Women in Tech Gain Golfing Skills for Better Business Networking

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]San Diego, CA, April 3, 2019. The Women in Technology Network San Diego hosted a golfing event for their members to help them brush up on their golfing skills. They spent the afternoon working on their swing and testing their newly gained skills in a putting and virtual Closest-to-the-Pin Contest at GOLFTEC San Diego.

Jennifer Benedict, Enterprise Account Executive at Managed Solution and Co-Chair of the WIT Network San Diego, said: “We organized this event because business happens on the golf course and women are often left out. That’s why we wanted our members to work on their golfing skills, so they can feel empowered and be a part of the game.”

Suzanne LaTour, President and Owner of the GOLFTEC franchise for the San Diego Region, who sponsored the event, encouraged women to golf and join their colleagues on the golf course no matter their experience.

There were 4 GOLFTEC PGA instructors who were helpful in analyzing swings with their video technology and helped to adjust posture, foot placement, and overall swings. They graciously had a lot of patience with the beginners and even helped some more experienced golfers to perfect and get the most of their swing. Most of all, it was a fun afternoon filled with networking, gaining new golfing skills, and meeting new members so that next time women in tech are invited to a golf game, they’ll gladly accept the invitation.

The Women in Technology Network is a community of professionals across the world that believe in making it easier for women to imagine, begin, and develop a career in IT. There are over 80 chapters in over 40 countries that provide a vast and varied network of events, contacts, and opportunities. The San Diego Chapter is co-chaired by Tina Rountree, Director of Sales at Managed Solution and Jennifer Benedict, Enterprise Account Executive at Managed Solution.[/vc_column_text][grve_gallery ids="31123,31120,31121,31122,31124,31125,31126,31127" hide_image_title="yes" hide_image_caption="yes" image_popup_size="large"][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Managed Solution Women Inspired by Women in Sports

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text]San Diego, CA, January 24, 2019. The Managed Solution team and their special guests spent an inspirational day at Women’s Day presented by Farmers Insurance. Women’s Day is an inspiring afternoon of personal and career development and compelling discussion followed by a fun and relaxing networking opportunity on the 18th green. This year’s speakers were Jessica Mendoza, ESPN MLB Analyst & Two-Time Olympic Medalist, Courtney Conlogue, Professional Surfer & 2018 Vans US Open of Surfing Champion, and Sophie Goldschmidt, CEO at World Surf League.

Managed Solution is a strong supporter of women in technology and women in business, showcasing that by 50% female leadership and leading The Women in Technology Network San Diego chapter.

Tina Rountree, Co-Chair of the WIT Network San Diego Chapter, stated, “It was a great day spent among other women who are inspired and inspiring in their personal and professional lives. There clearly is a connection between motivation, business drive and sports. Stories like this fill me up with energy to do even better.”

The Women in Technology Network is a community of professionals across the world that believe in making it easier for women to imagine, begin, and develop a career in IT. There are over 80 chapters in over 40 countries that provide a vast and varied network of events, contacts, and opportunities. The San Diego Chapter is co-chaired by Tina Rountree, Director of Sales at Managed Solution and Jennifer Benedict, Enterprise Account Executive at Managed Solution.

As a relationship-driven organization, Managed Solution collaborates with you to customize the perfect mix of software, hardware, and IT services. We deliver a flexible technology solution that evolves and adapts to meet your needs and exceed your expectations at every stage of your business cycle.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Meet the Tech Exec: Holly Smithson, CEO, Athena

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]To download the full magazine and read the full interviews, click here.

Holly Smithson is Chief Executive Officer of Athena. She is responsible for creating, communicating and implementing the organization's vision, mission, and overall direction and serves at the discretion of the Board of Directors. 

Smithson previously served as Vice President, Business Strategy at the California Life Sciences Association, the nation’s largest statewide advocacy organization for the life sciences sector. Prior to that, she served as President and Chief Operating Officer at Cleantech San Diego, one of the first cleantech industry associations launched to establish the region as a global hub. Smithson worked in public policy as a Presidential Appointee in several federal agencies and as a registered lobbyist for industry in Washington, D.C. 

