Reputation: Endorsements Are Earned, Not Inherited
Thirty years of building trust, one project at a time - what others say about you is the truest measure of your work
They say it’s not what you know, but who you know, and I’d add: it’s who trusts you enough to stand beside your name in rooms you aren’t in.
Q: Do people go on record to recommend you? Do they defend you in rooms you are not in?
How much is your reputation really worth?
I don’t come from money.
I don’t come from “good family,” indeed my own family considers me the “black sheep” and doesn’t want anything to do with me because I refuse to remain within a marginal container of their contrivance.
I don’t have fancy credentials, and I didn’t inherit connections.
What I do have is a reputation I worked hard to earn; through years of showing up, doing the work, and being accountable. Over time, that’s led to colleagues, clients, and partners offering their words on my behalf, and defending my name in rooms I’m not in.
Below, I’ve gathered a collection of endorsements - people I’ve worked with across tech, nonprofits, activism, and community. Their voices tell the story better than I could, and you can verify every one by looking at them on my LinkedIn profile.
Haters say “nobody pays attention to that stuff.”
That’s not true. Your reputation is all you are likely worth.
Ask a hater to deliver recommendations from their former colleagues so you can independently verify the value of their reputation.
There’s a good chance that they are hating on recommendations because they have none of their own, which speaks to how they may be the kind of person who “rips and runs” through a trust circle to benefit themselves, framing themselves as the victim each time they burn someone - a common thing in the start-up community.
That’s a fool’s method, because sooner or later, your reputation catches up with you.
With reputation, you have to play the long game - trust is worth more than money, and it cannot be bought. It can only be earned, and is lost in a moment.
Josh Cyphers
Role: Experienced and successful growth and transformation leader
Context: September 8, 2014, Josh worked with Kent but on different teams
Kent amazed me from the first time I met him as a visionary and an inspirational leader.
He can see several steps ahead and has the ability to bring people from all functional areas together to get there. He's passionate about what he does and cares about the people around him.
As I've told Kent on several occasions, it will be good to see him running entire companies some day.
Dale Tidd
Role: VP of Security Operations
Context: February 14, 2014, Dale was Kent’s client
I’ve had the privilege of working with Kent, and he’s one of the most principled and sharpest minds I know in security and product leadership. With decades of experience, he’s led massive-scale products, caught real-world bad actors, and stayed grounded through it all. His integrity, clear communication, and dedication (both in tech and community activism) set him apart. If you’ve seen negative claims about him, they’re likely from those he’s held accountable. Kent is the kind of person you trust without hesitation.
Ed Hurtley, CISSP
Role: Technical Manager
Context: September 9, 2014, Ed worked with Kent but on different teams
Kent is a man of unusual qualities. I've known him for over a decade and a half, through two different companies. He always gives it his all. I'm not a fan of the silly phrase "giving 110%" (so much so, that I just unconsciously typed only "100 %", and had to go back and fix it,) but damned if Kent doesn't give well over 110% every day.
He'll give you an insane ROI. Get four years out of Kent, and you'll get the production of twelve man-years.
While working at Tripwire, he went through a downsizing, and went down in position. However, in the position he took over, he took on the duties of three other people, in addition to about 75% of the responsibilities from his old position. The work of all three former positions IMPROVED on his watch.
I cannot recommend Kent highly enough.
Robert Tortorelli
Role: Chief Information Security Officer, City of New York, FISA-OPA
Context: July 25, 2019, Kent was Robert’s client
Kent was the primary liaison between my government agency and his company. He consistently provided excellent support, and made me confident his company was the right partner.
Sonja Prstec mag.iur.
Role: Senior Legal Counsel
Context: December 23, 2018, Sonja worked with Kent but on different teams
As a CLO in Bitnation, I worked alongside Kent for a year. Not only has he been a key player on our development team, but his skills and leadership qualities would make him an invaluable addition to any information technology content development team.
Bitnation as a small start-up didn’t yet have the opportunities for leadership for which Kent is qualified. Kent is poised to step into a role of CTO for a content program with the potential for global reach. Kent can plan, create, and market IT content and build a global presence for blockchain technology. He’s also an excellent writer with a facility for translating technical information into engaging content.
In addition to his professional qualifications, Kent has personal qualities that make him well-suited to leadership. He’s naturally fallen into the role of “point person” that many of us go to with questions. He’s not afraid to take risks and often suggests new directions to explore. Kent was instrumental in introducing our platform for a direction that has proven to be very fruitful. He’s committed to quality, growth, and progress, and he inspires his team members to strive for the same. In short, Kent is a person with vision.
