In February 2024, among 58,000 competing global suppliers across a spectrum of service categories, Microsoft awarded National Harbor, Maryland-based Cloudforce its Prestige Partner Showstopper of the Year Award for Community Engagement. Rising atop thousands of competitors and category finalists KPMG, BlackRock and World Wide Technology—and following in the footsteps of formidable winners, most notably Accenture in 2023—Cloudforce can attribute this monumental win to its keen vision, definitive spirit, and a rather relentless will to win.
For cloud trailblazer, AI disruptor, and Cloudforce Founder/CEO Husein Sharaf, the path to tech supremacy has always been clear: “use the power of technology to build awesome things and make life better.” This artful balance of technology and humanity not only defines the Cloudforce mission, but also directs the firm’s every endeavor—from creating its own breakthrough solutions to holding workshops to inspire eager bright minds about AI’s powerful potential and bring its capabilities and possibilities to EVERYONE. “Artificial Intelligence will be the great equalizer of our generation, enabling every student and every professional to access all the world’s knowledge at their fingertips, truly leveling the playing field in a manner that’s simply never been possible before,” said Sharaf.
This year, Cloudforce led the charge to democratize access to GenAI with their very own highly affordable and accessible nebulaONE® platform, offering affordable, simple access to all the most popular large language models—fully customizable and secured in each client environment and grounded in the client’s proprietary data.
Cloudforce’s nebulaONE® platform has already enabled the prestigious UCLA Anderson School of Management to deploy its own custom GenAI–powered platform in just 45 business days to streamline its MBA capstone project. Beyond greatly reducing the project’s operational administrative tasks and timeline, nebulaONE® also created a more meaningful student engagement to promote critical thinking. “The Generative AI chatbot was designed not to give the student the answer, but to give the student a road map that they ultimately had to defend,” said Howard Miller, Chief Information Officer, UCLA Anderson School of Management. To date, up to four additional chatbot projects are in development at UCLA Anderson.
Throughout 2024, alongside partners at Microsoft, Cloudforce was on a non-stop roadshow demonstrating the transformative power of GenAI. At universities nationwide, Cloudforce co-sponsored a flurry of hackathons—and now promptathons—providing students real-time, hands-on exposure to Azure-powered artificial intelligence solutions. Cloudforce also continues to host webinars, bootcamps, and meet-ups at its headquarters for tech professionals and enthusiasts, aiming to help create and nurture a more inclusive, AI-enriched workforce ready to meet industry needs.
In addition to its epic Microsoft Prestige Partner Showstopper of the Year Award for Community Engagement, in September, Cloudforce also went on to raise $100,000 for the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Washington (BGCGW) to fund a technology center in BGCGW’s forthcoming Prince George’s County location, opening in 2025. This tech-equipped facility will provide BGCGW youth with access to equipment and software to nurture and develop interest and skills in emerging technologies, and the careers of tomorrow. “We appreciate partners like Cloudforce. Hosting fundraising events like this not only helps create spaces like e-sports rooms in the Clubs, but they are a wonderful demonstration of what our communities can do when we work together,” said BGCGW President and CEO Gabrielle Webster.
A founding member of Prince George’s County Tech Council (PGCTC), Cloudforce’s vibrant purpose-driven community mission continues to include participation with the Prince George’s Chamber of Commerce; the Prince George’s County Economic Development Corporation; the Prince George’s Community College Technology Advisory Board; and the IT Business Advisory Council for Employ Prince George’s, a nonprofit providing workforce opportunities for local job seekers. This year also included several open house events to showcase career opportunities in tech for students from Blacks at Microsoft, the Southern Management Leadership Partnership, and the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Washington.
Following its third consecutive win in 2024 as an Inc. Fastest Growing Company, Inc. Best Workplace, and Washington Business Journal Best Place to Work, Cloudforce’s final crowning achievement came this December as Cloudforce added Great Place to Work® Certification to its list of achievements. Considered the global gold standard for workplace excellence, this award is reserved for companies worldwide with a consistently high-trust environment based on the results of a rigorous, anonymous staff survey; and is a testament to the incredible work culture Cloudforce has sustained since its founding 14 years ago.
As it prepares to ring in 2025, Cloudforce undoubtedly will have plenty more reigning to do. Ever poised on the bleeding edge of all things Azure, this magical interface of human and machine, of wit and code, of ingenuity and AI is not only the epitome of Tech with a Human Touch, but also the very place Where Tech Gets Human as it brings results, inspiration, and opportunities to all.
Before joining Cloudforce as Content Specialist, Leslie worked in corporate and ad agency settings, and as owner of her own freelance writer/producer business. Throughout her career, she’s written spots and informercials for the likes of Isaac Hayes, Larry King, Brian McKnight, and Tom Bodett, to name a few. Her passion for inspiring, informing and entertaining also led to several fundraising and awareness video efforts for the Northern Virginia Urban League and Northern Virginia Family Services. As a proud Syracuse University graduate, she also served as Alumni President for the Washington metropolitan area, where she helped establish a scholarship program for area students attending S.U.
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