Genevieve Desautels: Collective intelligence empowering women in technology

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My desire to meet people – men and women alike – who understand my reality as a female entrepreneur in technology led me to Women in Cloud. The community of  people who, like myself, want to instigate change and evolution and allow our daughters to evolve in an entrepreneurial ecosystem focused on equality in various spheres that englobe female entrepreneurs in technology.

This year at the Women in Cloud Summit, I have the responsibility to shift minds as a speaker. As women, when we build a company, we plan at some point in our strategy to either be acquired or to grow faster. The problem is, chances are quite high that we will be acquired by a company owned by a man. Therefore, all the work that we put in to lead and change the landscape will most likely be pushed aside after our acquisition, since we will probably end up owning merely 5% to 10% of the newly merged or acquired company’s stocks. At the summit, we will discuss this topic and share ideas around it, especially in the tech industry.

In a space where collective economic growth needs to be a norm, we are fighting for it to be a reality. The changing times demands collaboration – it means that men would have to collaborate in order to create networks, access conditions to capital and potential solutions in other spheres for women in technology to grow their companies while expressing the full potential of talent diversity that they can bring within the global community of technology.

Women in Cloud is now my community. As members of the community, I want us all to reflect as a group and tackle strategic and tactical challenges that directly affect female entrepreneurs in technology throughout the world.

The third annual summit excites me and I hope to meet female entrepreneurs who, like myself, are both mothers and entrepreneurs in technology and are aged 45 years or older. Purchase your tickets today and I’d love to exchange ideas with women who were able to find investors and acquirers in order to understand how they were able to keep the bigger part of their companies’ shares.

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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Lena May: Bridging the gig economy with cloud computing

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As an entrepreneur, I see opportunities developing in cloud technology in the United States market. After personally struggling with difficulties of buying and selling tech services, I realized there had to be a better solution. This discovery led me to create a common central marketplace to bridge the gig economy with cloud technology to monetize and modernize these business transactions. This year at the Women in Cloud Summit 2020, I will discuss the opportunities for increased innovative cloud technologies and ways to get started. Currently, there needs to be utilization of the cloud technology; researching the service sector for cloud opportunities will result in opening a global conversation and entrepreneurial options. 

The Women in Cloud network has provided PSE Consulting with a broader, more strategic view of the potential that my organization has over the next year. I’ve gained insights on how to leverage relationships and transform them into real business leads. In the future, I would like to leverage the WIC network to work through next steps to launch the IT Marketplace in international markets, specifically in Mexico and Latin America.

I took a risk when I saw the opportunities for independent consultants; the same must be done for women to rise in countries with emerging technologies. There is a shift happening in technology around the globe, and I want to empower women with equal opportunity to join the movement and accelerate the shift.

As a resident of south Texas, there is a gateway of international opportunity at my fingertips. My vision for collective action within the Women in Cloud program involves creating IT opportunities for women in Mexico and Latin America through education and IT careers. One of the largest populations in North America is in Mexico City, with roughly 21 million people. Imagine the impact if 5% of women in CDMX had access to IT opportunities and training certifications for cloud technologies. The results could and would be life changing!

If you are thinking of breaking in to the gig economy and are ready to think outside the box, I want to hear your stories at the summit. Purchase tickets for the summit today and let us get to work. We are truly in a global inclusive economy and the gig services market is the key. 

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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Countdown to the new year and the Women In Cloud 2020 Summit

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As we wind down 2019, we can’t help but think of all the things we have to be thankful for this past year. Although we still have a lot of work to do in order to see gender equality in the tech industry, we’ve also accomplished a lot of things this past year. 

  • We’ve grown our WIC active network to over 1500 members, more than double where we were one year ago and, as a result, we’ve tripled our audience during this time. 
  • We launched the online WIC Network community to give members an exclusive space to communicate, network, share ideas and help each other through mutual generosity. 
  • We build an Advisor Network comprised of industry executives and subject matter experts.
  • Our Accelerator impact generated $50M in pipeline opportunities and $6M in investments.
  • We’ve expanded the Cloud Accelerator into 8 countries: Canada, UK, France, Germany, India, Kenya, the US and Dubai.
  • We now have 60+ major companies directly participating in the community. 
  • And we’ve garnered major media coverage for WIC on Microsoft, GeekWire, TechNative and more. 

And as we move into 2020, we know we can accomplish amazing things. We’re going to continue launching our community in new countries and territories, add new programs like Executive Dinners and Innovation Hacks, continue to evolve our community into a true Generosity Network, and much more.

We kick off the year with our annual summit, and this year’s promises to be extra special. We’ve added a number of amazing new experiences that not only accelerate growth for women-led technology businesses, but also inspire, connect and harness the amazing power of the community to help solve other major problems we’re facing across the globe. 