Tracie Zenti
Role: Executive Leader in Global Partner Sales | Driving Cloud Growth via Marketplace Strategy & Co-Selling Excellence | AWS, Intel, IBM & Startup Alum
Context: October 4, 2016, Tracie worked with Kent but they were at different companies
Kent is one of the most talented Product Managers that I have ever worked with. He sees complex connections and the big picture/vision of a solution with ease and is able to communicate that easily to others. Additionally, Kent is excellent at managing partners as he is very personable and seeks to get a win for both sides. Genuine, honest, driven and hard working are adjectives that all come to mind when I think of working with Kent. Additionally, he is very technically capable across many technical disciplines and easily ramps into new technologies making him an easy hire for any high tech company.
Melinda Marks
Role: Practice Director, Cybersecurity, for Enterprise Strategy Group
Context: May 18, 2015, Melinda worked with Kent but on different teams
Kent is extremely hard working, dedicated and knowledgeable. He was very helpful to our market/competitive intelligence team because of his keen understanding of the industry and customer needs, and I could always rely on him to deliver useful information and insight.
Pete Sneathen
Role: IT Manager - Enhancing Technology Solutions
Context: May 5, 2015, Pete worked with Kent on the same team
Kent is nothing shy of a genius. Ok, I know this is coming out of the gate a bit strong, so let me elaborate. There are very few people you meet in life that have the 'right set of skills' that allow them to take a technical vision, get everyone on board and make it come to be. During my interface with Kent, I saw all of this take place.
Kent not only understands his customer base, but how they use, relate to and what draws them to a solution/product. Kent also knows how to take this information and translate it into a language that is understood by the leaders, sales force and technical teams of an organization. Kent can be tough on his employees, but he is always fair and always there to help...and I believe he does this to professionally push them to be better than they were. This is called 'MENTORSHIP'...a dying art in the field of Information Technology.
I would consider myself fortunate to be part of Kent's team and to be under his leadership.
If you are looking to include Kent as part of our leadership, you will not only be impressed, but you will also be inspired.
Elizabeth Gossell
Role: Director, Cybersecurity Operations
Context: April 14, 2015, Elizabeth worked with Kent but on different teams
Kent is awesome to work with. He has an infectious energy and passion for products and a lot of drive. He definitely is not afraid of innovation, and has a good understanding of the customer and user. It was a lot of fun having him on the product side of the house.
Tom Lynn
Role: Director at Tenable Network Security
Context: January 23, 2015, Tom was senior to Kent but didn't manage Kent directly
Kent is a dynamic, motivated, and dedicated person. His passion for what he does shines through in his enthusiasm. His ability to handle stressful and complex situations with grace and calmness are legendary. I enjoy working with him and always know that Kent will do not only a great job, but a thorough one as well.
Dwayne Melancon
Role: Chief Technology Officer @ LeadVenture™ | Software & SaaS Engineering, InfoSec, InfoTech, Embracing AI / ML, Board Member
Context: January 5, 2015, Dwayne managed Kent directly
Kent is a force of nature. He has tremendous passion for his work, and is a voracious consumer of data, which he uses to drive his ideas within the organization. Don't think he is only data-driven, though - he has a lot of intuition to derive what the data means, not just what it says on its face. Additionally, he rolls up his sleeves and talks directly with customers to find out the "real scoop" on issues and relevant topics, so he can further increase his perspective.
Kent is sometimes unorthodox in how he gets things done, and is definitely the "ask for forgiveness, not permission" guy most of the time. As a result, he is adept at building relationships within his own company which enables him to tap into resources and expertise beyond his reporting chain. Tenacity, creativity, energy, passion, and talent are the words that describe Kent.
Ken Westin
Role: Cyber Security Thought Leader
Context: October 30, 2014, Ken worked with Kent but on different teams
Kent is a very rare talent in the industry, his ability to ingest massive amounts of data and identify patterns and concepts is unparalleled. He also brings to his work an enthusiasm and energy that is contagious to the groups he works in. He has a tremendous passion for his work and it shows and he goes above and beyond regularly to ensure the success of his projects. I really enjoyed working with Kent and recommend him highly for his technical acumen and work ethic.
