Read,Think, Connect & Build Community

What a whirlwind the past few evenings have been this week!??

?Got a chance to get 4 books, meet 3 authors, and even got a couple of them to sign their books for me as a bonus. Though still scratching my head at the thought of getting an audiobook autographed!

?Met many startup founders, cloud, AI/ML? and data enthusiasts, and awed at their innovative ideas and presentations ?

?Hobnobbed with Asian American community activists & leaders? and spoke with many more tech builders in the community.?

Thank you Mark Birch for the invite to AWS event? - you truly are a master of mobilizing the tech community and your book “Community in a Box” born out of an “experiment” of starting and nurturing the Enterprise Sales Forum is a must read for ecosystem and channel builders. Loved the first few chapters and I’m on track to get through the full book soon.? It was inspiring to look at the wall full of logos of AWS powered startups, scaleups and some unicorns at the swanky AWS SF Loft?.

And thanks Brian Pang and Joseph for the invitation to the Asian American community meetup and for all that you do for the DEI initiatives in the community. It was great to be on many virtual stages? with you last year and especially recently during AAPI? month speaking with you and finally getting a chance to meet in person during Pride month!

Michelle Mijum Kim, you had me hooked on “The Wake up” at the fireside chat itself. As we become more aware of social injustices prevalent in the world today, and want to be part of the movement towards positive change, many of us struggle to make a lasting impact. Through your in-the trenches stories? and your framework of Grounding, Orienting, Showing up and Moving together, as I read the book further,? I’m looking forward to learning more and in MK Gandhi’s words, “be the change you wish to see in the world”

Joanna Ho, your novel “The silence that binds us”? is on my next flight reading? list as it deals with the impact of racism on young minds and their oft silenced and culturally suppressed narratives that should be taken control of.? It calls for? giving more power to youth to speak up and I'm looking forward to reading it.

I can't recall the last book I read cover to cover in a week but IBM Fellow emeritus and former EVP Innovation and Technology? Nick Donofrio’s “If Nothing Changes, Nothing Changes “ was one such book that I had a hard time putting down. Part of it was his story of humble beginnings of his immigrant grandparents and parents and how they encouraged him to follow a path that led to his incredible success and role in reinventing IBM by embracing a market-centric focus—redefining innovation and sparking worldwide collaboration.? This book? is a powerful testimony to our ability as human beings to drive transformation, not just within the realm of technology but across generations.?

The other? part why I was intrigued and glued on is due to the fact that I could personally relate to many things such as the “T shape”? career development framework? he advocated and we adopted as IBM launched the Globally Integrated Enterprise initiative. Add to it, his love for promoting diversity and inclusion during his 44 year career at IBM and external industry bodies and also his support for nonprofits that promoted youth empowerment and STEM education - all of which have shaped me during my formative years and have put into practice in my profession.?

?I had met Nick? only once during my 14 year IBM career (he started before I was even born!) but can not forget the moment? when I asked a question during his talk at an internal conference of technical leaders, he actually came down from the stage in an auditorium full of 1000+ IBMers.? And answered it walking upto my row looking straight into my eyes and his 5 minute response ended with “If nothing changes, Nothing Changes”