[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]
[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]
[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]
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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]
[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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By Vanessa Voltolina as written on www.entrepreneur.com
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