Kip Harkness

Kip Harkness Gathering a tribe of Civic Innovators to transform the City of San José. San Francisco Bay Area Connect More actions City of San José Florida State University Florida State University See contact info See contact info See connections (500+) 500+ connections Kip's purpose is to Awaken talented people to the spark of their full potential, and enable them to change themselves and the world, by creating; - spaces for people to gain insight and make wise decisions, - experiences that challenge people to achieve real success, and - practices which guide people to enduring happiness, His career journey has taken him from Timbuktu to Silicon Valley. Along the way Kip has advised farmers on the edge of the Sahara, created the national award winning Strong Neighborhoods Initiative, managed complex real-estate deals, and lead a network of top technology leaders. Kip is a(n) - Accomplished change agent transforming communities and organizations by creating opportunities for people to have autonomy over their work and lives in connection with a greater purpose. - Master facilitator with proven ability to connect diverse leaders in crafting wise agreements on complex, politically charged, issues. - Proven implementer with over $300 M+ portfolio of successful projects ranging from pocket parks to residential high-rise. - Inspiring leader and exceptional communicator with the ability to retain and attract talent needed to build capacity and sustain complex initiatives. He is married to the fantastic Anne Ehresman, Executive Director of Project Cornerstone, and together they are the parents of two emerging leaders; Anya (age 18) – motto “think, paint, touché”, and Finn (age 14) “What if I was the god of Mathematics?”. Show less Show less of Kip’s summary Highlights Reach out to Kip for... Probono consulting and volunteering, Joining a nonprofit. Message Kip Articles & activity 3,487 followers Are you living the 5 disciplines of a Multiplier? Kip’s profile photo Kip Harkness Published on LinkedIn When I was a young man living along the shore of Lake Chad I worked for an extraordinary leader with the entirely ordinary name of John Smith. Peace Corps had assigned me to be a business adviser to Arabic speaking tomato farmers. Knowing nothing about business, precious little Arabic, and even less about farming it was fortunate I found myself in the company of great teachers. The first teachers were the farmers themselves who knew the land and the work, and both the hardness and sweetness of life. The second teacher was John Smith, some 30 years my senior who lead the project from the capital city of N'Djamena. John was a seasoned Multiplier, a leader who understood his role was to bring out and expand the genius of others. “Multipliers invoke each person’s unique intelligence and create an atmosphere of genius—innovation, productive effort, and collective intelligence.” ― Liz Wiseman, According to Liz Wiseman author of Multipliers: How the Best Leaders Make Everyone Smarter there are five disciplines of a Multiplier, and John Smith had all five: Attract and Optimize Talent - Multipliers like John attract and grow talent regardless of reporting structure. In his case meticulously building a field team and then putting me (at 22!) in charge. He in turn expected the team to serve as a talent magnet bringing village leaders together in a co-op that saw the farmers themselves as a source of genius. Create Intensity that Requires Best Thinking - John established both a sense of urgency and expected openness to candid feedback. Our work he insisted must be worthy of publication and sharing or its impact would be too narrow. The action-research framework forced me to write with more intensity than I had ever done in college, and the results have stood the test of time. Extend Challenges - By putting opportunities in front of people rather than giving them directives John challenged the team to focus on solving problems that truly mattered to farmers. First we addressed problems that could be solved in a single growing season, like cheaper access to seeds, and from there moved on to the bigger challenges of how to increase the return to farmers for the fresh produce they produced. Debate Decisions - Leaders like John Smith are debate makers creating space for people who aren't the CEO to bring their ideas and evidence to bear on the challenge. John created and fostered debate at all levels, from the project team, to the farmers co-operative itself where he helped me structure meetings to ensures that for the first time the voices of women and minority groups were heard debating key decisions. Instill Ownership and Accountability - Finally John served as an investor who provided the resources for success and set high expectations that we strove to meet. I owned the work so deeply it wasn't until decades later that I realized how much John had done to set me up for success. The results of this Multiplier leadership were extraordinary. In the first few months of it's existence the co-op was supplying higher quality seeds to farmers at less than 1/3 the cost they were paying before. Within a year, a new co-op owned market in the capital had dramatically increased farmers profits on their fruit without raising consumer prices. Unconsciously, I adopted many aspects of John's Multiplier approach as my own. The accompanying photo taken on one of my last days as a Peace Corps Volunteer captures a Multiplier moment. The photo shows the co-op Treasurer Al Goni Issa teaching, of his own accord, simplified accounting skills to improve the business acumen of other farmers. Being a Multiplier means creating opportunities for others to be successful in ways you may never be recognized for or even know. John Smith did this for me, he showed me how to live the five disciplines of a Multiplier. By the time I realized how profoundly he had affected my life it was too late to tell him He passed away in 2003 in the mountains of his beloved Colorado. So the only way I know how to thank him is to pay it forward. This means taking time with the emerging leaders in my life to practice the five disciplines of a Multiplier. Who knows maybe one day, when I am gone, they too will look back and realize it is time to pay it forward. 