Adam Horwitz
Role: Sr. Solutions Engineer | Cybersecurity · Observability · Data Analytics
Context: October 6, 2014, Adam worked with Kent but on different teams
Kent Dahlgren is a unique individual that truly possesses special powers. I have never worked with anyone having more knowledge and energy. He is a staunch customer advocate and straight shooter. Kent understands the business side, technical side and customer side. He is a “triple threat” to any competitor. Whenever I’ve needed Kent’s help he has always been there to give it. Kent is an incredibly talented person that would be an asset to any company.
Andy McConnell
Role: VP, Information Technology at NAVEX
Context: October 2, 2014, Andy worked with Kent on the same team
I worked with Kent at Tripwire. Kent helped set priorities for the team I coordinated overseas policy and compliance matching for Tripwire's products. Working with Kent was like attending brainstorming sessions every time we talked. Upbeat, positive collaborator, focused on getting the job done.
David Kopf
Role: Sabbatical - Doctoral Candidate at University of Phoenix
Context: September 25, 2014, David worked with Kent but on different teams
Kent is an absurdly gifted product marketing genius! His eclectic approach to problem solving is extremely effective. He is superb in working with teams and adapting to individual styles. Applying these skills and product knowledge, he built a ground-breaking sales playbook with sales guys. I've never met a guy that tackled projects with such high impact. His intellect burns through problems while his style helps everyone around him enjoy the experience! What a fantastic hire for any high tech product or marketing team! I'd hire him in an instant!!!
Kent is a high energy, eclectic genius that will overcome any obstacle to create success! He pulls ideas from everywhere and drives results like none other. I worked with Kent to create a sales playbook and the results were a groundbreaking sales playbook that created trusted-advisor conversations for sales reps. Kent's passion for his work and zest for working with others make my professional relationship with him one of the highlights of my career!
Ted Schuh
Role: Staff Product Manager (PM) @ AuditBoard | MBA, Agile, B2B, Platform, Permissions, Authentication, Entitlements, Identity
Context: September 21, 2014, Ted worked with Kent but on different teams
I had the privilege of working with Kent in a variety of roles both on the Product Management and Engineering side at Tripwire. He is always a tremendous champion for the products he manages and the customers they serve. Kent is data-driven with a unique ability to sift through reams of data to spot patterns and opportunities that others can't find. He is tireless in advocating for what he believes is the right course of action. Ultimately, Kent forces you to raise your game to try to match his passion and enthusiasm.
Aliza Scott
Role: Enabling extraordinary employee experiences
Context: September 12, 2014, Aliza was senior to Kent but didn't manage Kent directly
Kent is an intelligent, driven, naturally curious, personable and hard working professional. Kent can always be counted on to commit his full passion and energy to the success of the business and deliver results. He's always proposing innovative solutions, and will stretch beyond his role to be a true team member in the Company. He's a model employee, a role model to emulate, and I can't say enough positive comments about Kent.
Chris Orr
Role: Global Director of Sales Engineering | Solutions Engineering
Context: September 11, 2014, Chris worked with Kent but on different teams
Kent is an absolute fireball who gets stuff done. I have known Kent and his high energy approach for a lot of years and it never gets old. In fact I had come to rely on it. At Tripwire, I had seen him in a number of different roles but when he took over product management for a product that I was afraid would die on the vine I was all: "Finally...something is going to get done with this thing and we can start making some money with it." I knew he would be the perfect candidate to turn it around and make it a success.
Elizabeth Fox
Role: Revenue Enablement Leader
Context: September 11, 2014, Elizabeth worked with Kent but on different teams
I met Kent a couple months after I joined Tripwire. He was introduced to me as someone who could help me with a project on which I was tasked, that of creating a Sales Playbook. Creating this playbook was not part of Kent's job responsibility; however, he jumped in with both feet on its development, leading a team of collaborators almost every morning at 7 for a couple of months.
We weren't just developing a simple playbook... we dissected everything we knew about our products, our sales challenges, our customers - delving into the real issues and coming up with a unique approach. Kent was passionate about the Playbook and it was one of the reasons he was given the Sales Impact Player award at our Sales Kick Off meeting that year (in my opinion, the most prestigious award that we have). This is just one small example of the energy and enthusiasm with which Kent approached pretty much everything at Tripwire.
If you have the opportunity to hire Kent, do it. He is brilliant, passionate, caring and a team player. He will do whatever it takes (and then some) to achieve his goals and drive forward the mission of the organization.
