“No one who achieves success does so without the help of others. The wise and confident acknowledge this help with gratitude.”– Alfred North Whitehead
After the harsh year 2020 has put the world through, our society needs healing. More than ever before, we need to show gratitude and appreciate all the positives we hold close to our hearts. What are you thankful, and grateful for? Who do you want to say ‘Bravo, you did it!’ to?
I know my answer. I am thankful for the 25,000 women in the Women in Cloud community; I am grateful for the 100M women we can collectively impact through our work. And I want to say Kudos to all the women and men of this global network!
Why? According to Forbes, the TrustRadius survey revealed that women in tech are 1.6x more likely than men to be laid-off or furloughed. They found that 8% of female respondents had lost their jobs, as opposed to 5% of male respondents. This was consistent with results of a much larger survey of the general US population conducted by Langer Research, which found that 37% of women vs. 28% of men across industries have been laid-off due to coronavirus. TrustRadius speculates that more women have been let go because, according to the Harvard Business Review, they generally have less seniority than men.
Within our community, the Women in Cloud Covid-19 Impact Survey reported that the average loss of revenue in the next 24 months, across 57 women-led companies, expanding 16 industries, is $500k – $1M per company. An additional $1M – $5M per company is expected in opportunity loss in the next three years.
The global pandemic and social injustice impacted women in the most severe and unpredictable manner. But what happened next?
Well, we didn’t give up! Despite the tough times, we banded together. We built a 100M Global Network of Women with organizations like UN Women and Microsoft Alumni Network. We carried 2 cohorts through the Women in Cloud Microsoft Cloud Accelerator, ONLINE. And now, we are hosting the first 100% virtual three-day Women in Cloud Digital Summit 2021.
Despite the harsh realities, women and men of the technology industry chose the mission; $1B in economic access and opportunities by 2030 for female tech entrepreneurs, leaders, and changemakers. This makes me immensely proud to call Women in Cloud my community.
So kudos to everyone who continues to support the Women in Cloud mission and contribute to UN SDG 2030. Kudos to all the men who are dedicated to changing the technology landscape for a domino effect. And kudos to all the women who fight daily for their spot at the table.
Join me to give Kudos to women and men all around the world who are affecting real change.
Click here for the KudoBoard and share your gratitude, kudos, or thoughts!
