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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Renee St Jacques: Emotional intelligence – a critical ingredient to success in the cloud era

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As a speaker at the Women in Cloud Summit 2020 this year, I bring a unique blend of expertise in human behavior as a licensed psychologist and executive coach and real world experience as a woman in technology having spent the last nearly two decades in technology in business consulting and marketing roles. There is no maximum to women’s potential. I am passionate about equipping women with the emotional intelligence required to go to the next level so there are no limitations to exceed. 

My topic “Increasing your Emotional Intelligence,” is often neglected in the work environment. Emotional Intelligence is an essential key in any profession and more so in the technology industry. During my interactive talk, I will focus on gaining greater self awareness and the core skills of healthy emotional intelligence, understanding and learning how to manage your emotional reactions, improving interpersonal communication and many other elements that promote one to be emotionally intelligent and get to the next level in your business. 

I desire to empower women with a better emotional intelligence to overcome and thrive in every setting they find themselves – from leading teams effectively, growing as a leader, finding their voice, presenting to investors, to balancing work and personal life. Personally, I do not think there is a better community than Women in Cloud where my knowledge and passion can influence action. Women in Cloud has over the years worked to make technology an accessible industry for women and I hope to contribute to that mission with my expertise and experience. 

At a time where change is the only constant, there is no limit to human potential, especially with women! We are at the cusp of inclusive economic transition. Dreams should now be realities by undertaking ACTION. This will take immense courage and resilience to press past any psychological barriers we impose on ourselves and make things happen. 

Success is 80% psychological and 20% actual hard work, and we need to work collectively to ensure we are not getting in our own way. 

This January at the Summit, I look forward to connecting with other executive coaches and Women who need support in improving in personal development, pursuing career coaching, taking on new ventures, growing in leadership skills, finding their “voice,” thinking more strategically, improving in executive presence, and navigating difficult work situations/relationships. Women in Cloud brings hope for the future generation of women entrepreneurs and I only look to learn and contribute to this positive change. Purchase tickets for the summit today, and be a force of 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!

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Patti Dobrowolski: Industry partnership is your #1 priority

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As a solo-preneur I have worked for years on my own – even as my business grew – there I was on my own – late at night invoicing, booking travel, handling every aspect of marketing, social media and networking (and not always well!). It wasn’t until I began to partner with others – hiring staff, partnering with Foundations and other small business owners did I see how it boosted my business. I realized how much brain power I was missing out on. 

Women in Cloud helps you connect with others, provides mentorship support, and challenges you to clarify your purpose and your value.

As a speaker this year at the Women in Cloud Summit, I will be talking about Partnership and why it should be your #1 priority. How many of you are working tirelessly on your own? 

Maybe you are unsure how to partner with others, or are not getting the full benefit from the partnerships you have. You’re not alone! 

63% of people who want to start their own business, often make the mistake of hiring their friends. Without clear rules of engagement, those experiences will scare you away from partnership. In my talk, I will be sharing key tips about how to form and maintain great partnerships. Together, we’ll be interactively looking at your strategy to build your partner relationships and get the outcomes you desire.

Partnership is also crucial for collective action towards something that is essential to the growth of any business: economic inclusion. Economic inclusion means doing everything you can to pave pathways of opportunity for women to have access to technology and support around the globe. This access to resources, ideas, and leadership will give women the opportunity to participate in the global economy and build the business and partnerships to step into the life they dream of.

This year, I am excited to create a new vision of the future for my Creative Genius tribe and I anticipate Women in Cloud to be a big part of that picture. Purchase tickets and come meet us. The summit is a place with ideas and connections, and I look forward to interacting with everyone who is looking to grab their goals with both hands!

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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