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Three Ways To Engage with Fortune 1000 Companies to Create Billion Dollar Economic Impact. Join Us!

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We are so excited to announce the launch of #empowHERaccess campaign this month.

#empowHERaccess is an annual digital advocacy campaign by Women in Cloud to generate greater economic access for women in technology. The inaugural 2020 campaign focused on the disruptions women in technology founders were facing, and anticipating, in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, while WIC’s 2020 programming aimed to offer the access and opportunities women technology professionals need for recovery and continued success.

The 2021 #empowHERaccess campaign will bring together a number of facets to better understand the Global Crisis the pandemic has created for women entrepreneurs, and celebrate the many stories of pivots and perseverance.

As we were shaping the narrative, the community and Fortune companies wanted us to provide solutions to involve women tech founders as part of the digital transformation roadmap. Based on the feedback, I brainstormed the Forbes article to highlight tangible practices that can be implemented now to double the supplier diversity to create billions of dollars in economic impact using the collective power of Fortune 1000 companies.

So, What can Fortune 1000 companies do?

Systematic change requires collective action by organizations large enough to influence and maintain change. Some groundbreaking ideas to doubling the supplier diversity in Fortune 1000 companies for digital transformation could be:

  1. Strategic digital transformation planning with diverse suppliers. Digital transformation is shifting the competitive landscape for many organizations. As you seek to partner with new partners, it is important to look for diverse suppliers who are willing to work with you on the journey while you extend your talent workforce.
  2. Policy Refinement. Research conducted by the Harvard Business Review claims that 52% of women in STEM careers will eventually leave because of hostile work environments where the company culture is not accommodating of women. The gap in the pipeline can be addressed by establishing policies within Fortune 1000 companies changing the landscape, forever allowing women to lead and develop solutions for the future and bring them into supplier ecosystems.
  3. Underwrite certifications. To accelerate the rise of women-led supply chains, Fortune 1000 needs to take on the onus of underwriting certifications to reduce the burden on diverse technology suppliers trying to build and raise their business. Supplier certifications are a huge investment that largely contributes to small businesses with a lack of funds being unable to deliver to their full capability.
  4. Focused networking with buyers. It is a no-brainer that networking is an essential element for business growth; however, facilitating focused networking sessions will help explore unique and creative solutions developed in a diverse environment.
  5. Solution Showcase. Sixty percent of digital sales are carried out through online marketplaces already, and the number of new marketplaces is growing rapidly to create visibility of potential solutions. Access solutions from Women In Cloud solution marketplace that helps buyers access enterprise-ready solutions developed by women founders for Fortune 1000 companies to incorporate in their supplier network. 

The solution is quite simple to pinpoint, if we double down on investments and engagements with female founders, the world’s largest organizations could succeed in abolishing the gender gap in tech entrepreneurship while accelerating economic recovery. 

At Women in Cloud we are committed to developing solutions and generating resources that are dedicated to enabling Fortune brands and enterprise companies to create an economic impact; 

1. WiCxFortune100 Initiative: A turn-key equity advancing solutions for Fortune 100 companies to come together and collectively solve gender-equity challenges through representation, recruitment and relationship building.

2. WiC Solution Marketplace: A one-stop-shop for technology solutions and services for the mid-to-enterprise market, created, owned, and operated by women entrepreneurs.

3. Fortune 100 Lunch and Learn Series: A high-level networking experience designed to open the doors for leading fortune companies and brands to connect with technology business builders. 

I invite you and your brand to get engaged with us to unlock economic access while making the supplier programs diverse and inclusive in the ecosystem.

Website: https://womenincloud.com 

Calling all female tech founders to take 2021 Edition of Covid19 Impact Survey to help us identify and build economic relief and recovery solutions

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Launching 2021 #empowHERaccess, Digital Advocacy Campaign! Get Engaged!

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Women in Cloud (WIC) has partnered with M12 – Microsoft’s Venture Capital Fund to launch #empowHERaccess is an annual digital advocacy campaign by Women in Cloud to generate greater economic access for women in technology. 

Campaign pillars include the following:

Last year WIC released the inaugural COVID-19 Impact Report, focused on the disruptions women in technology entrepreneurs & founders were facing, and anticipating, in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. The report predicted that, through 2020, COVID-19 would become a major obstacle for women in tech. Leveraging the 2020 insights from the research, WIC delivered targeted programming aimed to increase economic access for tech entrepreneurs founders and to build their business skills.  