Chyna Trople
Role: Principal Security Engineer
Context: September 10, 2014, Chyna worked with Kent but on different teams
Kent is a visionary product manager with boundless energy. He is well versed at wooing strategic customers and equally equipped to talk shop with engineering teams, which makes him successful as a leader of mission critical projects. If you're looking to build something awesome and laugh a bit along the way, hire Kent, he'll lead you and your team to excellence.
Chris Schenk
Role: Software Engineer at Swyfft
Context: September 10, 2014, Chris worked with Kent on the same team
If all problems could be solved by sheer determination and will-power, Kent would have found a cure for cancer 10 years ago. Kidding aside, he brings a level of energy to all things he does that is immeasurable and extremely contagious for others around him. His ideas are fresh, forward thinking, and are well thought out. So In short, he is a rock star product manager. Kent would be a valuable asset for any company that he works for and it goes without saying that I would jump at the opportunity to work with him again.
Richard McClure
Role: Senior Engineering Manager at Lithia Motors
Context: September 10, 2014, Richard worked with Kent but on different teams
Kent is an amazing individual whose passion is unlimited. As our product owner, he took our product from going in the dustbin to a product back on the roadmap, and actually playing an important role in our product suite. It was his outreach to Sales, and Marketing, and bringing those messages back to us in Engineering that helped make this happen. He fought hard to make the product relevant.
I think his ability to translate what Sales, Marketing, and even the Customer were saying, and providing it in a meaningful way back to the Engineering team. He understands what we're talking about, knows what we need from the business, and then makes it meaningful so that it is sold at the Exec level.
Our team will miss him, as he's a one of a kind guy. It would be great to work with him again in the future, and I know he'll do amazing on any endeavor he tackles next.
Andy Steigleder
Role: Sales Engineer Director at CrowdStrike
Context: September 9, 2014, Andy worked with Kent but on different teams
To say Kent is energetic and motivated would be the understatement of the year. Kent was instrumental in managing some of our most significant products, and would often be relied on to wear many hats for sales, product management, and design. Kent is the type that can walk into a room, and get a customer who has little or no interest in investing into a product to be looking for the checkbook after an hour. His enthusiasm and attention to customer's long-term needs, kept everyone in pre- and post-sales wanting to get engaged with their customers.
Junko Matthews
Role: Senior Director, Sales Enablement @ Intel Corporation | Driving Sales Performance, Strategy Development
Context: September 8, 2014, Junko worked with Kent but on different teams
There's a truth Kent speaks, and clarity he provides that was invaluable to developing marketing programs. His inputs were always through the lens of the customer, and if he didn't have the data to provide thoughtful feedback -- he'd go get it...with enthusiasm. I have worked with few people who embraced product knowledge and strategy with such energy.
Stephanie Stouck
Role: B2B Product Marketing Leader
Context: September 8, 2014, Stephanie worked with Kent but on different teams
I have worked with many Product Managers in my career and few have had Kent's level of focus and skill. He always works to truly understand the problems we are trying to solve and has the ability to cut to the core and communicate with key stakeholders what can be done to make a product better. A big plus is that he is fun to work with. Kent would be a fantastic addition to any team.
Anthony M. Freed
Role: Research Director, Halcyon Ransomware Research Center
Context: September 7, 2014, Kent was senior to Anthony M. but didn't manage Anthony M. directly
Kent is a natural leader, and I don't simply mean a list maker or delegator, but a real leader who inspires those inside and outside of his team by his own example. Kent is high energy, high intensity, creative, optimistic and driven to succeed at the highest level, as is exemplified by his outstanding military service record. If you are looking for a true innovator to take your product or solution to the next level of excellence, Kent should be at the helm. Feel free to contact me for more details.
Aaron Beck
Role: Product Management Leader | ex-CrowdStrike | Distinguished career driving product strategy, innovation, and execution across Silicon Valley B2B SaaS organizations, focused on endpoint and network security.
Context: September 4, 2014, Aaron worked with Kent on the same team
If I had to pick two phrases to describe Kent, I would use "energetic" and "customer advocate."
No matter the product he was working on, he always brought boundless energy and excitement to the role. Using that energy, and constant string of funny (and accurate) metaphors, he was able to build trust quickly with customers. He constantly helped our customers understand the problems they were facing, and how our solutions could help them remediate those issues.
