AMAZING!
That’s the first word I would use to describe the inaugural Women in Cloud summit held on the Microsoft main campus.
The Inaugural Women in Cloud Summit was a huge success. (Click2Tweet)
The line-up of speakers was impressive. Take a look at the list at the event site. I cannot do it justice just writing about them all here. I had the pleasure of meeting a few of them during and after the event. And, I tagged some of those women (and men) that I knew on Facebook during the event.
The keynote was kicked off with Audrey Godwin where she shared insights about the path ahead for women – young and old(er). She is a fantastic speaker with a great side and backstory – funny, insightful, and empowering. It got me thinking about Boomers and The FEM Factor and how women can, will and should play a critical factor here.
"What we need to do is see the women in this room who can add value to your companies and your projects"
via Audrey Godwin
It was fantastic to see Microsoft’s Gavriella Schuster and Hewlett Packard’s Carrie Francey sharing the stage and sharing their three tips and advice for young women:
Gavriella | Carrie |
|
|
You had to be there to hear how they described how they do this.
EMPOWERING
Microsoft’s Gretchen O’Hara and Karen Fassio both spoke about the new program that has been designed and targeted specifically for women.
Women in Cloud – powered by Microsoft and Hewlett Packard Enterprise
Get the details and apply here
IMPACTFUL
If was great to see Madeline Bennett of Otogear and Sarah Blankenship (a fellow Microsoft Alum) of RightSciences again. Both are founders and CEO’s of their own companies. it just so happens they are women too. I met both of them at the InnovateHER (created by the SBA) event in 2017. They continue to innovate and extend their products. They are showing how to get it done.
Best Line I heard all day … (from Facebook)
“I love it that the women’s restrooms are crowded.”
via Tableau’s Michelle D’Couto
What are others saying, staying connected, and getting involved:
- GeekWire’s Tony Lystra wrote this Women in Cloud Summit unveils new initiatives to seize ‘the biggest opportunities of our lives’
- Women in Cloud on Facebook
- Got an idea? Apply for the program
THANK YOU and KUDOS
I know there are countless people that worked to make this inaugural Women in Cloud Summit a success. I want to point out a few that everyone in the room saw and a few that may have slipped your view. First, I want to thank “The Ultimate Connector” Chaitra Vedullapalli for the visibility and tireless efforts to make this event happen. Also, Jacqueline Touma for being the emcee for the event and keeping it lively and fun. Including the pictures on stage with the picture frame (great idea!).
A noted there is a lot of stuff that goes on before, during and after the event. Planning, prep, and follow up. I want to highlight a few more of them here. Anne Nelson and Lakshmi Shankar for their efforts to visually represent The Women in Cloud.
Also, hire Anne Nelson at Drawn2Solutions. She drew this is real time throughout the event. You can reach her via email here.
She’s hard to find and by her own admission (sorry Anne) … she needs help building out a web site. (Calling on Chaitra and Meylah … and the great women attending the Women in Cloud event to reach out to her.)
And, thank you to Bitlume for livestreaming the event. You can reach them here and learn more about their CEO in her Geekwire article.
Next Steps
- Did you attend?
- What did you learn?
- Will you sign up for the program?
What will you build? (you don’t have to share it here) There is a program ready for you!
As for me … I have already spoken with a few women at the event about a few ideas. Including Dianne Juhl about the Three Pillars of Mentoring Startups and Entrepreneurs by extending beyond just Connections and Experiences and focusing on the Capital. Specifically, seeking access to capital to help women led businesses. Stay tuned there is more to come on this front. Hint: We want to include more Microsoft Alumni.
Thanks for reading and if you attended … thank you for attending. I’d like to hear your thoughts. Feel free to share them in the comments.
It’s going to be an amazing year for female led businesses. I’m happy I can play a small part.
--- 
Connect with me on Twitter @jshuey
Or connect on LinkedIn, Facebook, or Google+
He is a contributing author to Entrepreneur, Elite Daily, Yahoo, US News and to
the Personal Branding Blog with over 250 articles published.
Comments