Announcing #WICxAnnualSummit2023: Igniting Collective Responsibility & ESG Leadership

, , , , , , , , , ,

What do you get when you take over 100 women and allies from around the world, put them in a room for three weeks, and ask them to change the world?

You get Women in Cloud (WIC), hosting their fifth annual Women in Cloud Summit beginning January 26, 2023. 

The three-week hybrid experience will combine unique virtual programming with in-person events and exclusive opportunities that promise to be memorable, empowering and inspiring. The 2023 Annual Summit ignites the power of “Collective Responsibility” through purpose, innovation and excellence to accelerate ESG leadership and solutions to drive responsible businesses.

The summit will explore the increasing pace of Cloud & AI technology, create a global hub for sustainable tech solutions, accelerate ESG + T innovations and provide the platform to transform our collective community into resilient leaders and responsible global enterprises. 

 Across the hybrid programming, attendees will hear from inspirational speakers, connect and communicate with industry leaders and experts, and network with each other, both virtually and in-person.

The summit also offers a unique opportunity to participate in a virtual World Record attempt, as WIC community is ready to set the record for most vision boards uploaded in 24-hours. 

Since its inception, Women in Cloud’s Annual Summit has become one of the world’s most influential community events for women in technology, led by top industry women leaders, CEOs, Executives and allies focused on global, sustainable impact.

Attended by an international audience from more than 25 countries, the Annual Summit is driving the economic access narrative on a global scale. 

To learn more or get your tickets to Women in Cloud’s Annual Summit visit: https://womenincloud.com/wicxannualsummit-2023/

So don’t miss out on this opportunity—register today!

 

Impact of 2022 Annual Summit: 

The Women in Cloud Summit 2021 will build on the success of last year’s event. Themed Collective Influence, the 2022 Summit brought together 1000+ participants and speakers from 28 countries, including the UN of cloud brands, entrepreneurs, technologists, policy makers and global leaders. The event programming was specifically designed to drive curated and organic connections for driving economic development to create $1 billion in economic access for women tech entrepreneurs. 

 

What Our Community Is Saying:

  • “It has been awesome. I’m so impressed with the lineup! I’ve written down quite a few gems
  • to meme-ify to keep me inspired!” – Sarah C.
  • “Thank you WIC! For me there is a bit of silver lining for having the Summit online. It would have been hard for me to participate in person. I am grateful for every minute spent with you amazing ladies” – Zana P.
  • “So refreshing to discuss these topics with other women technologists!!!” – Bailey M.
  • “So moving and vulnerable! Thank you so much for showing us it’s all possible.” – Maria
  • “Amazing panel!! Love how it felt actionable!” – Nicole C.
  • “Marketplace strategy, invest in customer demand, build and expand .. Whoa! I am learning big time! Thanks to the whole team!” – Carolina
  • “Thank you WIC for all the support so far!” – Bhavya A.
  • “Thank you panelists! Lots of helpful takeaways to digest. Thank you Patti for the brilliant visual to support and inspire!” – Sara B. 
  • “Great insights and inspiration today from the founders. #CollectiveInfluence in action!” – Gena G.

 

To learn more or get your tickets to Women in Cloud’s Annual Summit visit: https://womenincloud.com/wicxannualsummit-2023/

So don’t miss out on this opportunity—read the press release to get involved.

/by

2022 CEO Outlook by KPMG & ESGT Opportunities

, , , , ,

We got chance to read the research KPMG 2022 CEO Outlook, which asked more than 1,300 CEOs at the world’s largest businesses about their strategies and outlook, reveals that 58 percent of leaders expect a recession to be mild and short. Fourteen percent of senior executives identify a recession among the most pressing concerns today — up slightly from early 2022 (9 percent), while pandemic fatigue tops the list (15 percent).

This is a fantastic news!!