Dayne Cantu
Role: IT/OT Cyber Security Professional
Context: September 3, 2014, Dayne worked with Kent but on different teams
Kent brought a level of energy to his PM role that had been missing. He was able to turn his product, which was on the decline, around through new architecture, and market based competitive analysis. His presentation skills are exemplary, as can be witnessed by his many successful marketing campaigns and product launches. Kent is also technically proficient and down to earth. He is able to connect to and inspire broad audiences. His audience is always left high-spirited and well educated and this has contributed greatly to Tripwire’s success.
Cesar Acosta Ruiz
Role: Active Directory and Azure Lead Engineer at Wipro
Context: August 29, 2014, Cesar worked with Kent on the same team
Kent is so easy to recommend that I don't know how to start. Had the pleasure to work with him as part of a remote team (Nearshore) and he is enthusiastic, outgoing, natural leader and very experienced on IT, Management and IT Security stuff.
He is an experienced Manager those from a rare breed that actually know what they are doing technically. I truly widely recommend Kent since being a hard working, high standards and dedicated person, he will succeed in any endeavor he embarks.
Jeff Lawson
Role: Executive Product Leader
Context: August 28, 2014, Jeff worked with Kent on the same team
Kent is an extremely hard working, high-energy individual who constantly strives to build better products and processes. He is excellent with customers and relationship building, gaining their trust and friendship through his quick wit, extreme intelligence, and genuine personality. Kent has great vision and leadership skills which he utilizes to constantly deliver great consumer software.
Drew Davis
Role: Helping companies target Managed Service Providers
Context: August 28, 2014, Drew worked with Kent but on different teams
Having worked with Kent for a number of years, I appreciate his thoroughness in approaching a problem from all directions to find the best solution always balanced with the needs and direction of the business. He has surprised me many times with his ability to make technology and market connections that have eluded others. Adding those characteristics together with his energy and enthusiasm makes Kent a very strong contributor.
Michael Thelander
Role: Cybersecurity Product Marketing: 16 years telling successful, market-moving cybersecurity stories that drive buyer actions
Context: August 28, 2014, Michael was senior to Kent but didn't manage Kent directly
Kent is a high-energy, enthusiastic, problem-solving product manager with a keen grasp of security products and the users who depend on them. I have worked with him directly and on adjacent products, and I've admired his ability to balance customer needs and the needs of our business.
As a true product manager Kent has been able to work UP through the business to carry is recommendations to executive staff, as well as DOWN through the R&D ranks to help development teams understand the "why" behind complex and high-value features sets.
I recommend Kent to any organization seeking an indefatigable "change agent" for their business.
Jake Evans
Role: OSCE | OSCP, SaaS Cloud Security Senior Manager, Offensive Engineering
Context: August 28, 2014, Jake worked with Kent but on different teams
Kent Dahlgren is one of the most unique personalities I've ever worked with and I mean that in only the most positive of ways (to the extreme). No co-worker has displayed such smart, relentless, positive intensity on the job. Employers badly need people like Kent who are not afraid to be brutally honest about the state of company-related affairs. He was a pleasure to be around and I miss seeing him zoom around the office making sure things were moving in the right direction. I fully recommend Kent for any job he thinks he can be successful performing.
Andy Whaples
Role: IT/Engineering Leader
Context: August 28, 2014, Andy worked with Kent but on different teams
The passion and commitment Kent brings to everything he takes on is one-of-a-kind. I have never worked with someone that carried the same sustained high level of energy and intensity, and it's what makes Kent a great Product Manager and a guy you dearly want on your side of the battlefield.
Dave Leonard
Role: Channel Sales Manager
Context: August 27, 2014, Dave worked with Kent but on different teams
Kent's enthusiasm and passion for solving customer problems with his Product is second to none. His high energy, customer focused approach helped drive large revenue opportunities in multiple instances throughout the 5+ years I worked with Kent at Tripwire. He adds tremendous value across multiple stakeholders - customers, engineering, sales and the list goes on.
Ania Osińska-Bulloff
Role: Global Brand and Communications Manager @ Leaseweb | Marketing Communications
Context: August 27, 2014, Ania worked with Kent but on different teams
Kent is the kind of employee you would want to have on your team for his technical knowledge and enthusiasm. He is able to crisply articulate technical specs, while keeping a balance for a non-technical audience and executives, and he does it with a passion that is contagious and followed across the entire organization.
