Cathy Light: Women are Unstoppable – My Journey From Managing Professional Services Firm to Building Cloud Business with Microsoft

Women in Cloud has opened my eyes to a whole new world – the Cloud World. The support and education from Women in Cloud, Microsoft, and Channel Partners about what it takes to be a successful software company has been the greatest gift to me and my team. 

While overwhelming at times, guiding us through this process to achieve a successful GTM launch will jump start our success to get our much-needed DEInamics™ tool into the marketplace. Microsoft’s diversity initiative to help women evolve their software companies through the Women in the Cloud program is truly a game changer to create more equity in the global marketplace.

It was recommended by a colleague we should apply for the Women in Cloud 2019 Accelerator Program. We were one of just a handful of companies selected for this prestigious recognition for our new software product, DEInamics™. This has been one of the highlights of my entrepreneurial career. 

The Women in Cloud network has been key to guiding us through the requirements for a successful SaaS go-to-market launch. The collective insights, sharing lessons learned, resources, and the tremendous support has been overwhelming. There is no doubt the amazing Microsoft Community and Women In Cloud Network will make all the difference to our early-stage success.

This year as a graduating member, I am also a proud speaker at the Women in Cloud Summit 2020. I will focus on one of the hottest topics in corporate America today: Measuring What Matters – True Business Impact and ROI for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.

Most people are unaware there is a business case for diversity and that it should be measured. The fact that every CEO wants financial numbers proving diversity initiatives are improving business results is often unknown. But, ‘Are leaders being held accountable?’ is the question I will answer at the summit. Some of the key takeaways from the talk are,

  •   How do we begin to change without a data point?
  •   Learn how to integrate measurement into our initiatives for success
  •   Our 5-Step Process to Meaningful DEI Growth

Since there is so much to learn and conquer, I hope to share my best resources and take away every piece of information possible to utilize it for our growth as a company and community. I believe at heart, Women in Cloud is a solution to several problems of our generation. If leaders go beyond talk to real alignment with positive behavior changes that drive cultural shifts, through mindful, selfless and compassionate actions, companies can set a strong foundation for diversity, equity and inclusion where business + workplace acceleration can grow and thrive.

“Better Companies for a Brighter World”, is something I thrive on and is our company’s endearment. It comes from unleashing the talents of people and creating equitable opportunities – for everyone! Purchase ticketstoday, and join us this January to ensure collective action for a brighter world. 

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!

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Amy Protexter: Building Meaningful Connections at the Women in Cloud Summit

If you reflect on your own career journey, it’s likely there was a person or moment that changed the course of your path for the better. Maybe, it was a coworker who gave you sage advice or encouragement at the right moment, a former colleague that urged you into a new role, or even an individual who gave you tough criticism. Our paths are not walked in isolation. 

At Insight, we pride ourselves in being a company that builds meaningful connections — it’s the guiding principle for the people we interact with and the work we do. Personally, making a positive impact on one person’s career journey is a tremendous honor and joy. Through Women in Cloud, I hope that by sharing my own life and professional experiences, I can create meaningful connections and embolden women in their own life journey.

I think it’s important to support fellow women in their career paths — particularly in an industry that has, historically, been dominated by men. Today, women are finding their voice in technology, and that’s worth celebrating. I love communities like Women in Cloud because they grant me the opportunity to learn from, be inspired by, and share wisdom with fascinating women leaders. 

This year, at the Women in Cloud Summit 2020 in January, I will be visiting as an enthusiastic learner, but also a speaker who is there to share her thoughts and contribute to the collective success of the group.

My topic for the summit this year will be ‘High Performance Culture: Managing Multiple Generations.’ I will focus on how to support and ensure all teammates are working in an optimal environment, why trust and respect among all teammates is crucial and how meaningful results increase when you can achieve this kind of team culture. 

I love meeting people who have gone through dynamic and unexpected career paths. I myself have been a marketing leader in government, insurance, healthcare, education and technology.  It’s fascinating to see how individuals can take seemingly unlike skills and experiences and apply one to the other in creative, powerful ways. If your career has taken surprising twists and turns, seek me out at the summit. Let us chat, learn and contribute to each other’s growth. 

The Women in Cloud movement is amazing and empowering, and the growth and interest in this group continues to grow exponentially. I’m personally very excited to be part of the Summit once again and can’t wait to experience the same energy and fellowship last year’s event generated. It was definitely ‘fuel’ to help me get started in one of the most dynamic years of my career.  

Technology is at the forefront of any transformation, and every business is a technology business. At Insight, we are proud to live our core business values of Hunger, Heart and Harmony every day as we help our clients both manage their technology today, and transform to secure their futures. We’re all about helping our clients ‘run smarter’ and I think at the heart of Women in Cloud, it’s about running smarter, together. 

I look forward to meeting you at the Women in Cloud Summit 2020, and let us contribute for a women-led industry. We deserve to be at the forefront of change! Purchase tickets 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!