 

Athena is a professional development organization dedicated to empowering women in the STEM workforce. Will you share with us some of the challenges that women working in STEM companies are experiencing? 

Athena has been providing leadership development, mentoring and research for women in STEM for 20 years. In 2018, we’re at an exciting intersection in our journey towards gender equity. Some call it the year of the woman, I submit it’s the decade of the woman. We have an enormous responsibility to mobilize and execute around this seismic shift in society on what the new norms are for gender diversity in the workforce. Biased recruiting, interviewing and hiring techniques, pay disparity and inflexible work policies are among the many elements that work against a diverse and inclusive corporate culture.

How does Athena support women in STEM?

For our 20th Anniversary, Athena launched its premier thought leadership piece indexing the percentage of women in STEM in San Diego and nationally. We are driving the national dialogue around gender diversity with a data-driven approach to not only discover the root cause of the gaps but how best to close them. Athena’s 5000 supporter community views Athena as a safe harbor to learn how to navigate the inherent biases, to gain greater awareness of the power of the network and how to invest in their career versus the job.

Do you see any challenges specific to the San Diego region?

As a global STEM hub, we assumed San Diego would be ahead of its competitors. As the data reveals however, women represent 23% of San Diego’s STEM workforce compared to 25%, nationally. Although the gap is nominal, we have higher expectations of this region and Athena is positioned to now empower STEM companies with data and strategic capital.

How will Athena change these statistics?

Athena is honored to form its newest alliance with the United Nations and the UN Global Compact. We will be announcing our formal collaboration on December 6 in San Francisco.  Launched in 2000, the UN Global Compact is the world’s largest multi-stakeholder initiative dedicated to driving business awareness and implementation of its 17 Sustainable Development Goals, also known as Agenda 2030: www.unglobalcompact.org/sdgs. Sustainable Development Goal # 5 is focused on "Gender Diversity" and that’s where Athena steps in. Through this UN partnership, Athena will leverage its 20-year convening power and market access and facilitate implementation efforts on SDG # 5.

What is the state of women working in the tech sector?

We know the biggest creation of wealth is unarguably the tech sector and yet women are leaving the tech workforce at a 50% exit rate. This calls for a dramatic course correction. Women influence 80% of consumer purchasing. Women hold 60 % of the US personal wealth. Women comprise 51% of the world population. When we look at the statistics, we need to get to the root cause of this huge disconnect inside the tech sector and challenge our assumptions and hypothesis. The UN partnership will set that flywheel in motion as Athena helps companies create an inclusive environment that celebrates the business and societal rewards stemming from gender equity.

What is next for Athena?

We want to empower one million women working and leading in STEM workforce by 2030. This audacious goal will require a sophisticated digital communications campaign, so we can effectively reach all those women and women champions ready and willing to contribute to society through STEM.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column heading_color="primary-1"][grve_callout title="Tech Spotlight Interview" button_text="Learn more" button_link="url:http%3A%2F%2Finfo.managedsolution.com%2Fc-level-interview-registration||target:%20_blank|"]IT is a journey, not a destination. We want to hear about YOUR journey!
Are you a technology innovator or enthusiast?
We would love to highlight you in the next edition of our Tech Spotlight.[/grve_callout][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Susan Kuruvilla Selected as Finalist for the 2018 Business Women of the Year Awards

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San Diego, CA, November 14, 2018, – The San Diego Business Journal will recognize dynamic women business leaders who have contributed significantly to San Diego’s workplaces and communities in their 25th annual event on December 13th. We are proud to announce that our Chief Executive Officer, Susan Kuruvilla, has been selected as finalist for the 2018 Business Women of the Year award.

“Susan Kuruvilla is a powerhouse of experience combined with intuition and intelligence. Susan leads a team of 80 FTE's between San Diego, Orange County and Los Angeles with clients who are under management globally. Her largest achievement has been building a leadership team made up of 50% women, which is rare to see in the tech sector and is a reflection on her passion for empowering women in the workplace,” said Sean Ferrel, Chairman and Founder of Managed Solution.