Kent was a standout Tripwire brand ambassador in our 'Bringing Out The Best In You' campaign. He was enlisted to "recruit" employees to take part in initiatives introducing organizational change in vision, strategy, execution and metrics, as well as our office remodel. He did it all with authentic excitement and dedication.
He truly loves his PM role with all of the challenges that come with connecting different parts of the business, and speaking different organizational dialects. He never shies away from establishing ambitious goals and I have never seen him lack the energy, knowledge and internal stamina to achieve them one by one.
Rony Lerner
Role: Vice President of Global Engineering at Ingram Micro Cloud
Context: August 27, 2014, Rony was senior to Kent but didn't manage Kent directly
I worked with Kent for more than five years at Tripwire. He is one of the most energetic, focused, committed employees you can ever meet. As a product manager, he had always out of the box solutions to problems, not being afraid from hard conversations or holding the field or the engineering team accountable for results.
Kent has a very strong technical foundation that allows him to understand the technical challenges and the world of R&D, but also has a good business mind to translate to customers and less technical audiences.
However above and beyond that what distinguish Kent from anyone else is his commitment to the team and the company. There was never a doubt in the engineers mind that Kent is working for the good of the product and is the main advocate of the product in front of customers and the sales team.
Dan Schoenbaum
Role: CMO/CEO/Marketing & Business Development Thought Leader
Context: August 26, 2014, Dan managed Kent directly
Kent was a great product manager: full of creative energy, eager to take on new challenges and extremely thorough. He added tremendously to our team and would be a great asset for any organization.
Jeff Jobe
Role: Technical Account Manager at Marketo
Context: August 26, 2014, Jeff worked with Kent on the same team
Kent is simply amazing. He is full of strategic ideas and a boundless energy to implement them. He inspires people to follow him. I know he also does great work in the community and has a fantastic sense of humor. It was a pleasure having worked with him.
Lourra Imamura
Role: Territory Sales Manager | Commercial/SLED | HPE Aruba Networking
Context: August 26, 2014, Lourra worked with Kent but on different teams
If I had to pick one word to describe Kent it would be dynamic. He is a team player who is energetic and passionate about his work and is committed to the overall success of his teammates. Kent has a vast knowledge of IT security and is always ready to help his colleagues. Whether Kent was helping our sales team to better understand our offerings or helping to come up with a solution to best meet a customer’s requirements, he was always professional, prompt and did his best to ensure that the outcome benefited all parties.
Mike Shanahan
Role: Territory Manager at Tenable Network Security
Context: August 26, 2014, Mike worked with Kent but on different teams
It is often difficult for overseas staff such as myself to get time and support from product managers, but at Tripwire this was rarely the case.
Kent in particular consistently made a huge effort to help me with my customers whether it was with presentations on product direction, product enhancement requests, technical escalation, engaging development resources when needed, directly in customer meetings in EMEA, or simply with new ideas on how to best present and sell the products he was responsible for. He was available almost 24/7 if needed and always demonstrated a lot of enthusiasm and commitment for his products. It would be a pleasure to work with him in future.
I could not have asked for anything more from a product manager.
Nathan Strong
Role: Senior Engineer and Software Architect
Context: August 26, 2014, Kent was senior to Nathan but didn't manage Nathan directly
Kent describes himself as being a 100mph guy, and it's an accurate assessment. He has a seemingly endless supply of energy that he directs towards accomplishing his task, and he will go to extreme lengths to make it happen.
Kent has the unique combination of social charisma and technical expertise, which means he is just as comfortable discussing the finer points of TCP/IP as he is with implementing a paradigm shift to increase organizational synergy.
Andrew Latham CISSP
Role: Lead Principal Sales Engineer - APJ @ Obsidian Security
Context: February 11, 2012, Andrew worked with Kent but on different teams
In my 15 years of IT experience Kent was the best Product Manager I have ever had the pleasure to interact with.
Unlike every other Product Manager Kent actively listened to the field and rather than drive product roadmap from marketing he actively listened to what customers needed and prioritized work effort based on need rather than hearsay.
His humour and transparency made the time I worked with Kent an absolute pleasure. Having the opportunity to work with Kent again would factor in my choice of employer.
Rob Stewart
Role: Consultant, CEO
Context: February 18, 2009, Rob was senior to Kent but didn't manage Kent directly
Kent was energetic, intelligent, hard working, and simply knew what he was doing. I'd hire him again without hesitation.
