Husein Sharaf’s passion for all things technical began early in life, growing up in a modest home in Fairfax, Virginia. By age seven, he was deftly dismantling—and rebuilding—everything from lawn mowers to vacuum cleaners. By middle school, he was proficient at building websites and coding; and as a young teenager, he worked part time repairing computers. At age 18, Husein shattered all expectations by landing his corporate first job at Booz Allen Hamilton—without a college degree. This would be the first of many experiences working as a federal contractor for this astute, self-taught young professional, followed by several years working as an independent consultant to both commercial and federal clients including, most notably, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).

Throughout his whirlwind career as a systems engineer, Husein has always brought along a true passion of finding ways to harness the power of technology to make life better. So it is certainly no surprise that when most people first heard of cloud computing and dismissed it as a Silicon Valley indulgence, Husein looked beyond the contention to see how cloud technology could free businesses from unwieldy infrastructure, spur innovation, and even change business models. Now as fearless head-nerd and CEO of his own Microsoft Solutions Partner firm Cloudforce in National Harbor, Maryland, Husein leads his eclectic team of engineers in the development of complex cloud solutions to support mission-critical systems for dozens of programs across industries and government.

In addition to all things Microsoft cloud, Husein is also passionate about giving back to his Prince George’s County community and believes it is the responsibility of every business to help develop the types of communities its members and customers want to live and do business in. Husein currently serves as the Chairman of the Prince George’s County Tech Council (PGCTC) and on the board of directors of STEMship, a local non-profit aimed at creating STEM learning opportunities for under-privileged youth. As someone who acknowledges his own opportunities to make positive impacts doing what he loves, Husein is very proactive about supporting the development of other young IT aficionados—with a special soft spot for those who love to tinker.

Other fun facts about Husein:

What do you do when you’re not at Cloudforce?

• When I’m not working, my favorite thing to do is travel, even if only for a few days at a time. I’ve been inspired by shows like Anthony Bourdain’s “Parts Unknown” to travel to places off the beaten path, to experience different cultures, and to broaden my world view through food, music and art.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

• As a child I wanted to be a vehicle designer, or to have some involvement in motor racing.

What is your favorite dessert?

• Crème brûlée – all day! I even learned to make it (the only thing I know how to bake) because I love it so much.

What would be the most surprising scientific discovery imaginable?

• Teleportation – I’ve always been fascinated by the idea of moving people or objects in non- traditional ways. Perhaps it’s my obsession with travel which drives my somewhat irrational desire to see this come to fruition!

What are you reading at this moment?

• Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don’t by James C. Collins.

Heba started her career as a financial controller working as a federal contractor in the engineering services sector. Demonstrating her keen proficiency in effective program oversight and execution, she quickly moved up into more senior roles, ultimately landing as the Deputy Project Manager on a highly visible special project with the U.S. Army.  In 2016, Heba brought her nine years of operational oversight expertise and business savvy to Cloudforce as Director of Operations, then was promoted to Vice President of Finance in 2023.

In addition to her extensive management background, Heba brought along her breadth of knowledge in data aggregation and analysis. She excels at optimizing methods and procedures to achieve process improvements and maximize efficiencies.

Outside of work, Heba enjoys the local arts, a rocking music playlist, outdoor adventures, and getting her handywoman fix in on DIY projects.

Other fun facts about Heba:

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? 

• Being inspired by some amazing teachers myself, I wanted to be an elementary school teacher, and initially going into college thought that was what I was going to pursue. With math being my strong suit, I had a change of heart and pivoted to a finance major mid-way. Although my path ultimately took me in another direction, I’ve found other avenues to teach and mentor in my career as well as opportunities to support youth programs through volunteerism.

What is your favorite album? 

• This is a hard one because enjoying music is my favorite pastime and there are so many amazing albums on my top picks list.  Pink Floyd’s Wish You Were Here is the one I always start with on my road adventures (another favorite pastime of mine).  My favorite playlist is a mix of classic and blues rock including Led Zeppelin, Freddie King, John Mayall and the Bluebreakers, and Fleetwood Mac, but I also enjoy all genres and especially appreciate the live music scene.

What season would you be? 

• Summer all the way! I love to be outdoors, especially near water or by the mountains. Exploring, hiking, picnicking, or just laying outside enjoying the sounds of summer brings me the most joy.

Jesse Kellner brings a unique breadth and depth of experience to his role – first as Cloudforce’s Director of Programs, now Vice President of Delivery. While serving both our illustrious team of cloud ninjas and valued client portfolio, he leverages over 20 years of professional experience in leadership, project management, and business development.

Jesse received his Bachelor of Arts in Biblical Studies from Washington Bible College before serving in vocational ministry at both established and emerging communities of faith. Thereafter, Jesse transitioned into the sales and business development space, culminating in over 10 years as a commercial real estate broker in the Annapolis, MD market. As he began to explore the next chapter of his career, Jesse turned to the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business where he earned a Master of Business Administration degree in 2016. Jesse’s next career move would be a serendipitous combination of his passion for networking with his unbridled enthusiasm to promote Smith students when he became Smith’s Assistant Director, Employer and Business Development. It was in this role serving as a natural evangelist for Smith students that Jesse first crossed paths with his soon-to-be colleagues of Cloudforce—who were then actively recruiting some of Smith’s top talent!

As Cloudforce Vice President of Delivery, Jesse spends his time deploying tech ninjas to delight customers and harness the Microsoft cloud. Jesse is convinced that happy technologists deliver top technical solutions leading to delighted customers, a formula to which he remains committed as Cloudforce grows and scales.

Jesse, his beloved wife, and two children recently developed their little log cabin home on almost 50 acres just south of Annapolis into a joyous family homestead and hospitality hub. He is an avid sports enthusiast, both participating in area old man leagues and stubbornly supporting his Washington Commanders, Orioles, Wizards, and Capitals.

Other fun facts about Jesse:

What do you do when you’re not at Cloudforce?

• Our family and friends spend a lot (!) of time outside at our property. My son recently discovered shark teeth within the little stream in our woods, even uncovering some impressive Megalodon specimens (an extinct species of prehistoric shark, the largest sharks ever). We love to light the bonfire, partake in some great food and drink, let the kids run amuck, and just be together.

If you had to delete all but 3 apps from your phone, which 3 would you keep?

• Microsoft Teams (of course!), Photos, and Waze.

What is your favorite thing to eat?

• Pepperoni Pizza (with a shoutout to Di Meo’s Pizzeria, Crofton, MD). Is this even a question?

Have you ever completed anything on your bucket list?

• Baltimore Marathon, 2009. And, yes, I beat Oprah.

What are you reading at this moment?

• Gospel of Luke

With an established background in technology consulting, Damien joins Cloudforce as Assistant Vice President of Growth, bringing considerable thought leadership and business acumen to one of Maryland’s most celebrated tech companies.

Previously, Damien served as North America, Azure Practice Lead at Cognizant’s Microsoft Business Group. A true advocate of teamwork and accountability, Damien’s professional career has focused heavily on growth initiatives that provide clients with organizational value, implementing beneficial and sustainable solutions while maintaining a high level of customer satisfaction.  

Golf and cooking are two important hobbies in Damien’s life that he’s been fortunate enough to experience while traveling. He also loves a good fantasy novel, like the Mistborn Trilogy by Brandon Sanderson, and he’s currently wrapping up an Elon Musk biography by Walter Isaacson, which has been an eye opener.

More fun facts about Damien:

If you had a time machine, would you go back or into the future? And why?

• I’d go forward 100 years, just to see if we ever did get to Mars and if AI helped us cure disease and/or take over the world

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

• Professional basketballer… one knee operation later!!

What are you reading at this moment?

• Fantasy novels, Mistborn Trilogy by Brandon Sanderson – an amazing read – and I’m currently wrapping up an Elon Musk biography by Walter Isaacson, another eye opener.

Daniel Ruberg has close to ten years of Network Administration and Engineering experience.  He finished his undergraduate degree in Computer Management Information Systems from Liberty University in 2008. After graduation, he returned to Liberty University and obtained his master’s degree in Youth Ministry, then held several positions in the D.C. area that have helped shape his career path to this point.