Complete the #EmpowHERaccess COVID-19 Impact Survey

A year later, we are only beginning to truly understand the impact that COVID-19 has had on women in tech. Leveraging the 2020 insights from the research, Women in Cloud delivered targeted programming aimed to create access to business development opportunities for tech entrepreneurs & founders to get economic relief and recovery for continued success.   

Calling all Female Tech Founders and Entrepreneurs!

We would like to hear from you. Tell us how the pandemic has affected your business, and how we can help you, by completing our survey by June 30, 2021.

We are inviting you to represent your business, your voice, and the impact of the pandemic to produce the insights needed to develop valuable programming and solutions to relieve your business. 

Learn more: https://www.womenincloud.com/empowheraccess-campaign/

#empowHERaccess

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How to Scale and be Valuable in the Competitive Industry of Technology?

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I have faced unimaginable challenges as a female minority Engineer, Inventor, and Small Business Owner, but maintained the right attitude and stayed-the-course that led me to victory. I have been ignored, rejected, and pushed into the rubble of non-existence, but I maintained an exhilarating presence in the community as I continued to polish my skills and expertise, to remain relevant to the new trends of technology. My inspiration ignited during the 2020 Microsoft Inspire Conference as I attentively listened to the motivational presentation of Gavriella Schuster.  I was truly inspired to learn how she faced her challenges and embraced her victories.  I immediately connected with Gavriella Schuster through the online portal, after her presentation, of which she in-turn introduced me to Chaitra Vedullapalli and the Women In Cloud community. Since my membership with Women In Cloud, I have been extremely elated to be among such an elite group of women in tech.

The Women in Cloud community opened the door wide open for me to participate, collaborate, and contribute to the growth of women in the technology industry. With this opportunity, I hope to make the following achievements:

  1. I desire to break down the barriers that many Women in Cloud may experience with regards to rejection; non-inclusiveness; prejudging their ability to deliver robust solutions; and not receiving adequate resources to deliver exceptional products and services that would validate their value and worth. While this problem is bad among many women in tech, statistics prove that the problem is worse among female minorities in tech.
  2. I hope to show the Women In Cloud how they can remain valuable, even when faced with fierce opposition.
  3. I desire to empower and inspire our youth to embrace innovation, along with obtaining a heart and passion that is needed to maintain value and competitive advantage.
  4. I desire to partner with Women in Cloud to make a notable investment in the less fortunate communities that hold great value. Talented and smart women have been buried by the system due to lack of resources, opportunities, and the prejudging of their ability to deliver exceptional products and services. I hope to change the image with how many women in tech are seen and embraced as second class citizens, to being embraced as valuable, profitable,  and key players to the team. 

Furthermore, I would like to collaborate with Women in Cloud and push for policy advancement in the following directions; 

  1. Representation: A policy that would yield percentages in lieu of ratios, meaning that a percentage of women are required to occupy various roles and leadership positions within organizations.
  2. Equal Access: A policy that would ensure that women receive the same resources as men to build their businesses and products.
  3. Mentorship: A policy that would encourage men and women of great power and leadership to mentor at least one woman per quarter, allowing them to sit on boards of successful companies, to learn how to operate a successful business.

I think every single person needs to be given a fair chance to explore technology. Collective Power means to unify different skills, abilities, and resources, to achieve that common goal; inclusion and economic opportunity.  But how do you stay at the top of your game?

I invite you to attend my talk at the Women in Cloud Digital Summit 2021 if you can identify any of the following:

  • Rejection
  • Your contribution to the team/project was not taken seriously
  • You were talked over / You were not heard
  • Your suggestion/recommendation was not considered
  • You were made to feel like you didn’t belong to the group or department
  • A male team member took your idea and made it seem as though he conceived the idea
  • You were given the menial work rather than the tech work 
  • You like being a woman, but you are a beast (force to be reckoned with) when it comes to tech
  • How to achieve your goal(s) when surrounded by male chauvinist men
  • How to be great in tech  and not make the men feel inferior to you
  • How to deliver an exceptional product/service as a collective team
  • Haven’t experienced any of the items that are listed, but would like to sit in my session to hear what I have to say

Through this talk, I want to educate and help women navigate the roadblocks to increase their value and worth. The three key takeaways would be;

  • Learn how to embrace the culture, without losing your identity
  • Learn to deliver greatness, without intimidating your peers with your abilities
  • Learn ways to be a team player and recognize the team for their contributions

While many women have faced horrific challenges, we are also women who will embrace great victories. This session will help you get one step closer to your victory.

