This just in! We are excited to announce our opening Keynote Speaker for the 2021 Women|Future Conference; Sandy Carter, Vice President of Public Sector Partners and Programs, Amazon Web Services (AWS)

We have some truly incredible speakers this year who are leading the industry in everything from Finance to Influencer Marketing, Social Media, Lead Generation, and Public Relations, but in today's blog, we highlight our anticipated Opening Keynote Speaker, Sandy Carter of Amazon Web Services.

To say that Sandy is a woman who wears many hats would be an understatement. Sandy has earned dozens of impressive accolades for her work spanning from Cloud Computing to thought leadership, to her positive influence on girls in technology. Sandy's responsibilities at AWS include evolving partner models to intensify partner innovation, AWS cloud adoption, and the creation of mission-critical cloud solutions with partners across the public sector. In addition to driving next-generation partnering at AWS, Sandy has also been a Founder and CEO of a startup, and in her last role at IBM, she ran the Cloud and AI/ML Ecosystem on behalf of the IBM corporation.

Sandy is the Chairman of the Board of Girls in Tech, Chairwoman for WIoTCoE, and an adjunct professor at Carnegie Mellon University Silicon Valley. As if that wasn't enough, Sandy is also the author of the book, Extreme Innovation: Three Superpowers for Purpose and Profit. 

• Federal 100 Award Winner
• 2020 Stevie Award Winner for Woman of the Year – Technology
• Women in Tech: Top 50 Influencers
• CRN Women of the Channel 2021 Power 100
• 2021 Cloud Girls Rising Inaugural Visionary Award
• Top 50 Influencers
• Top 150 Global Cloud Thought Leaders and Next Generation Leaders of 2021
• Top 40 Cloud Computing Influencers on Twitter
• Top 50 Digital Influencers
• Awards Magazine Top 50 Women of Influence
• Top 15 IoT Premier League
• Lifetime Achievement Winner, 'Excellence in Cloud Achievement'
• AI Innovator Nominee of the Year
• Top 10 AI Influencers 2019
• Verdicts ten of the most influential people in artificial intelligence on Twitter during Q4 2020
• Top 10 Cloud Computing Influencer
  
  

Our closing Keynote Speaker will be announced later this month.

What to Expect at the 2021 Women|Future Conference

Hundreds of ambitious women business leaders, entrepreneurs, and executives from around the world will be tuning in to the fourth annual Women|Future Conference November 1-5, 2021. The Women|Future Conference is a professional and personal development, learning, networking, and mentorship conference hosted by The Stevie® Awards.

The five-day agenda features over 40 sessions, interactive workshops, and a motivational keynote. Topics range from mental health to financial wellness, lead generation, imposter syndrome, entrepreneurship, and workplace diversity. The 140+ Speakers at this year's conference are a diverse mix of women from global organizations such as Facebook, IBM, Infosys Limited, John Hancock, Pinterest, Quartz, Ralph Lauren, Salesforce, SAP North America, Talkspace, and others. Below is a partial list of conference panels, sessions, and workshops:

• Entrepreneurship – Success Stories Fireside Chat
• How to Blend Strategy and Storytelling to Grow Your Company
• Marketing Tactics to Future Proof Your Business & Your Career
• Networking Tips & Tricks: Learn How to Become Memorable and Build Authentic Relationships
• Personal Development Training: Abundance 360 - Creating Your Best Life Ever
• Real Life First Impressions: Rethinking How To Do Business
• The Future of Work - Preparing for the Changing Business Landscape
• The Truth Bombs on Work-Life Balance to Avoid Burnout for Busy Women
• Top Secrets from World-Class Speakers on How to Use Presentations to Grow Your Business
• Why Diverse Teams Drive Better Outcomes
• The Smart Women's Guide to Financial Success

Registration for the Women|Future Conference is open. Attendees save 10% when groups of three or more individuals register together. Students may attend the Women|Future Conference for a discounted rate of $49 (with proof of a valid current student ID).

👍Get Social With the Women|Future Conference 

Instagram 

LinkedIn

Twitter

Facebook

Questions about the Conference?

