just embrace it, its principles, and its values. It can enrich not just our individual lives, but it can enrich us as an entire community on our pale blue dot."—Kubair Shirazee

References and resources mentioned in the show:

Peace through Prosperity
Agilitea
#32: Scrum in High School Sports with Cort Sharp
#23 How Agile Works in Education with John Miller
#21: Agile Marketing Teams with Stacey Ackerman
Mountain Goat Software Certified Scrum and Agile Training Schedule
Scrum Alliance
Join the Agile Mentors Community
Subscribe to the Agile Mentors Podcast on Apple Podcasts

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This episode’s presenters are:

Brian Milner is SVP of coaching and training at Mountain Goat Software. He’s passionate about making a difference in people’s day-to-day work, influenced by his own experience of transitioning to Scrum and seeing improvements in work/life balance, honesty, respect, and the quality of work.

Kubair Shirazee is a highly experienced Enterprise Agility Coach with over 20 years of experience helping people, teams, and businesses transform using his coaching skills. He has worked with a range of prominent brands in the pharmaceutical and non-profit sectors, including Novartis and Bayer, helping them to improve their product, service development, and operations. In addition to his coaching work, he is also the founder of the Peace through Prosperity project, which leverages Agile methodologies to promote social and societal transformation.