Since joining Cloudforce in 2018, Daniel has shown exponential growth in the Azure cloud and has been dubbed our very own #cloudninja. As a Cloudforce Principal Cloud Architect, Daniel has deployed, managed, and migrated several production workloads to Microsoft Azure utilizing the latest technologies that Microsoft cloud offers.

Daniel holds several industry-leading certifications, including: Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP); AZ-300/301: Microsoft® Azure Architect Technologies; AZ-500: Microsoft® Azure Security Technologies; and Microsoft® Certified Solutions Expert: Cloud Platform and Infrastructure.

Other fun facts about Daniel:

What do you do when you’re not at Cloudforce? 

• Faith, family, and sports. My family is big into sports and the outdoors, so we are often outside doing something together on the weekends.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? 

• I wanted to be in the NHL. I grew up playing hockey and it was always a pipe dream for me. Hopefully, I can live vicariously through my son when he gets older!

What is your favorite dessert? 

• Turkey Hill Choco Mint Chip ice cream… the best ice cream, hands down!

Do you have any hidden talents? 

• It is not really a talent, but I can curl my pinky toe over my ring toe without using my hands. When I show people, they are generally grossed out instead of impressed.

What is your favorite item you’ve bought this year? 

• This past year we got a Peloton. It has been an amazing addition to our home with two little kids and allows us to get a workout in without leaving the house. Hit me up if you want to cycle. My Peloton username is cl0udninja.

Before joining Cloudforce, Yayoi served in the healthcare industry for eight years and all throughout college. When Yayoi was looking for a chance to grow and challenge herself outside of her comfort zone, she saw an opportunity at Cloudforce… and the rest is history. Yayoi first joined the team as Cloudforce Office Manager, then Workforce Specialist. Now, in her role as Workforce Manager—Yayoi is responsible for overseeing the amazing workforce team and focuses on all things technical recruiting, policy development, benefits administration and everything in between.

A native Washingtonian, Yayoi is a graduate of the University of Maryland, College Park. She is passionate about recruiting and developing the workforce and has obtained the SHRM-CP (Society for Human Resource Management – Certified Professional) certification. In her spare time, she’s a Travel Advisor helping people plan their dream vacations, enjoys all things group fitness, as well as trying all the hot new bars and restaurants!

Other fun facts about Yayoi:

What fictional world or place would you like to visit?

• HOGWARTS! Hands down. I’m a HUGE Harry Potter nerd.

Do you speak any other languages?

• I’m part Japanese and speak Japanese (semi) fluently. Reading and writing isn’t as good as it used to be (sorry, mom!).

What is your favorite album?

• My favorite album of all time is probably Maxwell’s Urban Hang Suite, but Snoh Aalegra’s Ugh… Those Feels Again is a close second.

What is your favorite thing to eat?

• PASTA! And ramen… and sushi… and enchiladas… ok I love all things food.

What are you reading at this moment?

I’m actually reading two books! One is A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas, and the second is Welcome Home by Najwa Zebian.

Rhoddy’s love of computer technology was first revealed around age 7-8, when he deftly debugged code on a TSR-80 Color Code II from Radio Shack “because there were errors in the printed code book.” In his teens, Rhoddy began building and tweaking computers to eke out every bit of performance for gaming. It was his passion for cinema, however, that directed him into his first career in the field of media production. After spending 11 years in the industry and completing his formal education, however, Roddy saw the writing on the wall in terms of limited future growth in the industry and decided it was time for a career change. Given his strong interest in computers and technology and realizing numerous career growth options in the technology sector, he went back to school and earned a Master of Science in Information Systems degree from Johns Hopkins Carey Business School in 2017.

Rhoddy started learning Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM) in 2016 out of necessity because he worked in an SCCM environment where no one knew how to use it! After learning the basics of SCCM he was hooked. He quickly realized the potential of SCCM as an indispensable tool for medium to large organizations that allowed for remote management of endpoints while freeing up staff time to pursue higher-value projects. Now as the Sr. Cloud Solutions Engineer, Roddy is expanding his endpoint management expertise to include internet and cloud managed devices for today’s “work-from-anywhere” workforce.

Other fun facts about Rhoddy:

What do you do when you’re not at Cloudforce?

• Spend time with my wife and daughter, go hiking/camping, exercise, play video games, watch anime, and drink craft beer.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

• I wanted to be a comedian because I loved making people laugh and I idolized the 90s cast of SNL (Farley, Rock, Myers, Carvey, Sweeny, Meadows, Nealon, etc.)

Do you have any hidden talents?

• Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Muy Thai kickboxing. I have practiced martial arts for most of my adult life. I also homebrew beer.

What is your favorite item you’ve bought this year?

• PlayStation 5

Andrew grew up on a steady diet of PBS television, history documentaries, and science fiction books from an early age and has remained a passionate consumer of knowledge ever since. His love of computer gaming and tinkering began in adolescence, and he has remained an avid DIY enthusiast, creating his own home information systems, beer, and occasionally furniture. In college, Andrew’s studies concentrated on philosophy of mind, and nothing satisfies him more than aggressively chasing the boundaries of his understanding on any and every subject.

There is something, however, that comes close: sharing knowledge with others, and seeing it have a positive impact. Starting in 2012 with basic desktop support and working his way into running systems all over the enterprise IT sphere, Andrew has remained inspired by the way technology empowers us through collaboration and communication, and how this can enhance even the most mundane aspects of our personal and work lives. These twin passions (learning and sharing knowledge) have informed the two principles that have guided his journey as a successful technology professional:

• You do not know how it works until you break it.
• It is as vital to understand non-technical needs as it is to understand technical ones.

A Sr. Cloud Solutions Engineer at Cloudforce since 2019, Andrew focuses first and foremost on understanding what work users need to do and how they do it. With that perspective, he has delivered technical solutions to Cloudforce clients that have brought them successfully into the cloud while keeping their data secure; minimizing impact to their critical business processes; and enhancing their ability to pursue both strategic goals and realize tangible enhancements to daily work. Knowing that the pursuit of knowledge and expertise can never slow down, Andrew has become Microsoft 365 Certified at the associate level in both Azure and Teams administration since joining Cloudforce.

Other fun facts about Andrew:

What fictional family would you be a member of?

• The Crawleys, of Downton Abbey. I can feel the English countryside calling…

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

• A mad scientist

If you could be guaranteed one thing in life (besides money), what would it be and why?

• Unlimited time and travel to share conversations with family, friends, and strangers alike.

Do you have any hidden talents?

• I have a pretty good ear for many accents.

What is one quote that stands out to you?

• The endeavor to understand is the first and only basis of virtue.” -Baruch Spinoza

What is your favorite tradition or holiday?

• Every year my wife and I celebrate our wedding anniversary on New Year’s Eve by holding a black-tie-encouraged party with cocktails, champagne, and as many friends as we can stuff into the house.

Vu Hoang has always been amazed by technology inventions especially anything electronic. At a younger age, Vu built personal computers for himself and friends when computers were still a relatively new thing in his neighborhood in Vietnam. Throughout his lifetime, Vu has moved to different cities and countries to study and live, making him a highly adaptable, self-taught quick learner—or as we like to think of him: a super computing human wonder.

As Cloudforce Cloud Solutions Engineer Vu helps a wide variety of clients, from small startups to fortune 500 companies with hundreds of workers, to navigate IT challenges, improve system performance, and upgrade their security posture. Vu holds several Azure certifications and is a Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA). Outside of his daily Cloudforce duties, Vu enjoys hiking and loves to design and build wood furniture.

Other fun facts about Vu:

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

• Robot builder

If you could be guaranteed one thing in life (besides money), what would it be and why?

• Youth and health if possible

What is your favorite tradition or holiday?

• Lunar New Year because it is when everyone in the family gathers and spends time together

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever given?

• If you are not challenge yourselves when you are young, life will challenge you when you are old

What is your favorite thing to eat?