Jenny Matteson
Role: Technical Lead
Context: August 28, 2008, Jenny worked with Kent but on different teams
Kent has an amazing ability to channel his high energy into constructive problem solving. In addition to his technical knowledge and troubleshooting skills, he is able to communicate with cross-functional teams at all levels, cut through red tape, and get work done. He can speak marketing, techno-geek, and plain English at the same time.
Warning- only hire him if you have problems that you want solved, processes you want streamlined, a team you need energized, or a company/product that you want to take to a new level. If you are looking for a yes-man to support maintaining things just as they are, do not hire Kent. ;)
Because Kent will tell you what you need to do to make things better, whether you ask him to or not. And he will inspire your team members to improve their work, their products, and their standards. His passion, humor, and ideas are infectious.
Steve Frost
Role: SW Release Process Coordinator
Context: April 7, 2008, Steve worked with Kent on the same team
Trust me, you want Kent on your team. Especially if you have room to let somebody cut through the red tape and get it done.
Creative, diplomatic, humorous with keen technical skills. I just wish somebody over here at our company would hire him so we could reap the benefits of his presence.
Rod Wojtanik
Role: Project Manager at Portland Parks & Recreation
Context: August 29, 2007, Wojtanik, worked with Kent but they were at different companies
Kent served as an Advisory Committee member which I was leading through a public process which involved siting public skateparks in Portland, Oregon.
Kent's ability to speak articulately and compassionately to issues of neighborhood concerns as well as recreational needs proved invaluable to the process.
I couldn't imagine it being as successful of a project without his involvement. Kent is someone you want to have on your team.
Sunil Maheshwari
Role: Cofounder-Advisor | Building ventures in Safety, Manufacturing, Digital transformation & Emerging Sectors
Context: July 16, 2007, Sunil reported directly to Kent as Kent’s senior architect, and continues to work with Kent to this day with 214 Alpha
Hard working and very energetic person, who effortlessly includes you in the team work (irrespective of you being junior/senior to him).
I enjoyed working with him while doing the initial design of a content management software product and together wrote a highly recommended design for the product.
He was managing a team in India and working from Oregon, USA and full of passion to include everyone in the team to contribute for the product, champion of usability factors.
I would always cherish my working with him, love to work with him again and recommend him for any managerial position.
Peter Whitley
Role: Art Director
Context: July 16, 2007, Peter worked with Kent on the same team
Between 2004 and 2007 I had the pleasure of working with Kent Dahlgren in launching the non-profit organization Skaters for Public Skateparks. This project had no peer in scope or direction and required a great deal of exploration. Kent provided the necessary leadership throughout this inaugural effort.
My observations regarding Kent's performance during this period all point to his ability to approach any problem with enthusiastic resolve. As a small start-up group of passionate individuals with little capital, Kent's creative and innovative solutions carried a clarity that was indispensable. We simply could not have launched this organization without his insight into organizational structures, incredible problem-solving skills, and bottomless enthusiasm for a perfect end-result.
Jim Gray
Role: Professional skateboarder, legendary CEO. Instagram: Stickers @Inkgenda, Just Me @grayslide
Context: July 16, 2007, Jim worked with Kent but they were at different companies
I worked with Kent as both a skatepark advocate and as a member of the International Association of Skateboard Companies.
Kent is very organized, straight forward, knowledgeable, and on his game. I would highly recommend Kent to anyone who is looking for someone who takes their projects seriously and wants them carried through to the end.
Kent worked with me in getting the Public Skatepark Development Guide published as a cooperative project amongst three different groups. This was a two year project and is now the greatest cooperative accomplishment that I have seen to date completed by skateboarders.
I would sincerely enjoy working with Kent in the future, and could be contacted for a reference anytime at (my email address) if anyone has any specific questions in regards to Kent's work ethic, etc.
Barrett Kenney
Role: Executive Vice President & Partner Lightning Migration | 20-Year Management & Technology Consultant | Digital Product Innovator | EY, Nike, Intel
Context: July 13, 2007, Barrett worked with Kent but on different teams
My experience working with Kent was a pleasure. His attitude and personality helped make our jobs fun and enjoyable. He has an outgoing spirit, charisma and energy that allows him to easily find common ground and build rapport with almost anyone.
Additionally I found Kent to be incredibly knowledgeable and informed in both his job and organizational operations. His technical background and attention to detail are only outmatched by his initiative.
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