Conference Registration and Sponsorship Opportunities

Ruslana Milikhiker, Conference & Event Manager

Ruslana@stevieawards.com

Conference Marketing and PR 

Nina Moore, Marketing Manager

Nina@stevieawards.com

All women-owned businesses founded in November 2018 or later are invited to enter the 2021 Women|Future Conference Business Pitch Competition for a chance to win funding! 💸 For the second year in a row, the Women|Future Conference is hosting this 'Shark Tank' style pitch competition for female business owners and entrepreneurs.

If you are a female founder navigating the startup phase of your business, looking for funding, or simply seeking exposure presenting in front of hundreds of women professionals around the world, consider entering the Pitch Competition. The deadline to enter is September 24. 

The Pitch Competition is funded entirely through the generosity of our sponsors. If your organization is interested in sponsoring, email Ruslana@stevieawards.com or visit our Sponsorship and Advertising Page to request information. We love working with organizations that are aligned with our mission of supporting women in business!

*A monetary prize will be sent in the form of a check to the first, second, and third place winners. The amount of prize money will be determined by the Women|Future Conference Pitch Competition Sponsorship money raised.

Our 2nd annual Pitch Competition will be hosted by Quinn Conyers, a Speaking Strategist for Entrepreneurs, Emcee, and Pitch Competition Host. Quinn has over 16 years of virtual and in-person speaking, event hosting, and training experience. Quinn is the author of 2 books, and made it to the second round of Shark Tank auditions four times! She's been featured on the Entrepreneurs Elevator Pitch TV show as well Essence, Black Enterprise, Vision and Purpose, and Empowering Women to Speak Out Magazines.

What to Expect at the 2021 Women|Future Conference

Hundreds of ambitious women business leaders, entrepreneurs, and executives from around the world will be tuning in to the fourth annual Women|Future Conference November 1-5, 2021. The Women|Future Conference is a professional and personal development, learning, networking, and mentorship conference hosted by The Stevie® Awards.

The five-day agenda features over 40 sessions, interactive workshops, and a motivational keynote. Topics range from mental health to financial wellness, lead generation, imposter syndrome, entrepreneurship, and workplace diversity. The 110+ Speakers at this year's conference are a diverse mix of women from global organizations such as Facebook, IBM, Infosys Limited, John Hancock, Pinterest, Quartz, Ralph Lauren, Salesforce, SAP North America, Talkspace, and others. Below is a partial list of conference panels, sessions, and workshops:

• Entrepreneurship – Success Stories Fireside Chat
• Financial Planning -The Smart Women's Guide to Financial Success
• How to Blend Strategy and Storytelling to Grow Your Company
• How to Deliver a Presentation that Stands Out: On and Off the Screen
• Marketing Tactics to Future Proof Your Business & Your Career
• Networking Tips & Tricks: Learn How to Become Memorable and Build Authentic Relationships
• Personal Development Training: Abundance 360 - Creating Your Best Life Ever
• Real Life First Impressions: Rethinking How To Do Business
• The Future of Work - Preparing for the Changing Business Landscape
• The Truth Bombs on Work-Life Balance to Avoid Burnout for Busy Women
• Why Diverse Teams Drive Better Outcomes

Registration for the Women|Future Conference is open. Attendees save 10% when groups of three or more individuals register together. Students may attend the Women|Future Conference for a discounted rate of $49 (with proof of a valid current student ID).

👍Get Social With the Women|Future Conference 

Instagram 

LinkedIn

Twitter

Facebook

Questions about the Conference?

Conference Registration and Sponsorship Opportunities

Ruslana Milikhiker, Conference & Event Manager

Ruslana@stevieawards.com

Conference Marketing and PR 

Nina Moore, Marketing Manager

Nina@stevieawards.com

This just in—the 2021 Women|Future Conference agenda has launched with an incredible lineup of speakers leading thought-provoking conversations for the ambitious, career-driven woman. The Women|Future Conference will be held virtually over five days, with 40+ sessions, panels, and interactive workshops led by inspiring female leaders around the world.

The fourth annual Women|Future Conference celebrates women in business, professional and personal development, and progress. Attendees will explore a variety of topics including mental health and financial wellness, imposter syndrome, entrepreneurship, and preparing for the changing business landscape. With panel discussions, invaluable networking opportunities, and a woman-owned business pitch competition, this is an event you won't want to miss!