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Laura Close: Each promotion counts – the path to increased representation in the cloud economy

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Women in Cloud is strengthening the role of women as leaders, entrepreneurs, technologists and futurists — supporting the ability of all women to leverage leading cloud technologies to grow their businesses and careers. I celebrate the expanding community of women in tech, women entrepreneurs, leaders and allies who are carving a path for increased representation, innovation and visibility of female technology leaders.

As the founder of a career strategy firm and an executive coach serving leaders across most major technology brands, I am intimately aware of the challenges senior female leaders face in attaining their career defining roles. Laura Close Career Consulting was founded on the concept of skill transfer: putting the tools and skills of political campaign strategy into the hands of the women and our allies who are navigating ambiguous paths to power. At Women in Cloud 2020, I’m focused on growing and strengthening the community of women who secure leadership roles in technology companies.

At the third annual summit, I’ll be leading an executive roundtable discussion demonstrating how our senior-level clients capture and showcase their achievements to drive promotions on faster timelines with stronger buy-in & widespread consensus. 

Our clients and their peers have incredible bodies of work and are also very busy. It can be easy to neglect or undersell your track record of delivering big results. We discovered a trend in our client base: after working with us to transfer roles and companies, they were landing promotions with greater ease and speed. 

We determined that the work of correctly framing and capturing their achievements in preparation for interviewing was then yielding results well beyond the initial hire. I’ll share the frameworks we use and how to apply those for performance reviews and promotion cycles. Purchase your tickets today to come see me and the other speakers at the summit. 

My career began in the late 90s building national political campaigns and people’s movements. My life’s work, one could argue, is collective action towards economic inclusion much like Women in Cloud’s mission. These days I have the unanticipated privilege of working with senior female leadership and their peer allies who are surmounting some of the most entrenched obstacles to inclusion at the highest levels. Women are still dramatically underrepresented on leadership teams, on boards, and at the VP and C level. The red thread through my career has been democratizing access to skills and coaching for any person seeking to overcome the obstacles that lay before them; hence, getting on board with Women in Cloud was a given. 

“Collective action” means a skilled and trained population that can undertake the right course of actions, and in doing so deliver the powerful results we are focused on: economic inclusion.

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!

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Sheryl Kline: Building the confidence and influence to speak up, be heard and unlock your next level of impact

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Technology is rapidly changing the world, and the genius and conscious capitalism of women in tech is needed now more than ever before. As an entrepreneur, Women in Cloud member, and a woman, I am passionate about empowering other women to unlock their next level of clarity, confidence and influence, so they can access the impact that they want, deserve.

This year at the Women in Cloud Summit 2020, I am going to be speaking about purpose, legacy and impact. Beyond a title, money and status, let’s get clear on what matters most.  How do you want to be remembered? What impact do you want to have? Finally, how do you want to leave your industry for those who come behind you? That’s where we start. By the end of my session, we will work backwards and start to bring your vision to life.

I want to empower ambitious women who are feeling stuck, unheard, or not as  impactful as they know they can be. Everybody deserves to know and embrace the joy that comes with feeling clear, confident, and highly influential. Some entrepreneurs succumb to limiting thoughts and beliefs prior to taking the next most important step of their career. As an entrepreneur who has been on this journey and who has worked with world-class performers for over two decades, I’m confident thatI can bring in the knowledge from my experiences to ensure collective growth. This could be in a current role or preparing  for an external pivot.

Collective economic growth is not ‘us against them’. It is working together to come up with solutions and working together to ensure there is financial equality in the workplace. 

Women in Cloud ensures to let everybody know they make a difference, and I am honored to be a part of that. Purchase tickets today and bring your dreams, challenges, and aspirations for a transformational session. 

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!

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Rohana Meade: Embracing your inner entrepreneur

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When I first started Synergy Technical, the “cloud” was a new concept and perceived as the bleeding edge. Now, eight years later, the cloud is considered mainstream, but unfortunately, there are still too few women in leadership roles running cloud companies. I’m excited about Women in Cloud as an organisation that supports more women in tech leadership and entrepreneurial roles.

Female representation is still far too low in the tech industry, it’s always helpful to have a network of like minded women to reach out to for support. I’m interested in learning about how other female entrepreneurs have been successful, and where they feel they could have done things differently. 

At the Women in Cloud 2020 Summit, I’ll be part of a panel speaking on Data, Insights, and Security. The great thing about panel discussions is that the audience really drives where the discussion goes! I’m excited to connect with the Women in Cloud community. I think there is so much value to be learned from each other and our experiences. I’d like to meet people who are doing innovative things with technology, particularly those that are working with technologies that have a strong social impact. 

Personally, I believe women go through a different journey altogether to become leaders and entrepreneurs as opposed to the traditional male success story we have all heard of. It’s important that we all ensure women work together and share our resources, as well as our success stories to help our own in this industry.

With the variety of business leaders, tech innovators, policy makers gathering for the biggest event for women and cloud tech, there is no place better to develop an idea than Women in Cloud Summit. Purchase tickets today for the summit and be sure to gather the most unique learning experience ever! 

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!

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