Cloud computing not only revolutionized the world around me, but also my life journey.  I first started using cloud computing resources as a Principal Scientist in Cancer Research.  The freedom and ability to analyze any amount of data at a reasonable cost and within a relatively short time-frames not only empowered me as a scientist, but also enabled me to start my own company as an entrepreneur.  At the time, I attended a cloud computing conference where in his keynote address, Andy Jassy (CEO of Amazon Web Services) expressed to the audience how using cloud computing resources can provide users with the power to “create your own destiny”.  As I sat there in the audience, I felt the impact of those words on so many levels. 

I believe that cloud computing provides access to the latest technological advances and in doing so, serves to empower any innovator from anywhere in the world to create freely without the burdens of societal suppressions due to prejudice and economic inequality.  For individuals who have historically been underrepresented in Science & Technology, this is certainly life changing. Cloud computing enables more inclusive economies providing equal opportunity to underrepresented individuals, and also provides opportunities for leadership so that those same individuals are now contributing to subsequent economic development.

I am passionate about empowering women to be economically and intellectually free to  “create their own destinies” and am excited to participate on a panel discussing the emerging trends in cloud computing and how these technological advances might inspire and empower women to take a bold new path of their choosing.  The Women in Cloud Summit 2020 is about taking action. So, join me and the other panelists and take this opportunity to discuss emerging technological trends, share ideas, and inspire each other to create a better future where women flourish as equal innovators and technology leaders.   Purchase tickets to the summit today, and be a part of the change.

To get more information visit the summit website, and don’t forget to apply the 20% discount code: JOINME@WIC

See you there! 

Take action by joining our online network to get engaged today!

We all have goals we want to reach, challenges we’re striving to overcome, and times when we feel stuck. Partnering with a coach can set you on a path to greater personal and professional fulfillment. What better way to change the narrative and create economic access for women in the cloud economy?

As a certified coach, I am a member of the International Coaching Federation (ICF), the world’s largest organization of professionally trained coaches that seeks to advance the art, science and practice of coaching. We’re excited to connect with Women in Cloud, a community of powerful technology industry leaders, policy makers, and entrepreneurs who are on a road to ensure gender parity in the tech industry and create $1 billion in economic access for women by 2030. 

I want to help Women in Cloud members to experience the benefits of coaching, which can help unleash your potential, surpass your limits, and change your life. We are bringing local, expert coaches to Women in Cloud Summit 2020 to demonstrate the transformational value of coaching, a process that often unlocks previously untapped sources of imagination, productivity, and leadership. WIC is proud to be action-oriented, and coaching is the perfect blend of exploration and action. We look forward to extending the tool of coaching to those who can really benefit from it.

Take the ultimate action step toward your goals and sign up for a 30-minute coaching session on-site while at the Summit. The cost is included with your ticket, although sessions are limited so please sign up in advance through the event application to reserve your spot. If you’d like to find a coach after the event, try theCredentialed Coach Finder, a free searchable directory with listings for thousands of qualified ICF Credentialed Coaches worldwide.

Purchase tickets to attend Women in Cloud Summit and to get more information visit the summit website, and don’t forget to apply the 20% discount code: JOINME@WIC

See you there! Take action by joining our online network to get engaged today!

Technology is a brutal industry and what may be a trend today is no longer essential tomorrow. My experience as a business development coach has made me realize that I have the potential to guide and help women in the technology industry. I want to support women in tech and show them how to prioritize their time and their profit avenues correctly, so they can create the business and life they intend. 

My association with Women in Cloud is to ensure my knowledge and experience in the field help as many women as possible. As a community, Women in Cloud will allow me to teach women in tech to have an action plan created around their wants as well as how to create/communicate boundaries and take charge of their time, energy, and focus.

The Women in Cloud Summit 2020 has given me an opportunity to share my life learning with the entire community. As a speaker, my topic will revolve around how women can identify what they want, where their time is spent, how to claim that time back as well as how to prioritize it, so they are consistently taking steps to build their business.

Finding a community of like-minded, goal-focused women sets a strong standard for business as we each develop and grow. A community like Women in Cloud not only encourages our own expansion, it establishes a strong foundation to build off of while continuously in pursuit of our own greatness. 

Based on statistics gathered by Maddie Shepherd through Fundera, there are “12.3 million female owned businesses in the U.S,” making over 40% of businesses woman-owned. This statistic goes deeper than the numbers. It intrinsically shows how important it is for women to have equal opportunities within business, and by extension know how to properly prioritize their profits and time to create the lifestyles we as women deserve. 

Diving into prioritizing our time effectively comes down to 5 main parts:

  • Getting crystal clear on what you want
  • Taming the time that you have
  • Prioritizing your tasks
  • Customizing to your calendar
  • ACTION

Each of these parts has its own place within business, and when you understand how to master each one – hitting your next goal or taking the next step comes easily. 

Broken down, the steps look like this: 

  1. Write down, and put it somewhere visible, what you want to accomplish in the next 6 months.
  2. Create boundaries that solidify the time that you have: ex. Create office hours, turn off notifications, etc.
  3. Look at all the tasks on your to do list: take off ALL PERSONAL TASKS and prioritize the business ones to that will help you get to those 6 month goals step by step.
  4. Every day, look at the time you have and ask yourself: “How would I like to fill this time?” and assign the tasks that fit in the time you have that are aligned with what YOU want.
  5. Put this routine into action every single day and you will always be profitable in your business: mentally, emotionally as well as financially. 

