Americas Regional Member Summit – Virtual Event

Americas Regional Member Summit
March 10, 2021, 9:00-11:30 Pacific

The iMasons 2021 Americas Regional Member Summit was held on March 10, 2021. Once again, iMasons members explored the hottest topics and tackled the most challenging issues.

Innovation & Technology: The Edge Materializes
Fireside Chat: Equality vs Equity
Panel: D&I Best Practice Guide – An Industry First
Working Session: Measuring Diversity in the Digital Infrastructure Industry

Innovation & Technology

Over the last three years the Edge has been discussed and debated all over the world. The scale of opportunity is well understood but the question remains as to how these deployments will materialize as an end-to-end Edge solution and corresponding revenue model.

During this fireside chat we discussed a game changing development in Edge deployments from the Autonomy Institute – PINN (Public Infrastructure Network Nodes). PINNs will be delivering a multitude of advanced Edge sensors and computing capabilities at the last 1,000 feet. These distributed edge nodes in conjunction with micro data centers and core data centers in metros will enable a network of networks that will be as crucial to a city as other critical utilities. Leaders believe these deployments will stimulate the largest productivity increase in world history.

Fireside Chat: Equality vs. Equity

Charisse Richards, iMasons Diversity & Inclusion Committee Co-Chair, and Maricel Cerruti, iMasons Diversity & Inclusion Executive Sponsor, hosted a discussion on how equality vs equity is not well understood.

Panel: D&I Best Practice Guide – An Industry First

Leaders from iM Women met in London at the end of 2018 – One of the key actions from the meeting was to produce a D&I Best Practice Guide for the Digital Infrastructure Industry – this would be an industry first.

A team was set up headed by Hannah Ormondroyd (D&I Co Chair) to drive this project and identified people from around the world – specifically seeking those from different backgrounds, type and size of company with one thing in common – deep experience of this topic in our industry.

Interviews were conducted and the results processed and consolidated, along with a wealth of data and statistics, case studies, personal experiences and most importantly – practical advice.

Our panel shared their experiences in driving this project as well as information on how you can implement a D&I Program and realize the associated benefits.

Working Session: Measuring Diversity in the Digital Infrastructure Industry

Although complex societal and legacy issues underlie the lack of diversity there is plenty that organizations can do to genuinely make a difference. We heard from three companies who are collecting diversity metrics and sought input from members on each company’s approach to and tracking of diversity.