Here are our top 5 reasons why you can’t miss out on the 2020 summit:

  1. Learn from relevant industry leaders: there are so many amazing speakers at the summit this year including critically acclaimed performer and author Patti Dobrowolski, and corporate vice president for Microsoft’s One Commercial Partner business, Gavriella Schuster, and many others. You’ll wish you could listen to all of them!
  2. Change the world and yourself in the process – #AISolutions2030 Innovation Hub: Women In Cloud and IdeaGen have partnered together with industry leaders and policy makers to further the 2030 UN global goals through AI-based solutions by launching the #AISolutions2030 Innovation Hub. Leveraging the UN Knowledge Repository, WIC will be bringing some of the sharpest tech and business minds together in one place for a greater purpose, and promises to produce strategic AI solutions directed at solving the UN’s SDG goals.
  3. See up-and-coming women entrepreneurs and women-led business emerging into the spotlight first hand through the #CloudInnovateHER Pitch Challenge: women-led companies developing an enterprise-ready cloud solution that’s earned less than $10M in the past 12 months qualify to enter the pitch challenge. Four finalists will have an opportunity to deliver their pitch during WIC Summit 2020. The winner will be selected at the pitch competition and will receive a prize.
  4. Join in on scintillating conversation with industry leaders at the #CloudExecConnect Executive Roundtables: an intimate group eating together and inspiring through meaningful dialogue around one topic. Each table conversation is facilitated by an industry executive, and you can pick the topic that interests you most. 
  5. Multiple opportunities to network: in addition to the #CloudExecConnect Executive Roundtables, there’s also Collective Action Lounge, as well as the #CloudCommunityConnect: Community Roundtables that are community lead roundtables similar to the executive roundtables. With over 1500 attendees, there are bound to be a number of influencers you can get connected to. 

There are several more reasons to attend, so be sure to register today!

Also, there are other ways to get involved if you’re interested:

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Women in Cloud launches inaugural #CloudInnovateHER Pitch Challenge

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Women in Cloud (WiC), the organization responsible for working with global leaders and policymakers to help women entrepreneurs create economic opportunity, is looking for the next revolutionary innovation in tech-based enterprise solutions. 

We are launching the inaugural #CloudInnovateHER Pitch Challenge on Nov 4, 2019, with the goal of helping women tech entrepreneurs across 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. The #CloudInnovateHER Challenge provides that platform. 

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. [Gartner] Although women founders continue to deliver outsized returns, data demonstrates that they still receive less than 3% of all VC funding, and women-founded companies catering to audiences beyond female consumers receive 54% less funding on average. Plus, there are disproportionately fewer women founding startups that serve enterprise, with only 2% of female entrepreneurs founding B2B companies, compared to 12% of men.

That’s why we at Women in Cloud are generating new ways for women tech entrepreneurs to get better access to funding, education, and a supporting community. 

“We are excited to bring this opportunity to women-owned tech businesses and help them find commercial success by showcasing their enterprise-ready cloud solutions,” says Chaitra Vedullapalli, President of Women in Cloud.  “Here’s a chance for startups and companies to compete on a global scale for a share of $10,000 in cash and access to Cloud Accelerator.” 

This experience is sponsored by industry leaders like Microsoft, Meylah and others, who are also core supporters of expanding enterprise business opportunities to more women entrepreneurs. If indications from the Boston’s Consulting Group’s are correct, then if women entrepreneurs received funding on par with their male colleagues, some estimates indicate that the global economy could experience a $5 trillion boost. Beyond the importance of gender parity, that influx into the global economy would be an incredible lift. 

Be recognized as an up-and-coming leader in the enterprise cloud space, and compete for the top prize of $10,000 to contribute to your business growth.

Qualifying is easy. Women-led companies developing an enterprise-ready cloud solution that’s earned less than $10 million in the past 12 months qualify to enter. Enter your business pitch or encourage others who qualify to enter. 

Solutions will be evaluated for originality, market feasibility, and use of cloud and AI solutions.

Bring us your best pitch. Enter today. 

Who should apply?

  • Ready: Companies that are developing and/or developed an enterprise-ready cloud solution and looking to expand their customer market
  • Set: US registered companies that already have a business plan and are pitch-ready with a commercially viable enterprise-ready cloud solution
  • Change: Companies offering a cloud tech solution that solves enterprise related challenges

Why apply?

  • Exposure to cloud market leaders and their channel partners
  • Access to go-to-market benefits and cloud accelerator
  • Global industry recognition as an innovative enterprise-ready cloud solution
  • Recognition to maintain your company’s competitive edge

What are the competition timelines?

  • Submission: The competition starts at 12:01 a.m. Pacific Time (PT) on Nov 04th, 2019 and ends at 11:59 p.m. PT on Dec 24th, 2019
  • Selection: Finalists will be notified by Jan 6th, 2019, and provided with instructions for next steps
  • Pitch Competition: Four finalists will have an opportunity to deliver their pitch during WIC Summit 2020, Jan 25th, 2020. The winner will be selected at the pitch competition and will receive a prize.

