Issuu

VOL 03 | ISSUE 04 2021

Collaborative Approach Building Flexible and Innovative Workplace Environment

Emma Dickison

THE MOST ADMIRED WOMEN LEADERS IN BUSINESS 2021

Caring For Your Loved Ones with Love and Compassion

EDITOR’S NOTE Wave of Womanhood

s they say for leaders, “get out of your comfort zone and continue to challenge yourself.” Well, for women, they are always back and forth of this quote. The efforts they put into their personal or professional lives are just unworldly. They are surrounded by challenges and situations which makes them aware of their importance and contribution to the world. They keep pushing themselves and feel amazed at doing and achieving difficult tasks. Women leaders today believe in themselves and that they can accomplish greater things in life. They have become more successful in taking more sound financial decisions. Women in business always carry a learning attitude. We are proud to be in a society of women where they are leading in different aspects of life. The opportunity to bring everyone together lies in the fact that they always hope to bring positivity and tries to make a difference in the world. Women we know today are full of dreams and positivity. It is their willpower and enthusiasm that bring energy to the team. If only we as a male-dominated society keep a broad perspective on the growth of women, we can bring this transformation of gender inclusiveness in the workplace. It is equally important to know that women are contributing to the technological field as well. They do not fear technology but embrace it and even learn by implementing it in the organizations. In every field and strata of society, women have flourished in their roles. We have started to see this change and hopes to make it grow bigger and bigger. The reason we want women in leadership because they have this empathetic nature. This

Women The Most Admired

Leaders in BUSINESS

2021

brings everyone closer, working for a common goal of the company. Hence, indirectly achieving the goal of the organization. Women in business know their true worth and what wonders they are capable of. All their efforts are in the direction to make this world a better place to live by standing up for the weak. It is just a matter of time that we will see women with the same number or even outnumber men in the number of roles in all the ﬁelds of the industry. With an intent to admire such businesswomen CIOLOOK introduces its edition, The Most Admired Women Leaders in Business 2021, where we celebrate the success and journey of such leaders. Featuring on the cover story of this edition is Emma Dickison, the CEO and President of Home Helpers® Home Care, which provides in-home care for the aging or differently able. Emma has dedicated the past ten years to this organization and the Home Care industry. She is committed to keeping people safe and independent, wherever they call home. While we come to the end, please do not forget to read the CXO standpoints written by the industry experts and the informative articles penned down by our in-house editorial team. Have a lovely read!

Hitesh Dhamani

COVER STORY

08 Emma Dickison Caring for your Loved Ones with Love and Compassion

ARTICLE

Collaborative Approach Building Flexible and Innovative Workplace Environment

Alice Scott

Amparo Nalvarte García

A Remarkable People and Culture Expert

A Fintech Disruptor and An Avid Entrepreneur

Annette Johnson A Striking Instance of Value-added Leadership

32 Heather Blenkiron A Highly-Experienced Destination Expert

36 Isha Uppalapati Encouraging Young Girls to Nurture their Leadership Capabilities

40 Jodi Harris An Energetic DJ in the Town

44 Mellany Bagtas An Experienced Financial Planner & Advisor

48 Nicole Martin Taking Human Resource Management to the New Heights

52 Sara Brown An Avid Marketer Leading by Example

C O N T E N T S

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Featuring Person

Company Name

Brief

Alice Scott CEO

Austin Fraser austinfraser.com

Austin Fraser specialises in recruiting technology teams across all sectors.

Amparo Nalvarte García CEO

B89 & Culqi b89.io

B89 is a Techﬁn that empowers Hispanics around the world with simple, fair and transparent cross-border digital payments.

Annette Johnson CEO

CMT SERVICES cmtservicesinc.com

CMT Services, Inc. (CMT) is an SBA-certiﬁed HUBZone, EDWOSB, Business Services Solution Provider, serving government and commercial customers.

Emma Dickison CEO

Home Helpers homehelpershomecare.com

Home Helpers® Home Care provides one-on-one in-home care services to seniors and other individuals in need of continuing and recuperative home care.

Heather Blenkiron CEO

CNH Tours cnhtours.com

CNH Tours assumes that you are drawn to Galapagos by its fabled reputation as a place "beyond time", where landscapes, and their inhabitants hark from a world and an era with few or no reference points common to our daily experiences.

Isha Uppalapati CEO

A Girl’s Frontier Agirlsfrontier.org

A Girl’s Frontier is a nonproﬁt organization in Atlanta, Georgia, that aims to empower today’s generation into becoming future leaders.

Jodi Harris CEO

Sight & Sound Events sightnsound.com

Sight & Sound Events is a professional multi-award winning event production and entertainment company in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Mellany Bagtas CEO

Morgan Stanley morganstanley.com

The global presence that Morgan Stanley maintains is key to its clients' success, giving it keen insight across regions and markets, and allowing it to make a diﬀerence around the world.

Nicole Martin CEO

HRBoost hrboost.com

HRBoost, LLC. is Shared Services HR ﬁrm specializing in building HR from scratch and implementing practices that add value.

Sara Brown CEO

Multi-Tech Systems multitech.com

MultiTech designs, develops and manufactures components, devices and end-to-end solutions for the industrial and commercial Internet of Things.

CARING FOR YOUR LOVED ONES WITH LOVE AND COMPASSION

EMMA DICKISON

COVER STORY

Emma Dickison CEO & President Home Helpers® Home Care

It is our mission to make life easier for our clients, providing the same exceptional care we'd want for our own loved ones.

he demands of today's families and careers challenge Americans to provide consistent and essential care needed as their loved ones age. In the aging journey, over 70% of people will encounter the need for assistance with daily living activities. The extra support needed with these activities is often the determining factor between remaining independent in the comfort of their home or having to move into a more managed care environment. This is why Emma Dickison, CEO & President of Home Helpers® Home Care, which provides in-home care for the aging or differently-able, has dedicated the past ten years to this organization and the Home Care industry. She is committed to keeping people safe and independent, wherever they call home. Home Helpers® Home Care agencies across the U.S. service more than 1,000 communities. Home helpers offers comprehensive services, from companion care, to personal care, to light housekeeping and meal preparation. All families start with an in-home care assessment to ensure the client is paired with the Caregiver that best ﬁts their needs and interests.

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Emma asserts “We are not only experts at providing outstanding, compassionate senior care services, but we also offer services for disabled adults or children, new or expectant mothers, and anyone else experiencing difﬁculties. We take this responsibility very seriously.” In an interview with CIO Look, Emma Dickison described Home Helpers Home Care’s services and imparted key notes on leadership to upcoming business leaders. Below are highlights of the interviewGive us a brief overview about your journey as a business leader until your current position at Home Helpers Home Care? My parents were entrepreneurs. In 1972 we moved to Florida and they bought a small independent motel. We lived on site and did all the work ourselves. I learned how to be the maid, switchboard operator, clean the pool, painting, and basic landscaping. After college I ended joining a fairly new start up, Blockbuster Video, and grew with them for 14 years. As a result, I have been blessed to work on three major brands, all leaders in their respective industries.

