Tech in the Right Direction

Change of Perception: Expanding “Who is in Tech”

This week's guest is Cathy Moya, a Senior Program Manager at Microsoft. Cathy's primary focus is to bring customers and engineers together to create better technology products. Cathy's ability to bring people together has allowed her to grow her program and become a successful member of the Microsoft team.
Cathy saw the disconnect between people who are heavily involved in tech vs. those who work in positions or industries outside of that world. Cathy understands that people who consider themselves outside of tech are really working on or with tech every day—shifting their belief to view themselves as working in tech has allowed them to open-up to different ideas and solutions to problems. This idea of changing their worldview or 'work-view' has helped bridge some gaps between the two.
Thank you for listening; we hope Cathy's story helps inspire others to grow their tech career.

Growing Your Career with a Global Perspective

This week's guest is Lisa Heite, a Partner Development Manager at Microsoft, with a passion for helping others. Lisa's story revolves around living, studying, and working around the world. She gained a wide range of experience throughout her international travel and has used that to bring a unique perspective to the tech industry. Her ideas and approach give her an edge when it comes to solving problems and bringing people together.
While volunteering at an NGO, Lisa developed a digital strategy and saw how digital transformation furthered women's rights and give them a voice throughout the world. This passion for women's rights led Lisa to the WIT Network, and she is now lending her skills to their cause.
Thank you for listening; we hope Lisa's story helps inspire others to grow their tech career. To learn more about the WIT Network, visit their site here: https://thewitnetwork.com/

How-to Build, Maintain, and Grow Your Business

This week's guest is Leah Faul, the Founder and Owner of 15000 Cubits − a digital marketing agency that focuses on SEO, social media, and paid media to support small and mid-sized companies' growth. Leah started the company in 2015 and has grown it into the thriving enterprise it is today. That success hasn't gone unrecognized as Leah was recently named to the Houston Business Journal's 40 Under 40 List.
Leah is passionate about her business and has seen success because of her value-focused initiatives. They focus on five core values: People First, Growth Mind-Set, Celebration Culture, Time-Efficiency, and Commitment to Excellence. These values have driven 15000 Cubits and allowed them to grow throughout the years.
Thank you for listening; we hope Leah's story helps inspire others to grow their tech career. To learn more about Leah and her business, visit their website below here: https://15000cubits.com/

Learning, Evolving, and Adapting to Today's Technological Changes

This week's guest is Lori McDonald, a former flight controller at NASA and now the President and CEO of Brilliance Business Solutions. Lori is recognized as an industry expert in her field and is a speaker on website creation, eCommerce, and digital strategy at business conferences. Lori has remained on the cutting edge of business solutions by continually learning, evolving, and adapting to changes in technology. From the growth of eCommerce to the evolution of machine learning, Lori has expanded Brilliance Business Solutions by staying on top of these changes.
Brilliance works with clients to implement digital commerce solutions by making organizational changes through technology. In 2020, the company was named to America's Fastest-Growing Businesses by Inc 5,000. Lori's experience in developing internet solutions for businesses and organizations has allowed her to grow her business into what it is today.
Thank you for listening; we hope Lori's story helps inspire others to grow their tech career. To learn more about Lori and her business, visit her website below.
Brilliance Business Solutions: https://www.brillianceweb.com/
Referenced Books:
The Five Dysfunctions of a Team
Crucial Conversations
Dare to Lead 

The Importance of Cybersecurity in the Modern Age

This week's guest is Heather Stratford, the founder and CEO of Stronger International. As a thought leader in cybersecurity, Heather keynotes at conferences, universities, and large financial institutions on the importance of keeping their data secure. She continually writes on cybersecurity and was a featured guest at the 2018 G-7 Summit in Canada. Heather also regularly speaks on entrepreneurship, failing forward, women in technology, and diversity in cybersecurity. 
 
Heather is now growing small businesses, and she is passionate about finding and helping young entrepreneurs. This passion led her to become the founder of both Stronger International and Moxie Marketing. Moxie Marketing specializes in turn-key technology and marketing solutions for service industries and their product manufacturers. At the same time, Stronger International specializes in consulting and training with a 360º approach to security. Their services include end-user Security Awareness Training, onsite training in compliance and security, IT and Military Certifications, Penetration Testing, Vulnerability Assessments, and specialty security projects.
 
Thank you for listening; we hope Heather's story helps inspire others to grow their tech career. To learn more about Heather and her business, visit her website below.
Stronger International: https://stronger.tech/

Building and Leveraging Partnerships to Grow Your Career and Business

This week's guest is Karen Chastain, a proven leader in strategic alliance management among some of the world's largest technology companies and a Senior Director of Global Alliances at Episerver. Karen has over 20 years of experience in partner relationship management, strategic business planning, and marketing. This background has allowed her to consistently deliver results by developing mutually beneficial relationships with her partners.
Karen is currently running the technology partner program and app marketplace, which provides a single source for partners to find a solution for their customers. She is also a current member of the WiT Network, which focuses on making it easier for women to imagine, begin, and develop within the industry of technology. Karen has brought her skillset of forging partnerships to these projects, which has helped them grow into what they are today.
Thank you for listening; we hope Karen's story helps inspire the next generation of women. If you would like to learn more about Karen and her company, visit their site: https://www.episerver.com/

Finding Answers Through the Power of Data Analytics

This week's guest is Mariyah Saifuddin, the Founder of Innovative Solution Partners, a Michigan-based IT consulting firm specializing in helping businesses utilize data analytics to make effective decisions. Mariyah has 20+ years of IT and entrepreneurial experience, including work for Ernst & Young, Levy Home Entertainment, and Electronic Data Systems. She is a board member of the NAWBO Greater Detroit Chapter. She is also an alumnus of Emerging Leaders, Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Business Program, and a member of the Women's Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC).
Mariyah was surrounded by technology ever since she can remember. As the child of immigrant parents who ran a computer parts store, she grew up with technology and computers all around her. This early influence led her to get into IT and eventually start her own business in the tech industry. As the Founder and President of Innovative Solution Partners, Mariyah has used her position to further women's presence in the tech industry through various platforms and organizations.
Thank you for listening; we hope Mariyah's story helps inspire others to grow their tech career. If you would like to learn more about Mariyah and her company, visit their site: https://www.isolutionpartners.com/

Going Remote: How it Can Benefit You and Your Company

This week's guest is Alicia Baldino, the founder and owner of Brandmetix. Alicia's career started in freelance and virtual marketing, but she quickly felt a drive to create something of her own. Her passion for remote work led her to create Brandmetix, a marketing strategy company that focuses on creating custom solutions for brands.
 
Alicia created Brandmetix on the idea that working from home can help you and your company succeed. She considers building a stable work-life balance for her and her employees as an essential piece for growing her business. This idea grew into The Virtual Hustle, a resource and community site where people can share tips and tricks for working remotely.
 
Alicia has excellent advice on how remote work can be efficiently managed for you and your company. Thank you for listening; we hope her story and tips can help you in this new age of working from home. For more information on how to develop good habits while working from home, visit The Virtual Hustle.