May 9, 2023

The State of Diversity in PreSales Summit

  
Join us to unpack The 2023 State of Diversity Report and discover why businesses that focus on diversity & inclusion outperform those that don't.

May 9th at 8 am PT/11 am ET!

Powerful Insights

Discover new approaches and techniques for promoting
DE&I in your workplace.

Create Connections

Network with PreSales professionals who share your commitment to DE&I.

Better Business Outcomes

Research shows that DE&I is critical to the growth of business and leads to better performance and innovation, yet it is so often overlooked. This summit will address challenges and critical topics that will allow us to implement meaningful change, and move forward as a profession.

Develop Stronger Relationships

By prioritizing DE&I, PreSales teams can better meet the needs of a diverse customer base, improve customer satisfaction and retention, and build a more inclusive culture for their teams & customers. This Summit will provide you with actionable takeaways and resources you can start implementing right away.

The Agenda
Stay tuned in between sessions to hear special stories from our members about what has shaped their career journey and passions.

Summit Kickoff: Welcome to the State of Diversity in PreSales Summit! | 8:00am PT / 11:00 am ET

The State of Diversity in PreSales report measures the level of diversity in our profession so that we may gain a better understanding of who is currently working in our field and what challenges they are facing. The 2023 survey and live interviews that we conducted provided us with valuable insight into areas in our profession that need improvement and focus in order to help make DE&I a priority.

Join us for a half day of building the tools and resources needed to actualize your fullest potential as an SC.

Host:
Shawna James, Sr. Manager, Community, PreSales Collective

The PreSales Profession By The Numbers: A Look into the 2023 State of Diversity Report | 8:10am PT / 11:10 am ET

Cindy Goodwin-Sak, co-author of the State of Diversity in PreSales Report, lead researcher, and Executive PreSales Leader, will present an overview of our research and findings from our 2023 report. She will answer the question "why DE&I" as a means for stronger business and how we can all leverage this approach to strengthen our businesses and sales efforts.

Host: 
Cindy Goodwin-Sak, co-author of the State of Diversity in PreSales Report, lead researcher, and Executive PreSales Leader

Level-Up Workshop #1 - The PreSales Career Compass: Finding Your True North | 8:45am PT / 11:45am ET

Level-Up Workshops are focused sessions to dig deeper into the core practices of the PreSales professional. This session runs in tandem with Level-Up Workshop #2.

In this workshop we will be looking at the arc of the PreSales career (rather, the many different arcs) to better understand the options for SC’s, industries they may work in, and most importantly how to weather the current job market to better secure your position in this profession.

Speakers:
Jasmine Omorogbe, Senior Solution Consultant, Workday
Darlene Volas, Sr. Director, Solutions Engineering, Enterprise West & Digital Native, Confluent
Brandi Anderson, Solutions Consultant, Eightfold

Level-Up Workshop #2: Negotiation Tactics for the SC | 8:45am PT / 11:45am ET

Level-Up Workshops are focused sessions to dig deeper into core practices of the PreSales professional. This session runs in tandem with Level-Up Workshop #1.

Negotiation is scary and often times avoided out of fear of retaliation. However, this act is an essential component of your career. We will be speaking with an HR professional and PreSales leader to understand the best practices in salary negotiation including establishing a baseline of research, how to make the ask, and what do you when you need to negotiate in your present job.

Speakers:

Maria Lat, Manager, Solutions Consulting, Gem

Tracy Flynn, HR Advisor, VP People, eightfold.ai

Three’s Company: Managing Your AE and Customer Relationships | 9:50 am PT / 12:50 pm ET

The foundation of our work lies the relationship between us, our AE (or AE’s), and the customer. It is a particular dance to manage these relationships so where do we miss the mark to create more valuable connections with the buyer and build our credibility as a trusted advisor?

In this session will cover the essential tools required to sell more effectively and connect in a more impactful way with our customers while also demystifying the relationship between you and your AE.

Speakers:
Matthew James, Solutions Engineering Lead, Codat
Deirdre Sommerkamp, VP, Solutions Consulting, Operations & Enablement, Upland Software
Rishi Kapoor, Sales Engineering Leader, Alteryx

ERG Best Practices: For the Bystander, Participator and Leader | 10:45am PT / 1:45pm ET

Wendy McHenry, PSC WISE Chair and Senior Director of Technical PreSales and Customer Success at CData Software, will present her experience creating and managing Employee Resource Groups (ERG’s).

ERG’s are groups of employees who join together in their workplace based on shared characteristics or life experiences. ERG’s are for everyone- ERG allies are encouraged, educated, and inspired to understand, empathize, and take informed action in support of others.

In this session, you will learn practical advice for launching, leading, or supporting these groups and leave with a checklist for making sure your groups are launching/functioning successfully.

Speakers:
Wendy McHenry, Senior Director, Technical PreSales and Customer Success, CData Software

State of Diversity In PreSales: A Walk In My Shoes #3 & Closing| 11:40 am PT/2:40 pm ET

We learn best about one another when we really listen to understanding the stories that shape who each of us are. Take a walk in Kathleen’s shoes to learn more about her career journey and passions.

We will close our Summit with personal reflections from our community around how we can vision for a better PreSales profession together.

Speakers:
Kathleen Kuczma, Senior Sales Engineer, Recorded Future
Cindy Goodwin-Sak, co-author of the State of Diversity in PreSales Report, Lead Researcher, and Executive PreSales Leader

Still have questions?

Your competitors use DE&I to retain employees,
sell smarter, and close more deals.
What are you waiting for?

The Speaker Lineup

Brandi Anderson

Solutions Consultant

Cindy Goodwin-Sak

VP Global Systems Engineering

Chris Mabry

Manager, Solutions Engineering - New Customer Acquisition, Business Continuity

Walk in My Shoes

Darlene Volas

Sr. Director, Solutions Engineering, Enterprise West & Digital Native

Deirdre Sommerkamp

VP, Solutions Consulting, Operations & Enablement

Jasmine Omorogbe

Senior Solution Consultant

Kathleen Kuczma

Senior Sales Engineer

A Walk in My Shoes

Kristen Jackson

Senior Manager, Solution Architects

Walk in My Shoes

Maria Lat

Manager, Solutions Consulting

Matthew James

Solutions Engineering Lead

Rishi Kapoor

Sales Engineering Leader

Shawna James

Senior Manager, Community

Tracy Flynn

HR Advisor, VP People

Wendy McHenry

Senior Director, Technical PreSales and Customer Success

Yuji Higashi

Co-Founder of PreSales Collective

Be one of the first people to receive the
2023 State of Diversity Report!

       

What Community Members Are Saying...

      

"Amazing conference. Speakers were great - loved how diverse the panels were. The content and insights were extremely relatable and valuable. It felt very personal and I loved the interaction in the slack channel. Thanks so much!"

"One of the best webinars/sessions I have ever participated in - in my life - and I have been in Tech for over 20 years. Awesome job everyone!"

"Today was absolutely amazing!  I'm so thankful to have found this community. Thank you so much for an incredible day and hope to have more sessions like these. I learned a TON!"

Our Sponsors & Partners

Be part of a history-making conversation for the PreSales profession.

Don't miss this valuable opportunity to grow both
personally and professionally, and to contribute
to a more diverse and inclusive workplace.