Akilah Smith
Senior Scrum Master | Agile Project Manager | Driving Enterprise Transformations, Velocity Gains & Defect Reduction
- Role
- Senior Agile Project Manager at Now Elevate Llc
- Location
- Charlotte, NC, US
- LinkedIn followers
- 500 followers
About Akilah Smith
I am a Senior Scrum Master and Agile Project Manager with 13+ years of experience leading enterprise Agile transformations across SaaS, telecom, utilities, and healthcare. Certified in PMI‑ACP, PMP, CSM, and SAFe 6, I specialize in driving measurable outcomes through Scrum, Kanban, and hybrid Agile/Waterfall delivery models.My career highlights include:• 35% velocity improvement and 25% defect reduction through backlog refinement, CI/CD enablement, and test‑first practices.• Facilitating PI Planning for 120+ engineers across global Agile Release Trains, aligning multimillion‑dollar portfolios to OKRs.• Leading PMO‑to‑Agile transformations that reduced sprint spillover by 18% and improved reporting accuracy by 35%.• Building Jira and Confluence dashboards adopted by 200+ stakeholders, cutting reporting prep time by 40%.I thrive on coaching teams to higher Agile maturity, enabling predictable delivery, and aligning technology outcomes with business strategy. My consultative approach combines servant leadership with data‑driven decision making, ensuring organizations achieve faster time‑to‑market, improved quality, and stronger stakeholder confidence.
Experience
Senior Agile Project Manager
Jul 2023 — Present
Led cross-functional teams delivering hybrid Agile/Waterfall projects for Fortune 500 clients across North America, Europe, and Asia, supporting sign-language telecommunication services for the deaf and hard of hearing. Managed full project lifecycle, blending Agile (Kanban) for iterative delivery with Waterfall for governance and compliance. Partnered with stakeholders to define scope, prioritize work, and allocate resources for accessibility-driven initiatives. Facilitated Agile ceremonies, managed risks and dependencies, and leveraged Jira, Confluence, and Smartsheet for tracking and reporting. Delivered executive KPI/OKR updates, mentored teams in Agile best practices, and championed digital accessibility to enhance inclusion and customer experience globally.
Education
Southern New Hampshire University
Master of Business Administration - MBA, Business Administration and Management, General
2017 — 2019
Catawba College
Bachelor's Degree, Business Administration and Management, General
2013 — 2014
Central Piedmont Community College
Associate's Degree, Accounting
2010 — 2012
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