Note: Finalists will be awarded free registration to the Women In Cloud Summit 2020 registration, but will need to arrange and pay for their own travel and expenses related to attending the event. Submissions that aren’t selected will still receive a 15% discount to the event. In addition to having an opportunity to pitch your solution, you’ll have access to top companies and industry leaders from Microsoft, Ingram, SAP, and many more, who will present valuable sessions and invaluable resources throughout the day.

Selection Criteria

  • 50% – Originality of idea which solves real customer need/business problem in the enterprise market
  • 20% – Strong market opportunity & potential revenue stream
  • 30% – Cloud and Artificial Intelligence (AI) is core to the solution

Judges

Judges for the competition include well-known leaders in the enterprise cloud industry with a proven track record of success and provide key influence to the industry at large. Regardless of the outcome, all entrants will benefit from exposure to these influencers. 

Ready to create change for the global good? Apply now

Read the full terms and conditions for more details. 

For more information visit https://www.womenincloud.com/cloudinnovateher/ or contact community@womenincloud.com. 

 

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How to Partner with Cloud Hyperscalers By Nicole Sayler

Hyper-what? 

Let’s start with; what does it mean to hyperscale in terms of technology? By definition, “Hyperscale computing is a distributed infrastructure that can quickly accommodate an increased demand for internet-facing and back-end computing resources without requiring additional physical space, cooling or electrical power.”

An example comes from companies like Microsoft, Google, and Amazon who have the capacity and resources to create a massive infrastructure with many servers in one data center. Those companies invest in the physical equipment to create a data center and carry the ongoing cost and responsibility of maintenance and world-class security. In 2015 alone, Microsoft invested more than a billion dollars in security research and development. **

Partnering with a hyperscaler is beneficial because instead of spending time, money and resources on physical infrastructure, partners can ‘rent’ out cloud space. Why build the entire data center when you can use a hyperscalers cloud and pay for only what you use, when you need it? Hyperscalers enable any company to dream big without being held back by the limitations of a large capital expense.

At Microsoft, we look to at companies (we call them our partners) to help us scale and to provide our customers with the solutions they need to digitally transform their business. “For everyone working with partners, I encourage you to ask yourself “what could be?” and explore new, creative ways to do interesting things that add value back to our platforms for customers” -Satya Nadella in Hit Refresh

Hyper-why? 

So, you’re sold on the cloud. Wonderful. But there’s another huge reason beyond the ROI, security, and scalability of using a hyperscalers cloud. Companies like Microsoft, Google, and Amazon have an existing customer base, extensive sales team, and an experienced partner network.

Microsoft alone has over 3,500 field sellers who manage customers and are aligned with teams of technical resources. Leveraging customer/seller relationships to accelerate sales is a game-changing strategy for partners at every level.

Being able to sell with Microsoft is a fast way to augment and enable your own sales force. Joining the Microsoft Partner Network (MPN) opens the door to Go-To-Market benefits, which provides marketing and branding resources for partners.

 

Hyper-how? 

Microsoft leverages its partner ecosystem to scale its solutions and digitally transform the way customers do business. One focus is having partners publish apps within the Microsoft Azure Marketplace and/or AppSource.

Within those marketplaces partners, list offers and trials, manage and monitor apps, and sell directly to customers within the Microsoft global ecosystem. Once the app has been published, there are additional Go-To-Market benefits like; Marketplace performance insights, White-glove Azure Active Directory (AAD) integration, and on-boarding and One Commercial Partner (OCP) catalog listing. The OCP catalog is especially influential, as it is utilized by Microsoft sellers to determine which partners have the solutions necessary for their customer’s digital transformation. Below is a link to more information on how to publish an app;

https://partner.microsoft.com/en-us/isv-resource-hub/publish-your-app

 

Whether the IP solution has yet to be developed or just needs help to move forward, the Partner Development Management (PDM) team at Microsoft can help. The PDM team works specifically with new solutions to get them into Microsoft Cloud and can help Independent Software Vendors (ISV’s) by engaging technical resources, publishing apps in Marketplace/AppSource, and becoming Co-Sell ready.

To significantly increase the reach, visibility and performance of an IP solution/app contact; ipdmteamus@microsoft.com

Next Steps to Partner with Microsoft:

  1. Get a Microsoft Partner Network ID (MPN ID). https://partner.microsoft.com/en-us/support/partner-center-help
  2. Have a conversation with a PDM about your solution; ipdmteamus@microsoft.com
  3. Visit the Microsoft Partner page to get more information for every level/partner type. https://partner.microsoft.com/en-US/

Credit : Nicole Sayler

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