Now in its fourth year, the #empowerHERaccess Prestige Awards received a record number of nominations, 200+ nominations ranging across 9 categories from 15 countries.
The awards aim to serve as a reminder of the transformative power of championing representation in creating equal access and opportunity. Jen Vasin , Chief Human Resources Officer at Insight shared, At Insight, our values of hunger, heart and harmony drive our success. We are proud to recruit diverse talent, develop leaders and teammates from the moment they start at Insight, and provide dynamic mentorship throughout their careers. Our partnership with Women In Cloud for the 2024 #empowHERaccess Awards reflects our shared commitment to supporting the remarkable women of our field. Their accomplishments set new standards for our industry and inspire others looking on. We are champions of responsible and equitable practices.
Women in Cloud in collaboration with Insight Enterprises revealed the following list of Award Winners at the #WICxICONS prestige awards ceremony on July 26, 2024:
Trailblazer Leadership Award: Cara South, IT Senior Manager, Boeing – Presented by Insight
Cloud Technologist Visionary Award: Simone Bennett, Principal Consultant & Product Owner, Arkahna – Presented by Boeing
B2B Woman Tech Entrepreneur of the Year: Julia Armstrong D’Agnese, CEO and Co-Founder, Earth Knowledge – Presented by Microsoft
Generative AI Award: Irem Uygur, Robotics Engineer PhD, ZMP Japan – Presented by Accenture
Community Leadership Award: Akua Opong, Senior Associate, LSEG – Presented by Ntegral
Rising B2B Startup of the Year: Lisa Ann Edwards, CEO & Founder, Excelia.io – Presented by Kyndryl
Corporate Equality Advocate Award: Mitra Priyanka, Partner at M12; Founding Partner of GitHub Fund – Presented by EY
Mentor of the Year: Andrew Sethumadavan, Managing Director Technology, Accenture Australia & New Zealand – Presented by Women in Cloud
Ally of the Year: Martin Bernier, CIO, University of Ottawa – Presented by Meylah
Community Choice Award: Akua Opong, Senior Associate, LSEG – Presented by Women in Cloud
Upon receiving news, Akua Opong CITP MBCS FRSA, recipient of the 2024 Prestige Award shared, I am truly honored and grateful to receive this award. Community is at the heart of everything I do. I want to say that all the nominees, finalists and winners are incredible. We need to keep advocating, empowering, and lifting each other as we climb. I am keen on advocating for economic empowerment, women’s healthcare, better mental health and bridge the digital divide in STEM. Using Tech for GOOD and improved accessibility for all. I leave you with these final words of Michelle Obama, There is no limit to what we, as women, can accomplish.
The President of Women in Cloud, Chaitra Vedullapalli lauded the awards platform as a transformative milestone for women in tech, These prestigious awards illuminate exceptional women tech founders, leaders and allies transforming economic inclusion in the industry. Celebrating these achievements is made possible by the collective action of Women in Cloud’s partners and community. Together, we are driving $1B in new economic access to create a future where economic access is not an aspiration, but the industry standard.
The #empowHERaccess Prestige Awards will return in for a fifth year in 2025, with nominations set to open in the Early Spring of 2025. To learn more about the #empowHERaccess awards and the 2025 winners, please visit: https://womenincloud.com/empowheraccessawards2024/
Women in Cloud: is a community-led economic development organization dedicated to taking collective action to generate $1B in new net economic access for women entrepreneurs and professionals by 2030 through global partnerships with corporations, community leaders, and policy makers. All of which are united by the ESG and UN Sustainable Development Goals that are driven by job creation, diversity and inclusion, technology innovation and sustainability, giving women a powerful platform to accelerate as industry leaders. https://womenincloud.com/
Insight Enterprises, Inc. is a Fortune 500 Solutions Integrator with nearly 13,500 teammates worldwide helping organizations accelerate their digital journey to modernize their business and maximize the value of technology. We enable secure, end-to-end transformation and meet the needs of our clients through a comprehensive portfolio of solutions, far-reaching partnerships and 35 years of broad IT expertise. Rated as a Forbes Worlds Top Female-Friendly Company and a Great Place to Work, we amplify our solutions and services with global scale, local expertise and a world-class e-commerce experience, realizing the digital ambitions of our clients at every opportunity. Discover more at insight.com.
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