Inner Circle

Business architecture practitioners and practice leaders who are serious about their business architecture career and success – and would like to learn from the collective wisdom and power of community. This program is ideal for new and experienced professionals alike including:

• Practitioners – Accelerates and guides you by enhancing your knowledge and abilities in the practical creation and usage of business architecture. Advances your career.
• Practice Leaders – Accelerates and guides you on how to establish a successful and sustainable business architecture practice within your organization. Provides a platform for success that can yield career advancement and benefit your organization.

This program is also ideal for anyone who would like an immersive experience and understanding of how to leverage business architecture within their organization. Inner Circle participants have included non-business architecture professionals from roles in strategy, strategic planning, product management, transformation, technology, and business analysis.

This program is all about you and helping you achieve your goals. We cover a core set of topics related to business architecture and its practical usage, but the rest is tailored to the specific interests and needs of each cohort. We keep the group size cozy because we co-create this special experience together through our interactions live and online.

The foundation of our program is twice monthly facilitated group conversation blended with small learning bites and hands-on application. Part of what makes this program so valuable is that we cover a wide range of topics over a longer duration, giving you a full year’s worth of time to absorb and apply the concepts within your organization in small drips – and you get the benefit of having a circle of trusted peers and mentors to help support you on your journey. 

Our approach to practicing business architecture is business-focused, strategically positioned, and focused on continual value delivery. It is based on the best practices and practical approaches that are proven and working for businesses, governments, and non-profit organizations around the world. 

Our unique approach is articulated in the book Strategy to Reality, which we refer to throughout the program. In fact, your experience in the Inner Circle will help to bring the concepts in the book to life and put them into action for your organization. 

Your participation in the Inner Circle program includes:

• Twice monthly facilitated group coaching sessions, supported by hands-on activities
• Access to the Biz Arch Mastery Community, our engaging online collaboration platform where you can exchange with your peers outside of sessions
• Resources and more resources! This includes:
  • 9 hours of recorded webinars with highly relevant and valuable content on business architecture and its application
  • A complimentary E-Book version of the Strategy to Reality book 
  • Complimentary access to the Business Architect Strengths Study package
  • Exclusive resources and tools provided throughout our coaching sessions (e.g., examples, starters, templates, canvases, assessments) 
• Exclusive conversations with expert guest speakers and access to the archive of recordings
• An invitation to join the Inner Circle Alumni mastermind community following successful completion of your 12-month cohort program

When the 12-month journey with your Inner Circle cohort ends, you will forever be a part of this very special community and take the knowledge and relationships that you have built with you. You will also be invited to join the Inner Circle Alumni mastermind program where you can continue engaging with members of all cohorts to continue the journey of learning, collaboration, and community.

 The Inner Circle group coaching program is for you if…

You want to focus on the application and practicality of business architecture.

If you know the business architecture theory or are learning it, the Biz Arch Mastery Inner Circle is where you can learn it better and apply it for results. We focus on practical approaches for building and using business architecture for value as well as creating successful internal business architecture practices. We go deep and put the learning in a real-world context, continually sharing new ideas, techniques, approaches, and tools.

You want someone to care about your success and guide you through the process.

Part of the challenge with business architecture is figuring out where to start and how to navigate all of the different perspectives, information, and resources that are available. Inner Circle gives you a personal guide through the process so that you can learn and acquire just what you need one step at a time, when you need it, completely tailored to your unique goals and situation. 

You want to learn in community and build your tribe.

Inner Circle allows you to leverage the collective wisdom and power of community. You get to build your own tribe of confidants and collaborators, who you will learn and share with during the program and if you choose, throughout your career. Inner Circle cohorts are thoughtfully formed to create a compatible and diverse group of high-caliber colleagues, who are all serious about their business architecture career and success.

You are looking for a cost-effective solution to start or advance your business architecture career.

The goal is to give you so much value that you feel like you got way more than you paid for. Inner Circle is a good option if you can’t invest in more expensive options right now, but it is also a perfect complement to other options like formal training. And, you get an entire year of learning, assistance, and support from a global expert and your new tribe.