• Asian Cuisine Soups

A present-day renaissance man and self-professed nerd, Chris transitioned into IT in 2016 after spending nearly a decade in the health and fitness industry. Once his lifetime hobby, computers have now become Chris’ professional passion. Starting in the trenches of an IT support call center, Chris progressed from Help Desk Technician to Managed Services Consultant (NOC) and is now a Cloud Solutions Engineer, Deployment Lead at Cloudforce. He owes his success to never being afraid of asking questions, being humble, and learning in the fires of, “Well… let’s see if anything breaks” situations.

Other fun facts about Chris:

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

• A marine biologist.

If you could be guaranteed one thing in life (besides money), what would it be and why?

• Impervious health – you can only live life up to the level of your wellness.

What is your favorite album?

• My musical tastes often shift, so it is hard for me to say that I have a singular favorite album.  An album that blew me away in the last few years, though: Veil of Imagination by Wilderun. **Edit: upon further reflection, Age of Winters by The Sword would definitely be in contention for albums most spun.

What is one quote that stands out to you?

• “Memento Mori.”- The Stoics

What is your favorite tradition or holiday?

• Halloween

In high school, Leslie wanted to be a doctor – until she fainted typing her own blood in Advanced Bio class. Lucky for us, Leslie also loved to write; and the rest is … herstory.

Before joining Cloudforce as Brand Strategy and Communications Manager, 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.

Fun facts about Leslie:

What do you do when you’re not at Cloudforce?

• I love to garden, cook, create mantlescapes, and hang out with my Westie pup, Billie. I also enjoy long weekend escapes to the Delaware shore. The Long Island girl is still in me!

What did you want to be growing up?

• A ballet dancer … until I was told I was too short.

Do you have a quote you live by?

• “Let bakers bake.” It’s my self-penned mantra honed from years of film production where many professionals would convene to execute their respective expertise in the most inspiring ways. Production shoots taught me the virtue of respectfully staying in your lane and letting others do what they do best. It’s the magical personification of mutual respect. It’s like a human-action symphony. And worth the restraint.

What book are you reading now?

• A human atlas of the world, showing the parallel evolution of cultures, worldwide. It’s the ultimate multi-tasker tome!

What are three words to describe you?

• Creative, tenacious and sentimental

Elliot’s innate curiosity with technology followed him throughout his childhood, but it took a high school Java programming course to ignite his interest into full-blown fascination. The experience of this one class proved pivotal in shaping Elliot’s education and career path. Elliot went on to pursue his passion with technology and graduate from Towson University with a degree in Computer Science.  Shortly after graduating, he landed an opportunity at Cloudforce as an intern where he was introduced to cloud computing and hasn’t looked back since.  Currently, as Cloud Solutions Engineer, he enjoys putting his problem-solving skills to the test and advancing his knowledge with industry-recognized certifications.

Other fun facts about Elliot:

What do you do when you’re not at Cloudforce? 

• Stay- active!  I love to run and play tennis.  I’ve run three half marathons and numerous 5k’s.  I play tennis year-round and compete in local tournaments around Maryland.

What is your favorite dessert? 

• Honestly, anything from Coldstone…

What is your favorite album? 

•  Everything Means Nothing – Blackbear

What is your favorite thing to eat? 

• Breakfast food for sure!  Pancakes, French toast, eggs, bacon…I could eat it for every meal of the day.

What is your favorite tradition or holiday? 

• Halloween!  It gives me an excuse to eat lots of candy.

Arija joined Cloudforce in 2021 as the Executive Assistant and is now our Chief of Staff where she manages the daily motion of the office and our busy CTO. She also creates and produces Cloudforce networking events large and small and helps execute community outreach efforts and staff development activities. Prior to Cloudforce, Arija spent many years working with startups and nonprofits to help them grow and develop relationships with their communities. As Community Manager for Washington, DC-based Springboard Enterprises, Arija directed many efforts and events to help accelerate the growth of women-led businesses in technology and life sciences. As a leader of Dolphin Tank (“like Shark Tank, but friendlier”), Arija traveled across the U.S. to convene women in technology and help them present their ideas to audiences of knowledgeable industry members for valuable insights and feedback. Arija now looks to bring her well-honed networking and planning skills to advance the Cloudforce mission and its many community-wide efforts.

In her free time, Arija reads historical fiction and women’s history books. She also spends lots of time with friends and family free from her phone since her relationships are her greatest treasure!

Other fun facts about Arija:

What are three words to describe you?

• Friendly, fun, resourceful

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

• A writer

What is one quote that stands out to you?

• “Think with the heart, not with the ego.”

What are you reading at this moment?

• A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini

What is your favorite tradition or holiday?

• Friendsgiving because my birthday falls around Thanksgiving and I love food and quality time with loved ones.

Angela’s fascination with technology began at a young age, but her passion veritably came to fruition when she started high school. She participated in PLTW (Project Lead the Way), a pre-engineering program where she completed courses in digital electronics and civil engineering. As a student at Bowie State University, Angela facilitated projects such as the Disaster Relief IoT System, which created a system that would detect clean and usable water after a natural disaster event.

Angela is also an accomplished costume designer and seamstress. Her work has been showcased throughout the DMV area with theatrical companies such as Imagination Stage, MNCPPC’s Shakespeare in the Parks, and Arena Stage. In 2019, she collaborated with the award-winning Arlington Art Truck and various fabric artists on a local art installation titled TIES THAT BIND: Learn to Sew on a Button and Connect. Shortly thereafter, she completed an internship with Amazon Web Services as a Solutions Architect Intern and is an AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner. Angela joined the Cloudforce family as a Cloud Services Intern, then Cloud Services Associate where she earned multiple certifications in Microsoft Azure. She is now a Cloud Services Manager and is thrilled at the opportunity to grow with the company as it revolutionizes custom cloud solutions.

Fun facts about Angela:

What fictional family would you be a member of?

• The Rose Family from Schitt’s Creek

What is your favorite dessert?

• Apple Pie

What is your favorite album?

• Nation of Two by Vance Joy

What are you reading at this moment?

• “Our Time is Now” by Stacey Abrams

What is one quote that stands out to you?

• “You have no obligation to your former self.” – Hank Green

For Michael, a passion for learning and acquiring new skills drives a multitude of non-stop professional, technical, and academic pursuits. Michael’s drive and ambition took root in his days as an Information Technology major at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, where his myriad experiences led to advancement in various areas of focus. Following graduation, Michael participated in the Cloudforce internship program, and has since gone on to receive his AZ-900 certification and become a Cloud Applications Associate. Moving forward, Michael is eager to tackle the diverse array of challenges and opportunities presented by the wide array of public and private sector clients served by Cloudforce.

Fun facts about Michael:

What do you do when you’re not at Cloudforce?

• I like to work on personal projects. Usually, it’s something a friend is interested in or a project that will help me learn a new skill. I also like to play video games a good amount. Recently I’ve been trying to get into game development but it’s pretty time consuming.

What is one quote that stands out to you?

• “People pay for what they do, and still more for what they have allowed themselves to become. And they pay for it very simply; by the lives they lead.” – James Baldwin, “No name in the street.
• I like to think of this quote in the context of my personal agency in making myself who I am and how my actions affect what other people see in me.

As a child what did you want to be when you grew up?

• I wanted to be a lot of things: landscaper, judge (not a lawyer), baseball player, etc.

What is your favorite dessert?

• Well-made Strawberry Shortcake!

If you could be guaranteed one thing in life (besides money), what would it be and why?

• Good health, success, an abundance of free time or just peace and calm.

“The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away”

• Pablo Picasso

Kamal’s story is one of a passionate boy who wants to change the world. After moving out of his house at age 17, skipping college to work and achieve his goals… His life before Cloudforce was that of volunteering, helping others with issues that they had problems solving. After mastering this ability, he translated that problem-solving ability to groups, and eventually sales. He became successful in sales because he saw it as a way to help others. And in the process, he’s forged bonds with customers that he’ll never forget.

He takes this experience into Cloudforce as the Cloud Champion with the aim of assisting it to become the greatest tech company in the world, while also helping others achieve success through what we do in Azure and the cloud in general.

There is no greater game than helping others.

Other fun facts about Kamal:

What do you do when you’re not at Cloudforce?

• Socialize, Study and Slack Off

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever given?

