What if this was the moment everything changed?

I just returned to my room after my second day at the IAITAM ACE conference in Las Vegas. I showed up wearing my Be Like Sam pin, focused on growing into this new chapter of my career. I was eager to connect, learn, and figure out what might come next. But somewhere between the breakout sessions and the keynotes, something shifted. I left with more than inspiration. I left with an idea I can’t shake.

The keynote speakers, Mike Rayburn and Kevin Surace, both lit a spark in my mind. Mike challenged us to ask, “What if?” What if we took the skills, knowledge, and passions we already have and used them to solve problems that truly matter to us? Kevin took that question a step further. He showed us that AI is no longer a distant concept. It’s here, it’s moving fast, and it’s reshaping everything. But instead of fear, he offered a different perspective. He inspired me to lean in, to see AI not as a threat, but as a tool. A way to get ahead, not just professionally, but personally. His speech gave me permission to think bigger.

The idea found me in a noisy convention hall, straining to catch pieces of conversation and wishing, just for a moment, that I had the right tools to level the playing field. I’ve lived most of my life with profound hearing loss, though I’ve never fully embraced a Deaf identity. I don’t use sign language, and I can’t easily leverage interpreters. That’s left me somewhere in between, navigating a world that wasn’t designed with people like me in mind.

But I do know tech. I understand the corporate structure. I know how to bring people together, how to get things done, and how to build trust. And most importantly, my hearing loss has taught me how to adapt. It’s shaped me into someone who is innovative, resilient, and resourceful, because I’ve always had to be. I’ve spent years bridging the gap between innovation and accessibility in quiet, everyday ways: reworking tools to fit my needs, advocating for more inclusive tech choices, and finding workarounds that let me stay engaged in environments that weren’t built for people like me. It hasn’t always been visible, but it’s been constant. And it gives me a perspective most people never have.

And now I’m thinking: what if I could bring all of that together? What if I could create something that would be not only life changing for me, but for millions of people all over the world?

I won’t give away too much just yet. But I’m imagining something powered by AI, driven by accessibility, and unapologetically stylish. Something designed not just to function, but to belong in the world of fashion, identity, and self-expression. A product that lives at the intersection of who I am: someone who understands tech, who’s lived with hearing loss, who knows how isolating it can feel to be left out of the loop, and someone who also values color, form, and beauty.

People like me are rarely centered in these conversations. Maybe it’s time that changed.

I’m still processing it all, still dreaming, but I think I may be at the beginning of building something. And I have a clear compass for how I want to do it: with integrity, humility, and vision.

BE LIKE SAM

I’ve been feeling a mix of excitement and nerves as I prepare for the IAITAM ACE conference in Las Vegas next week. This will be my first time attending such an event. I am stepping into a new chapter of my career with fresh credentials, big goals, and much to learn.

While I was preparing for my trip, I found something I hadn’t seen in years—a small Elemental green pin that reads Be Like Sam. It immediately took me back to my time at Elemental Technologies, and it's CEO, Sam Blackman.

If you knew Sam, you know the kind of person he was: visionary, humble, generous with his time, and deeply human. He didn’t just lead—he inspired. Just one week after I started at Elemental, I was invited to join the company’s Hood to Coast relay team. Suddenly I found myself in a cramped van with Sam, his wife, and three other coworkers I had yet to meet, running a grueling 200-mile race across Oregon, and I felt like I truly belonged. That kind of leadership really sticks with you.

Rediscovering this pin is reminding me that the path I’m on isn’t just about gaining technical knowledge, checking off certifications, or advancing my career—it’s about who I want to be in this field. In my future SAM roles, I want to live out the same core values that shaped Elemental; Integrity, Customer Centrism, and Innovation. I want to:

• Lead with integrity, even when decisions I have to make are tough

• Stay curious, because the technology landscape is always evolving

• Empower others, not just enforce policy

• Build processes that last, not just patch problems

• Show up with empathy, because the people matter just as much as data

I plan on taking this pin with me to IAITAM ACE. It will be a quiet reminder to myself to show up every day as my whole self, lead with my heart, and stay grounded in the kind of values Sam embodied.

To my fellow former Elementals—how does Sam still inspire you in your work today? Do you still wear your pins? I’d love to hear your stories, too.

#BeLikeSam #ElementalTechnologies #LeadershipMatters #SAMPro #SoftwareAssetManagement #IAITAM #ITAM #IAITAMACE2025