Earlier this year, Susan was also a finalist for the San Diego Magazine’s Woman of the Year award in the category of Industry Leader.

Susan graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Business with a concentration in Finance. Soon after she received her MBA from The Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth. Kuruvilla has worked in Finance for American Airlines and 10+ years as CFO and then President of Clark Security Products, Inc, which was acquired by Anixter International (NYSE: AXE) in 2010.

Susan, who has experience in high-growth environments at both public and private companies, brings a customer-centric and collaborative approach to Managed Solution. Her focus has been implementing a growth strategy and building on our core values: innovation, integrity and teamwork. Additionally, she has made great strides in positioning our team to become your go-to business technology advisor and provide the highest level of support to help grow your business.

Congratulations Susan, the whole team will keep our fingers crossed on December 13th!

 

About Managed Solution

As a relationship-driven organization, Managed Solution collaborates with you to customize the perfect mix of software, hardware, and IT services. We deliver a flexible technology solution that evolves and adapts to meet your needs and exceed your expectations at every stage of your business cycle.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Women in Technology Network Launches in San Diego

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text]San Diego, CA, October 24, 2018, – San Diego’s tech women have just gained a new way to connect locally and globally in tech industry. The San Diego chapter of the global non-profit The Women in Technology Network, kicked it off with a technology demo and networking event. You can join The WIT Network for free until November 1st.[/vc_column_text][grve_button align="center" button_text="Join The WIT Network San Diego" button_size="large" button_shape="round" button_link="url:http%3A%2F%2Fthewitnetwork.com%2Fmembership%2F||target:%20_blank|"][vc_column_text]The WIT (Women in Technology) Network is a community of professionals across the world that believe in making it easier for women to imagine, begin, and develop a career in IT. There are over 80 chapters in over 40 countries that provide a vast and varied network of events, contacts, and opportunities. The San Diego Chapter is co-chaired by Tina Rountree, Director of Sales at Managed Solution and Jennifer Benedict, Account Executive at Managed Solution.

Tina Rountree, Co-Chair of the San Diego WIT Network Chapter, stated, “I am beyond proud and happy of the knowledge, expertise and experience we had in the room today. In San Diego, we have a unique opportunity to establish an environment that will attract women in technology and bring them from imagining to developing a successful career in IT. We are open to suggestions and needs from our members and are looking forward to join forces with other female-led organizations in the region for a greater impact.”

At the kick off event, members experienced a demo of productivity tools and discussed current statistics about women in technology as well as as well as San Diego’s current state as it relates to women in the technology industry and how collaboration can be established in ways to promote welcoming tech environments for women. For example, women make up less than 20 percent of U.S. tech jobs, even though they make up more than half of the U.S. workforce (Evia).[/vc_column_text][grve_callout leader_text="yes" button_text="Join The WIT Network" button_shape="round" button_link="url:http%3A%2F%2Fthewitnetwork.com%2Fmembership%2F||target:%20_blank|"]Membership is free until November 1st, register now!
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10 Inspiring Quotes from Women Tech Leaders

10 Inspiring Quotes from Women Tech Leaders

By Vanessa Voltolina as written on www.entrepreneur.com

Men have long dominated the technology industry, but the growing number of women entrepreneurs and business leaders can't be ignored. The most notable recent example is Marissa Mayer, Google's first female engineer who was appointed president and CEO of Yahoo Inc.
Here's a look at other women who may not be as well known as Mayer but are making their mark in the tech industry, as well as their inspiring words for other business owners:
Staying ahead of competitors

quote 1

Sometimes when you come up with a creative new solution to a nagging problem, competitors quickly follow your lead and eat up your market share. That's what happened after Leah Busque founded TaskRabbit in 2008, an online marketplace where users post a task they need completed and it is assigned to the “TaskRabbit” who makes the lowest bid.
A former software engineer at IBM, Busque keeps her company agile by making frequent product changes, seeking out expert advisors and nurturing company culture. Since May 2011, TaskRabbit has tripled its net revenue and the number of tasks posted per month. It has also increased its user base sevenfold, while its staff has grown from seven a year ago to nearly 50 today.
Busque expects more marketplace expansion in 2012, as she works to fulfill her vision to "revolutionize the world's labor force."
Believing in your passion