Global CEOs see a ‘mild and short’ recession, yet optimistic about global economy over 3-year horizon

Few Insights

  • Hiring freezes and headcount reductions under heavy consideration for CEOs
  • Uncertainty fueling long-term digital transformation : While current uncertainty is driving CEOs to continue to prioritize digital transformation, 40 percent of businesses have paused their digital transformation strategies and another 37 percent plan to take such steps in the next 6 months.
  • Evolving focus toward reputational and technological risks : Emerging and disruptive technology has landed as the top risk to business growth over the next 3 years. In addition, CEOs have identified several other areas as top risks to growth: reputation, regulatory and operational issues, and climate change.
  • Cyber security no longer corporations’ biggest threat, with more companies prepared for attacks. Cyber security has dropped from the top 5 risks to growth over the past year, with only 6 percent of CEOs naming it as their top risk (17 percent in February 2022).
  • Stakeholder pressure increasing accountability in ESG : More than one-third (38 percent) of CEOs say their organizations struggle to articulate a compelling ESG story. Nearly three-quarters of respondents (72 percent) also believe that stakeholder scrutiny of ESG issues — gender equality, climate impacts etc. — will continue to accelerate.
  • Economic pressure slowing ESG ambitions : Global CEOs recognize the importance of ESG initiatives to their businesses, especially when it comes to improving financial performance and driving growth. In fact, 69 percent of senior executives noted greater demand from stakeholders for increased reporting and transparency on ESG — 58 percent in 2021.

Download the report

If you are looking for answers I would like to invite you to join us on October 13th for our #WICxUNGA 2022 Signature Summit event presented by KPMG!

The 2nd annual #WICxUNGA 2022 Summit is bringing together business, tech and community leaders for enriching and inspiring discussions about the future of ESG+T and UN 2030 Goals.

The agenda includes keynotes, in-depth fireside chats, interactive panels plus power talks with some of the top names in tech and leading experts including Kim Folsom – CEO & Founder of Founders First Capital Partners, Erika Murdock Balbuena – Head of ESG at Robinhood, Colleen O’Brien – CMO at Armoire, Andrea Perkins – Vice President at Insight Enterprise, Tegan Keele – IMPACT Climate Data & Technology Leader at KPMG, Gena Goh – Channel Inclusion & Impact Senior Strategy Lead at Microsoft and many more.

c

What can you expect at #WICxUNGA virtual event?

  • Keynote on ESG plus T Mega Trends
  • CLevel ESG Fireside Chat: Exploring Your Career: An Executive’s Journey Leading ESG Narratives
  • CXO Panel: ESG plus T: Tech as ESG Issue, Risk and Value Influencer
  • Power Talk: Differentiate and Grow your Business Microsoft #BuildFor2030 Hackathon 2022
  • Own Your Narrative Bootcamp: ESG=T Focused Personal Brand Building
  • ESG+T Advisory Roundtable Discussions

 Signup: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/wicxunga-building-a-sustainable-tech-industry-tickets-403527289987

KPMG and Meylah has total of 30 virtual scholarship tickets and available at no cost with the code “WICxESG”.  Please feel free to share this special invite and promo code with your colleagues, or community network.

/by

How to build an influential network through trusted relationships

,

In a world where we frequently feel like we are always being barraged by networking events, it can be easy to forget the importance of building strong, trusted relationships. However, these relationships are what make up an influential network, so it is worth taking the time to cultivate habits to build them.

Chaitra Vedullapalli, President of Women In Cloud, has always been driven to leave a positive impression everywhere she goes. She is an outstanding advocate for opening new economic opportunities for people everywhere, especially women. This blog includes tips for developing a trustworthy relationship drawn from her experiences.

The strength of trust is the foundation of all the best relationships in our life. The correct degree of faith enables us to share our most sensitive tales, connect on a deeper level, and build stronger relationships, bringing the confidence to be fully seen, heard, and understood without bias or concern about rejection. Therefore, when we consider trust, especially in personal and professional relationships, it is essential to help make important decisions, accelerate your progress, and provide you with the best possibilities to become purpose-driven leaders.

The most challenging aspect of building trust is in these three areas: 

  1. Understanding how to go about earning someone’s trust. Most of us are unable to create lasting bonds with others. 
  2. Ability to measure strong relationships. You might discuss it, but you have no idea what it looks like or how to quantify it. 
  3. Let someone know when they have betrayed your confidence. Often, it is important to speak up.

Here are some pointers for developing a powerful network through trusted relationships:

  1. Seek out opportunities to connect with others. Whether this means attending industry events or simply striking up conversations with people you meet in your everyday life, leverage on every scenario to connect with others.  
  2. Get involved in your community. Participating in community activities is a terrific way to make new friends and build relationships of trust. Not only will you be able to help make a difference, but you will also get to know people from all levels of society.
  3. Be a reliable resource. People will come to you with questions and problems when you become known as a reliable resource. In turn, this will help build trust and strengthen your relationships. 
  4. Offer your assistance. Help someone if you see they are having trouble. It might be anything, such as offering to assist with a project or lending an ear when someone needs to talk.
  5. Stay connected. Once you have made a connection, do not let it fall by the wayside – stay connected! Whether sending a quick email or connecting on social media, staying in touch will help keep your relationships stronger. By following these tips, you will be well on your way to building an influential network.  