• You’re never going to get anywhere looking at what you’re not, you’re going to get places by putting emphasis on what you are. The lies of who you are not are weaker than the truth of who you are.

What is your favorite album?

• Lupe Fiasco’s Tetsuo & Youth

What fictional family would you be a member of?

• The Incredible Family (From the Incredibles)

What are three words to describe you?

• Three words are not enough to describe me

Gin joined Cloudforce as a Junior Workforce Specialist immediately after graduating from University of Maryland. Since then, she has deftly applied her degree in Psychology and Sociology, along with her innate people skills, to help grow and shape our elite team into an even more richly diverse and talented force. Now as the Workforce Specialist Gin uses her energizing personality to source, hire, and retained our amazing team. Throughout her life, Gin has embraced a multitude of hobbies and activities, including dance, gymnastics, skiing, piano, violin, art, cooking, baking, and programming. Throughout college, Gin worked as a camp counselor, Lithuanian school teacher, and research assistant in various fields of psychology. A Maryland native, Gin thrives on trying new things and has spent many summers interning and studying in Europe. In her free time, Gin likes to go out with friends, watch reality TV, paint, read, play board or video games, experiment with spices, and most especially, travel.  

Other fun facts about Gin: 

What is your favorite dessert? 

• Mochi ice cream! 

What are you reading at this moment? 

• Currently reading Agatha Christie novels 

What is your favorite thing to eat? 

• Sushi!!!! Or any Korean BBQ 

What fictional world (comics, TV, anything) or place would you like to visit? 

• Harry Potter World – this is the only right answer! 

What is your favorite item you’ve bought this year? 

• A big, red, velvet Papasan chair from Facebook Marketplace. I love napping in it or curling up and reading a book. Good vibes. 

Lucas has been in front of a computer since he was a child — from playing games on floppy disks and CDs to his heart’s content, to his dad showing him how to download music. Over time this grew into a yearning for more knowledge. In college at University of Maryland, Baltimore County, he obtained a B.S. in Information Systems with a focus in cybersecurity and grew interest in the cloud. After graduating, he quickly found his way to Cloudforce where he was hired as an intern. He absorbed everything he could and got his hands into as much as possible and earned a full-time position on the service desk, and then a position on the engineering team as a Cloud Solutions Associate. Here he’s putting his skills to the test helping companies build and migrate into the cloud – and using infrastructure as code as a foundation for it all.

Other fun facts about Lucas:

What do you do when you’re not at Cloudforce?

• I love to weightlift so a lot of the time you may find me up in the gym just workin’ on my fitness. I also love to learn new things and be on the water. Gym, books, and boats.

Do you have any hidden talents?

• I can make the platypus noise from Perry the Platypus – I guess it’s not so hidden anymore.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

• An astronaut – still do – still don’t think it’s going to happen. I compensate for this desire by learning about astronomy and astrophotography when I have the time because anything related to space is still fascinating to me. 

What is your favorite thing to eat?

• Really have been digging bagels recently – and glazed pecans.

What are you reading at this moment?

• A Japanese children’s book – I can barely understand a thing, but we’re getting there.

Having spent her time in college studying both English and chemistry, Sarah has always had a deep appreciation for both discovery and storytelling — she wants to figure out how something works, and then write about it. Her passion for storytelling found early roots — in grade school, Sarah spent most of her time writing about the people around her, which was often preceded by some level of interrogation (her grandfather once called her “Question Box” because she would ask him questions repeatedly until he would politely leave the room).

Sarah’s love for writing, tackling problems, and understanding how new systems, places, and people work led her to become Proposal and Contract Specialist, now Contracts Manager at Cloudforce. Writing — creatively, technically, and formally — has allowed her to connect to those outside of Cloudforce, as well as discover more about the tech gurus within.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grow up?

• A veterinarian — I loved science classes and grew up with five dogs.

What is your favorite thing to eat?

• Rye bread — totally plain. I could probably eat a whole loaf in one sitting if not for my own personal shame.

What do you do when you’re not at Cloudforce?

• I work out, walk, hike, and explore a lot, and am constantly looking for sweets.

Do you have any hidden talents?

• I memorized the first 40 digits of pi in 3^rd grade. On Pi Day in my AP Statistics class senior year of high school, I recited them and won an actual pie.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

• Life is long, and there’s time to do the things you want to do (as long as you really want to do them!).

Katie grew up in Alabama, where sweet tea flows freely and seasons are marked by their proximity to college football (Roll Tide).   

After graduating from a small liberal arts college, she moved to Washington, DC and balanced her life between restaurant management, freelance cocktail consulting, and finishing her Ph.D. at American University’s Behavior, Cognition, and Neuroscience program.  Central to her success in each of these arenas was (a) an ability to proactively prioritize and organize complex projects with many moving parts, (b) a detail-oriented focus on keeping everything on track, and (c) a commitment to seeing each project through to completion.  Katie has now brought these skills to Cloudforce as a Senior Project Manager, PMO Lead, where she works with clients to ensure that their needs are addressed on time and under budget, and with a result that exceeds expectations.  

Other fun facts about Katie: 

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? 

• An astronaut 

Do you have any pets? 

• My wife and I have a 12 lb tuxedo cat named Frankie, who of course is named after the beloved literary character Frankenstein’s Monster.  

Do you have any hidden talents? 

• As a college lacrosse goalie, I took up juggling to improve my hand-eye coordination. I also received my skydiving certification as part of my research for my undergraduate honors thesis. 

What are you currently learning? 

• Away from work, I am learning American Sign Language.  I live near Gallaudet University and learning ASL has helped me better communicate with my neighbors.  

What’s your favorite dessert? 

• Apple pie 

Jonathon started his career in technology in 2013 after a friend convinced him to build his own computer. At his first IT job, he worked for a retail chain providing basic computer troubleshooting, setup, and home networking. Jonathon then transitioned to a role at a small business managed service provider — a job he enjoyed for seven years as he also pursued his bachelor’s degree in IT from Kennesaw State University. Upon graduation in early 2022, Jonathon joined Cloudforce as a Cloud Solutions Engineer.  

In just a matter of months, Jonathon was able to expand his Office 365 expertise to become more involved in the administration and migration side of the industry. He credits Cloudforce for offering the opportunity to broaden his IT horizons even further. With Cloudforce support, Jonathon took it upon himself to pass the AZ-103 Microsoft Administration certification and has already had the opportunity to leverage his newly acquired knowledge to help migrate client workloads to Azure. He now looks forward to learning from his new colleagues and becoming even more proficient in the Azure cloud. 

Other fun facts about Jonathon:

What do you do when you’re not at Cloudforce? 

• Stay up to date with new technologies in my home lab, work out, read, and play video games. I also spend time with friends and family and try to do regularly scheduled nights for video games or D&D to stay social.  

What are you reading at this moment? 

• I recently finished The Witcher series by Andrzej Sapkowski. Currently, I’m working through the Claymore manga, and I have The Left Hand of Darkness (Ursula K. Le Guin), The Color of Magic (Terry Pratchett), Galapagos (Kurt Vonnegut), and Red Rising (Pierce Brown) next in the queue.  

If you had to delete all but 3 apps from your phone, which 3 would you keep? 

• Reddit since it’s fun to stay up to date with news and various fandoms, Discord because it’s my main way to communicate with friends, and Google Photos since all my pictures going back years are stored there.  

What is your favorite album? 

• This tends to change pretty often, but right now it’s good kid, m.A.A.d city by Kendrick Lamar. 

What is one quote that stands out to you? 

• “I was a victim of a series of accidents, as are we all” – Kurt Vonnegut, The Sirens of Titan. 

Luke’s fascination with electronics and computers began as a child with his Snap Circuits kits and Lego Robot Inventor projects. After a detour through mechanical engineering and linguistics in college, Luke revived his interest in technology as a Cloud Services Intern at Cloudforce. He has since earned his AZ-900 certification and become a Cloud Services Administrator where he eagerly tackles new challenges in automation and data visualization. 

Other fun facts about Luke:

What are you doing when you’re not at Cloudforce?  

• Probably riding bikes, thinking about riding bikes, or watching other people ride their bikes 

What are you reading at the moment? 