How do you diversify Home Helpers’ franchise offerings? There are two main ways I've helped Home Helpers franchise owners diversify their business. First is the consumer segments we support. Many competitors target only aging adults. At Home Helpers we provide recuperative care to people of all ages, as well as supporting new and expectant mothers, and individuals with lifelong challenges. The second is by developing the most comprehensive care program in the industry. In addition to companionship and personal care services, we provide medical and non-medical technology solutions to assist clients when we are not in the home. We offer wellness and reminder calls and nutrition services. No other organization in the space provides such a robust business opportunity. How have you made an impact in the health and care space through your expertise in the industry? I have been in the industry now for almost 14 years. My passion comes from a long history of family caregiving with my mom, dad, grandmother and various aunts and uncles. At its core, my work allows our loved ones to age in place safely and retain their dignity. However, I know to have a truly profound impact on how

Americans age it is essential to work beyond Home Helpers' four walls. Because of this, I dedicate a substantial portion of my time to the Home Care Association of America, where as President of the Board of Directors, I can help shape policy and provide guidance to other Home Care agencies. And, I continually speak at both conferences on Aging and Care as well as Franchising. It is important to me to help the next generation of leaders. What are/were the challenges you and your team come across in your day-to-day operations? I've worked hard to build a strong leadership team. Each with unique expertise and strong points of view. I believe diverse teams strengthen our company and our brand. In doing so, it is essential that I make sure each team members' voice is heard, valued and included as we continue our growth. Additionally, we have to take the time to communicate our vision and direction clearly to all of out team members, so their contribution can help Home Helpers reach its full potential. What is your opinion regarding the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the franchise industry? The pandemic forced innovation in all businesses.

We want to be the extended family for your aging loved ones when you aren’t able to be there.

Home Helpers, given the nature of our work, is an essential organization and therefore not only operated without interruption, we continued to grow through the pandemic. We were proud to help offer employment opportunities across the country to help displaced workers train and learn essential skills. And, given our services, we were able to alleviate some of the burden on our long-term care communities and healthcare partners, by reducing the need for seniors to leave the home and risk exposure. The pandemic highlighted how important the role of our work is, and how recession-resilient our business can be. How has your company managed to overcome this signiﬁcant challenge? Our challenges were managing growth in an unprecidented business environment. This meant providing our agencies with new resources - from education on infectious disease control to neogtiating new vendor partnerships for PPE and helping our agencies with best practices for training, onboarding and retention. While navigating all the changes and communicating new support for agencies, one thing remained steadfast. Our purpose – keeping people living safely and independently wherever they choose. This support and much more is the reason our business not only survived, but thrived through this difﬁcult time. What would be your advice to budding entrepreneurs who aspire to venture into the industry? There is never a better time than now! There are so many strong tailwinds that are propelling us forward in this industry. Examples include an aging population, a

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decline in the number of family Caregivers able to provide care, a decline in facility occupancy and legislative initiatives to expand access to care. You have a deﬁned amount of time to build wealth for you and your family and every day you do not make a bold choice to do it, is a day lost. Home Helpers® Home Care has a unique position in this space and therefore offers an unmatched opportunity. Where do you envision yourself to be in the long run and what are your future goals for the company? I have been with Home Helpers Home Care for almost 14 years. I am so incredibly proud of what we have accomplished, yet we have so much more opportunity

ahead. We will continue to build the company, expand our footprint, gain market share, introduce new innovative service offerings to expand our continuum of care and be exceptional community contributors in the communities we serve. What advice would you give to the next generation of female leaders? You are going to have to work hard AND smart! It is easy to be average. You must always have the goal of being exceptional each and every day. You will have to make some bold choices in the process. This will likely take you out of your comfort zone. But it will also continue to challenge you and help you develop. Find good mentors and invest in those relationships. Then give back! Set up the next generation for success.

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Alice Scott A Remarkable People and Culture Expert

inding the magic formula that makes people live and die for the brands they work for, feels like they can truly be themselves. Alice Scott - Chief People Oﬃcer at Austin Fraser has found it. She’s been involved in shaping people functions for over 18 years. Her true passion is employee engagement.

Being an experienced business leader, what is your opinion regarding the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on your industry? And how has your company managed to overcome this signiﬁcant challenge? The impact on our industry varies depending on the sectors businesses are partnering with. There has been a signiﬁcant impact on retail and hospitality recruitment services as these businesses were the heaviest hit during the pandemic. But, there are also other businesses that have surged forward despite the pandemic, either becoming more relevant or needed or pandemic proof. Largely these have been the Life Sciences and Tech sectors where they were initially cautious are now bouncing back and in some instances ahead of where they projected to be. We’ve worked really hard to make sure we can survive any future pandemic style challenges by getting really clear on our goals and structuring the business accordingly.

Alice is accountable for the strategic direction of the people’s team at Austin Fraser through a philosophy of attracting the best talent, nurturing it, and championing the culture. An Interview conducted between Alice Scott and CIOLOOK focusses on employee happiness, wellbeing, and personal & performance goals. Below are the highlights of the interview: Please brief our readers about your leadership position at the company.

What is your thought on the necessity of a positive work culture? In what ways do you implement it at your organization?

I’m the Chief People Oﬃcer responsible for the entire employee life cycle across all of our oﬃces in Europe and North America

Who doesn’t want to enjoy where they work? It’s a founding principle for us and its not an option to provide a job a salary and a list of tasks, our goal is to provide a platform, and an opportunity for people to build careers and achieve the goals they want to achieve. We’ve supported this through providing a trusted culture where our people can choose where they work when they work and what time they want to take away from the business. We know this will mean we create a level playing ﬁeld for working families, motivate those who love to travel, and give control to those in our business who want to do great things but on their own terms. It's working incredibly well.

What were the challenges you came across since founding the organization? I’m not a founder of Austin Fraser. I joined a little over 5 ½ years ago and established the people function from a group of unconnected people disciplines to a joined up function that works cohesively putting the employee experience at the heart of what we do. Our key challenges over that period have been driving and maintaining our retention rates in an industry that notoriously is a challenge and evolving our successful culture to attract the best talent to our business so we can in turn provide the best service to our clients and candidates.

| March 2021 |

Alice Scott,

Chief People Ofﬁcer, Austin Fraser

| March 2021 |

“

Feel the fear and do it anyway. Those that mind don’t matter and those that matter don’t mind

“

I’m a member of the linkedin coaching scheme and coach young women progressing in their careers looking to understand how to navigate their way. I’m also a working mum of two wonderful boys and am very open about the challenges that face working parents on a day to day basis.

In what ways have you or your contributed to the community? If given a chance, what change would you bring to help other companies? We take pride in embedding ourselves in the Tech and Life Sciences communities, providing space for people to learn, share and connect. This has given candidates and clients a free space to advance their skills, connect to those who they can collaborate with and make meaningful connections.

