Ryan Hitchler

I'm a passionate entrepreneur and business leader on my second venture in the B2B space. Previously, I was VP of Engineering for Conga software company, growing the team from 12 to 130 with eight products spanning 6 US cities. I got my undergraduate degree from CU in ECE and master's from CU in Engineering Management. I love teaching and learning leadership, with an approach I learned from my mentor at CU, Professor Barbara Lawton, Leading from Within. Mixed with business acumen, I have found recipes for individuals to grow and become leaders amongst their peers, workplace, and community, and I can't wait to share those lessons!

My advice to students...

Leadership begins and ends with yourself. If you're not in a good place, that energy will be contagious and bring down a group. As they say on an airplane, you must help yourself before leading others. Once you understand yourself, your motivations, and your emotions, you can take the next major step: empathizing with others. Understanding others around you is critical to successful leadership. Finally, understanding that you are the reason for team failures and the team is the reason for success is vital - Confident Humility is the name of the game!