As with the tips mentioned earlier, Chaitra adheres to a trust framework that she believes helped her build strong connections, given to her by coach when she worked Oracle and it is called ‘the ROCC of trust. In ROCC framework, R stands for Reliability, O for Open-Honesty, and Cs for Competence and Compassion.

Even in a business relationship, trust is an essential factor. Without trust, how can we ever feel safe and secure working with others, or be sure that the association meets our professional needs? The tactics listed above are ways to develop a network of reliable connections. Even though they are binary options that exist or do not, they can help you build a robust network that can support your goals.

Here is a video of some fantastic insights shared by Chaitra –

/by

WICxInspire 2022 Recap: Adoption of Cloud Marketplaces As A New Route to Enterprise Market

, , , , , , , , ,

On Thursday, July 14, the Women in Cloud community engaged in #WICxINSPIRE, presented by Kyndryl. Where we reimagined the use of hyperscaler cloud marketplaces to drive digital transformation and a new route to market.

Emcee Sonia Dara, Chief of Staff at Microsoft, created a warm welcome at the stage. Chaitra Vedullapalli, Co-Founder & President, Women in Cloud and CMO, Meylah and Sheetal Rishi, Senior Partner, Cloud Engineering & Development at Kyndryl brought important information and contagious excitement of strategic partnership with Women In Cloud within the Opening Remarks.

Then our Keynote, Jacqueline Woods, EVP & CMO at Teradata, brought us Leading Strategic Partnerships with Hyperscalers with audience Q&A led by Michelle Pruitt, Principal Program Manager, Microsoft & Women In Cloud Board of Advisor. 

The CXO Panel: Mastering Co-Sell GTM with Hyperscalers with Gail Mercer-Mckay, Vince Menzione, Amy Bray, and Annemarie Dev, moderated by Sharan Hildebrand. This panel showed you how to make sure that you have all the right factors in place before launching any new products or opening any new channels.

Then we went to Bootcamp! #CloudFounders Bootcamp began with Christine Puccio, VP, Global Cloud Alliances & GTM Programs, JFrog and Chaitra Vedullapalli led us through a Fireside Chat on “Leading Co-Sell Product Launch Strategies with Hyperscalers.” Then Chaitra Vedullapalli, led the workshop “How to Secure Funding For Eligible GTM Strategies from Hyperscalers” with proven tactics for your GTM strategy.

Next we celebrated the finalists and winners for the #empowHERaccess 2022 awards, Emceed by Amy Protexter, Senior Vice President, North America Marketing at Insight. We had wonderful award presenters from our sponsors: Camille Geiger from Boeing for the Cloud Advisor of the Year Award Presenter; Regina Manfredi from Teradata for the Supplier of Year Award Presenter; Andrea Perkins from Insight for the Digital Transformation Project of the Year; Dikasse Zalla from Avanade for the Investor of the Year Award; Katie Franzen from Accenture Women in Technology Outstanding Leadership Award.

Congratulations to the winners: Gena Goh, Beth White, Neal Dempsey, Ashley Miller, Elif Tutuk!

 

Then we joined our masterclass of advisors for intimate roundtable discussions on: Tech Leadership Roles, Executive Leadership and Presence, Tech Platforms, Business Partnerships, and Business Conversations. Thank you to our advisors: Nehal Mehta, Sreelakshmy G, Colleen O’Brien, Dhaval Shah, Sandhya Parameswara, Shirelle Francis, Anamarie Franc, Sahiti Bayana, Keri Smith, Geetha Gandhi, Ebony Burroughs, Amina Sartaj, Laura Sewell, Natasha Eichman, and Emily Colby.

Keep an eye for WIC’s next exciting initiatives:

Announcing the first WIC 100 Influencer NFTS! 

  • Get your WIC Influencer Limited 2022 Edition NFT: Pre-Order Now! 