Kicking off the conference on Monday, November 1 at 11:00 am EST will be the opening keynote about the future of work for women (speaker coming soon!) followed by breakout sessions and workshops, starting with "The Truth Bombs on Work-Life Balance to Avoid Burnout for Busy Women" at 11:45 am. Other sessions on day one are "Women Leading in a Male-Dominated Industry" and "Financial Planning- The Smart Women's Guide to Financial Success." The full agenda can be viewed here. The 100+ speakers at this year's conference are a diverse mix of female CEOs, Founders, Entrepreneurs, and executives leading organizations such as Facebook, IBM, Infosys Limited, John Hancock, Pinterest, Quartz, SAP North America, Talkspace, and others.

Over the course of the week, there will be 1-hour and 15-minute blocks in between sessions designated for networking, mentorship, yoga, meditation, or mini-style consultations to break up the days. New for 2021, attendees can schedule one-on-one mini-style consultations with Monica Barnett, Founder & Chief Image Curator of Blueprint for Style, a wardrobe styling and personal branding company based in Washington, DC. Across Ms. Barnett’s distinguished career, she has partnered with major corporations such as Marriott International, NBC Universal, Comcast, Georgetown University’s Schools of Business and Law, and Merrill Lynch Wealth Management to fine-tune their employees’ style and brand.

What to Expect at the 2021Women|Future Conference

Attendees can expect to gain valuable insights about challenges and changes that impact their industry, their career, their personal lives. Below is a partial list of some of this year's sessions. 

• Career Reinvention in Mid-Career Crisis
• Confidence Code: Embrace Your Uniqueness
• Entrepreneurship - Success Stories Fireside Chat with female founders
• Future of Work - Preparing for the Changing Business Landscape
• How to Blend Strategy and Storytelling to Grow Your Company
• How to Deliver Presentations that Stand Out: On and Off the Screen
• Lessons from Women STEAM Leaders
• LinkedIn Logic: Leveraging Your Professional Connections
• Managing Crisis: Becoming a Resilient Leader
• Marketing and Lead Generation Strategies to Future Proof Your Business and Your Career
• Personal Development Training: Creating Your Best Life Ever
• ‘Shark Tank’ style pitch competition for newly founded woman-owned businesses
• The Power of Purpose: Organizations that Give Back
• Workplace Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion as a Change Management Initiative
• ...and many more

Stay tuned for our Keynote announcement and featured speakers. This already world-class lineup will continue to grow!

Registration for the Women|Future Conference is open. Take advantage of the $49 student special and save 10% when groups of three (3) or more register together.

About the 2021 Women|Future Conference

The 4th annual Women|Future Conference is a five-day virtual event happening November 1-5, 2021 for women in business and entrepreneurs. The conference encourages connections, professional and personal development, and mental health and financial wellness through motivational keynotes, educational sessions, and networking. From aspiring business professionals to inspiring entrepreneurs to executives, there are sessions for women in all stages of life that open your mind and inspire action. The Women|Future Conference is hosted by the Stevie® Awards, the world's premier business awards.

👍 Get Social With the Women|Future Conference 

Instagram 
LinkedIn
Twitter
Facebook

Questions?

The American Business Awards® are the premier business awards program in the U.S.A.  All organizations - public and private, for-profit and non-profit, large and small - may submit nominations. The 2021 winners were celebrated during a virtual awards ceremony on Wednesday, June 30.

The 2021 American Business Awards winners accepted their trophies and medals from home in lieu of an in-person awards gala. Each winning organization that participated was honored during a virtual ceremony on Wednesday, June 30. The ceremony live stream was viewed by over 1,000 individuals comprised of winners, friends, and family.

Winners accepted their awards by filming 30-second acceptance speeches from their home offices, corporate settings, and even while holding their prized Stevie trophies outdoors. In addition to pre-recorded acceptance speeches, the ceremony featured videos about the winning organizations, messages from Stevie Awards judges and sponsors, and surprise celebrity guests. This year's surprise guests included actor and director of The Office, Brian Baumgartner, celebrity magician Penn Jillette, and Paula Abdul.

"Congratulations to all of you Stevie Awards winners on your business achievements," Baumgartner said. " I know this last year has been tough, so if you won an award, you really did something right!...But, onwards and upwards. Let's look to the rest of 2021 and make it Twenty-twenty-awesome."

