An Inspirational Woman in Tech: Find out how this "Marvel" fills gender equality gaps through her community-led platform!

Monday: MicroBusiness and Marketing Marvels FROM THE DESK OF MILES EVERSON: Hello, everyone! How are you? We hope you all had a good rest over the weekend. Let’s start the week motivated by talking about our “Marketing Marvels.” Each Monday, we feature individuals who excel in business and marketing, and highlight their industry-related experiences, contributions, and insights. Today, we’ll zoom in on the life of one of the authoritative voices in digital strategy, marketing, and strategic partnerships. Read on to know more about this “Marvel” and the lessons you can learn from her life experiences. CEO, MBO Partners Chairman of the Advisory Board, The I Institute

An Inspirational Woman in Tech: Find out how this "Marvel" fills gender equality gaps through her community-led platform! Chaitra Vedullapalli: Co-founder and President of Women in Cloud Helping women in the community and filling the gap of gender equality is a challenging road to tread, especially in the past years. However, as American author Napoleon Hill once said: “Victory is always possible for the person who refuses to stop fighting.” In the case of today’s “Marvel,” that quote actually proves true. With strong determination, this person is now leading the front with her successful business venture that consists of a majority of empowered women. According to her: “Success is not determined by personal achievements; instead, I believe that being impactful equates to being successful.” What began as a simple movement due to this person’s experiences now impacts millions of women around the world. The name of this “Marvel?” Chaitra Vedullapalli! Vedullapalli is the Co-Founder and President of Women in Cloud, a community-led economic development organization that celebrates female entrepreneurs in the tech industry. As a source of inspiration, resources, and support that connects and empowers women in Washington and beyond, Women in Cloud helps female entrepreneurs realize their potential and reach new growth through opportunity circles, accelerator programs, and mentorship. Vedullapalli founded this organization with hopes to inspire growth for women-led tech companies in the cloud computing era. The Journey to Success Vedullapalli graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering at the RV College of Engineering in Bangalore, India in 1995. After that, she moved to the U.S. and entered the corporate world by working at software company Oracle in 1997. She worked for 8 years there and became the Global Director. She also held executive positions at technology company Microsoft for over 2 decades. There, she led cross-functional, cross-boundary, and cross-industry roles to build the company’s infrastructure and economic development from the ground up. As a person born with strong creativity, Vedullapalli got hooked on the interactive interface and features of Microsoft, and this drove her to the technological world with a tinge of marketing. She said: “The changing landscape in technology and marketing meant these traditionally parallel streams needed to be connected in the modern space. Digital marketing was my chance to bring a creative and bright side to technology.” During the early years of her career, Vedullapalli struggled with lack of financial, leadership, and relationship equity, and this led her to contemplate her decision to pursue a career in the tech industry. What else? As an Indian-American woman, this experience had her question her capabilities as a technologist. … but that’s not the end of Vedullapalli’s story! In fact, these roadblocks helped her acquire and structure her leadership style and qualities. Because of her experiences, she made a conscious decision to serve people, add value, function with clarity, and be critical about analyzing a situation where she feels invisible. Since then, Vedullapalli has always believed in solving problems to serve the community and foster collective growth. Revamping the Industry with Women in Cloud Creating a successful organization requires a combination of strategic thinking, technical skill, and a relentless focus on delivering value to staff, customers, clients, and partners. … and at Women in Cloud, Vedullapalli and her inclusive community are well on their way towards “building the next-generation technology right!” Some of the company’s strategies to achieve their goals include virtual events, community engagements, and digital campaigns. Vedullapalli and her team believe that value-based marketing, omni-channel marketing, e-commerce transformation, and community engagement are the major domains that will enable Women in Cloud to transform the digital marketing industry. What are some of Vedullapalli's tips on establishing a strong organization or company? Identify a compelling problem to solve. According to Vedullapalli, successful companies are built around solving a problem that is important to a large number of people. A good example of this is Slack, which was created to solve the problem of ineffective communication and collaboration within organizations. Build a great team. A thriving company requires a talented and dedicated team that is able to work together effectively AND efficiently. Vedullapalli highlights the early success of Apple, which was largely due to the close working relationship between Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and others who were able to turn their vision into reality through combined skills and effort. Focus on a product-market fit. The key to a successful company is to build a product that people want and are willing to pay for. Vedullapalli says this requires a deep understanding of the target market and a relentless focus on delivering value to customers. Foster a culture of innovation. As a creative person in the tech industry, Vedullapalli believes successful companies are built on a foundation of continuous innovation, and a culture that encourages and supports new ideas and experimentation. She says history shows that such a culture has led to the creation of many successful companies, products, and initiatives. At present, Women in Cloud is on a mission to transform inclusivity in the tech industry, so Vedullapalli and her team are developing sustainable programs and solutions to equip women to access economic opportunities. They are determined to add value to their existing members, build new models, and create new avenues to educate, nurture, and accelerate the growth of women tech-preneurs across the globe. … and for Vedullapalli, this is an exciting period for her and her team. Take note of Vedullapalli’s tips on how to build a strong organization or company. With these strategies, you’ll also be able to make an impact on your sphere of influence and achieve success in your field of expertise. Hope you’ve found this week’s topic interesting and helpful.     In the dynamic realm of digital marketing, an evolution has quietly unfolded, reshaping the way businesses elevate their online presence and engage with their audiences. Learn more about Amy Porterfield in next week’s article!