#AWSreInvent23 — Beautiful Amazing People doing Amazing Things in the Cloud☁️🚀
This is my 3rd post from AWS re:Invent 2023. You can find the others here — the 1st post and the 2nd post
AWS re:Invent was not just about the sessions for me. It was for me primarily also getting to network with both old and new acquaintances. For one thing my key takeaway from the session is the P-E-O-P-L-E (and yes, every word counts here too). For networking, I viewed this from three perspectives which I call the Outer-Rim, the Mid-Rim, and Inner-Rim. (You can almost see the far-reaching Galaxies)
So for the outer rim, chance encounters spark connections, so that person you sit beside on the plane heading into Vegas, or the bus where you are commuting to another venue for a session, to the chance acquaintance you meet at the breakfast or lunch table setting.
Now to the mid-rim, it gets a bit closer to self. So here I had multiple groups where I shared interests with people and had deepened interactions. So, within the Certified Lounge, the ABW Lounge, and even with the AWS Training & Certification Team. With these mid-rim interactions, we share a common goal and experience as well. I got to network with lots and loads of ABW Grant recipients.
Finally, I had the inner rim, where mentorship groups, fellow countrymen, and innovators blossomed into enduring relationships. ABW Grant recipients became not just professional connections but a community sharing a common passion for cloud computing and empowering others.
In addition, I got to interact with organizations like B.A.S.I.C.S INTERNATIONAL, African Diaspora Nation Innovation Lab, WirfonCloud and SEEDAfrique. These are not just organizations but beacons of digital literacy, echoing my commitment to Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4 which is about Quality Education and here I speak about Quality Digital Literacy.
AWS re:Invent also became a reunion of sorts with some mentees from my days in Azubi Africa. Witnessing their presence at such a prestigious event was a source of immense pride. Interactions with these budding professionals brought to mind reflections on my journey in the cloud thus far and the endless possibilities that are ahead.
The significance of mentorship reverberated throughout the conference, from reminiscing about my mentees to forming new connections. The mentorship experience with professionals like Johnny Ray, Justin Joseph, Oluwakemi Temitope Olayinka. CSPO®, Benjamin Folk III, Abdie Mohamed, Ntekaniwa Paul, Raphaela Han, Thecla Mbunwe, and the other alumni mentors underscored the value of knowledge-sharing in the ever-evolving landscape of cloud and security.
Beyond the emerging trends in cloud, AI, and security, the true wealth of my experience lies in the people I encountered. The global community that converged in Las Vegas became a source of inspiration and collaboration and I am looking forward to future collaborations.
The insights gained from the conference will not only enrich my contributions to these initiatives back home but also fuel collaborations with the phenomenal ABW Grant recipients globally.