What people, what books, what life factors have influenced and impacted you? My parents firstly, my mum worked full time, achieved great things, and got the balance right where I admired her ability to do both brilliantly. The many leaders/ business owners I’ve had the pleasure of working with have had a huge impact on my learning as a leader and giving me confidence in my voice, influence and approach to business. Lastly being a mum. If you’re going to work full time when you have two amazing boys you better love what you do and i’ve made sure that every role I’ve had has given me something so valuable that I can justify being a working mum.

What would be your advice for aspiring and emerging women entrepreneurs in your industry? Go for it! I’ve got the pleasure of working with some incredible women and men at Austin Fraser. If you can’t see someone like you in your direct line of sight, be the person you wish you could look up to. Have you in any way contributed towards the cause of women empowerment.

| March 2021 |

Amparo

Nalvarte García

A Fintech Disruptor and An Avid Entrepreneur

| March 2021 |

t takes sheer passion, commitment, and a lot of courage to become an entrepreneur. A blend of all these traits is a serial entrepreneur, Amparo Nalvarte García, the Co-Founder and Chief Investment & Alliance Officer of B89. Amparo is an entrepreneur at heart, a lover of adventure, passionate about creating solutions that have never been done before, and above all with a great purpose. She is also the co-founder and ex-CEO of Culqi, an omnichannel payment gateway. It is her first fintech startup and she created it as part of the last course to finish University. It had an exponential growth and was sold 5 years later to Credicorp, one of the largest economic groups in Peru. Let’s take a look into the inspiring journey of Amparo and how she has headed B89 to be where it is today, through an interview conducted between CIO Look and Amparo.

organizational culture has really been a challenge and something totally new for me. Additionally, we had to raise investment in the midst of the pandemic. It took us time and many experiments to find the best way to explain our vision through a video call, build trust and convey that we are the right team. Having had a successful previous startup, facilitated the first contact with investors. However, we have visited more than 100 potential investors and we have received many NO along the way. We currently have an open seed round of USD 3M and only USD 900K are still available. What people, what books, what life factors have influenced and impacted you? A book for life: Veronika Decides to Die (Paulo Coelho). I read this book at 12 and it really impacted my mind. It taught me to appreciate life, each day is a gift and each experience a new learning.

Below are the highlights of the interview: Please brief our readers about your leadership position at the company. Currently, together with a great team, we are developing B89, the neobank of Hispanic Americans in the world and our purpose is to create ﬁnancial well-being without borders. I am co-founder of B89 and I am in charge of developing new business strategies, constantly raising capital and generating strategic partnerships that generate value for everyone. What were the challenges you came across since founding the organization? We began the last months of 2019 by recruiting the initial team, and the most challenging, and rewarding at the same time, has been to form a quality team in the midst of a pandemic. Going from 15 to 64 people in home ofﬁce mode, maintaining a good pace of development and creating a solid

A book for business: The Money Code (Raimón Samsó) and From Zero to One (Peter Thiel) Culqi was born in the second attempt to finish university. The first time I failed the course, I presented a very small project, with little vision I would say. And also because I wanted to finish quickly, I was taking 5 more courses and I was working. That was the most important course of the career and I really felt very ashamed. But now looking back, if I had not disapproved, Culqi would not exist today. And that left me 3 important lessons: i) Sometimes you have to take a step back to take two steps forward, ii) focus is vital for things to happen and iii) think big because the bigger the impact, the more benefits for everyone. Being an experienced business leader, what is your opinion regarding the impact of the

| March 2021 |

Amparo Nalvarte García Co-Founder and Chief Investment & Alliance Ofﬁcer B89

‘‘

In entrepreneurship we don't suffer, we embrace uncertainty and enjoy each day as if it were the last.

‘‘

| March 2021 |

COVID-19 pandemic on your industry? And how has your company managed to overcome this signiﬁcant challenge?

I believe that the best way to contribute to the community is by example. If a normal person achieves results, why not me? If they can, I can too. I followed many leaders in their industries and when I realized that they were breaking barriers, I said wow, I can do that too. I feel that I have advanced on the path of entrepreneurship, and my best way to contribute to the entrepreneurial world is by telling my story, sharing my fortunes and deserts, and above all showing that Peruvian talent can go very far.

The pandemic made evident the lack of banking and the lack of access to capital. To reactivate the economy, we need to increase consumption, and that is where we focus. We redesigned the strategy and launched our ﬁrst product, the safest and simplest credit card on the market, accessed through a mobile app, all 100% digital. What is your thought on the necessity of a positive work culture? In what ways do you implement it at your organization?

Have you in any ways contributed towards the cause of women empowerment? My way of empowering women has been to hire those who have not had many options in life, but who showed a crazy desire to take over the world. The best way to start is through the customer service area, so they know the product, understand the operation and then they specialize in what they like. So, now these women are Product Managers for digital products, fraud specialists and more.

I am convinced that positive culture is vital in an organization and I worked very hard in 3 aspects: Make my team feel safe in the uncertainty, fulﬁlling our commitments and doing the impossible to always fulﬁll something as basic as paying them their full salary on time. • Trust us, our ability to learn and create our own reality. I like to launch new challenges that lead my team to think beyond the obvious, arouse their curiosity and bring out their creativity. • Seek the closeness and cohesion of the team. It all started with the greeting. When possible in prepandemic, I encouraged the team to greet each other and wave goodbye with kisses or hugs. That small gesture marked a before and after in the team's performance. •

What would be your advice for aspiring and emerging women entrepreneurs in your industry? Of my favorite phrases. "If the plan doesn't work, change the plan, not the goal." This leads us to experience new unexplored paths, to open our minds and seek ﬂexibility. And this personal phrase "Your business will grow as much as you grow as a person." Personal growth leads you to tear down limiting beliefs and consequently, new beliefs will positively impact the growth of your business.

In what ways have you or your company contributed to the community? If given a chance, what change would you bring to help other companies?

| March 2021 |

Anne e Johnson, Chief Opera ng Oﬃcer CMT Services, Inc.

Annette Johnson 24

| March 2021 |

t was a mission to deliver the highest quality services to businesses in Consulting, Management, and Technology by applying best practices from the team of industry experts, that led Annette Johnson, to establish CMT Services, Inc.

“Our mission is to provide our customers the highest

As the President and CEO of the company, Annette looks after all strategic partnerships, business development, and outreach initiatives of the company. By being at the helm of the company, she has always ensured that her team is dedicated to delivering the best customer experience in the industry through collaborative communication and interactions. Annette has been an exemplary leader, who is leading by example.

quality customer service and solutions to ensure their success and establish CMT as their Reliable

Let’s ﬁnd out more about how a women-led business is providing exceptional customer service and exceeding its client’s expectations, in an interview between CIO Look and Annette.