• Just finished Circe by Madeline Miller, about to start Song of Achilles 

What’s your favorite dessert? 

• Tres leches cake 

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given? 

• Most things in life are not as good as hoped but not as bad as feared 

What are your go-to YouTube genres? 

• A lot of history and media video essays and food/cocktail videos 

Christina grew up in South Florida and moved to DC to study business administration at American University. She started her career in the live events industry as a talent coordinator for a music and entertainment company, booking classical and jazz artists (as well as bagpipers, dancers, and sometimes even mermaids) for upscale events. While still in the events space, she transitioned to an operations coordinator role at an event design firm where her interest in the field of Human Resources grew. Now as the Engagement Specialist at Cloudforce, she taps into her events, operations, and logistics-planning background to help bring the team together in interactive ways. In her time outside of work she enjoys outdoor adventures, searching the tri-state area for the best ice cream, and taking her dog on hikes.

Other fun facts about Christina:

What fictional family would you be a member of?

• The Munsters! Cobwebs should always be a staple of cozy home décor.

What is your favorite album?

• It’s a tie between The Promise Ring’s Nothing Feels Good and 50 Cent’s Get Rich or Die Tryin’.

What is your favorite item you’ve bought this year?

• This year I bought a dehumidifier for my bathroom, and I now can’t imagine life without one.

What do you do when you’re not at Cloudforce?

• I love any activity that can be done outside. Hiking, camping, and kayaking are my current favorites. My perfect day would include an outdoor activity coupled with a little antique shopping and topped off with farm-fresh ice cream. When it’s too cold for an outdoor activity, I like catching up on art museum exhibits, watching movies, and going to concerts.

What fictional world (comics, TV, anything) or place would you like to visit?

• As someone whose comfort TV show is Gilmore Girls, if I could visit any fictional world, it would be Stars Hollow. I get emotional even thinking about the idea of Stars Hollow as a real place. Ugh, if only!

Matthew grew up in College Park, MD, only a mile from the University of Maryland. He always loved sports and computers growing up, and ended up falling in love with baseball, which he played from the time he was five up through college. Matthew is a graduate of Coppin State University, where he spent four years as a starter and team captain on their Division I baseball team. Matthew is very thankful for his time there, as it showed him how to remain focused, work hard, lead and take responsibility for a group. Matthew speaks French, a little Russian, and he’s learning Spanish. As a Endpoint Administrator at Cloudforce, Matthew also enjoys learning new technology and helping others learn as well.

Other fun facts about Matthew:

What do you do when you’re not at Cloudforce?

• I love to workout, travel, and spend time with friends and family.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

• A professional baseball player – I was blessed to play at the D1 college level for four years.

What is your favorite dessert?

• Red velvet cake, easily

What is your favorite thing to eat?

• Shrimp and scallop linguine

What is one quote that stands out to you?

• “One who says they can and one who says they can’t are both correct.”

A homegrown Marylander, Carroll was born and raised in Annapolis. She spent 13 years in administrative healthcare – her career journey started with humble beginnings, walking into doctors’ offices to introduce herself with a printed resume in hand. Starting as a front office receptionist, Carroll progressed through various administrative roles until realizing her passion for finance and accounting. After beginning undergraduate accounting courses and progressing through several finance/accounting positions, she was elevated to the role of accounting supervisor for a well-established primary care group. Carroll now joins Cloudforce as Accounting Manager and is excited to apply her financial acumen to the innovative field of technology and cloud services. She’s thrilled about the opportunity to grow in a new industry as well as give back to the community by supporting Cloudforce’s many philanthropic efforts.

Other fun facts about Carroll:

What do you do when you’re not at Cloudforce?

• I like spending time with family and friends, riding bikes and other exercise, watching sports (especially football), boating, exploring scenic outdoor spots, visiting wineries, and baking various recipes

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

• A figure skater

What is your favorite album?

• There’s definitely a top 5 but if I had to choose one, The 1975 by The 1975

What season would you be?

• The fall

What is one quote that stands out to you?

• Two things define you: your patience when you have nothing and your attitude when you have everything

A true force of nature, Jasmin thrives on bringing order and solutions to chaos and challenges. As Cloudforce Digital Marketing Specialist, Jasmin has already organized efforts, resources, and assets into a steady flow of regular social media posts, and proven her graphic design skills and talent through a wide range of creative deliverables, from infographics to marketing collateral.

Before joining the Cloudforce team, Jasmin shared her talents and drive across many activities in her Virginia Tech community, prior to graduating magna cum laude in 2022 with a degree in Digital Marketing and EIT Management from Tech’s Pamplin College of Business. As events and fundraising chair of the Filipino American Students Association (FASA), she led efforts to organize and promote social events and fundraising efforts for the organization. In her free time she enjoyed working out, hiking, playing intramural flag football and volleyball, and cooking with friends.

Jasmin’s passion for communications, management, and graphic design makes her perfectly suited for her efforts at Cloudforce, as she supports her elite team’s aggressive digital media growth goals. She seeks out and welcomes challenges and her eagerness to master new skills has already been evidenced by her quick mastery of Microsoft Power BI, in less than a week. Her analytics capabilities are also providing valuable insights and learning for all of Cloudforce’s expanding digital marketing endeavors.

Other fun facts about Jasmin:

What do you do when you’re not at Cloudforce?  

• My current hobbies are working out, shopping, flag football, dance, video games, and binging my favorite TV shows.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?  

• I wanted to be a teacher! I was told I would be good at it because I was very bossy and would be taller than the elementary schoolers.

What is your favorite dessert?  

• S’mores! I love the combination of crunchy, chewy, and gooey. It’s an easy treat to make and it also brings a very nostalgic feeling of sitting around a bonfire with friends and family.

If you could be guaranteed one thing in life (besides money), what would it be and why?  

• Good health no matter what I eat because I have a big weakness for junk food. A bottomless stomach for a whole bag of chips would be great!

What is your favorite tradition or holiday?  

• My favorite holiday is Halloween. I love decorating, carving pumpkins, scary movies, haunted trails, and dressing up!

Joey is a problem solver. With a background spanning the breadth of technology, business development, operations, and product management, he often finds workable solutions drawn out of his varied experience. Prior to joining Cloudforce, Joey started his career in software development, working in the sphere of Edtech. From there, he took the leap along with three compatriots to found a craft beer wholesaler in Washington, DC. Over just a few years, Joey and his partners grew a cocktail napkin pipedream into a multi-million-dollar boutique distributor servicing over 150 restaurants and retailers in all eight wards of DC. At peak, their portfolio included dozens of domestic brands and nearly 100 international offerings.

From there, he continued his path into transportation operations where his start-up experience served as a perfect springboard for establishing himself as a process improvement expert across multiple organizations, finally utilizing his cross-functional experience to transition into product management. As a Associate Director of Product working with Cloudforce’s managed cloud product nebulaONE, Joey finds himself at the intersection of his team’s technological expertise and business needs.

A native of Savannah, Georgia, Joey lives with his wife in Washington, DC. They enjoy riding barely functional vintage motorcycles and traveling to countries where neither of them speak the language.

Other fun facts about Joey:

Do you have any hidden talents?

• My days as a bartender taught me how to carry three (3) full beer glasses with one hand.

What is your favorite album?

• KISS – Hotter Than Hell

What is your favorite thing to eat?

• French fries. One of my life goals is to write and publish a pop history account of the evolution of this magical food.

What are you reading at this moment?

• In the middle of multiple at the moment — Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari, The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu and Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power by Jon Meacham

What is one quote that stands out to you?

• I learned a Gujarati proverb recently: જબ જાગો તબ સવેરા Jaba jāgō taba savērā which roughly means, “When you wake up, it’s morning.” To me this means that there is no right timeline we must live our lives according to. As long as we are learning and growing, we’re right on time.