The Inner Circle Biz Arch Mastery program is led by global business architecture expert Whynde Kuehn. In addition, we have expert guests join us for exclusive conversations throughout the program who help you further enrich your learning and perspectives.

Whynde Kuehn is recognized globally as a highly sought-after business architecture pioneer and thought leader deeply rooted in delivering measurable business results. Whynde has worked with an extensive array of organizations, including Fortune 500 enterprises, governmental and non-profit organizations, social enterprises, startups, and cross-sector initiatives. Having shaped and practiced the discipline across six continents from about every possible angle from corporation transformation to start ups to the establishment of successful practices within organizations, Whynde provides a wealth of deep knowledge, hands-on experience and best practices with business architecture. She brings a strong business perspective, has an ability to simplify complex concepts in her usual straight-talk style, and provides practical, real-world guidance.

Whynde is the founder and managing director of S2E Transformation Inc., creator of Biz Arch Mastery, a fellow with the Institute for Digital Transformation, and member of the Fast Company Executive Board. She is co-founder, vice president, and academic chair of the Business Architecture Guild^®.  Whynde is co-founder and chair of the Women In Architecture (WIA) global initiative. She is also an adjunct professor in the Executive Education program of Penn State within the Smeal College of Business.  

Whynde is author of the book Strategy to Reality and co-author of The Execution Challenge.

Whynde is exceptionally passionate about assisting mission-driven organizations in succeeding and scaling through the application of solid business approaches. Likewise, she routinely inspires corporate entities to use business as a force for good. With a focus on Africa and on emerging nations, Whynde has spent years assisting public and private partners in hands-on efforts to drive dreams into action through effective and sustainable design and creating systemic change.

"I highly recommend Biz Arch Mastery’s Inner Circle program. As a Business Architect standing up a new practice, I found this program to be a critical accelerator. Whynde Kuehn is a master, and shares her expertise abundantly in this program. In addition, engaging with seasoned architects from all over the world provided some great perspectives on how the discipline is practiced successfully, as well as insights on pitfalls to avoid. This has been one of the best professional development engagements experiences of my career."

–Trish Gray, Business Architect, Cohort 5

“I am a lot more comfortable and confident articulating business architecture to people with little understanding of the discipline and also how to apply it in organizations with varying levels of maturity, something that challenged me most at the beginning of the cohort journey.” 

– Henry Erhiaganoma, Cohort 2 Inner Circle Member

"The Biz Arch Mastery Inner Circle has been a game-changer for me. The small group coaching sessions with Whynde Kuehn were insightful and allowed me to ask targeted questions. But what truly surprised me was the value I found in the supportive community. Connecting with other business architects facing similar challenges has been invaluable. The program's blend of instruction, group discussions, and problem-solving exercises helped me translate theory into practical application in my work. Plus, the TribeTalk platform and resource library provide ongoing support and a wealth of knowledge. If you're looking to take your business architecture skills to the next level, I highly recommend the Inner Circle program."

– Blain B., Cohort 7 Inner Circle Member

"I found Whynde's Inner Circle program exceptional. It did not only cover the basics of Business Architecture, but created a safe space to debate, learn and share with colleagues across the world, of different levels of expertise and experience, different cultural environments and organizations with significant differences in terms of structure and purpose. The social aspect of the course, as well as the excellent, practical material produced and shared in the community around the course that Whynde has set up, is invaluable to any Business Architect, irrespective of experience! I am definitely looking forward to becoming a member of the Inner Circle Alumni Mastermind, to continue the conversations and help build our global community of Business Architects! Thank you Whynde for everything!"

– Cohort 6 Inner Circle Member

"What a year it has been! Moving from business analysis into business architecture is a heavy lift and I would not have been as successful as quickly without the Inner Circle Cohort put on by Whynde Kuehn and Biz Arch Mastery!

This business architecture platform and group, expertly lead, contained both novice and experienced professionals in the field which caused wonderful, thought provoking conversations and learnings. The immersive experience this past year contained topics to put into practice in our environments and then come together to share and collaborate.

I highly recommend this Cohort to anyone currently in, or looking to get into business architecture, and are at any level in their journey! Beyond the 'what' of business architecture, you will be taken through the 'why' and 'how' in relatable scenarios that are currently affecting you and others in the group."

