Tech in the Right Direction

The Significant Impact Women Have on a Global Economy

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This week's guest is Andrea Stevenson Conner, the Principal of Stevenson Conner Global Strategies - an organization that collaborates with game-changing, innovative leaders of regional/global nonprofit and for-profit organizations with missions for gender equity that seek significant impact extending to the 7th generation. Andrea is a consultant who knows how to build the team around critical initiatives and serves as an agent of change. She moves innovative initiatives forward from an idea, creates alignment of strategy, and focuses on team building with a global lens.
Today we talk about Andrea's experiences throughout the world and how they helped her develop her approach to making significant positive changes for women. Andrea also shares what she attributes her success to. We also talk about how women significantly impact the global economy and the influence they wield.
Thank you for listening; we hope Andrea's story helps inspire others to seek or grow their tech career.
Career update:
Andrea Stevenson Conner, now works as an Ecosystem Development director at First Flight Venture Center.

The Importance of Mentorship in Your Career Journey

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This week's guest is Sarah Haggard, the Founder and CEO of Tribute. A peer-to-peer mentorship platform that enhances team collaboration, learning, and productivity by creating real-time access to knowledge sharing via micro-mentorship. Sarah is an innovative people and business leader who has led multiple start-up initiatives within her decade-long career in Product Marketing at Microsoft, raising $40M to scale her last business. She is an expert in P&L management, enterprise software, and GTM strategy. Sarah's tenacity and drive for results led to her being recognized as a turnaround expert and new business incubator.
Today we talk about Sarah's beginnings in the tech industry and what led her to found Tribute. We also talk about the importance of mentorship and how it can help shape your career.
Thank you for listening; we hope Sarah's story helps inspire others to grow their tech career.
Here is an update on Sarah's career:
Sarah currently is managing partner at Darkride in Seattle Washington.
I'm driven by a deep curiosity about how people and systems work—and how technology can responsibly enhance, scale, or reshape them. From earning a degree in anthropology to building enterprise SaaS products at scale, I’ve spent the last 20 years leading high impact work across product management, product marketing, and sales—at big tech companies and as a founder, taking my own AI startup from 0 to 1. Known for turning ambiguity into action, reinvigorating legacy teams, and charting bold paths through emerging technologies like AI. I operate at the intersection of strategy and execution: incubating new product ideas, pioneering go-to-market and commercialization strategies, and aligning cross-functional teams across engineering, design, and marketing. Whether I’m navigating complexity or driving growth, I lead with curiosity, clarity, and a deep belief in building products—and cultures—that scale to meet today's most urgent needs.

The Accidental Entrepreneur

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This week on Tech in the Right Direction we are joined by Ansley Fender, a serial entrepreneur, and Founder/CEO of Atlas. Ansley started out college as a classically trained violinist who had to switch her trajectory when she suffered a hand injury. In order to graduate on time, Ansley decided on a whim to major in Non-profit Management, and later attended grad school for public finance. When Ansley became a stay-at-home mom to her first born she found herself needing an outlet, so started bookkeeping and financial consulting for non-profits. This is where Ansley stumbled on a market where no one was providing services in her area, and thus her journey as an accidental entrepreneur began. Listen in to hear Ansley’s story and what she’s accomplished as a woman in tech.
Learn more about Atlas Solutions here: https://www.getatlassolutions.com/
Thank you - we hope Ansley's story helps inspire others to seek or grow their tech career.
 

How Strong Will and Determination Can Lead to a Better Life

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This week's guest is Cynthia Meinke, a Senior Account Executive with New Era Technologies - a global managed technology solutions provider. They are trusted advisers to more than 9,000 customers worldwide and provide a seamless blend of solutions that securely connect people, places, and information in a rapidly changing digital world. Cynthia passionately embraces partnering with her clients to deliver an exceptional customer experience with every interaction through high-velocity and elegant innovation to push revenue growth up while driving costs down through improved business processes and operational excellence.
Today we talk about Cynthia's career journey and how her early years in the foster system helped develop her into a strong-willed leader who wanted more in life. Cynthia saw that computers and technology could help her provide not only for herself but her family as well. She 'cut her teeth' early on by repairing various systems and eventually saw her opportunity in tech sales. Her career growth has led her to New Era, where she is a Senior Sales Executive. Listen to today's episode to learn more about Cynthia's remarkable story.
Learn more about New Era Technology here: https://www.neweratech.com/us/
Thank you - we hope Cynthia's story helps inspire others to seek or grow their tech career.
Professional update:
As a certified healthcare consultant, helps healthcare organizations across the nation improve patient care and save costs by utilizing virtualization technologies to automate meaningful clinical workflows.Specialties: Virtualization Technologies, Healthcare Meaningful Use Automation, Regulatory Compliance, Risk Management, Cultivating Business Relationships  