Aniya is a native Washingtonian with a passion for helping others in her community. Being raised with 21 first cousins, Aniya truly understands what it means to love hard and the importance of being there for others. Before joining Cloudforce as an Office Manager and now Jr. Workforce Coordinator, and after receiving her bachelor’s degree in communications, Aniya worked in several roles at a mental health practice in Capitol Hill where she was able to gain experience supporting an administrative team of 15+. Other than enjoying the work she does, she also enjoys gardening (Hello, fellow plant moms and dads!) and discovering new TikToks, as this app is her go-to when searching for new and exciting local restaurants and activities. Her words to live by: “You must expect great things of yourself before you can do them.” —Michael Jordan

Other fun facts about Aniya:

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

• I wanted to be a doctor! The idea of helping others, young or old, holds a place in my heart. As I get older, I began to understand that being a doctor involves blood, so my dream soon changed!

What is your favorite album?

• Loud by Rihanna — this is one album where I know all the lyrics, every beat, and could listen to it on repeat all day!

What fictional family would you be a member of?

• That’s So Raven because the Baxter family was extremely optimistic during challenging times and always knew they could rely on each other for support, love, and words of encouragement. This family reminds me of my family.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever given?

• Pray hard and believe even harder.

What is your favorite tradition or holiday?

• Each year on Christmas Day my family gathers to feed the less fortunate at a local men’s shelter. This has been a family tradition for 15 years that we plan to embrace for many years to come!

Having a passion for animals and all things aquatic, Caitlin originally began her career as a marine mammal specialist. For 11 years she was able to gain experience and build relationships with a variety of species in Florida and New York before moving back to her home state of Maryland. She was thrilled to join the Cloudforce team when the opportunity arose. As the Senior Executive Assistant, Lead at Cloudforce, Caitlin now builds her career by contributing to the executive team and supporting the #eliteforce, as well as creating essential relationships with Cloudforce guests and clients.

Caitlin is a graduate of Coastal Carolina University. In her free time, she is an avid movie watcher, and enjoys snowboarding, surfing, and spending time with friends and family (both human and animal!).

Other fun facts about Caitlin:

What is your favorite tradition or holiday?

• Christmas is my favorite holiday! My favorite tradition is decorating the Christmas tree with family while listening to Christmas music. For me, it’s my favorite time of year and I love having all the decorations, family, and friends around.

What is your favorite dessert?

• Birthday Cake Remix from Cold Stone Creamery.

If you could be guaranteed one thing in life (besides money), what would it be and why?

• Probably front row seats at the Oscar’s every year because I’m a huge movie nerd. That or box seats to the Capitals games.

Have you ever completed anything on your bucket list?

• Yes! I was lucky enough to visit the Galapagos Islands. I was able to cruise around the different islands, see all the species of animals, hike the beaches and lava fields, as well as deep water snorkel with the amazing fish and sea lions.

What is one quote that stands out to you?

• “They said she couldn’t, so she did.” -Kendra Ford

Ryland has always had a propensity for technology, despite having no background in his family. He remembers first taking apart (and putting back together) the family computer when he was around 14. He started working in enterprise IT at 16 as an intern managing an end-user support queue for around 3,000 employees at a large newspaper. He went to UCF and got his degree in IT, working as a systems administrator for one of the colleges and doing everything from answering help desk calls to managing all identity, web, database, and hypervisor infrastructure as part of a 3-person team. Also in college, he interned multiple summers and contracted during the school year with Jabil, a Fortune 100 global electronics manufacturing company. He worked on their infrastructure architecture team before being hired after college to help start their infrastructure automation center of excellence (CoE).

Jabil is where Ryland’s love for the cloud was realized and grew into what it is today, as previously he had been squarely focused on on-premises infrastructure management. In the 2 years that he spent on the infrastructure automation CoE, his 5-person team was able to save Jabil over 2 million dollars of direct cost in both public cloud usage and outsourced labor hours. Jabil’s culture of technological excellence and healthy inter-departmental competition drove him to obtain over 10 professional certifications within the 2 years he spent there as a full-time employee, including 8 for Azure. He then moved to Trellance where he worked as a technical product architect, helping to design their cloud-native data analytics platform for credit unions. Ryland has brought his talents and experience to support the Cloudforce team as a Cloud Infrastructure Architect.

Other fun facts about Ryland:

What do you do when you’re not at Cloudforce?

• Outside technology, I love traveling, hiking, and camping with my girlfriend. I also have a great time playing with my cat, going out with friends, watching sports, and making DJ mixes of my favorite electronic music.

If you had to delete all but 3 apps from your phone, which 3 would you keep?

• Messages, Spotify, and YouTube. Communication, music, and education/entertainment.

What is your favorite album?

• Drink The Sea by The Glitch Mob. This album was the first that I really felt an emotional connection to and ignited my passion for music.

If you could be guaranteed one thing in life (besides money), what would it be and why?

• Time to spend with my family and friends. My interpersonal relationships are the most important thing in my life, and I want to ensure that I always have the time to enjoy their company.

What is your favorite dessert?

• Ice cream. It provides a ton of room for creativity in flavors and presentations.

As a seasoned software engineer, Paul has spent the last seven years maintaining, upgrading, and supporting clients’ internal systems. With extensive experience in legacy systems, cloud computing, and software testing, he is excited to migrate Cloudforce clients to the Azure cloud, utilizing the latest technologies such as C#, SQL Server, and React to improve performance, scalability, and reliability.

Paul’s focus has always been on providing excellent customer service and exceeding expectations. Alongside his proficiency in quality assurance and software testing, these qualities have been crucial in ensuring that clients’ systems are of the highest quality and meet the expectations of their users. Paul is committed to delivering top-notch support and exceeding expectations, and his skills in testing methodologies allow him to identify and address potential issues before they become problems. As a Cloud Applications Engineer, Paul is confident in his ability to surprise and delight Cloudforce clients with exceptional service and technical expertise, allowing them to focus on their core business while we handle the complexities of the cloud.

More fun facts about Paul: 

What are three words that describe you? 

• Dependable, trustworthy, generous

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? 

• Adventurer

Have you ever completed anything on your bucket list?

• I traveled to Ireland to explore my family’s roots and visit the Cliffs of Moher.

What fictional world (comics, TV, anything) or place would you like to visit? 

• Krypton. Pre-explosion, of course. Or Middle-earth.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given? 

• What you do and say to others says more about you than it does about them.

Michael grew up in the vibrant town of Bowie, nestled in Prince George’s County, Maryland. Growing up, he had a passion for ice hockey, and spent countless hours on the rink. That love for the sport naturally extended to the Washington Capitals, and you can often find him cheering passionately for the team at their games. Beyond sports, Michael is an avid reader, and he’s currently engrossed in the captivating Red Rising series.

Michael’s journey in the IT world began with an entry-level position in application support at Oracle, where he got his first taste of the industry. Over the years, he’s climbed the ranks, serving as an application support supervisor at Shiji Group and later as a project engineer/system administrator at RedZone Technologies in Annapolis. These experiences have shaped his IT career, and he’s excited to bring his expertise to his current role at Cloudforce, where he continues to thrive and grow professionally as a Cloud Solutions Engineer. Currently, he is also dedicated to pursuing his bachelor’s degree in cloud computing at Western Governors University, with a specific focus on mastering Microsoft Azure to further enhance his IT skills.

Other fun facts about Michael:

If you had to delete all but 3 apps from your phone, which 3 would you keep?

• Messages for texting, Reddit and Discord

What are you reading at this moment?

• Golden Son of the Red Rising series by Pierce Brown

What is your favorite album?

• Tough call, but for one that’s a classic and solid all the way through, I would say Meteora by Linkin Park

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

• Starting goaltender for the Washington Capitals of course 😊

What is your favorite thing to eat?

• Sushi

While juggling full-time work, Mark is pursuing an associate degree in accounting at Prince George’s Community College with plans to advance to the University of Maryland, College Park for a bachelor’s degree.

Prior to joining Cloudforce as a Billing Specialist, Mark was a dedicated accounting specialist at Booz Allen Hamilton, working under the Government Accounting and Compliance team in contract closeouts. His proven track record includes strong analytical skills and the ability to communicate financial data clearly and effectively to individuals at all organizational levels.

Outside of work and academics, Mark is an avid poker enthusiast, occasionally testing his skills in tournaments. His ultimate goal is to triumph in the annual World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event, a televised ESPN tournament that awards a grand prize of $10 million to the champion!