– Breanne Casteel, Business Architect, Cohort 7 Inner Circle Member

"The [Inner Circle] is an amazing opportunity for business architects around the world to be enriched by diverse business architecture perspectives and practices across the globe! I’ve been blessed to be part of one and the experience has been nothing short of “phenomenal”!"

- Esther Choudary, Cohort 7 Inner Circle Member

“The program is great.  The content is very fluid and applies well to my work environment.  The conversations are engaging and could continue ongoing. The Inner Circle has formalized my thoughts about business architecture and how it works in my organization.  Also, insights on how other organizations use business architecture was extremely valuable." 

– Robert Field, Vice President Global Digital Solutions, Precipart, Cohort 1 Inner Circle Member

“The mix of teaching and sharing was spot on.  It was so great to meet and share ideas with others in the cohort.  This was very valuable time spent.  In addition, having a review and reaffirmation of concepts and connections within and around the business architecture domain is always a good thing!  I loved The Golden Thread!!!

The Inner Circle allowed me to share ideas and gain inspiration for my own work.  Different ways of presenting information; different approaches to addressing an issue/challenge; opportunities to challenge and share understanding of concepts with peers helped to shape my own work.

I was honored to be a part of the Inner Circle program in its initial offering.  This program offered a mix of education, knowledge sharing , demonstration of business architecture in practice, and special topics from guest speakers.  In general, the program helped me to bridge the gap between theory and practice...taking what I had read and assimilated as information, and helped make it real!

The templates provided are valuable tools that I will take away from the program and apply to my own work.  In addition, the opportunity to make connections with other business architecture practitioners, from around the world and from different industries, fostered offline sharing of ideas that were beneficial to accelerating my own work and understanding. 

This program is highly recommended for any practitioner with an interest in advancing their knowledge, skill, and proficiency in the application of business architecture concepts in their work.” 

– Barbara Leisle, Cohort 1 Inner Circle Member

“I got promoted! Even the short amount of time I’ve spent in your cohort has helped elevate my thinking and what I’m able to bring to the business architecture community here at [company]. Thank you!”

– Cohort 1 Inner Circle Member

“I love the interaction between the team and the sharing of ideas. Being able to learn from Whynde, have the ability to ask questions, discuss a variety of options in the application of business architecture techniques, and the ability to share experiences is so valuable – both to my personal growth as a business architect – but also to the development of the practice within my organization.”

– Cohort 1 Inner Circle Member

"This experience has been absolutely fantastic and I have loved every minute of it!”

– Cohort 6 Inner Circle Member

"Delighted to be part of Cohort 1. [It's] already a game changer.  Thank you, Whynde for your ongoing community shaping and for this special coaching offering to bring this practice forward, globally!”

– Cohort 1 Inner Circle Member

“I just have to say I am loving this new adventure you created for us. I’ve already let my leaders know how much I’m gaining from this group and emphasized putting another peer of mine through your next cohort. The small group conversations are invaluable!  …it feels like we tend to be on the same trajectory but bring a good wide range of experiences with enough thought difference to help support each other.  This is exactly what I was hoping to gain from this experience.”

– Cohort 1 Inner Circle Member

"I highly recommend this program. I have joined as a tribe leader and have enjoyed the business architecture content and exercises.”

– Cohort 2 Inner Circle Member

"Thank you for providing these cohorts as learning forums. They are invaluable opportunities to access super high caliber content, dialog and guests to gain knowledge."

– Cohort 1 Inner Circle Member

“We all learn in different ways, but none of us learn well in a vacuum. I joined the Inner Circle this year to boost my learning overall around business architecture, but I'm getting so much more than I expected. I'm in a small group with colleagues at all levels of business architecture experience in multiple industries. We each bring something valuable to the discussion and have the ability to check our thought process against one another (and Whynde). There is rich, robust collaboration and access to material and people that I wouldn't find elsewhere, while I engage with people I'll have as respected colleagues for the rest of my career. So, if you're looking for a good investment for training, you should really take a look at what Whynde Kuehn is offering here. It's unusual and delivers a solid punch!”

