During this episode, Mike discusses the importance of giving back to the community and to young people earlier in their careers. He explains that we need to give people room to fail safely, so that they can absorb important lessons along the way. We discuss the lack of inclusion that women in technology face, and how these factors are enhanced even further for Black and Hispanic women. Mike also talks about his experiences with being the only Black man in the room, and how he tackled that by always showing up as his authentic self.

Mike A. Williams, has over 30 years of experience as a management and technology executive of global Fortune 500 companies in the technology, finance, insurance, logistics, and health industry verticals. Mike is an author, speaker, philanthropist, and angel investor. As a passionate developer of talent, Mike has spent a good part of his career developing young professionals and creating high-performing teams by instilling a culture of accountability, teamwork, collaboration, and customer focus.

Mike is an active participant and leader within the communities in which he has lived and is an active advocate and contributor to programs and initiatives with a focus on community empowerment, entrepreneurship, financial literacy, and diversity.

Links discussed during this episode:

Mike A. Williams on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrmikeawilliams/

The Advantage Factor: 12 lessons Every Aspiring Young Professional Should Know https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1942140002/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i1

Ready to Launch: The Entrepreneur’s Startup Guide https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1942140029/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0

LaunchPad 2x https://www.linkedin.com/company/launchpad2x/about/

Larry Quinlan Podcast Episode https://open.spotify.com/episode/2ON6hUuMTC2fKfwyESkDJw?si=fbe03cc142514e34

Ep. 5 - Mike A. Williams, Director @ Google