24 Likes 2 Comments Like Comment Share See all articles No alt text provided for this image Hats off to City of San José OEM Director, Raymond Riordan and his team for developing an integrated Emergency Operations Plan #AFNintegration Kip shared this 16 Likes No alt text provided for this image Getting trained medical personnel to you FASTER through traffic when you call 911 matters... Learn how we are collaborating with Verizon and AWS to use data to improve our Emergency Vehicle Preemption IoT system. Kip shared this 3 Likes No alt text provided for this image Some perspective from San Jose’s journey from data to patterns to insights to action...at scale. Kip shared this 26 Likes See all activity Experience City of San José Deputy City Manager Company NameCity of San José Dates EmployedAug 2016 – Present Employment Duration2 yrs 5 mos LocationSan Jose, California Executive leader with responsibility for the City's enterprise priorities of; + Creating a smart and sustainable city : driving the adoption of 21st century infrastructure, and + Emergency Preparedness with relentless attention to preparing San Jose to respond to and recover from the next disaster Portfolio includes responsibility for supporting senior leaders guiding operations with over 1,700 employees, $480 Million annual operating budget and $2.5 Billion in capital ... See more American Leadership Forum Senior Fellow Company NameAmerican Leadership Forum Dates EmployedApr 2015 – Present Employment Duration3 yrs 9 mos LocationSan Francisco Bay Area Class of XXIX Kip Harkness Consulting Owner Company NameKip Harkness Consulting Dates Employed2011 – Present Employment Duration7 yrs Facilitated Redwood City City Council study sessions to guide the development and disposition of public property, and conducted a successful retreat to strengthen Council teamwork and prepare for the update of the Strategic Plan ... See more PayPal Director of Technology Engagement Company NamePayPal Dates EmployedJul 2013 – Aug 2016 Employment Duration3 yrs 2 mos LocationSan Jose, California Lead the global Technology Leadership Program creating the next generation of technology leaders for the new PayPal. - Recruited and managed a team of 20+ top talent technologists across 7 time zones from India, to Berlin, to San Jose.... See more This media is a video PayPal Small Business Challenge PayPal Small Business Challenge This media is a video eBay Small Business Challenge Non-profit edition Austin Tx eBay Small Business Challenge Non-profit edition Austin Tx City of San Jose Assistant to the City Manager Company NameCity of San Jose Dates EmployedJun 2011 – Jun 2013 Employment Duration2 yrs 1 mo LocationSan Jose, California Experienced urban leader responsible for a four member Council Committee overseeing parks, libraries, and neighborhood services. Created City budget simulation with Innovation Games that engaged hundreds of ... See more This media is a video Nextdoor City Program with Kip Harkness Nextdoor City Program with Kip Harkness This media is a video Budget Games San Jose 2013 Budget Games San Jose 2013 San Jose Redevelopment Agency Company NameSan Jose Redevelopment Agency Total Duration5 yrs 5 mos TitleDirector Dates EmployedApr 2010 – Aug 2011 Employment Duration1 yr 5 mos Created and let national award winning Strong Neighborhoods Initiaitve and developed strategic plan whcih engaged hundreds of staff and thousands of residents in 85+ neighborhoods in comprehensive neighborhood improvement. ... See more This media is a link Making Sense of the Games Politicians Play Making Sense of the Games Politicians Play TitleSenior Project Manager Dates EmployedApr 2006 – May 2010 Employment Duration4 yrs 2 mos Faciliated Mayor's 30 member taskforce on potential high speed rail station, major league ballpark, and private development that brought together concerned resident activists, business leaders, and transit organizations to craft a unanimous agreement on a framework to guide implementation of over $1B in future investment. City of San Jose Strong Neighborhoods Manager Company NameCity of San Jose Dates Employed1998 – 2006 Employment Duration8 yrs Planning Accreditation Board Planning Accreditation Board Chair Company NamePlanning Accreditation Board Dates Employed2001 – 2004 Employment Duration3 yrs The World Bank Education Consultant Company NameThe World Bank Dates Employed1996 – 1998 Employment Duration2 yrs Peace Corps Volunteer Company NamePeace Corps Dates EmployedJun 1991 – Sep 1993 Employment Duration2 yrs 4 mos Peace Corps Chad This media is a document Farmers' Cooperative Review and Strategic Business Plan Farmers' Cooperative Review and Strategic Business Plan Show fewer experiences Education Florida State University Florida State University Degree NameMasters Field Of StudyUrban Planning Dates attended or expected graduation 1996 – 1998 Activities and Societies: Phi Beta Kappa, Juggling Club, World Affairs Program Florida State University Florida State University Degree NameBachelors Field Of StudyAnthropology and International Affairs Dates attended or expected graduation 1987 – 1991 Activities and Societies: Phi Beta Kappa, Model United Nations Volunteer Experience Peace Corps Business Advisor Company NamePeace Corps Dates volunteeredJun 1991 – Sep 1993 Volunteer duration2 yrs 4 mos Cause Economic Empowerment Worked with 1,000 farmer members to develop a thriving agricultural cooperative that increased farmer profits and the supply of fresh fruits and vegetables in the capital city.