Importance of Diversity

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As Vice President of Product Management, Liz Ronco is responsible for Spiceworks Ziff Davis’ (SWZD) global product offering, including omnichannel marketing offerings and a comprehensive suite of B2B experiences that enable technology professionals to make the best decisions for their businesses. Liz joined SWZD in 2018 and quickly established new data-driven experiences and products to help businesses and technology providers make better decisions. She’s continued transforming SWZD’s product offering beyond data to optimize existing products and technology to build a product roadmap that maximizes value for end-users and brands - ultimately creating the framework for authentic connections between technology buyers and sellers.  
 
Today we talk about Liz’s leadership style, boundaries, and the importance of diversity in the tech world. 
Learn more about Liz HERE. (https://www.linkedin.com/company/spiceworks-ziff-davis/)
Thank you for listening. We hope Liz inspires you in your tech journey. 
Here is a career update:
Madison LogicMadison Logic
Full-time · 2 yrs 1 moFull-time · 2 yrs 1 mo
 
SVP of ProductSVP of Product
Dec 2023 - Present · 1 yr 7 mosDec 2023 to Present · 1 yr 7 mos
Madison Logic helps B2B companies make smarter moves by showing them which accounts are actually in the market—and how to engage them effectively.We bring together top-tier data, intent signals, and account insights so marketing and their sales teams can align, prioritize the right companies, and take action faster. Whether it's launching targeted ad campaigns, syncing with your CRM, or fueling your demand strategy, everything runs through one connected engine powered by 25+ trusted data sources.With Madison Logic, businesses accelerate pipeline velocity and turn insights into action—faster.

People Over Profit

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This week dive into true leadership, authenticity, and radical inclusivity as we are joined by Ashleigh Wilson, a San Francisco-based, life-long entrepreneur. Listen in to hear about how Ashleigh went from cleaning homes, to founding her own business, how her motto ‘People Over Profit’ impacts her day to day, and how her struggles led her to where she is today.
 
Thank you - we hope Ashleigh's story helps inspire others to seek or grow their tech career.

How Experienced Leaders Can Make Real Change in Today’s World

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This week's guest is Gavriella Schuster, the founding sponsor of Women in Cloud and the Women in Technology Network. She currently sits on the board of both, along with being a board member of ChinaSoft International, IAMCP, and the University of Washington Bothell. Last year she gave a TEDx speech on "Gender Equity," where she launched her "Become Framework." As an Athena International Global Leadership Award winner and a former Corporate VP at Microsoft, Gavriella knows what it takes to make significant changes for women in tech.
Today we talk about Gavriella's career journey and how she rose through the ranks at Microsoft as a woman in tech. Being at Microsoft for 25+ years, she reached an executive-level position by continuing to build on her knowledge and experiences to stand out from the rest. We also talk about her passion for growing women's presence in the industry and how she's turning that passion into real-world change through the various projects she helps manage. Finally, we talk about exposing the problems facing diversity, equity, and inclusion within the tech industry and how we can all help solve them.
Learn more about Gavriella and the organizations she's involved with by following her on LinkedIn: 
Thank you for listening; we hope Gavriella's story helps inspire others to grow their tech career.

How We Can Invest in Women to Shape a Better Future

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This week's guest is Momei Qu, the Senior Vice President of PSP Growth - the growth equity arm of PSP Partners. They focus on leveraging their multi-faceted experience and expertise across vital economic segments, including business & technology services, housing, and industrials. Their approach is centered on investing in innovative high-growth software and tech-enabled services companies that drive efficiency and disrupt the status quo.
Today we talk about how Momei's passion for technology started and how her tech career grew into a senior-level position with PSP. We also discuss the importance of investing in women and how that investment can pay dividends down the line.
Thank you for listening; we hope Momei's story helps inspire others to seek or grow their tech career.