– Cohort 2 Inner Circle Member

"Many thanks for delivering such a great program over the past year.  It’s truly changed my perspective on business architecture (in a good way!) and I believe I have developed as a result...I’m a big supporter of the program and will look forward to joining the alumni."

–  Cohort 4 Inner Circle Member

"One of the amazing things about this journey is we looked at the same kind of problems from different angles and different perspectives.  That is something we can all take away and apply to our jobs in general."

– Cohort 3 Inner Circle Member

"Being part of the Inner Circle has been a highlight for me. Sharing with and learning from the group, under Whynde's guidance, has been amazing. I truly appreciate the space you've created for genuine exchanges. Here’s to more insightful discussions ahead."

–  Cohort 7 Inner Circle Member

“I think the discussion and journey over the last year opened my eyes on a lot of things. I wasn’t so lonely in my challenges."

–  Cohort 6 Inner Circle Member

"The endless amount of resources that were shared were super useful."

– Cohort 3 Inner Circle Member

"Through this process it help me make inroads with some of the key stakeholders in my business and helped me build credibility with them from a business architecture perspective."

–  Cohort 5 Inner Circle Member

"I came away with a sense of confidence in my abilities and where I am on what I’ve learned and how I put it all together. This was a key component to all of that thinking."

–  Cohort 5 Inner Circle Member

"The greatest part of this Cohort is you all [fellow participants]. I appreciated being able to share experiences and talk it out. Having this group of people has been amazing for me.”

–  Cohort 5 Inner Circle Member

"I'm so grateful. I’ve grown more confident as a result of this experience. It helped me to believe in myself and get new ideas. I am so thankful for the group."

–  Cohort 5 Inner Circle Member

"These sessions were so valuable to get an idea of how everyone is using business architecture within their organizations, especially since it is fairly new."

–  Cohort 6 Inner Circle Member

"I just wanted to say thank you so much for the Cohort 6 experience over the last 12 months. Now I've reflected a little more, I'm beginning to recognize the growth I've experienced throughout the course and I feel incredibly grateful to have been part of it. 

The structure of the course and the collaborative nature of the community has helped me develop in so many ways, some of which, were not obvious. In fact, there have been many occasions where I've been faced with questions at work, and I've surprised myself by not only knowing the answer, but having the confidence to articulate it clearly, something I often struggled with previously.  

I've also found that as my knowledge of the fundamentals has grown, my ability to use them to problem solve has grown with it, and I'm excited to see where this takes me going forward.

So again, thank you all for the experience. I've thoroughly enjoyed being part of it and hope to stay connected in the future." 

–  Cohort 6 Inner Circle Member

“What an incredible initiative, may this drive the adoption of business architecture across the globe.”

“You really are taking the discipline to a new level, so kudos from me as a grateful practitioner.”

Biz Arch Mastery programs are many things, but are not the following:

• Formal business architecture theory training or certification – While you will learn a tremendous amount from the available resources and group coaching through Biz Arch Mastery, they are not a substitute for formal, detailed training that teaches the BIZBOK^® Guide from end-to-end. Learn more about BAA. Learn more about the Guild Certified Business Architect^® certification program.
• Business Architecture Guild^® membership or the business architecture body of knowledge (BIZBOK^® Guide) – While our base approach and thinking are underpinned by the BIZBOK^® Guide (though we focus more expansively), Biz Arch Mastery is not the Guild. Become a Guild member here.

Formal training and Guild membership are cornerstones of business architecture career development – and you should pursue each. However, Biz Arch Mastery programs are an ideal and unique complement to formal training and Guild membership that enables you to maximize your learning experience and take your business architecture career and internal business architecture practice to the next level.

Absolutely! Please contact us at info@bizarchmastery.com and we will gladly provide you with a prepared letter summarizing the benefits and outcomes of this program to help you make the case for your participation.

We are confident you will find this program engaging and valuable for your career and personal growth, but we understand that life happens, and you may need to withdraw from the program in the event of an unforeseen circumstance. If you need to drop the program for any reason, please get in touch with us to discuss a prorated adjustment. Requests are evaluated on a case-by-case basis.