Tag: we power tech

In honour of Women’s History Month, Amazon Web Services (AWS) celebrates female leaders who inspire and empower women and girls in STEM. Their stories demonstrate technical excellence, leadership, collaboration, and mentorship – values that create an inclusive culture where all can thrive. The United Nations’ (UN) theme for this year’s International Women’s Day was “Invest […]

Did you know that the unemployment rate for the formerly incarcerated is five times higher than the general population? The implications of this stat are significant—affecting not only an individual’s livelihood—but also their family and future. Research shows that post-release unemployment is the most significant predictor of eventual recidivism. That’s why programs like Columbia University’s Justice Through Code are so important. Justice Through Code is a free, semester-long program, developed in partnership with the Tamer Center for Social Enterprise at Columbia Business School and the Center for Justice at Columbia University, providing formerly incarcerated individuals with technical and interpersonal skills training, mentorship, and job placement support.

At Amazon Web Services (AWS), we believe the future of tech is every color, gender, belief, origin, and community. The future of tech is diverse, inclusive and accessible – but we have a long way to go before realizing this future. At AWS re:Invent 2019, We Power Tech hosted activities to teach and learn from attendees about diversity and inclusion at the intersection of technology. Check out more about what We Power Tech was up to at re:Invent 2019.

On September 24 & 25, Amazon Web Services (AWS) welcomed 1,865 attendees for the AWS Public Sector Summit in Singapore, newly expanded to include customers from Singapore as well as across the Asia Pacific Region. Technologists and executives gathered to learn how the cloud is driving innovation across government, education, and nonprofits worldwide, get inspired, and begin to build. Read below for highlights from the AWS Public Sector Summit in Singapore.

This October 20-23 in Philadelphia, the American Council for Technology and Industry Advisory Council (ACT-IAC), a public-private partnership of community and government leaders, will host Imagine Nation ELC 2019.
The three-day event brings together more than 1,000 attendees – a third from government, including executives and leaders – to discuss how to improve government through technology. Registration is still open for the event.

On September 15, Amazon Web Services (AWS) held its third annual AWS Summit in Bahrain – the first summit since the new Middle East AWS region launched in August. More than 1600 executives and technologists attended to connect, collaborate, and learn about AWS in more than 20 breakout sessions on topics ranging from machine learning, to databases, to workforce development. In the keynote address, Teresa Carlson, VP Worldwide Public Sector, AWS, shared regional announcements and welcomed local customers to share their journey on AWS. Read more about what you missed in Bahrain.

How is the current global skills gap impacting governments, educational institutions and nonprofits in the UK? How are UK-based organizations overcoming this skills gap to build a diverse and inclusive workforce? What more can be done?

Early in your career it is important to find individuals that you respect and admire to act as mentors. I still have mentors, and I still ask questions. You need to remember that the onus is on you to use your mentor’s time. You need to be prescriptive when it comes to asking for their help. Come to them with specific questions and give them perspective on where you need guidance. Approaching a mentor with a clear understanding of where you need guidance is key to respecting their time and getting the most of yours.

At the center of the AWS technical community are community-led AWS Meetups or User Groups – now over 300 in more than 75 countries. These groups meet regularly to learn about AWS products and services, network with others, gain programming best practices, and more. As these communities continue to expand, it’s exciting to see new communities being formed in smaller, emerging markets, as well as ones focused on underrepresented communities. This fall, AWS launched a diversity scholarship program, inviting engineers to re:Invent on a full scholarship who help lead or co-lead an AWS-focused User Group in an emerging market who also identify with an underrepresented community.

Our second annual AWS Summit in Bahrain took place on Sunday September 30th in Manama, Bahrain. More than 2,000 attendees including the Crown Prince and dignitaries within the Bahraini government joined us to get inspired and gain the technical knowledge needed to get more from the cloud. The event included 15 sessions across three tracks – management, technical, and spotlight. The Summit also featured those in the Middle East who have made impressive use of the cloud to foster a spirit of innovation in the region.