As of 2020, only 14.2 percent of people in the cloud computing industry were women – a number that is not improving. We believe that economic growth should be inclusive, reaching every person, organization, community, and country. And it all starts with increasing access to digital skills.

Women in Cloud recognized the importance of cloud certification in building an inclusive workforce and had the reach, approach, partnerships, and engine to make a meaningful impact. We embarked on a journey to test three hypotheses:

  1. What does it take for women to be job-ready in cloud technologies?
  2. What partnerships do we need to deliver micro-credentials and hands-on learning experiences?
  3. What wrap-around services do women need to succeed, including partnerships with Coursera, universities, and tech companies?

Through our experimentation, we learned that it takes $6,000 to $10,000 to provide the necessary services for women/anyone to be job-ready. However, this approach was expensive and not easily scalable. Determined to find a solution, we reverse-engineered a pathway to access $100K Cloud Tech Jobs.

A Breakthrough: Cloud Certification for $250

Collaborating with the Microsoft and Women in Cloud’s Board of Advisors, we identified what it takes to achieve cloud tech certification and devised a plan to make it possible.

After distributing 3,000 scholarships in just 15 months across 65 countries, we are thrilled to announce a breakthrough – women and allies can now become technically certified on Microsoft Cloud products for just $250.

Launching #WICxCloudScholarship Fund

Led by our esteemed Board of Advisors, the Women In Cloud Scholarship Fund is a collective effort driven by our vibrant community. Our mission is clear: to establish and sustain a fund that will empower women by awarding 1,000 life-changing cloud and AI scholarships. Over the next 24 to 48 months, we aim to raise $250,000 to pave the way for women to excel in the cloud industry, fostering diversity and innovation along the way.

We believe that giving is a calling, and giving smart is a choice. But that’s not all. We made it affordable, tax-deductible, and sustainable. This will allow every individual to contribute to the Cloud and AI Workforce Development and make Tech Industry Inclusive.

This holiday season we are launching an innovative campaign “Hope Rises With Every Donation”

In the boundless digital universe, the cloud is a cornerstone of our technological future. However, not everyone has the opportunity to harness its power. This community-driven campaign aims to empower women by providing cloud certification scholarships.  Our mission is to raise funds to create 1,000 Cloud Certification Scholarships.

We believe Hope Rises with Every Donation.

Be a part of this transformative giving campaign and help us make a difference! Your contribution can be the turning point in someone’s life. For more information, visit : https://www.gofundme.com/f/wicxcloudscholarshipfund

No Donation Is Too Small

That’s why we offer a variety of tax-smart giving options for your 2023 donations to maximize their effect:

Save on taxes and make an impact: Make a $250+ gift and receive a charitable deductions and sponsor a woman to become cloud certified. Plus get invited to become a mentor/advisor.

We invite you to champion a woman’s ambition and pave the way for her to achieve cloud certification. Together, we can create a more inclusive and diverse future in the tech industry.

Donate and Make an Impact Today

Together, let’s champion her ambition and make the tech industry more inclusive and diverse. Join the #WICxCloudScholarship Fund today!

Connect with Chaitra if you want to join the fundraising team.

Your support matters. Let’s create an Inclusive Future. Champion Her Ambition with Cloud Scholarships and Your Mentorships.

Join us for an exciting and informative event as we dive into the world of aerospace and explore how cloud computing is revolutionizing the industry. The WICxCLOUDCXO Series brings together industry leaders, experts, and executives to discuss the latest advancements in cloud technology and their impact on the aerospace sector.

This event is designed for Corporate Executive Women and Allies, GSI Leaders, SAAS and MSP Founders, and Women Exploring Career Opportunities. Don’t miss this chance to learn from industry leaders and connect with like-minded professionals.

CXO Keynote: The Cloud Takes Flight: How Cloud Computing is Reshaping Aerospace

Our keynote speaker, Niki Allen, CIO/CTO of Boeing Corporation, will share her insights on how cloud computing is transforming the aerospace industry. She will discuss the benefits of adopting cloud technology, the opportunities in this industry, and the future of aerospace in the age of cloud and AI computing.