A complete list of The 19th annual American Business Awards winners by category can be found here. The winners are determined by the average scores of more than 250 professionals worldwide in a three-month judging process. Some of the winning organizations that participated in the virtual awards ceremony included:

• AARP, Washington, DC
• American Dental Association, Chicago, IL
• Church's Chicken, Atlanta, GA
• Cyara, Redwood City, CA
• Delta Dental of Kansas, Wichita, KS
• Diamond Resorts®, Las Vegas, NV
• Estée Lauder Companies, New York, NY
• Fidelity Investments, Jersey City, NJ
• GAVS Technologies N.A., Inc., NJ
• Grant Thornton LLP, Chicago, IL
• Hilton Grand Vacations, Orlando, FL
• Hilton Supply Management, McLean, VA
• IBM, Armonk, New York, NY
• Marvel Marketers, LLC, San Mateo, CA
• Masks4Missions, Shelburne, VT
• Medidata Solutions, a Dassault Systemes Company, New York, NY
• Nature's Sunshine, Lehi, UT
• The Salvation Army, New York, NY
• Tinuiti, New York City, NY
• VUMI Group, Dallas, TX
• …and many more

A favorite part of the virtual ceremony platform was our "virtual red carpet," which transformed the background of attendee photos into the 2021 American Business Awards step and repeat backdrop. View the red carpet photo gallery. 

The ceremony replay, individual acceptance speeches, and red carpet interviews are available to watch on YouTube and below.

Of the winning organizations that participated in the June 30 virtual awards, two were esteemed Grand Stevie Awards Winners; The Salvation Army and Tinuiti. 

Highest-rated COVID-19 Response Category Nomination: The Salvation Army’s (New York, NY) nomination of Seth Ditmer, their Deputy Director of Operations - Emergency Services, won Gold for Delivery Hero of the Year, for his oversight of the delivery of pantry boxes to home-bound seniors, people with compromised immune systems, and coordinated mass grocery deliveries to soup kitchens at The Salvation Army’s 38 community centers in the New York City area. With an average score from the judges of 9.5/10, the nomination wins a Grand Stevie Award as the highest rated of all those in the competition’s COVID-19 Response categories.

Most Honored Marketing Agency: Tinuiti, the New York-based performance marketing firm, wins for 26.5 award points earned for Gold, Silver, and Bronze Stevie wins in a variety of marketing and technology categories.

To close out the 2.5-hour virtual awards show, the President of the Stevie Awards, Maggie Gallagher Miller, remarked on the creativity from this year's winners and her anticipation of celebrating the 2022 American Business Awards in person in New York City. "Thank you again for being here today to celebrate your many accomplishments over the past year, she said. "It was great to hear so much creativity and positivity from the Stevie Awards community. Have a great rest of your day and we hope to see you in person next June."

Sponsors and supporters of The 19th annual American Business Awards are Microsoft, Medidata, VideoAmp, Inc., and HCL Technologies.

Interested in entering The 2022 (20th Annual) American Business Awards? Entries will open this coming October.

The Stevie® Awards for Sales & Customer Service is an international business awards competition open to all organizations worldwide. The focus of the awards is to recognize innovations and achievements of contact center, customer service, business development and sales professionals.

The winners of the 2021 Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service were announced in February 2021. In lieu of receiving their awards at an in-person gala in Las Vegas, winners accepted their trophies and medals from home. Each winning organization that participated was honored during a virtual awards ceremony on April 14, attended by 668 executives from around the world. 

Winners accepted their awards by filming 30-second acceptance speeches, which were broadcast live to winners and their guests via Swapcard, the Stevie Awards virtual event platform and partner. The 15th annual awards ceremony was livestreamed in three difference time zones; 2:00 pm KST, 2:00 pm GMT, and 2:00 pm EST.

In addition to acceptance speeches, the Stevie Awards shared videos about the winning organizations, messages from Stevie Awards judges, sponsors, and surprise celebrity guests. Some of the fan favorite special guests who congratulated winners on their hard work were Paula Abdul, comedy magician Penn Jillette, and the CEO of Zoom Video Communications, Eric Yuan.

"I want to congratulate all of the Stevie Award winners on your business achievements, Abdul said. "Since the Stevie Awards are the Oscars of business, every single one of you are rock stars! Keep up the great work. I wish you nothing but continued success, and may the rest of 2021 be amazing."