Partner of Choice”

Below are the highlights of the interview: What were the challenges you came across since founding the organization? Growing the company’s revenues and footprint and scaling our capabilities to satisfy requirements within the extremely competitive Federal and State contracting space.

while operating in a Virtual Environment and working remotely. CMT has been able to leverage several of our existing relationships with both Government and commercial partners to support our revenue base and employee stafﬁng levels.

What people, what books, what life factors have influenced and impacted you? The writings and philosophy of Khalil Gibran. The most influential life experience which impacted my life’s journey most was borne out of a horrific family tragedy and the opportunity to witness the determined and inspirational way my mother led my siblings and I and our larger family through a tragic period.

What is your thought on the necessity of a positive work culture? In what ways do you implement it at your organization? Positive and empowering work culture is essential to accomplish the company’s strategic goals and business objectives. Building and sustaining a unique and inclusive corporate culture is a critical benchmark for CMT and as the CEO, I have put in place employee engagement programs to ensure that an empowering corporate culture is not merely a slogan of words; but it is the cornerstone of my management philosophy. CMT is proud to have earned recognition for our Corporate Culture for the Baltimore Region by Smart CEO Magazine.

Being an experienced business leader, what is your opinion regarding the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on your industry? And how has your company managed to overcome this signiﬁcant challenge? The impact and challenges of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the business community have been signiﬁcant and especially acute for businesses whose core revenues are derived from Contracting with Federal, State, and Local Governments. The limited access to targeted agencies and decision-makers poses a tremendous challenge to sustaining and securing new contracts

In what ways have you or the company has contributed to the community? If given a chance, what change would you bring to help other companies? CMT established the C.U.R.E. (Connecting, Uniting, Relating, and Educating) Initiative as its Corporate

| March 2021 |

platform for community engagement. Through C.U.R.E. we support local Non-Proﬁts, Provide Mentors to county youth and make contributions to underprivileged and homeless citizens throughout the communities where we do business. Beyond our immediate community, CMT sponsors an Annual Thanksgiving and Holiday Charity Drive where we feed and provide clothing to more than 200 persons in the Nation’s Capital, Washington, D.C.

market your services, be committed for the long-term, persevere, and passionately pursue your vision! Do not Give Up ~ continue to pursue your dream. Glorious Recognitions • • •

Additionally, I support the “Leap Forward Scholarship Program” in honor of women who have impacted my life in such a positive way.

• •

As for other Business owners and companies, I would stress the enormous sense of fulﬁllment and purpose gained from the realization of just how much giving back to the community’s less fortunate makes a difference in their lives and contributes to building a connection to the community in which you live and do business.

• • • •

Have you in any ways contributed towards the cause of women empowerment? Absolutely, by launching CMT as a Woman-Owned Business in 2002 and Mentoring Colleagues and Peers for the past 15 years. I am a proud Member of the Women’s President Organization (WPO) whose guiding Philosophy is Empowering Women Leaders for success.

2016- MEA Entrepreneur of the Year 2016- SmartCEO Magazine-Brava Awards-CEO Award Winner- Baltimore Region 2016- SmartCEO Magazine-Brava Awards- Corporate Culture Award Winner-Baltimore Region 2017- U.S. Small Business Administration-Emerging Leaders Graduate 2017- Prince George’s County Executive- Certiﬁcate of Accomplishment 2018- enterprising Woman Magazine- Woman of the Year 2018- Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small BusinessesResource Partner 2018- Project 500 Graduate McDonough School of Business-Georgetown University 2019- Capital One Bank Top 50 Fastest Growing Woman Owned/Led Companies

What would be your advice for aspiring and emerging women entrepreneurs in your industry? Establish a compelling product or service, deﬁne your vision and mission, gain knowledge of the resources and assistance available and needed to build and

| March 2021 |

oday, every individual would want to work with the company where he or she is valued. This reﬂects the need for organization to have ﬂexible and innovative work environment. Even if we consider the current pandemic scenario, businesses today are operating in challenging environments.

opportunities of the employees leads to success and impact the lives of the employees as well as society. To accomplish the goal of the organization positively, an innovative workplace is a must. That is why building one such innovative and gender-inclusive workplace is important.

This also prompts the need for increased ﬂexibility and knowledge-based work. Thus, it has become paramount for businesses to redesign and repurpose their work culture.

This also brings out the creativity, curiosity of the people, as the company believes in the ability of the employees. Everyone wants to enjoy when they work, and if employees in any company know they have the opportunity to grow, they make a significant contribution in the growth of company. Above every other thing to involve in the company, this must be the first priority for the companies to adopt a flexible, open, comfortable, and gender-inclusive workplace environment.

Creating a work culture that involves communication with its employees is unquestionably of utmost importance. It makes employees feel that they are the part of the company, which involves them in every important discussion. There is always a bright future for the companies that promote a culture of innovative and open work culture. It is like having a common language of the company which helps to have a pool of talent and set the standard for achieving the common goal of the company.

Leading by Examples To cite a few examples, Amazon allows its workers pets in the company, and there is no rule of formals. Workers do not feel like they are working when they are. Google in its office premises makes sure that no office is more than 150 feet away from food. Employees can enjoy coffee, snack in the workplace premises apart from having a cafeteria. Netflix allows the freest environment to its employees by having a no rulebook. It believes by doing this people are not bounded in their creativity and become the best version of themselves. No doubt, people are mature and responsible enough to maintain the respect of this freedom. There are many more such examples.

No Boundaries In tough times like pandemic, it gives motivation by staying connected with the employees. Working with a happy mind creates a deeper connection among the team members of any company. The thrill and the enthusiasm to work is observed in the employees of the company who tend to promote a healthy and ﬂexible work-culture. When narrow thinking like the racial concept is dropped and gender inclusiveness is promoted, it is the place which sets the example for other companies to follow. It has a lot to do with the psychology of the employees. As it clearly sends the message among people about the ﬂexibility in such a gender-inclusive and broad thinking workplace.

Wise Words In Conclusion, we can safely assert that more diverse and innovative workplace are, more workers will feel to contribute to the company. This is something companies should look upon; they have to be less rigid now. The ﬂexible environment indirectly results in more output for the company.

These are the things that companies might think to include in their work culture. Because it helps everyone to remain positive, focused and eliminate every way of stress in the company. Once everyone feels respected in such a culture with a positive vibe and trust, the team becomes a family for the employees, as they are treated with care which makes them feel an important part of the company, and it is a feeling of being special.

Today with the pandemic situation companies are already offering work from home. They should be more thoughtful in it by offering part-time and full-time work from home. As the mind-set of the employees should be cared upon. A single parent should be offered ﬂexible timings, as there are a lot of responsibilities of virtual classes of their children. All in all, open, free, genderinclusive, and ﬂexible workplaces are the need of the hour.