“Soon after the completion of Disney World, someone said, ‘Isn’t it too bad that Walt Disney did not live to see this?’ Mike Vance, Creative Director of Disney Studios replied, ‘He did see it. That’s why it’s here’. Vision is seeing the invisible” – Johnathan Swift

Your vision will drive you. Come join me at the Women in Cloud Digital Summit 2021; bring your vision and unlock access to achieve that vision through collective power. 

Book Your Spot today with a 15% discount, and get on board to witness the Collective Power of Women in the technology industry from around the world! 

I highly recommend the following Interactive Experiences for you to participate in and expand your network: 

  1. 28 January: Learn about Tech Industry at their opening plenary with Former Prime Minister of Canada, Rt Honorable Kim Campbell and Corporate Vice President Gavriella Schuster 
  2. 28 January: Explore Cloud Jobs at #CloudJobs Fair & Recruitment Lounge
  3. 28 January: Meet Black Founders
  4. 29 January: Master your pitch at #RockYourPitch Experience
  5. 29 January: Get access to mentorship from Cloud Industry leaders
  6. 30 January: Get your kids to participate in Youth Mentorship Circle
  7. 30 January: Make New Friends at Scavenger Hunt 

Also, join WIC Digital Network to be part of the global economic access movement.

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Mia Champion: Emerging Trends In Cloud Computing

Cloud computing not only revolutionized the world around me, but also my life journey.  I first started using cloud computing resources as a Principal Scientist in Cancer Research.  The freedom and ability to analyze any amount of data at a reasonable cost and within a relatively short time-frames not only empowered me as a scientist, but also enabled me to start my own company as an entrepreneur.  At the time, I attended a cloud computing conference where in his keynote address, Andy Jassy (CEO of Amazon Web Services) expressed to the audience how using cloud computing resources can provide users with the power to “create your own destiny”.  As I sat there in the audience, I felt the impact of those words on so many levels. 

I believe that cloud computing provides access to the latest technological advances and in doing so, serves to empower any innovator from anywhere in the world to create freely without the burdens of societal suppressions due to prejudice and economic inequality.  For individuals who have historically been underrepresented in Science & Technology, this is certainly life changing. Cloud computing enables more inclusive economies providing equal opportunity to underrepresented individuals, and also provides opportunities for leadership so that those same individuals are now contributing to subsequent economic development.

I am passionate about empowering women to be economically and intellectually free to  “create their own destinies” and am excited to participate on a panel discussing the emerging trends in cloud computing and how these technological advances might inspire and empower women to take a bold new path of their choosing.  The Women in Cloud Summit 2020 is about taking action. So, join me and the other panelists and take this opportunity to discuss emerging technological trends, share ideas, and inspire each other to create a better future where women flourish as equal innovators and technology leaders.   Purchase tickets to the summit today, and be a part of the 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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Mila Dorosh: Why Coaching Could Be An Ultimate Action Step For You

We all have goals we want to reach, challenges we’re striving to overcome, and times when we feel stuck. Partnering with a coach can set you on a path to greater personal and professional fulfillment. What better way to change the narrative and create economic access for women in the cloud economy?

As a certified coach, I am a member of the International Coaching Federation (ICF), the world’s largest organization of professionally trained coaches that seeks to advance the art, science and practice of coaching. We’re excited to connect with Women in Cloud, a community of powerful technology industry leaders, policy makers, and entrepreneurs who are on a road to ensure gender parity in the tech industry and create $1 billion in economic access for women by 2030. 

I want to help Women in Cloud members to experience the benefits of coaching, which can help unleash your potential, surpass your limits, and change your life. We are bringing local, expert coaches to Women in Cloud Summit 2020 to demonstrate the transformational value of coaching, a process that often unlocks previously untapped sources of imagination, productivity, and leadership. WIC is proud to be action-oriented, and coaching is the perfect blend of exploration and action. We look forward to extending the tool of coaching to those who can really benefit from it.

Take the ultimate action step toward your goals and sign up for a 30-minute coaching session on-site while at the Summit. The cost is included with your ticket, although sessions are limited so please sign up in advance through the event application to reserve your spot. If you’d like to find a coach after the event, try theCredentialed Coach Finder, a free searchable directory with listings for thousands of qualified ICF Credentialed Coaches worldwide.

Purchase tickets to attend Women in Cloud Summit and 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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