Thought Leadership Panel: Reimagining Aerospace with Cloud Computing: A Look into the Future

This thought-provoking panel discussion will be moderated by Brenda Berger, Product Manager and will feature the following panelists:

  • Naina Dhareshwar, Executive Director
  • Duke McMillin, Director of Enterprise Cloud Solutions
  • Adam Johnson, Executive Director, Software Engineering
  • Aarti Singh, Sr. Director IT&DA and CIO Boeing India
  • Jennifer Davis, IT Director of Engineering Systems

These industry experts will share their perspectives on how cloud computing is driving innovation in aerospace, the challenges and opportunities it presents, and what the future holds for this rapidly evolving sector.

Attend Breakout Room – Cloud Technology Innovations

In this interactive breakout session, you’ll have the opportunity to explore the latest cloud technology innovations and their applications in aerospace. Learn from our advisors:

  • Naina Dhareshwar, Executive Director
  • Duke McMillin, Director of Enterprise Cloud Solutions
  • Adam Johnson, Executive Director, Software Engineering
  • Aarti Singh, Sr. Director IT&DA and CIO Boeing India
  • Brenda Berger, Product Manager

A Day In A Life of Boeing Executives

Get a glimpse into the daily lives of Boeing executives as they navigate the challenges and opportunities presented by cloud computing in the aerospace industry.

This unique session will provide valuable insights into the decision-making processes and strategies employed by these leaders.

Register for this event now and be part of the conversation as we explore the future of aerospace and cloud computing.

Exciting Announcement!!

We are thrilled to let you know we have partnered with Guinness World Record to create an immersive experience ideal for women and allies of all ages looking to change gears in their lives, whether transitioning from high school to college, college to career, employment to self-employment, employment to retirement, or those seeking a change in their career fields.

Join Women in Cloud as we take on a GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS title attempt for the most users in a vision board video hangout.

As part of their Annual Summit 2023 programming, the #WICxWorldRecord project aims to create a digital collage of 500 unique “Future You” vision boards, individually uploaded during the event and shared via an online album.

The record-setting event will take place on February 1, 2023 and will be led by Patti Dobrowolski, visual thinker and change activator, and Founder of Up Your Creative Genius. During the three-hour session, Patti will lead participants through her unique process for defining their “Future You” identity, supporting those in transitional periods of their personal and professional lives in identifying who they want to become and the bold steps they will take to get there.

“It has been proven that creating a picture of your future, putting it somewhere you can see it everyday and taking incremental actions to achieve your future substantially increases your chances of success”, says Patti Dobrowolski. “One of the best ways that you can cope with whatever experience or challenge you’re facing is by drawing a picture of the ‘future you’ on the other side of it.”

“I have had the pleasure of doing previous vision boarding sessions with Patti and believe in the power they hold for reflecting on your growth and achievements”, said Sharan Hildebrand, Vice President of Hitachi Group Companies. “I look forward to participating in the #WICxWorldRecord event and highly recommend the experience to anyone else in a time of transition or growth.”

This immersive experience is designed to support women and allies looking to change gears in their lives, whether transitioning from high school to college, college to career, employment to self-employment, employment to retirement, or those seeking a change in their career fields.

“#WICxWorldRecord is more than just a GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS title attempt,” said Chaitra Vedullapalli, President and Co-Founder of Women in Cloud, “it’s an opportunity to learn to lead through transition to help others achieve success while building an accountability network to achieve your vision.”

To learn more about the #WICxWorldRecord event or register to participate in the history-making experience visit: https://women-in-cloud-network.mn.co/feed

The ESG movement has taken the business world by storm — encouraging companies to measure and disclose their “environmental, social, and governance” goals and impacts. The health of the movement rests in consumers and stakeholders holding businesses to higher standards; consumers want to promote positive change with their money, and investors now use ESG performance to determine the value and risk of their investments.

That’s why it has never been more important to develop diverse ESG leaders. After all, even the best ESG initiatives can fail under the wrong leadership. In this article, we’re going to explore three of the biggest mistakes companies make while developing ESG leaders — and how they can correct them.