Innovation and Inclusiveness Introducing new innovations to create more growth

| March 2021 |

Collaborative Approach

Building FLEXIBLE and Innovative WORKPLACE ENVIRONMENT

| March 2021 |

Heather Blenkiron President, CNH Tours

| March 2021 |

HEATHER BLENKIRON A Highly-Experienced Destination Expert A

to be willing to build a relationship on a foundation of a shared goal of planning a perfect trip.

thorough knowledge of the islands gained while working in Galapagos is what distinguishes Heather Blenkiron – President at Cultural and Natural Heritage Tours (CNH Tours).

Canadian Embassy Representative Heather works directly with the guests, the company’s public contributor is co-owner, Marc Patry. In September 2020, Marc Patry of CNH Tours completed a 3-year term on the board of the Travel Industry Council of Ontario where he was elected by his peers in the travel industry to represent small tour companies.

Having worked with so many people, from such diverse backgrounds, over many years, a solution is almost always in clear for Heather. She always supports women-owned businesses: whenever she has the opportunity. She shows the women in her life appreciation. This is her daily mantra. “Show appreciation, always”. She is the majority shareholder of the company, she founded together with her husband, Marc Patry, back in 1999.

In Heather’s case, she served as the Canadian Warden for Galapagos as well as her team lead for the design of the shared Charles Darwin Research Station/Galapagos National Park visitor site. Her husband, Marc Patry managed the Isabela project. Their long-term relationships with both good friends, and stakeholders across the spectrum alike form the foundation for the commitment to both the conservation and sustainable development of this remote oceanic archipelago.

Trip Advisor & Destination Expert Heather Blenkiron and Marc Patry (husband) continues to provide their expert knowledge as the Destination Expert for Galapagos on Trip Advisor (Heather), sitting on the board of the Galapagos Tour Operators Association (Marc), and sitting on the General Assembly of the Charles Darwin Foundation for the Galapagos Islands Marc.

Designed for Active & Inquisitive Travelers CNH Tours is an unconventional travel company. It has never had a brick and mortar ofﬁce. It has only offered one destination: Galapagos. And the principles of CNH Tours have all lived in its primary destination, Galapagos. The company has learned over time that the depth of its expert knowledge of the place and its people is unusual. Of course, it is derived from its 4 years of living and working with the Galapagos National Park and Charles Darwin Research Station. Heather also recommends bringing those who share

On the other side, Heather Blenkiron continues to answer future traveler questions about travel to Galapagos as the Destination Expert for the Galapagos Forum on Trip Advisor. Heather also encourages a greener approach to travel. For the company’s part, it is integrating carbon offsets into all of its guest’s trips. Heather believes that to be successful, you have to really love helping people. This doesn’t mean that you have to be an extrovert, but it does mean that you have

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By enlarging its team to accommodate additional specialists in their own iconic regions, CNH feels that its guests can expect to receive the same formidable expertise and passion in the planning and fulﬁllment of their lifelong dream to visit these new CNH Tours destinations. Maintaining Close Relationships with the Community CNH Tours is supporting the Galapagos cruise community by offering complimentary access to its last-minute Galapagos cruise website, Galapagos Cruise Links, to all ship owners in Galapagos. The company also encourages a greener approach to travel. For its part, the company is integrating carbon offsets into all of the guest’s trips. Creative ways of giving back to the local community are also important to the company, it encourages its guests to bring books to donate to the local library. CNH tours also run fundraising departures for worthy causes. These are things that have always been part of the company’s ethos and it plans to redouble its efforts on all three of these fronts. Each year, CNH Tours tries to donate a cruise, or element of it, to a charitable organization. In December 2019, the company donated a discounted Galapagos cruise to a fundraiser for a local community resource center in Ottawa. In the past it has donated the same to the Boston National Public Radio (NPR); the Canadian Library Association; the youth program, Dustin’s Greenhouse; the Montana Museum of Natural History; Pearson College of the Paciﬁc; and Charles Darwin Foundation.

your passion along for the ride. It’s been one of her greatest pleasures to share her vocation with someone who shares her vision for small-scale, green tourism. Forging Great Ties with the Tourism Sector The most dramatic effects of the pandemic were felt in communities around the world that depend almost wholly on tourism, including the Galapagos where 70% of the economy is directly linked to tourism. CNH Tours has always focused on small-scale tourism, encouraging its guests to choose to reserve their Galapagos experiences through locally owned and operated ships and hotels.

In Galapagos, CNH Tours has contributed to the Puerto Ayora Public Library and continues to encourage its guests to bring books to donate to the library. It contributes to conservation and sustainability projects in Galapagos via the International Galapagos Tour Operator Association Traveler Conservation Fund.

In 2019, Heather and Marc were fortunate to meet Karen Ross, a local expert for Eastern Africa, who has now joined their team. CNH Tours has also identiﬁed an Antarctica specialist whom it has invited to join the team. Both have invested decades supporting the pursuit of scientiﬁc, conservation, and tourism in their respective destinations.

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CNH Tours takes your perfect trip parameters, adds our expert knowledge, and then designs your personal immersion in your destination of choice to permit a “mindtrip” of discovery and wonder achieved through lifechanging experiences.

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| March 2021 |

ISHA UPPALAPATI Encouraging Young Girls to Nurture their Leadership Capabili es

espect in the workplace is hard to come by as a woman. Women have to do more in order to get the same amount of respect as a male counterpart. This lack of respect is merely a microcosm of a much larger issue. It hasn’t been long since women ﬁrst entered the workforce, let alone a male dominant ﬁeld. There still is lingering discrimination, especially towards women in high level positions. High level positions are currently dominated by men. This creates a large problem where women do not have other women as role models and will believe that high level positions are not achievable.

Learning From Mentors and Leaving a Legacy Isha's mentors have provided a priceless foundation for her learning and growth. Their views and experiences coupled with her allows her to bring not only her perspective but theirs as well. Although Isha has been blessed to have exceptional role models personally close to her, the most influential role model for her is Sheryl Sandberg. Isha states that Sheryl's professional prowess is remarkable and revered, and Sheryl is the woman who inspired her. With ideas and dreams bubbling in Isha, she opened Sheryl's book Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead where the ideas Sheryl expressed created an inspired community of women to become leaders. Sheryl's perspective and words fueled Isha's desire to help young women find the right support, education, and unity to achieve greater heights that will positively impact their future and help them fulfill their dreams—regardless of the challenges in their way. Sheryl Sandberg taught Isha to stand up for herself and make her voice heard. Sheryl inspired Isha to speak out and take the initiative. Her words and influence are evident throughout Isha's life. Over this past summer, as Isha interviewed seven women leaders to create a set of tools for girls to keep with them on their path to leadership success based on their advice, the hints Sheryl Sandberg left with her were also voiced by these prominent women. Sheryl was the very first person to prove to her how undefeatable women are, and Isha is grateful to Sheryl and other mentors for inspiring her to follow her passion. Isha also encourages to pass on the knowledge one has acquired to next generation.