Attendees celebrated their Stevie wins remotely by taking photos on our "virtual red carpet," which transforms the background of an image into the 2021 Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service step and repeat backdrop. View the red carpet photo gallery. 

The complete list of Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service winners by category is available at http://www.StevieAwards.com/Sales.

The ceremony replay, individual acceptance speeches, and red carpet interviews are available to watch on YouTube and below.

2021 Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service gold winners that participated in the virtual awards ceremony included:

• DHL Express India Pvt Ltd, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
• Electronic Arts, Austin, TX USA: Evan Shadle, Front-Line Customer Service Rep
• IBM, Armonk, NY USA: UKI Strategic Deal Squad
• Jamaica Promotions Corporation (JAMPRO), Kingston, Jamaica
• Mailchimp, Atlanta, GA USA: Empowering Our Customers During Times of Uncertainty
• Nutrisystem, Fort Washington, PA USA: The Nutrisystem Online Support Team
  
• Optima Tax Relief, LLC, Santa Ana, CA USA
  
• Paylocity, Schaumburg, IL, USA: Paylocity Sales Team
• Princess Polly, Los Angeles CA USA: Alexandria Collis, From Manager to Director
• Radio Flyer, Chicago, IL USA
  
• Sales Partnerships, Inc., Broomfield, CO USA: Jeffrey Valentine, Director of Sales and Training
• ServiceNow, Santa Clara, CA USA: ServiceNow Onboarding Metamorphosis: Win as a Team!
• SoftPro, Raleigh, NC USA: Excelling Through Turbulent Times by Meeting Customers' Evolving Needs
  
• Solstice, Plantation, FL USA: Solstice's Account Management Team
• UPMC Health Plan, Pittsburgh, PA USA: 2021 Medicare Sales Support Team
• Vengreso, San Francisco, CA USA: The PVC Sales Methodology
• Vodafone Turkey, Istanbul, Turkey: Blended Onboarding Training Program for Work from Home
• …and many more

Watch the video below to see ConnectiCare of Farmington, CT, USA accept their 2021 Gold, Silver, and Bronze Stevie Awards for Innovation in Customer Service, Best Customer Satisfaction Strategy, and Best Customer Engagement Initiative. Laurie Blier, Director- Retail Operations, stated during her acceptance speech, "Health insurance is personal and complicated. People often need assistance during the most stressful and emotional times of their lives. the COVID-19 pandemic made the need for personalized service with a health plan even more important."

2021 Sales Partnerships Ethics in Sales Award

Sponsored by Sales Partnerships, Inc. for the fifth consecutive year, the Sales Partnerships Ethics in Sales Award recognizes organizations for best practices and achievements in demonstrating the highest ethical standards in the sales industry. Entrants submitted specific examples, case studies, practices, etc., illustrating why the nominated organization should be considered an excellent example of best practices in sales. This award was based on accomplishments beginning on January 1, 2020. The team at Sales Partnerships reviewed the nominations in this category and chose three winners based on their ethical sales practices.

The three 2021 Stevie Award winners for Ethics in Sales are:

• GOLD STEVIE WINNER: Groove, San Francisco, CA 
• SILVER STEVIE WINNER: Wesley Financial, Franklin, TN
• BRONZE STEVIE WINNER: One Vision Productions, Tucker, GA

Fred Kessler, Chief Sales Officer of Sales Partnerships, explained the importance of spotlighting ethical sales behaviors, community engagement, and charitable work for this sponsored category ahead of Groove's acceptance speech video below. 

"We are proud to sponsor the Ethics in Sales Award to promote integrity and responsibility in our profession," Kessler said. "With nearly 10% of the US population in sales roles, it has never been more critical to spotlight those who do the job the right way."

It was announced during the ceremony that the 2021 awards will begin accepting nominations in July 2022.

"We are hopeful that we will be able to hold the 16th annual ceremony next year in Las Vegas," said Stevie Awards President Maggie Gallagher. "It was great to hear so much positivity and creativity from the Stevie Awards community."

For the past 18 years the Stevie awards programs have recognized excellence in business worldwide. Each year, the eight Stevie awards competitions receive more than 12,000 nominations from organizations of all types and sizes in more than 70 nations.

Longtime sponsors and supporters of The 15th annual Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service include Sales Partnerships, Inc. and ValueSelling Associates, Inc.

Interested in entering the 2022 Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service?