There’s nothing more valuable than having a strong, supportive group of women, who are all aiming for their own vision of greatness – especially when you can find them all in an incredible group like Women in Cloud. 

If you’d like to learn more about prioritizing your profits in a way to create the money and the life you desire in your own unique way, feel free to reach out through purchase tickets today and come join us in our mission. You can also connect with me on LinkedIn or Instagram @mel_mcsherry.

To get more information visit the summit website, and don’t forget to apply the 20% discount code: JOINME@WIC

See you there! 

Take action by joining our online network to get engaged today!

Women In Cloud is pleased to announce the 5 finalists for the Inaugural #CloudInnovateHER Pitch Challenge. This pitch challenge aims to help women tech entrepreneurs across the global market develop, showcase, and win enterprise customers.

As demands in enterprise tech grow, the need for products and services that address these unique challenges increases. Enterprise tech is one of the fastest-growing and most influential sectors of the tech industry with enterprise software spending expected to reach $457 billion this year, but the numbers indicate that women are largely being left out of that economic opportunity. That’s why WiC is generating new ways like the #CloudInnovateHER Pitch Challenge for women tech entrepreneurs to get better access to funding, education, and a supportive community.

Having received many inspiring and innovative solution nominations, we want to thank all nominees for participating in the first-ever partner pitch challenge.  Solutions are evaluated for Solutions will be evaluated for originality, market feasibility, and use of cloud and AI solutions. The nomination review panel consisted of business leaders within the Women in Cloud community.

Special congratulations to our five finalists that will be pitching their solutions at Women In Cloud Summit  on Saturday, January 25th (5:30 – 6:45pm PST) in Redmond, Washington.

  • SheWorks! is disrupting gender unemployment by connecting the dots between talent, online education, and remote jobs to economically empower women from around the globe with flexible work opportunities and closing the talent supply and demand gap for companies.
  • Rainbow Secure Password: An extremely Secure digital vault with Cloud Storage and Encryption tools powered by Rainbow Password Technology
  • Automaton: Atomatest is automated testing for millions of business users managing cloud technology application stacks!
  • Addlane is a visual vendor portal that connects global businesses throughout the supply chain
  • AppFusions’ AlohaCloud is a “swiss-army knife” platform for expediting IT modernization & digital transformation initiatives, allowing companies to leapfrog 2020 strategic efforts, lower risks of failure, deploy within weeks, drive value-up cost savings, profits, innovation to compound growth forward.

Join us at Women In Cloud Summit on Saturday, Jan 25 at 5:30 pm PST to see the finalists take the stage to pitch their ideas to a specially curated panel of business and technical judges from the community: Colleen O’Brien, Jeana Jorgensen, Erin Papworth, Margaret Dawson, and Wendy Garcia

Final remarks will be made by Gretchen O’Hara, US Vice President of the US One Commercial Partner.

Congratulations, finalists! See you at #womenincloud #shesoars

One of our company’s core values is ‘belonging’, because it fosters exceptional organizations and individuals. Our collective purpose is to help every tribe know their battle cry. This means knowing what makes your organization unique, how you’re making the world a better place, where you’re going, and what your strategy will be to effectively get you there. Women in Cloud has created a fabulous opportunity to express both. It is a natural fit for us.

Statistics show that women-led companies tend to outperform male-dominated ones, promoting women as a rational choice for a stronger economy. I’m passionate about creating a stronger economy, which is why I’m partnering with more women in technology and the men who support them through Women in Cloud.

This January, at the Women in Cloud Summit 2020, I have been invited as a speaker to talk about ‘How to Support Female Founders.’ I am excited and thrilled to make this presentation. I wanted to share some of the key takeaways the audience can expect from my talk, which are:

  • We must master your own biases.
  • The lack of inclusive diversity has been a strong undercurrent for many centuries, rooting it out is not for the faint of heart.
  • We must be courageous and honest with ourselves about our own shortcomings. If we pretend they’re not there — if we hide our biases from ourselves — if they go unexposed and are simply covered over, those shortcomings will continue to cloud our judgment and accidentally spill into behavior. We will unknowingly deny someone access or underestimate them.

I believe women are one of the crucial elements that will ensure a functional and sustainable economy in the future. Economic inclusion means that anyone who’s willing to work hard enough can better their lives and the lives of others. Ideally, no one will be held back by the spoken or unspoken biases of those who control access and opportunity. Collective action can be powerful. I challenge the courageous to master personal bias first, which will continue to evolve the culture in significant ways.

All this means my organization has a shot at making the world a better place even though it was founded by a woman, which traditionally would mean lack of access to male-dominated decision-makers. Our breakthrough software makes strategic planning and execution simple, rapid, and without ambiguity that cause frustration and waste. Imagine if the world lost this solution. It would mean we would all continue to lose billions of dollars and hours to traditional strategic planning methods.

The opportunity given to me by WIC is what I intend to help other women achieve. Purchase tickets today, come join me and the Women in Cloud in this journey and unlock your chance to make the best out of an opportunity of a lifetime. 

To get more information visit the summit website, and don’t forget to apply the 20% discount code: JOINME@WIC

See you there! 

Take action by joining our online network to get engaged today!