Celebrating at Women in Cloud's #empowHERaccess 2024 Awards Ceremony and Dinner

The #empowHERaccess 2024 Awards Ceremony and Dinner was a night of inspiration, empowerment, and celebration of achievements. Here is the full recap of the evening's events:

Welcome and Opening Remarks

The evening commenced with a warm welcome and opening remarks by Andrea Perkins, PMP , Vice President of Digital Enablement at Insight. Her address set the stage for an evening dedicated to community and empowerment.

Celebrating Community Success

Chaitra Vedullapalli , President of Women in Cloud (WIC), took to the stage to celebrate the remarkable achievements of the WIC community. She highlighted their Guinness World Record for the most users in a vision board session and the acceptance of the ICONS documentary into prestigious film festivals such as TIFF and HollyShorts.

Keynote Address by Jeana Jorgensen

Jeana Jorgensen , Corporate Vice President of Worldwide Learning at Microsoft, delivered a compelling keynote speech. She discussed the importance of a growth mindset, sharing personal stories from her career and life:

• She recounted how adopting a growth mindset helped her navigate challenging work situations, including filling in for her boss during maternity leave.
• Jorgensen emphasized authenticity, resilience, and the value of showing up as oneself, even in difficult circumstances.
• She shared her journey of adopting three boys, learning the difference between intuitive and instinctual responses, and balancing her corporate career with her personal life.
• Jorgensen's message was clear: embrace discomfort, take control of your narrative, and cultivate a growth mindset.

Remarks by Senator Lisa Wellman

Senator Lisa Wellman underscored the importance of education in encouraging more women and girls to pursue careers in technology. She also stressed the significance of voting and civic engagement.

Insights from ICONS Documentary Team

Joanna Turner, the producer of the ICONS documentary, and Dillon Leavitt , the director, shared their insights from the process of making the movie. They discussed the challenges and triumphs of capturing the inspiring stories of women leaders and the impact they hope the documentary will have.

Power Panel - ICON Mindset

The Power Panel featured influential speakers (from left to right):

• Karen Fassio (Marketing Director, Microsoft One Commercial Partner)
• Debbie Uttecht (Partner Marketing Lead, Microsoft)
• Anne Baker (Chief Marketing Officer, Adaptiva)
• Dee Dee Walsh (Developer Marketing & Business Development, Growth Acceleration Partners)
• Michelle Pruitt (Director of Engineering Strategy and Planning, Microsoft)

The panelists discussed the ICON mindset, sharing personal experiences and insights:

• Anne Baker spoke about the importance of a supportive network.
• Dee Dee Walsh shared how asking "dumb" questions can lead to growth and insight.
• Debbie Uttecht emphasized adaptability and the value of a strong support network.
• The panelists encouraged shifting self-perception, embracing change, and claiming one's space.

Awards Presentation

The Awards Ceremony recognized the outstanding contributions of women and allies in various fields, celebrating their achievements and impact.

Winner Storytelling

Following the awards, the winners shared their inspiring stories:

• Cara South , Enterprise Technology IT Senior Manager at Boeing, discussed her capstone project on developing a DEVSECOPS community and collaborating with local schools.
• Nandita Sampath , Principal Product Manager at Microsoft, highlighted the #WICxSkillsReadyChallenge and how WIC promotes Microsoft Applied Skills credentials.
• Lisa Ann Edwards , Founder & CEO of Excelia, shared her journey through the accelerator program and the role of WIC in her success.
• Niya Desai , Podcast Founder & Host of "Women in the Making," recounted how she joined the Women in Cloud Insider Circle after being captivated by Chaitra Vedullapalli at another conference.

Closing

The evening concluded with pictures and dancing, celebrating the community's achievements and looking forward to future successes. The event served as a powerful platform for networking, knowledge sharing, and recognizing exceptional contributions to the tech industry. As attendees departed, the conversations continued, fueled by the inspiration and insights gained throughout the night.

The #empowHERaccess 2024 Awards Ceremony and Dinner demonstrated the collective strength of the Women in Cloud community and its potential to drive positive change within the industry.

Special Thanks

A special thanks to the wonderful emcees, Nancy Watt , President of Nancy Watt Communications, and Gavriella Schuster , Board Director of Ontinue, whose enthusiasm and professionalism added a special touch to the evening.

Photography Credit

A heartfelt thank you to Nadia Zavitaeva, the amazing photographer who captured the essence of the event beautifully. You can follow her work on Instagram @nadezdazavitaeva , Facebook @NadezdaZavitaevaPhotography , and her website vividphotoart.com .