quote 2

In 1998, after a happy-hour revelation that tech outsourcing was the wave of the future, Cassandra Sanford and two partners decided to start an IT personnel company. What evolved out of $10,000 and some computer equipment was St. Louis-based KellyMitchell Group. Previously, Sanford had studied corporate law at St. Louis University and spent a few years as a technical staffing specialist at Boeing.
In 2004, Sanford’s goal was to generate revenue of $25 million within five years. By 2008, the company had already hit $39 million and went on to surpass $50 million in 2011.
In addition to running KellyMitchell, Sanford returned this year as chair of the Women’s Leadership Society giving initiative of United Way of Greater St. Louis. In 2011, she helped the organization raise more than $6 million. Next up: becoming a "$100 million company with 1,000 employees."
Taking the entrepreneurial leap

quote 3

Canadian native Michelle Zatlyn is best known for starting San Francisco-based CloudFlare, which taps into companies’ need for fast, secure websites. The service had its beginnings at Harvard Business School, where Zatlyn was asked by co-founder Matthew Prince to join the project. After graduation, she and her two co-founders moved to California and launched CloudFlare in 2010.
CloudFlare accelerates and secures websites much like a content delivery network, but it’s easier to set up and configure. CloudFlare now delivers 65 billion web pages per month -- more than Amazon, Wikipedia, Twitter, Zynga, AOL, Apple, Bing, eBay, PayPal and Instagram combined.
Hiring the best employees

quote 4

Susan Feldman and Alison Pincus's One Kings Lane is a members-only site offering high-end home and lifestyle items, with unique finds and Pinterest-worthy photos. Before launching in 2009, Feldman learned the ropes of the fashion industry while serving as vice president of sales at Polo Jeans and president of sales for Ralph Lauren Sleepwear. Pincus’s previous experience was at Walt Disney, NBC and publisher Hachette Filipacchi in marketing, business development and digital media.
While competitors such as Fab.com and Gilt Groupe have also moved into the discount décor space, Feldman and Pincus don’t foresee introducing full-priced items or expanding into new product areas. One Kings Lane has two million registered users, and generated more than $100 million in revenue in 2011.
Being a great leader

quote 5

An acronym for "reliable open systems engineering," Chesterfield, Mo.-based Rose International is an IT company focusing on contingent workforce services. After beginning her career as an architect in India, founder Himanshu Bhatia, now 49, moved to the U.S. in 1987, shifted to technology and earned a master's degree in management information systems.
Bhatia’s time spent managing contractors at an aerospace manufacturing company opened her eyes to the need for improvements in boosting system quality, making pricing more competitive and creating a more nimble IT staffing model. Her response to those issues was the launch of Rose International in 1993.
In 2006, revenue reached $61 million, and it increased to $360 million in 2011. This year, Bhatia’s company was named among the top technology integrators in North America.
Leveling the playing field

quote 6

What's the key to making an online video go viral? British entrepreneur Sarah Wood has the answer. In 2006, she co-founded Unruly Media, one of the companies at the forefront of online video marketing. The company acts as a technology platform for social video campaigns including Old Spice's wildly popular "The Man Your Man Could Smell Like" video (more than 42 million views on YouTube) as well as Evian's lovable Roller Babies video (more than 58 million views).
Serving as COO, Wood has been instrumental in fueling the company's growth and developing its technology platform, the "Media Engagement and Measurement Engine," which Unruly says has delivered and tracked 1.65 billion video views. In 2011, Wood was named U.K. Female Entrepreneur of the Year.
Blazing your own trail

quote 7

With a passion for vintage apparel and décor, Susan Gregg Koger co-founded ModCloth in 2002 from her dorm room at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. The business turned a profit in 2006 with $90,000 in revenue, which skyrocketed to more than $15 million in 2009. Gregg Koger uses "social commerce” to involve potential customers in her site even if they aren’t actually buying. For example, the "Be the Buyer" program allows people to choose which styles go into production.
As the demand for vintage merchandise has grown, so has the ModCloth team, which now totals nearly 300. The success hasn't changed Gregg Koger, though. She continues to expand her inventory by traveling near and far in search of distinctive pieces for her company and her closet.
Motivating yourself