More fun facts about Mark:

What do you do when you’re not at Cloudforce?

• When I’m not at Cloudforce, I can be found in a gym or poker room as I love the mental and physical benefits gained from working out and am an avid poker player dreaming of winning the World Series of Poker Main Event on ESPN.

What fictional world (comics, TV, anything) or place would you like to visit?

• HOGWARTS (The Wizarding World) for sure! Although I try to portray myself as a cool dude, I’m lowkey a Harry Potter nerd.

What would be the most surprising scientific discovery imaginable?

• The ability to manipulate gravity so that we can levitate and or fly.

What are three words to describe you?

• Ambitious, loving and loyal

What is one quote that stands out to you?

• A person living in the past will have depression, a person living in the future will have anxiety, therefore only the person that lives in the present will truly be happy.

Emily attended the Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland, College Park. Emily was a business management major with a minor in real estate development, but for most of her educational career (as early as 5th grade), she had planned to go into the interior design field. Emily completed a high school internship as well as a summer internship with 2 interior design firms and thought that a business degree would be a good foundation for running her own interior design business one day. It wasn’t until working with Cloudforce Vice President of Delivery Jesse Kellner in a class called BMGT364: Managing People and Organizations that she decided to put her business degree to use and enter a more traditional business career. Emily’s introduction to the fundamentals of project management came from BMGT485: Project Management, an elective she just happened to take during the fall semester of her senior year. Little did she know at that time that she would pursue this field as a career! Emily now supports the Cloudforce team as a Lead Project Manager.  

Emily grew up in Baltimore, Maryland with her parents, older brother, and older sister. She now lives in Old Town Alexandria and loves exploring the new city! 

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? 

• I had always wanted to be an interior designer. It was the answer I put in my 5th grade yearbook when asked the same question. A close friend even gifted me a fan deck of paint swatches for my birthday one year because I was so committed to this career path. (I still have the fan deck to this day.) 

Do you have any hidden talents? 

• I once hula hooped on a cruise ship for 45 minutes straight. I was going head-to-head against a boy named Landon and we hula hooped for way longer than the staff expected. They asked us to move to the side of the stage so they could start bingo while we continued to hula hoop. 

Have you ever completed anything on your bucket list? 

• I was moved front row at the Justin Bieber Purpose Tour concert, which had been a childhood dream ever since watching his Never Say Never movie.  
• As a big Baltimore sports fan, it has always been a dream to see my teams win. I was lucky to witness the Ravens win the Super Bowl in 2012 and attend the celebration parade in Baltimore. I am still hoping I get to witness the Orioles bring home a World Series win in my lifetime.  

What do you do when you’re not at Cloudforce? 

• I love to go to concerts (The Anthem at the Wharf feels like my second home) and have chill nights in with my close friends. We love to do anything from a wine & movie night to painting by numbers and book club. I also love hanging out with my sister and nephew whenever I visit Baltimore.  

What are you reading at the moment? 

• I am currently reading The Phoenix Project as part of Cloudforce’s book club. I am also currently reading Happy Place by Emily Henry for fun! I love to read on my kindle and have read 57 books in the past two years (feel free to add me on Goodreads – I love to see what my friends are reading!).

Having lived in five countries across three continents and traveled to countless more, Indervir is no stranger to traveling and experiencing everything the world has to offer; particularly in terms of his love of learning, which is why he often describes himself as a philomath. Before entering the world of IT, he pursued his passion in music by getting a bachelor’s in instrumental music education; a master’s in orchestral conducting; and performing and teaching both Western and Indian classical music all over the world either as a conductor, member of an ensemble, or soloist.

Indervir’s journey into the world of IT began at a young age watching and learning from his father, who has been in the field for over 40 years, and by taking apart (and putting together) computers. He pivoted from his music career by joining CMIT Solutions as an entry level support engineer. While there, he spent the next 7 years working with various clients in numerous industries including Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance where he spent most of his tenure. During this time, he was promoted several times because he matured the global enterprise environment, leading the technical innovation of the infrastructure and catastrophe modeling research compute departments. Indervir found his stride in automation, high performance burst compute, and Power Platform as he transformed the enterprise’s digital landscape by building, scaling, and optimizing cloud solutions. With these skills and experience, he now supports the Cloudforce and nebulaONE services teams as a Senior Cloud Solutions Engineer.

More fun facts about Indervir:

What fictional world (comics, TV, anything) or place would you like to visit? 

• Well much more than just a world, but the universe of Star Wars

What is your favorite thing to eat? 

• Pizza: endless possibilities to customize in order to get that perfect slice of heaven

If you had to delete all but 3 apps from your phone, which 3 would you keep? 

• Whatsapp, YouTube, Reddit

What would be the most surprising scientific discovery imaginable? 

• We are indeed living in the matrix and this is all just a simulation

What do you do when you’re not at Cloudforce? 

• Love to cook, play video games, and dabble in the visual arts (drawing, painting, & origami)

Shannon grew up in Bethesda, Maryland as the older sibling of two girls. Growing up, she was inspired at the age of 10 to follow a medical career. Shannon has always had a passion for helping others and wanting to make a difference. She completed internships at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center studying brain and spinal cord traumatic injuries and assisted at a Johns Hopkins dermatology clinic with surgical cases. For college, she attended Santa Clara University in California and majored in biology with a focus in pre-med.

Once completing her degree, Shannon stayed in the Bay Area and worked as a medical scribe and medical assistant in an ophthalmology retinal clinic. Working in the medical field during the pandemic exposed her to the many hardships and realities of the medical field and shifted her focus to helping people in other ways. During this time, Shannon headed down a new career path pursuing project management, as she discovered many of the necessary skills for project management overlapped with those required for the medical field. Shannon discovered a new passion in being able to collaborate with people and see a project through from start to finish with the end goal of bettering a business. While still early on in her career, Shannon is excited for all that she has yet to learn and now joins the Cloudforce team as an Associate Project Manager.

More fun facts about Shannon:

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

• A doctor (orthopedic surgeon or pediatrician) – I grew up playing sports and was always fascinated with sports-related injuries. I have also always wanted to help kids.

Do you have any hidden talents?

• I can recite all the presidents in order – my 4^th grade teacher made us learn it and I haven’t forgotten it since!
• I have a blackbelt in Taekwondo – I started doing Taekwondo when I was 7 years old with my dad and we both achieved our black belts together within 3.5 years.
• I can do the Worm – please don’t ask me to do it now that I put that on here

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever given?

• Do not do something to make others happy, do it for yourself. In the end, it is only your life that you are living.

What do you do when you’re not at Cloudforce?

• I love bouldering, hiking, working out, traveling, and cooking/baking.

Have you ever completed anything on your bucket list?

• I went to Easter Island, which was the coolest place I have ever been to (the place with the big heads coming out of the ground).

What is your favorite dessert?

• Baklava! Baklava! Baklava! – my Lebanese side of the family has had me addicted!

James’s interest in tech started with his father, a seasoned IT professional of over 20 years. Watching his father constantly bring new gadgets back home sparked his curiosity in tech, which led him to pursue computer science at Drexel University and jump start his career in IT at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He transitioned back home to attend Prince George’s Community College, where he completed an associate degree in computer science as a member of the Southern Management Leadership Program. The program granted him an opportunity to study at the University of Maryland where he received his bachelor’s in information science and a minor in technology entrepreneurship and corporate innovation.

This same program granted him the opportunity to meet Cloudforce CEO Husein Sharaf as a guest speaker for his business negotiations class. Emboldened by Husein’s story and his passion for the cloud, James took a shot at applying for a role with Cloudforce. He started as a Cloud Solutions Intern and now supports the team as a Cloud Solutions Associate. Since coming into the role, James has completed his AZ-900 and AZ-104 exams, supporting his career in the Azure cloud.

More fun facts about James:

What do you do when you’re not at Cloudforce?

• Playing games, reading books, meditating, and hanging out with friends and family.

What is your favorite dessert?

• Oreo Ice Cream Cake! The best of the cookie and ice cream worlds.

What is your favorite album?

• komorebi by slenderbodies!

What fictional world (comics, TV, anything) or place would you like to visit?

• The Forgotten Realms.

