Issue 13: BeCOME - Connect, Outreach, Mentor, and Empower Women and Girls!

Gavriella Schuster and I met in Chicago. She had come to visit with customers and partners about Windows and the Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack. I wasn’t one of the men from her stories, but I have run into far too many men that will talk and not leave room for others in a meeting or presentation.

I love how Gavriella works in another woman I know personally and have worked with - Jennifer Didier who founded Directions Training over 30 years ago.

I decided this evening that 7 profiles weren’t enough to showcase this week, so I found 26 women at Microsoft that I haven’t met (maybe on LinkedIn but never in real life) and will showcase them this week in my LinkedIn Profile Showcase newsletter!

Andrea Chance - we have connected and she is from an area I will likely visit again since our son moved there!

Beatris Mendez - haven’t met irl but she is one of over 120 women that are in STEM or STEAM careers and are showcased in the If/Then She Can program.

Chloé Brown - following now

Daria Kurzanova - another new connection I’m following

Erin Jagelski - anyone within the MS Stores or with the CSM title I have tried to connect with and Erin is one of those connections.

Frances Dubester another CSAM I would like to connect with - following now.

Gergana Ruseva - for many letters I just scanned for names I didn’t know. Gergana came up since I already know Gavriella.

H. Jonica Couweleers - could have searched for Helen, Harriet or any other female name beginning with H but this was even more fun.

Iris Fang probably got an invite because over a third of my connections are people working at Microsoft. I don’t know thousands of employees but I’ve commented on posts, searched for people and topics I care about and for a long time I would just send connection requests to coworkers.

Jana Gholson - we are from the same area but I don’t believe our paths crossed formally.

Karen (Cooper) Cox - another Microsoft employee I don’t know personally but might after this!

Lakshmi Sahithi - haven’t met, wasn’t following but now I am!

Mindy Brown - training caught my attention!

Nicoal Berryman haven’t connected but certainly following

Olivia Hernandez - connected when I was returning to the MCT partner side - never met but you never know with Microsoft being a company that I’ve worked for and with for over 20 years!

Paula Verona Rodriguez - works in Madrid. I hope to return to the country and city where we have relatives from my fathers side of our family!

Q. Tyson - another haven’t met, searched and found someone.

Roshan Utamsingh - never met that I recall, but I’m sure we know a lot of the same people!

Sarah Muma - never met, been to Quebec once for training.

Tanya Klapmuts - another net new contact.

Urmila Dhole - not connected yet.

Vyjayanthi Urs - maybe some of these new contacts didn’t know each other or Gavriella or Jennifer from Directions Training. After this Thursday they will...

Wendy Ditmore - almost at the end of the alphabet and I’m glad I found at least one new contact with each letter of the alphabet.

Lacey (Xi) Lou - x was tricker than I imagined

Yolanda Galvan - Y wasn’t too bad.

Zephanie Zimpleman Thompson - I sent a number of connections a customized invite and it’s helpful to remind me of the context of our connection - was it their position at Microsoft at one point, someone they new, connected with or their role. We connected while I was boosting someone else’s content as a Curator for LinkedIn on Elevate (now employee pages)

Made it through the alphabet!