Cloud Girls
Cloud Girls is a vendor-neutral, not-for-profit community founded in 2011 that convenes senior women technology leaders for networking, mentorship, certification programs, and philanthropy focused on narrowing the gender gap in cloud and next-generation technology.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2011
- HeadquartersLaguna Hills, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Cloud Girls does
Cloud Girls is a vendor-neutral, not-for-profit community organization founded in 2011 by Jo Peterson, headquartered in Aliso Viejo, California. Its mission is to narrow the gender gap in cloud and next-generation technology by convening senior women technology leaders for networking, mentorship, professional development, and philanthropy. Membership is gated by current-member referral, a minimum of two years of technology industry experience, and a leadership role, yielding a national membership base of roughly 50+ women across channel partner, hyperscaler, and enterprise technology employers including AWS, Microsoft, Google Cloud, F5, Intel, Twilio, Cloudflare, Unisys, and Five9.
The organization's core offerings are programmatic rather than technology products. These include the annual Cloud Girls Rising: Women to Watch Awards (held 11 consecutive years through 2026 at the Channel Partners Conference & Expo), the Pivot Forward professional education program delivering Microsoft Azure AZ-900 certification through NetCom Learning, an IBM SkillsBuild AI Fundamentals credentialing track, philanthropy initiatives supporting STEM education for girls and gender-expansive youth, and a virtual networking and community platform. Cloud Girls does not develop proprietary software, APIs, or AI/ML systems, and has no patents, mobile applications, or disclosed integrations.
Cloud Girls is funded through membership contributions (annual cadence, pricing not publicly disclosed), corporate sponsorships from the channel partner ecosystem, and donations. Complimentary one-year memberships are awarded to Cloud Girls Rising Award winners. Distribution is community-led and event-driven, anchored by the annual Channel Partners Conference & Expo, virtual meetups, member retreats, and a multi-channel presence on LinkedIn, Twitter/X, Facebook, and the organization's website blog.
Cloud Girls firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Cloud Girls
- Legal name
- Cloud Girls
- Website
- https://cloudgirls.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2011
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Cloud Girls is a vendor-neutral, not-for-profit community founded in 2011 that convenes senior women technology leaders for networking, mentorship, certification programs, and philanthropy focused on narrowing the gender gap in cloud and next-generation technology.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Cloud Girls industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Women in Technology Community
- NAICS
- Computer Training (61142), Educational Support Services (611710)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Cloud Computing & Infrastructure (AWS/Azure/GCP, Virtualization) (EDABAFAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Cloud Computing & Cloud Security (EDAOAIAC), Cloud & DevOps (EDAAAPAE)
Keywords
Where Cloud Girls is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Laguna Hills
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Cloud Girls business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Membership Contributions: Cloud Girls operates as a nonprofit organization supported by membership contributions, sponsorships, and fundraising campaigns. Members pay membership fees (specific amounts not publicly disclosed) and winners of awards receive complimentary one-year memberships.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Standard Membership |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
Cloud Girls product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Cloud Girls is a not-for-profit, vendor-neutral community organization that supports women in cloud and next-generation technology through a paid annual membership, peer networking, and structured programs. Its core offerings include the annual Cloud Girls Rising Awards program recognizing women leaders, partner-delivered professional education (Microsoft Azure via the Pivot Forward program and IBM SkillsBuild AI credentials), philanthropy campaigns supporting girls in STEM, and a national member community platform connecting senior women technology leaders.
Product overview
Cloud Girls is a nonprofit community organization (not a technology product company) offering a portfolio of programs focused on advancing women in next-generation technology careers. The core offerings include the Cloud Girls Rising Awards program recognizing women leaders, professional education initiatives like the Pivot Forward certification program (partnered with Microsoft and NetCom Learning) and IBM SkillsBuild AI education, philanthropy and giving programs supporting STEM organizations, and networking/community platforms for female technology professionals. These programs collectively serve the organization's mission to narrow the gender gap in technology.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Cloud Girls Rising Awards Annual awards program recognizing women in technology who drive initiatives to educate, inspire, and elevate women and girls in technology across Visionary, Trailblazer, and Rising Star categories; awarded each year at the Channel Partners Conference & Expo.
- Pivot Forward Program Professional education and certification program providing Microsoft Azure Fundamentals (AZ-900) training, exam vouchers, coursework, and 12-month retake eligibility for Cloud Girls members, delivered with Microsoft and NetCom Learning.
- IBM SkillsBuild AI Education AI education initiative offering IBM Artificial Intelligence Fundamentals digital credentials and learning resources for Cloud Girls members through the IBM SkillsBuild program.
- Philanthropy and Giving Programs Community giving initiatives supporting organizations that empower girls and gender-expansive youth in STEM, including scholarships, coding camps, professional clothing donations, food insecurity programs, and joint fundraising campaigns with nonprofits such as Techbridge Girls and Black Girls Hack.
- Networking and Community Platform Virtual and in-person networking community connecting female technology leaders through member meetups, annual conferences, retreats, thought leadership opportunities, and mentorship for women in cloud and next-generation technology.
Quantifiable outcome
- 87% of IT professionals hold at least one certification
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Cloud Girls
Customer profileNamed customers15 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Cloud Girls technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Cloud Girls partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, primary, core and minor.