The Exclusive Gold Edition NFT Includes Access to:

  • Annual Access Pass
  • WICxIcons Celebration Dinner
  • #WICxSummit2023 Speaker Opportunity

 

/by

Launching #WICxTOP100 Campaign: Designed As A Perfect Cosell GTM Solution for Women Tech Founders

, , , , , ,

Do you remember a time when you were so excited about something that you didn’t know how to share all the details to get others excited?

Well, here at Women In Cloud we are going through that same type of excitement, and we completely forgot to share all the details to get our community just as excited!

Last week, we launched our marquee Cosell GTM and content development campaign called the #WICxTop100. The entire campaign is designed to help women tech founders build, plug, and play GTM content during the busiest season of the year, all while making it easy to participate in the upcoming 4 month campaign.

The intention behind this campaign is recognizing that building cloud cosell GTM is very expensive (usually costs over 20K or more), labor intensive (usually one to two resources), and many founders do not have the digital marketing experience needed. After having many conversations, the community came together to pull an integrated hybrid campaign that focused on the following benefits:

  1. Brand Development and Awareness : provide assets to easily build brand within the tech industry
  2. Customer Demand Generation : invitations to events and experiences to meet people
  3. Build Partnerships with Hyperscalers and Channel Partners : connect to hyperscaler programs to establish partnerships
  4. Generate Lead via Marketplaces : showcase SAAS solution and offers to attract customers
  5. Increase knowledge to become world class entrepreneurs

Now the question is how does it work?

  1. To take advantage of the #WICxTop100, our plug and play GTM engine you need to take ACTION. This means you need to signup to be invited to engage in the Cosell activities. Signup here.
  2. Once you signup, you will be invited to participate in the many GTM activities.
  3. You will also be given a dedicated template to create your content so we can jointly promote to create access to customers, partners and future employees.

What can you create through this campaign?

Here is a list of assets you can develop. It is up to you and your company to decide what outcomes you want to accomplish.

  • Joint Press Release
  • Blog Post – Sharing Insights
  • eBook or High Value Asset
  • Customer Offer on marketplaces
  • Solution Spotlight and Demos
  • Webinar Content
  • Customer List
  • Partner List
  • Press Kit – You and/or company
  • Email Nurture Campaign
  • Formulate a Perfect Solution Narrative
  • Cosell Messaging Framework
  • Philanthropic Story and more

What will you receive when you participate in the #WICxTop100 Founder Campaign?

  • Get educated: 4 hour bootcamp on Building Cosell Partnership with Cloud Hyperscalers
  • Meet Influential Executives at the #WICxIcons 2022: Executive Dinner at Seattle, WA
  • Get seen by Fortune 1000 companies – Top100 Enterprise Ready Cloud Solutions List
  • Get featured on Industry stages and community stages
  • Create unique content for your business
  • Get invited to participate in Microsoft #Buildfor2030 Hackathon and opportunities
  • Monthly roundtables to meet fellow women tech founders and explore joint partnerships to scale
  • Connect with Boeing, Accenture, Insight, Microsoft, Avanade, Teradata, Google and more
  • Get invited to participate in Cloud Accelerator 8.0

What is the roadmap for me and my company to participate?

Every experience that is design is to help you achieve goals within your GTM plan.

No alt text provided for this image

Wondering? If you are ready or not?

Take a free Cloud Cosell Marketing Assessment.

It takes 15 minutes but you will know the reality of how much you need.

If you see lot many reds and oranges, then you are 100% ready to participate.

Actually, the reality is that you need it more than anyone else. It is an indication that you must invest in GTM activities.

What are the qualification criteria for selection?

  • Companies with at least one woman in the C-level role with decision making power in the company
  • Based anywhere across the globe
  • Solution Built on Cloud Hyperscaler platform such as Microsoft Cloud, AWS, Google Cloud, Salesforce, IBM Cloud and/or AliCloud.
  • Those targeting enterprise opportunities in any industry sector with a potential to scale
  • Must be in business for one year with one pilot customer and developed a cloud solution
  • One or more of the business’ solutions directly impact one or more of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
  • Looking to Cosell their solutions through Microsoft, Google, AWS, IBM, Salesforce and their distribution channels

What will it cost?

  • $129 plus 3.49% processing fee to get access.
  • Deadline to apply : Oct3rd, 2022

Where can I signup?

Learn more here: https://womenincloud.com/wicxtop100/

Apply Here: https://womenincloud.submittable.com/submit/231817/wicxtop100

/by