Having more women in higher positions inspires their female counterparts to work harder and strive to attain similar positions. The more inspiration there is for women to join the workforce, the greater number of women that will enter, decreasing employment rates and creating a new workforce with creative ideas and different perspectives. With this goal of increasing the number of women leaders in her community, Isha Uppalapati created a 501(c)(3) non-proﬁt that advocates for young female leaders, A Girl’s Frontier. By organizing a mentorship matching program, sponsoring education around the world, and running book and iPad drives, she is able to jump start young girl’s education to guide them to become future leaders. Giving Wings to Young Girls A Girl’s Frontier is Isha's attempt to create a business solution to the issues she has encountered in her community by introducing new resources to capitalize and grow from. From their growth and future success, the small impact she hopes to make on their lives will be inevitably paid back to their communities as they become leaders and eventually take other young girls under their wing to continue the cycle.

Driving Passion to Help Young Girls The outreach that Isha has done at A Girl’s Frontier – from building the nonproﬁt to seeing dozens of girls aided – is her driving passion. Through book drives, she provided educational opportunities to girls affected by COVID-19 with reduced access to libraries and their resources.

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Isha Uppalapati,

Founder, A Girl’s Frontier

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My female business mentors who have surmounted gender-based career hurdles, and the young girls I work with whose creative ambitions fuel them encourage me to continue my vision.

Subsequent iPad drives ensured that these girls could continue their educations virtually through a pandemic. By sponsoring young girls throughout the world, Isha ensured that their leadership and academic potentials were not hindered by a lack of funds. Through mentorship programs, she connected girls with female mentors in their field who guided, advised, and inspired them to lead. Over the course of these efforts, Isha has worked with giving and brilliant women who see themselves in these younger girls, and she has met the most talented and creative girls who inspire and motivate her every day. A Girl’s Frontier led book drives and iPad donations in her community to provide educational opportunities to families affected by COVID-19 so that underprivileged girls could continue their educations even when school resources were more difficult to access. A Girl’s Frontier's mentorship program also connected girls with a female leader in their field who would guide, advise, inspire them to lead, and continue their education even without inperson teaching.

higher levels of the process: the county board, the state legislature, or even eventually the national legislature. Isha states that, "It’s clear that we learn from and respect women, but it is time for women to be in charge of the decisions they are implementing." In Isha's community, she encourages girls to become entrepreneurs, to ask and fight for the promotion, and to start running for public offices. With Isha's nonprofit organization, A Girl’s Frontier which is dedicated to providing young girls in Metro Atlanta and throughout the entire world with the opportunity to nurture their leadership potential via education, mentorship, and outreach programs, Isha hopes to encourage young girls to have this vision and explore their leadership capabilities. Isha encourages young girls, and herself, to push past the glass ceiling by looking up to the women leaders who have accomplished great feats, and take the story of successful women leaders as an inspiration to create one's own, where one writes every page.

Encouraging Positive Work Culture A positive work culture encourages everyone to do their job the best they possibly can. For a successful small business, it is absolutely necessary. In A Girl’s Frontier Isha strives to ensure that everyone knows how incredibly thankful she is to all of them, so that they know that what they are doing makes a difference. Pushing Past the Glass Ceiling In Isha's community, women are at the forefront of almost all the endeavors. The principals of all the schools Isha has gone to are women and moms in charge of the PTA who help guide the decisions of the school. Yet even with all these women in charge of such crucial moments of the community’s lives, there are far and few women in the

| March 2021 |

JODI HARRIS, CEO SIGHT & SOUND EVENTS

Jodi Harris An Energetic DJ in the Town

| March 2021 |

est described as CEO of Fun, Jodi Harris is setting a striking instance of exemplary leadership. She is the CEO of Sight & Sound Events. You would be hard-pressed not to enjoy an event that Jodi is doing. She has an energy that is consistent with her job title. If you entrust your clients with Jodi they will have an ‘FUNtastic” experience. In an interview conducted between Jodi Harris and CIO LOOK provides clients with superior service in entertainment enabling to build incredible experiences. Below are the highlights of the interview: What were the challenges you came across since founding the organization? The challenge is that my industry, especially the DJ part is a very maledominated industry. Also, Las Vegas is a very connected town and sometimes the best person for the job doesn’t always get the job. You are only as good as your last event. Being an experienced business leader, what is your opinion regarding the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on your industry? And how has your company managed to overcome this signiﬁcant challenge? COVID-19 DEVASTATED the event industry. I’m in the social gathering business NOT the social distancing business. Las Vegas is the entertainment and convention capital of the world and our business came to a screeching halt. Our company managed to overcome this challenge by addressing the concerns. We immediately put our COVID-19 safety procedures on our website and created a safety video. We also stayed consistent with our branding messages on social media that when you are ready, we’ll be here for you. Because of this, we picked up a new business with properties we never did business with before.

What is your thought on the necessity of a positive work culture? In what ways do you implement it at your organization? Our company culture is that of family, positivity, and respect. Everyone in our organization truly cares about our clients and the importance of being part of their special day. We have quarterly retreats with our team taking them to fun locations around Vegas. We put fun photoshoots together. We’ve had a lot of ZOOM meetings too. We have a special FACEBOOK page set up just for our team. In what ways have you or your contributed to the community? If given a chance, what change would you bring to help other companies? Our company provides entertainment for 4 charities we work with. We provide entertainment for the American Cancer Society’s Annual Making Strides Against Breast Cancer event. Where in 2019, 30,000 Las Vegasans came out to raise money for the ﬁght against Cancer. In 2020, we did a drive-thru event with 1000 cars. I am a rescue pet mom of 2 dogs, so the company’s 2nd community event is to help the local animal shelter by providing entertainment for fundraising and at pet adoptions. Our 3rd event is to support our US military by providing entertainment for our US Marine Corps Birthday Balls in November. We collect a small fee for our services. We also donated our services for the Las Vegas Wedding Chamber of Commerce event called ‘Vegas Marries the Military’. The Vegas Marries the Military event provides free weddings with a group reception dinner for our military who want to get married. It’s in November in conjunction with the USMC birthday ball. Our 4th community event is working with the local colleges and hospitality schools teaching students about the business of hospitality and business. I would tell other businesses to ﬁnd a local group you are passionate about and see what you can do to help out. | March 2021 |

What would be your advice for aspiring and emerging women entrepreneurs in your industry? My advice is to always be learning. Never settle no matter how long it takes or where you are in your journey. Networking is also the key to success and being consistent. Don’t take no for an answer. Find unique ways to connect with your passion. Have you in any way contributed towards the cause of women empowerment. Yes, I’ve spoken on many women business podcasts about being a woman entrepreneur and Disc Jockey too. What people, what books, what life factors have inﬂuenced and impacted you? In my early career, I had the honor of working for the late TV personality, Regis Philbin. Regis taught me a lot about being caring. If you truly care about people, you’ll be successful. Stephanie McMahon the Chief Brand Ofﬁcer for WWE because she is a true woman in business making it happen. She’s the total picture of a woman who is well respected in a man's world, a boss, giving back and having it all. Books: CRUSH IT (Gary Vaynerchuk) and BIG MAGIC (Elizabeth Gilbert). ‘Crush it’ gave me inspiration on taking my business to new levels by making it cool to create content about what it is that I do. ‘Big Magic’ unleashed my creativity and made me realize that my crazy ideas are not that crazy after all.

