Create Magic with your Team!
Jeff E. Finlay is the author of the forthcoming book Leading Like a Unicorn: How Tech Culture Creates Scalable Magic. This groundbreaking work explores how empathy-driven leadership, intentional culture design, and scalable systems can transform engineering teams into unstoppable engines of innovation and growth.
Drawing from years of experience coaching leaders and building high-performing tech cultures, Jeff shares actionable strategies and real-world insights that bridge the gap between technical expertise and human connection. The book unveils his Unicorn’s Ascent Framework™, a proven methodology for fostering alignment, retaining top talent, and creating environments where innovation thrives without burnout.
Whether you lead a small startup team or a global engineering organization, Leading Like a Unicorn offers the playbook for building a culture that scales your people as effectively as your technology.
Meet Jeff
Jeff E. Finlay is the founder of Purple Unicorn Coaching and a distinguished technology leadership expert and transformational coach who has spent over 35 years turning technical talent into exceptional leaders. Known affectionately as "The Professor" by colleagues and clients, he has earned his place as one of the most insightful and impactful speakers in the tech leadership space, delivering practical strategies that create immediate cultural transformation and sustainable results.
Since the early days of his career, Jeff E. Finlay has been the go-to leader for complex technical challenges and organizational transformation. His most notable accomplishment includes helping a company secure Series A funding and building a high-performing technology organization from scratch—scaling from a solo technical leader to a department of 15 engineers, designers, and product contributors.
Jeff E. Finlay’s exceptional skill as an experienced facilitator delivers "Immediately Actionable Strategies," "Empathy-Driven Leadership Techniques," and "Scalable Culture-Building Frameworks" that equip technical leaders with the essential skills to thrive in today's rapidly evolving technology landscape. His sessions don't just inspire—they provide concrete, implementable solutions that participants can apply immediately to drive both individual and organizational excellence.
His unique background as both a Principal Software Architect and Executive Coach allows him to speak the language of engineers while translating complex leadership concepts into practical tools that resonate with technical minds. Whether mentoring emerging tech executives or advising C-suite leaders on organizational culture transformation, Jeff E. Finlay is known for bringing calming clarity to complex environments while maintaining the drive for exceptional results.