quote 8

Think of Rebecca Woodcock's Cake Health -- chock full of free web and mobile tools -- as the Mint.com of wellness.
Inspired by a friend's struggle with managing health-care expenses, Woodcock launched the San Francisco-based company in 2010. She began her career in corporate technology, running product development and market strategy research for companies such as Intel, Google and LG. That experience equipped her with the know-how to make both Cake Health’s site and mobile app easy-to-navigate tools for health-care expense management.
Woodcock created Cake Health while attending a training program called the Founder Institute. Her brainchild was named the "most disruptive" startup in her 2011 graduating class.
Embracing change

quote 9

If OpenTable is the standard for reservations, Fullerton, Calif.-based Starbates hopes to become the standard for customer loyalty. Serial entrepreneur Jean Chong launched Starbates in 2012, a smartphone app that patrons can download and use to scan QR codes posted in participating restaurants and unlock deals. In return, restaurant owners get information about customers and can send them customized offers.
Chong was chief executive of couponing site StretchE.com before launching her first startup, Premier Food Safety, a provider of food safety training. While Starbates isn't the first restaurant loyalty service on the market, Chong aims to change the game by providing more metrics and by not requiring a credit card to be linked to customer profiles.
Being flexible

quote 10

In 2005, MissOandFriends.com became 16-year-old Juliette Brindak's method of promoting interaction and self-esteem among "tween" girls. When her sketches of “Miss O” -- created to entertain her sister, Olivia -- were a hit among family and friends, Brindak’s parents helped her think about how to create a business out of content by girls and for girls.
Fast forward to 2011, when MissOandFriends.com was rated the No. 3 “girls only” website worldwide by Alexa data. Brindak, now 22, says hiring staff has been one of her greatest challenges as a young entrepreneur. But with experience, she’s better able to read people and has gained the confidence to stand up to investors and partners.
This year, Brindak launched MissOMoms.com, a site connecting women who have daughters. Brindak says the two sites together pull in more than 3 million unique visitors a month.

Next Level Nail-Art Aims To Draw Women To Technology

getty-images

Next Level Nail-Art Aims To Draw Women To Technology

As written on foodworldnews.com
The tech world is still pretty much dominated by men and only a few women are currently drawn to it. Now, a new technology aims to change that and make even more women get into tech. It also takes nail art to the next level. NPR featured the genius behind the company called Preemadonna, the creator of Nailbot.
This technology's goal is to attract girls in an industry dominated by men. The company is based in San Francisco and they are mainly about products that cater more to women and young girls.
Their current product that seems promising is the Nailbot. This allows printing any nail art directly on the nails of their customers through the help of a smartphone.
The CEO and Co-founder of the company, Pree Walia sat in for an interview with NPR and revealed a lot about their business and new technology. According to the publication, they treated this innovation as if a gateway drug for girls to enter the world of technology. The company also aims to make girls free from expressing themselves through nail art and have fun while they're at it. Walia explained, "It is a beauty tool, but for young girls it's a learning tool."
The price of this device is around $199 and it would definitely spark up the interest of both girls and boys, as they would be curious about the technology behind its entire operation. The company is pitching their product not just as a beauty tool, but it also does work as part of the arts and crafts tool.
This product would also come in handy for those who treat nail art as their business. Now, nail artists won't have to manually create designs onto their client's fingernails. A 3D printer can now do it for them.

Source: http://www.foodworldnews.com/articles/51684/20151109/next-level-nail-art-aims-make-women-drawn-tech.htm

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Join us on December 10th to listen to success stories from women professionals who are leaders in technology and are passionate about changing the ratio of women in tech. Bring your daughter or family so together we can share our knowledge and resources and help young women understand and expand their potential as future leaders in technology – from the classroom to the boardroom. Learn more.