Mistake 1: Underestimating Just How New the “ESG Leader” Role is

There isn’t yet a defined ESG leader skillset. In fact, the movement is so new that many of the heads of some of the largest companies’ ESG programs don’t have previous ESG experience. Instead, their past experience varies, including consultancy, DEI roles (diversity, equity, and Inclusion), public affairs, and trade journal editors.

You can see a pattern here. The key to developing effective ESG leaders is identifying relevant core competencies. For instance, valuable skills may include experience with research, communications, strategy deployment, key leader engagement, and cross-organizational collaboration. These are excellent qualities that can be put to use to transform a company’s impacts and values.

Mistake 2: Framing ESG as Merely a Communication Effort

While developing ESG leaders, it’s crucial to show that there’s complete buy-in from the boardroom, confluence with company values, and synergy with the business strategy. The people in charge of the initiative must know that ESG isn’t just a move to boost public relations or please stakeholders — it’s a core element of the business. It isn’t just about one department or one quarter.

This is company-wide future-proofing intended to improve the impacts of the business on its customers, employees, and world. As such, all prospective ESG leaders should maintain a clear line of communication between the board and senior management. Leaders who understand the scope, mission, and execution of ESG will be able to coordinate policy adherence across the entire company. In this way, ESG leaders will be able to achieve full adoption and burst through silos because they understand how initiative policies affect different departments.

Mistake 3: Underestimating the Importance of Diverse Women Leaders

One Deloitte survey found that executives considered diversity, equity, and inclusion as the major disclosure topic, inching out greenhouse gas emissions, health and safety, and governance practices. The importance of this cannot be overstated. If your ESG leaders and decision-makers don’t include enough diverse voices and women, then people without the lived experience of this major disclosure topic will be making decisions on their behalf. 

After all, strong ESG initiatives start with great data — and there’s no better source to learn about diversity dynamics than from diverse leaders. To them, it’s personal. That’s why companies must prioritize diverse women decision-makers and consciously bring them to the table, not to check boxes, not as a gesture, but to ensure that well-informed and successful ESG goals will be proposed and accomplished.

Start Leading a Successful ESG Initiative Now

The Women in Cloud (WiC) team spends a lot of time with enterprise ESG initiatives. The truth is, many organizations don’t have access to an ESG-driven leadership program that empowers women, and as a result, they’re incurring a massive opportunity cost.

That’s why we created a next-generation Corporate ESG Women’s Leadership Program called WICxLead.

The WICxLead program solves the inclusive programming problem for CEOs and their board of directors by helping them develop an ESG business case and operating model while accelerating brand, thought, and community development. Ready to start?

Women comprise half of the world’s population yet are underrepresented in the leading $7 Trillion dollar cloud tech industry.

There are many reasons for it, starting with..

  • Lack of mentors (48 percent)
  • Lack of female role models in the field (42%)
  • Gender bias in the workplace (39%)
  • Unequal growth opportunities compared to men (36%)
  • Unequal pay for the same skills (35%)

What we know is that the critical factor in determining young girls’ success is when you can unlock access to digital literacy, role models, opportunities and community.

In 2023, Women in Cloud is partnering with strategic partners to participate in #GivingTuesday campaign on Nov29th to support 100 young girls in 2023 to create access tech scholarships, adult mentors, internship projects, community events, education and more to develop them as young leaders.

To achieve our vision, we need an investment of $1,000 for every girl to get access to resources year-long and provide quality support to develop them as young leaders.

Our future generations are counting on us and need our support to provide WICxYoungGirls program in the tech ecosystem who are in need of scholarships, mentorship, and development opportunities.

Your donation will help change the lives of  100 young girls to access tech scholarships, adult mentors, internship projects, community events, education, and more to develop them as young leaders!

Join us in supporting these extraordinary young girls to lift them up, inspire them to be bold, and encourage them to take on the world!

Can we count on you to support 100 young girls to access tech opportunities in 2023?

Donate here:https://www.gofundme.com/f/wicxyounggirls-access-to-stem-opportunities