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Be so good they can’t ignore you. (Steve Martin)

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‘‘

Mellany Bagtas, Vice PresidentWealth Management & Senior Por olio Manager

I consider myself as my clients’ GPS system. I map out their strategy to make sure they successfully get to their destination safely, and on time with the least amount of risk.

Morgan Stanley Wealth Management

‘‘

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Mellany Bagtas An Experienced Financial Planner & Advisor

hether it’s managing money, financial planning or acting as the CFO for a select group of successful individuals and their families, trusts and businesses, as a Vice PresidentWealth Management & Senior Portfolio Manager Mellany Bagtas’ motto is, “Always deliver more than expected”. Her leadership is dedicated to conducting first-class service in a first-class way at Morgan Stanley. Mellany’s impressive career and experience in financial services began after she graduated magna cum laude from Mount Saint Mary College with a BA in business administration with a concentration in finance. She began working in the financial industry as a banker for JPMorgan Chase. She then spent ten years at Merrill Lynch, working her way up to a successful role as vice president and wealth management advisor.

preserve & manage wealth so they can pursue their ﬁnancial goals. Below are the highlights of the interview: Please brief our readers about your leadership position at the company. I’m a Financial Advisor, Vice President-Wealth Management and Senior Portfolio Manager at Morgan Stanley. Being an experienced business leader, what is your opinion regarding the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on your industry? And how has your company managed to overcome this signiﬁcant challenge?

Mellany served on the board of directors and is the past president of the Hudson Valley Estate Planning Council. She also served on the board of St. Luke's Cornwall Hospital Foundation, was a member of the board of trustees for the Community Foundations of the Hudson Valley, and is an active volunteer for several other nonproﬁt organizations. She explains, “I always go above and beyond what people expect from me, and what I expect from myself. I never settle for mediocrity. If I’m going to do something, I do it with a lot of accountability and passion.” This motto has certainly served her and her clients well.

Covid has been tough for many people and countless industries. The financial industry is not an exception. I would say that many people, in the beginning, found it difficult to work from home. But eventually due to advancements in technology, and for having an already in place capability to work from home even before the pandemic, helped employees in our company to adjust to the new normal. We realized and have proven that we are able to perform effectively and efficiently and even reach new heights in revenues and net new assets even with the challenge of working from home.

From a small Wall Street partnership to becoming a global ﬁrm of more than 60,000 employees today, Morgan Stanley has been committed to clients and communities for 85 years.

What is your thought on the necessity of a positive work culture? In what ways do you implement it at your organization?

In an interview conducted between Mellany Bagtas and CIOLOOK to help businesses and institutions build,

Positive work culture is imperative to a successful business. My business has a lot of ups and downs. You

| March 2021 |

go through several peaks and valleys and remaining positive will keep you sane and focused. Focusing only on the things you can control helps you eliminate the need to worry and effectively manage your stress. In what ways have you contributed to the community? If given a chance, what change would you bring to help other companies? I have served and led several non-proﬁt boards in my community. Worked in several fund-raising events and community awareness. With my busy schedule, I try to welcome speaking engagements that let me impart my knowledge in ﬁnancial planning, the markets, and wealth management. What would be your advice for aspiring and emerging women entrepreneurs in your industry? You have to believe in yourself and know that there are no limits to what you can accomplish. Keep pushing yourself and you’ll be amazed at what you’re capable of doing and achieving. Never feel like a victim, instead be and act like a winner.

Have you in any ways contributed towards the cause of women empowerment. I have done several seminars and speaking engagements at numerous women events, teaching women to take control of their financial lives and make better decisions when it comes to their finances. As women become more and more successful, independent, and self-sufficient, being able to make sound financial decisions is imperative.

| March 2021 |

Nicole Mar n, Founder and Chief Empowerment Oﬃcer,

HRBoost, LLC

“It is our Vision at HRBoost to bring JOY and PURPOSE to PEOPLE through their Work." 48

| March 2021 |

Nicole Martin Taking Human Resource Management to the New Heights

t was a vision to ﬁnd leaders who wanted to be the next Best & Brightest® employer while providing support to growing businesses facing a myriad of workforce challenges. Thus, that led Nicole Martin leave her corporate career and establish HRBoost, LLC in the year 2010.

What people, what books, what life factors have inﬂuenced and impacted you? I have been fortunate to work with many wonderful people throughout my career. I love to read and learn but I found through the ﬁve years I interviewed leaders on my online show, HR in the Fast Lane, as well as through traveling and speaking to diverse audiences and C Suite leaders in business, I have learned so much from the shared exchange across industry. It isn't just one book, or one person that brought me to where I am. It is a tapestry of my life to date. I do live by one quote however and that is "Presence is more than just being Present". Whenever I get a hectic feeling, I need only say this to myself and it brings me back to the present moment with my mind, body, and soul.

By 2012, she realized she needed a team. With 50% growth year over year, it became clear HR outsourcing was not HR as she knew it and HRBoost had found a niche. By 2013, her company had a solid team and when she looked across a table to see all those that worked for her, she became the Chief Empowerment Ofﬁcer. Let's ﬁnd out more about her inspiring journey through an interview conducted between Nicole and CIO Look. Below are the highlights of the interview: What were the challenges you came across since founding the organization?

What is your thought on the necessity of a positive work culture? In what ways do you implement it at your organization?

I think the initial challenges of being a CEO are many. One is needing human capital and ﬁnancial capital to scale and grow. Many will not grow because they are not investing in talent and often it is the CEO's job to bear debt. I made a calculated risk to invest in my talent and invest in my bench strength. In the early years, I was reacting to my business and as a mother and wife it can be a challenge to orchestrate work life integration. I look back and realize that when I put down a process, hired capable talent, and disappeared to let them work, the process proved through; and now, we can do it again, and again, and again. You must trust the people you hire, and you must trust the process. When it is time to take a calculated risk, you invest and do what you can to increase the odds.

If you do not have a positive work culture, talent will not tolerate it for long. Creating a culture conversation takes rigor where two-way exchange is fostered and upheld. We were recognized as a Best & Brightest® company to work for in Chicago before the pandemic. Regardless, any organization committed to excellence knows culture can change with every promotion, hire, or termination. Put separation and a pandemic in the mix and more conversations were needed. If you do not have a common language for how leadership lives across the organization, morale can suffer. We implemented pulse Covid Surveys in addition to our standard culture surveys and metrics. Anonymous pulse is important, but we also began more company check ins across peer levels. We have kept Monday

| March 2021 |

Have you in any ways contributed towards the cause of women empowerment?

