Geeta Schmidt, CEO at Humio, sits down with Sonia Tagare at CloudNOW 'Top Women In Cloud' Awards 2020 in Menlo Park, CA. #TopWomenInCloud #CloudNOW #theCUBE https://siliconangle.com/2020/02/18/success-digital-economy-requires-diversity-every-level-topwomenincloud/ Active inclusion means celebrating diversity As one of Humio’s founders, Schmidt found her input was an integral part of the company’s success. Yet alongside the excitement came challenges as she stepped out into male-dominated territory. She remembers her early days raising capital for Humio. “I walked into a venture capital event where there were no other female CEOs,” she said. “There were a hundred CEOs, and I was the only [woman].” Schmidt overcame her fear and proved herself as a CEO. Now she wants to help other women join her in the executive suite. This means taking active stance toward making the workplace more welcoming for women and minorities. All employees, at every level, should feel like they can reveal their authentic self during work hours, according to Schmidt. This means “bringing together folks that don’t look like each other, wear exactly the same clothes, and do the exact same hobbies and come from the same country,” she said. Another way to help create a supportive work environment for women is through events such as CloudNOW, where women come together to share experiences and help one another. “I’d like to see more of [where] we actively create environments and communities for that to happen,” Schmidt said. A personal board of directors helps guide life decisions Becoming a C-suite executive led Schmidt to a revelation on how the concept could be applied in her personal life. “I realized I probably need my own personal board, my own sort of support infrastructure,” she said. Gathering a diverse network pulled from family, friends, and career contacts gave her a safe place to gain advice and share experiences. “The personal board isn’t exactly people; it’s profiles,” she said, describing how she built her board by seeking out people she could learn from outside of those she knew from her daily work. As the relationships matured, she found that the personal board was a “two-way street.” The members supported her life and career growth, and she supported them. Encouraging other women to adopt the same concept, Schmidt said that it builds a support infrastructure unrelated to one’s job. “It’s not your manager; it’s not your coworker,” she said. “You feel some level of freedom having those discussions, because those people aren’t looking at your company. They’re looking at helping you.” These interviews are just part of SiliconANGLE’s and theCUBE’s coverage of the CloudNOW Awards.