Brittani Von Roden over the past year has noticed that colleagues and peers across the IT industry seem more interested in what she has to say. She’s been invited to sit on panels, deliver presentations and participate in seminars. Previously, she’d gone about her business at industry events without attracting any more attention than anyone else.
What changed? In August 2014, Von Roden was among the five honorees for the first annual CompTIA ChannelChangers awards, which recognize young professionals for their success as entrepreneurs or making a demonstrable impact on the industry. At 28, Von Roden became one of the industry’s youngest female executives with her promotion to Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Erb’s Technology Solutions (now ETS), a post she left to join VAR Dynamics as Principal and CMO in 2015. At VAR Dynamics, she sets strategic direction and implements go-to-market strategies to help increase revenue and profits.
Winning the award has given Von Roden a new voice. As a female millennial in an industry dominated by middle-aged men, getting heard isn’t always possible – or welcome, she says. The ChannelChangers award, however, boosted her credibility and signaled to her peers that she has valid ideas and insights to contribute. Aside from speaking engagements, she’s had recruitment offers and networked extensively with industry peers.
“The ChannelChanger award has been career-changing for me,” she says. “It has put me in front of a lot of people, which has exposed my talents and accelerated my success.”
Besides recognizing her achievements, she says the CompTIA award is also an acknowledgment that the industry depends on a multigenerational workforce whose different age groups can learn and benefit from each other. As an example, Von Roden cites a professional cross-pollination with her business mentor that she considers essential. “I show my mentor how to tweet, he teaches me about business logic and the channel.”
Passion, she says, is at the heart of her career achievements so far. Her success shouldn’t be viewed as an anomaly in a generation often regarded as entitled or unmotivated, but rather as reflective of a passionate, driven group working hard to make the world a better place. “There are many millennials who are motivated and eager to build a career. Smart businesses will find us, embrace us and teach us, and together with other generations we will achieve greatness.”
CompTIA’s ChannelChanger award recognizes future leaders in the IT industry. Nominees are under 30, must be employed by a CompTIA member company, and have worked in the IT industry for at least two years. Nominate a ChannelChanger for 2015.