Motivation, Happy Hours and Wellness Wednesdays with the long term in mind as we feel we created a deeper connection during these tough times. We also had Chaplains in the workplace before Covid-19. I was thrilled to see them working more proactively to connect with our team in a virtual world and we had high utilization these past 12 months. I feel proudest of what we discussed, exchanged on and shared. The subject matter has not been around easy subjects. We had a team meeting to discuss racial unrest and while it was emotional, I was touched that my business has a culture that feels psychologically safe. Where I can hear and see my team sharing with each other and beyond without fear of peer judgement but rather seeking to learn from one another.

I try to lead by example and I also share for the benefit of all. I have published two books that really speak to women, though men have let me know they enjoy them equally as well. The Power of Joy and Purpose is my personal story and I share my 7 Presence Principles as I get asked nearly every day, how do I do it all so joyfully? I don't do it alone. I also co-authored a book with John Tinghitella last year. We named it, NO FEAR Negotiation for Women, a book where we set forth a process that women can add to their list of abilities and for the greater benefit of our country. Men are about results and women are about effort. We need both in business. With over 2.2 million women who have left the participating talent pool these past 12 months, everyone should be finding ways to support families more holistically. Flexibility and trust are critical to building a team of women. I know! My business happens to be all women, and many are in their child rearing years. Thankfully, I look back at how I built an intellectual playground for myself as a new mother back in 2010.

In what ways have you or your contributed to the community? If given a chance, what change would you bring to help other companies? We created a Covid Business Bundle within 30 days of the legislative changes that swept across our country. I priced it at a nominal fee ($149.00) for all the policy, forms, and instructions to manage the new paid sick leave and emergency family medical leave. We included a free consultation because the last thing a business needed was to learn they weren't in compliance when they were trying to do what was right. The most fascinating part was to see how many out of state clients found us before many in own back yard did. We kicked off 2021 with a Culture Leadership Summit with 11 international speakers and we only charged $2.95 cents to partake.

What would be your advice for aspiring and emerging women entrepreneurs in your industry? I feel it is imperative to get hands on experience doing what you seek to learn. Make sure it brings you joy before investing time, energy, and dedicating your life to it. Enjoy the journey and be prepared to learn, unlearn, and relearn. Surround yourself with people who inspire and support you, but also don't patronize you. Remember, even if it gets harder, or takes longer, stay diligent. Anything you love will be worth it.

| March 2021 |

SARA BROWN An Avid Marketer Leading by Example

nnovation and technology when paired with marketing can do wonders for any business. An avid marketer, Sara Brown has aptly inculcated this approach in her career. In her role as Vice President of Marketing for MultiTech, she holds responsibility for brand strategy as well as all global marketing and communications both internal and external.

Making this happen was, of course, a team effort, but included a good deal of marketing and communications work including rebuilding our brand foundation for the future and getting the team behind it – as well as translating the promise of a once-great business becoming great again into marketing that resonated with new customers.

Let’s take a look at Sara’s entrepreneurial journey so far through an interview conducted between Sara and CIO Look.

What is your thought on the necessity of a positive work culture? In what ways do you implement it at your organization?

Below are the highlights of the interview:

I think culture is critical to success. In my experience organizations that are not intentional about forging and maintaining a positive culture suffer both internally and in the marketplace.

What were the challenges you came across since joining the organization? MultiTech was a very different organization when I joined six years ago, ﬁrst as a consultant and later as a full-time member of the team. It had been several years since the passing of its founder, and the business had suffered in the interim. I was brought on by the new CEO to help drive a turnaround.

Establishing culture begins with identifying shared values and leveraging those to achieve success. I have done brand foundation work for many companies and organizations over the years and I still ﬁnd it strange to talk about corporate values – because the values of corporations are measured in dollars and cents. The values of people, on the other hand, are much more diverse – and interesting. When individual people with shared values come together, they can accomplish great things. When I build value statements for businesses, it always begins and ends with the personal values the team shares. When everyone has a hand in deﬁning something like that, they’re much more likely to agree and commit to living those shared values.

Although the organization had a real family-like culture marked by long-tenures among most of the staff, there were some important mindset changes that needed to be made. First, we had to stop looking backward and start embracing innovation again. Second, we had to encourage a level of openness, empowerment and accountability that had been lacking.

| March 2021 |

Sara Brown Vice President of Marketing MultiTech

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Changing the world by changing people’s minds.

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| March 2021 |

In what ways have you or your company contributed to the community? If given a chance, what change would you bring to help other companies?

more than ten years doing everything from bagging accessories to making boxes to helping with rework. The program has been a tremendous success for MultiTech as well as our Rise contractors – who are now cross training to help with other areas of manufacturing operations. In fact, they’re such an important part of our team, the Rise staff has been awarded the company’s coveted Corporate Values AllStars Award.

MultiTech is actively involved in the growth and development of IoT technologies and related standards through active industry participation.\ At MultiTech, we are committed to developing and manufacturing products in an environmentally responsible manner. MultiTech’s “Design for Environment” Initiative, set forth more than 15 years ago, aggressively pursues pollution prevention, waste reduction, and product design for easy recycling.

If there were one thing I would change, it would be to make digital transformation easier to accelerate the positive impacts of IoT on the world in which we live. Have you in any ways contributed towards the cause of women empowerment?

For more than ﬁfteen years, MultiTech has partnered with non-proﬁt Rise to provide work opportunities to people with disabilities. The Rise program has provided us with a great team of hard working individuals who are an integral part of an optimized staff in our manufacturing and shipping departments. More than one of our Rise contractors has been with MultiTech for

This is a big topic. Obvious contributions include multiple women I’ve mentored over the years and women’s educational and professional development programs I have supported personally and through companies I’ve worked for.

| March 2021 |

Still, I think the most compelling contribution lies in the nature of my business itself. The impact of computing and the Internet on global wellbeing (not just for women, but for all), has accelerated the advancement of the human race faster than at any time in human history. The Internet of Things, on which I’ve focused for the past ﬁfteen years, holds even more promise, for women and for all, to improve sanitation and healthcare, feed the hungry, reduce pollution, and safeguard our children. The list goes on and on. I’m very lucky. There was a time in my life when I didn’t understand the importance of my work to the global economy. Today, I can see that, while I cherish the women whose names I know and whose lives I’ve touched personally– the opportunity to impact the lives of women around the world on a macro scale is its own reward. What would be your advice for aspiring and emerging women entrepreneurs in your industry? First, remember that everyone faces roadblocks and challenges in their career, and not just women and certainly not just you. That said, working 20+ years in engineering and technology-focused industries, I think the combination of frequently being the only female in the room with my focus on marketing, which is often considered a frivolous discipline, didn’t do me any favors in terms of gaining respect and advancement. Nevertheless, performance and professionalism always breed respect. If I were to give advice to my younger self, or to any women (or man) of any age in any industry, I’d strongly recommend focusing ﬁrst on relationships, particularly with people who “get” and understand what you bring to the table. For me, the time invested in that effort alone has been my most valuable investment in my career.

| March 2021 |