- Channel Partners Conference & ExpoflagshipCloud Girls Rising Awards are presented annually during the Channel Partners Conference & Expo. The awards ceremony is a key event for the organization, held in Las Vegas. The 11th annual awards were presented April 15, 2026 at the Channel Partners Conference & Expo.
- Techbridge GirlsprimaryCloud Girls and Techbridge Girls launched a joint fundraising campaign throughout March 2026 to support Techbridge Girls' STEM education programs for girls and gender-expansive youth. Cloud Girls mobilized its national membership of senior women technology leaders through a membership-driven giving campaign tied to International Women's Month. Funds support Techbridge Girls' national network of afterschool STEM programs, educator training, and community partnerships.
- MicrosoftflagshipPartnership with Microsoft and their premier training partner NetCom Learning for the Pivot Forward program. Provides AZ-900 (Azure Fundamentals) exam vouchers, comprehensive training courses led by certified instructors, access to prep materials, assessments, and instructor support. Flexible virtual or in-person class options with 12 months of retake possibilities. Priority registration for Cloud Girls members.
- NetCom LearningcoreGold Microsoft Partner serving as premier training partner for Cloud Girls Pivot Forward program. Provides AZ-900 training course led by certified instructors, access to prep materials, assessments, and instructor support.
- IBM SkillsBuildcoreCloud Girls aligned with IBM SkillsBuild to encourage members to learn about AI and receive Artificial Intelligence Fundamentals digital credentials from IBM. IBM is known as a leader in AI with Watson, the first cognitive computer combining machine learning and artificial intelligence.
- Alliance of Channel Women (ACW)coreCloud Girls collaborates with ACW on mentorship programs including Mentoring Circles. Nicole Steele serves as co-chair of ACW Mentorship Committee. Debbie Kestin Schildkraut serves as Mentor Circle Moderator and co-chair for Awards Committee.
- Black Girls HackminorCloud Girls participated in a philanthropy project for Black Girls Hack, supporting cybersecurity education and career pathways for Black women in technology.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Cloud Girls competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Women Who Code: Global nonprofit community for women in technology offering networking, learning circles, and career resources. Directly comparable as a women-in-tech membership nonprofit, though broader in scope beyond cloud.
- Women in Technology International (WITI): Long-running professional organization for women in technology with networking, mentoring, and awards programs. Closely comparable mission and membership-based model targeting women tech leaders.
- AnitaB.org: Nonprofit advancing women in computing through events (Grace Hopper Celebration), awards, and career programs. Comparable scale and mission focus on elevating women technologists.
- Alliance of Channel Women (ACW): Nonprofit for women in the channel partner ecosystem (agents, VARs, MSPs, distributors). Directly comparable audience overlap and an active Cloud Girls mentorship partnership already in place.
- Women in Cloud: Community and economic development organization focused on women in the cloud computing ecosystem. Closely aligned cloud-specific focus and membership/networking model.
Broad incumbents
- National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT): Large-scale nonprofit coalition working to increase women's participation in computing across academia, industry, and policy. Comparable mission, but operates as an academic/industry coalition rather than a membership community.
Emerging players
- Girls Who Code: Nonprofit working to close the gender gap in technology by teaching girls computer science. Comparable gender-gap mission and youth STEM focus; overlaps with Cloud Girls' Techbridge Girls philanthropy partnerships.
- Black Girls Hack: Nonprofit providing cybersecurity education and career pathways for Black women in technology. Cloud Girls has run a prior philanthropy project with this organization; comparable community/mission focus.
- Techbridge Girls: Nonprofit delivering STEM afterschool programs for girls and gender-expansive youth. Current Cloud Girls fundraising partner; comparable philanthropy/recipient side of the women-in-tech pipeline.
- Lesbians Who Tech: Community of queer women and non-binary people in technology with summits, mentoring, and scholarships. Comparable nonprofit community/networking model targeting underrepresented groups in tech.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
Cloud Girls social profiles
Digital presenceCloud Girls financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Cloud Girls leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Cloud Girls funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Cloud Girls M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Cloud Girls
What does Cloud Girls do?
Cloud Girls is a not-for-profit, vendor-neutral community organization that supports women in cloud and next-generation technology through a paid annual membership, peer networking, and structured programs. Its core offerings include the annual Cloud Girls Rising Awards program recognizing women leaders, partner-delivered professional education (Microsoft Azure via the Pivot Forward program and IBM SkillsBuild AI credentials), philanthropy campaigns supporting girls in STEM, and a national member community platform connecting senior women technology leaders.
Is Cloud Girls a public or private company?
Cloud Girls is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Cloud Girls founded?
Cloud Girls was founded in 2011. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Cloud Girls based?
Cloud Girls is headquartered in Laguna Hills, United States, in the North America region.
How does Cloud Girls make money?
One revenue line is on record: membership Contributions.
Who are Cloud Girls's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Women Who Code, Women in Technology International (WITI), AnitaB.org, Alliance of Channel Women (ACW) and Women in Cloud. National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT) is listed as a broad incumbent. Emerging players are Girls Who Code, Black Girls Hack, Techbridge Girls and Lesbians Who Tech.
Does Cloud Girls have an API?
No public API is recorded for Cloud Girls.
What industry is Cloud Girls in?
Cloud Girls's product category is Women in Technology Community. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDABAFAB, Cloud Computing & Infrastructure (AWS/Azure/GCP, Virtualization), with a secondary code of EDAOAIAC, Cloud Computing & Cloud Security. Its NAICS code is 61142.