What is your favorite tradition or holiday?

• Halloween!

Born and raised in the vibrant city of Istanbul, Turkey, Aylin’s educational journey began in French schools, providing her with a multicultural foundation that shaped her worldview. The pursuit of academic excellence took Aylin to the USA and marked the beginning of an international chapter, which is where she earned her bachelor’s degree in economics. Returning to Turkey, she dove in the world of project management for four years. To add a technological edge to her professional career, Aylin moved back to the USA where she obtained a master’s degree in IT. Upon graduating, she joined Cloudforce as a Quality Management Specialist. In her spare time, Aylin loves exploring different cultures through her passion for travel and discovering new restaurants and coffee shops every time she goes to a different city. Additionally, Aylin has a great passion for indoor cycling, and she loves ice skating during the wintertime.

More fun facts about Aylin:

If you had to delete all but 3 apps from your phone, which 3 would you keep?

• Spotify to feed my soul. I can’t live without my music. WhatsApp for my international community and Storytel for my books.

If you had a time machine, would you go back or into the future? And why?

• I would love to go back to 19^th century Britain. I love the Victorian era.

What is your favorite dessert?

• Tiramisu! Meaning “pick me up” in Italian, it never fails to cheer me up. I have a sweet tooth and am a huge coffee lover so basically this is a dream come true for me. But I’m very picky with my tiramisu, it needs to have perfect consistency. I’m also addicted to ice cream!

Do you have any hidden talents?

• I can expertly drive a stick shift. I’m not sure if it’s a useful talent but it’s fun to drive manual transmission especially when you are speeding.

Do you speak any other languages?

• I am fluent in Turkish and French, and currently learning Italian. I love to explore new languages and cultures.

Zack’s interest in engineering and building things started at a young age and stemmed from his father, who owns and runs a painting and construction company in Reston, VA. In high school, Zack worked as an assistant carpenter in the summers, and this is where he found his love for building and creating things that can offer benefits to others. While he loves getting his hands dirty and working with power tools, in this modern age his interests started to fall away from physical construction and move towards technology. Zack began taking programing classes in Python and Java during high school and found the same enjoyment that he got when working with tools and wood. He continued down this path once he graduated high school and joined Virgina Tech’s engineering program. It didn’t take Zack long to decide on a computer science major. While at Virginia Tech he learned a great deal of skills in a variety of programing languages such as Python, Java, and C. He was immersed in the world of computer science and technology, learning about how all the amazing things that he uses daily came to be. Zack was also able to pursue his own interests within the field with electives where he gained skills and knowledge in web and app development as well as machine learning and artificial intelligence.

While Zack missed working with his father’s company and building things with his hands, he combined his interest in construction and technology in his internships throughout college. He spent two summers working as an intern for the HITT Contracting Enterprise Business Solutions team. This is where he learned how to use the skills from his classes to solve business problems. Zack now joins the Cloudforce team as a Could Applications Associate. Zack is involved in managed services on the nebulaONE team where he is learning the infrastructure that holds up all the amazing cloud services and products. While he is still relatively new to Cloudforce, he has already learned a ton and recently earned his AZ-900 certification and is currently studying for the AZ-204 and AI-102.

More fun facts about Zack:

What do you do when you’re not at Cloudforce?

• I spend a lot of time outdoors whether it be hiking and camping or playing sports with friends. When I am not outside, I am an avid music lover and play guitar as often as I can.

If you could be guaranteed one thing in life (besides money), what would it be and why?

• Ski tickets!! I love to ski but it can run up a check.

What fictional world (comics, TV, anything) or place would you like to visit?

• Avatar the Last Air Bender. Has been my favorite show since I was a kid.

What would be the most surprising scientific discovery imaginable?

• That we live in a simulation!

Do you have any hidden talents?

• I have a double-jointed thumb.

Before joining Cloudforce, Yasmine worked at a telecommunications company, and prior to that, she was employed at a software development firm. Yasmine have been in DC for over 12 years and during her time here, she has developed a deep affection for her weekly sunrise walks on the National Mall. Yasmine also enjoys people-watching during walks at the Wharf, engaging in beach volleyball, and indulging in salsa dancing. She now supports the Cloudforce team as a Senior Project Manager.

More fun facts about Yasmine:

If you had to delete all but 3 apps from your phone, which 3 would you keep?

• Spotify, Killer Sudoku, Netflix

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

• A paramedic

What is your favorite item you’ve bought this year?

• A 3-in-1 handheld fan, charger, flashlight (seriously this thing goes with me everywhere)

What are you reading at this moment?

• The Evening and the Morning by Ken Follett

What is your favorite tradition or holiday?

• Thanksgiving or New Years with the cousins – food, family, fun.

A New Jersey native, Tessa has made the DMV area her home after proudly graduating from the University of Maryland. While studying journalism, Tessa realized her passion for human connection and storytelling. She went on to combine those passions with a commitment to service, coordinating service-learning opportunities at a girls boarding school and managing communication projects at a global disaster relief nonprofit. 

Tessa brings her skill set optimizing systems, building team trust, and ensuring projects stay on track to Cloudforce as a Project Manager. She prioritizes clear communication and enjoys fostering creativity and collaboration among team members. 

In her free time, Tessa loves to cook, read, and explore DC with friends. 

Other fun facts about Tessa:

If you could pick up a new skill in an instant, what would it be?

·          Dancing! Being able to move to any beat and not look robotic. 

What is your guilty pleasure song?

·          “Beauty and a Beat” by Justin Bieber

Do you have any passion projects, if so, what is it?

·          I started documenting my cooking adventures and favorite meals on my Instagram, @allthecheeseplz. Yes, everything is cheese related! I’ve also recently gotten into junk journaling, which is kind of like scrapbooking but with stuff from your everyday life. 

What’s your favorite way to spend a day off?

·          Sitting by the water somewhere (preferably a beach!) with my partner, reading a book, and enjoying a picnic in the sun. 

If you had to crack a joke during some awkward silences, which joke would you crack?

·          I don’t usually find silence awkward – I can make conversation with anyone!

Joseph’s passion for technology began at a young age, fueled by his innate curiosity and love for solving problems. After completing his first coding course in high school, he knew he had found his calling. Joseph pursued his passion at the University of Maryland, College Park, where he earned a degree in computer science. During his time there, he gained valuable experience through internships with industry leaders such as Microsoft and SurveyMonkey.

Upon graduation, Joseph honed his skills as a full stack engineer, working with various startups in the financial and health technology sectors. These experiences allowed him to develop a diverse skill set and a deep understanding of different technological landscapes.

Now, Joseph brings his expertise to Cloudforce as a Cloud Applications Associate. Joseph is excited to contribute to Cloudforce’s mission and looks forward to leveraging his knowledge to drive success and innovation within the company.

More fun facts about Joseph:

If you had a time machine, would you go back or into the future? And why?

• I would definitely go into the future. Have you heard of the butterfly effect? If I went back in time, I could wear a different pair of shoes and it could cause a world war in the future! I’d much rather skip ahead to fun major points in my life.

Have you ever completed anything on your bucket list?

• I have always wanted to see Drake in concert, and last year I was able to see him twice! Once at Dreamville and again during his It’s All a Blur Tour. My next list item is to see my favorite soccer team, Chelsea FC, at their home stadium Stamford Bridge, located in London! Go Blues!

What is one quote that stands out to you?

• “I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul” -William Ernest Henley. It is the last line of the poem “Invictus” and speaks to me because it is a constant reminder that you are always in control of the narrative of your life. Make the most of it!

What is your favorite item you’ve bought this year?

• Not gonna lie, my grill has become my go-to! Especially when the weather is nice, I love to get a nice drink, hop on the grill, and make some food for friends.

What would be the most surprising scientific discovery imaginable?

• That humans are aliens and not native to earth!

With a bachelor’s degree in English & Modern Languages from Longwood University, Christine wasn’t entirely sure what she wanted to do upon graduation, so she started out in the hospitality industry, working as a waitress, hostess, and bartender at various wineries and restaurants. It was during this time that a chance encounter with a winery customer who happened to work for the National Wildlife Federation (NWF) led to her first role in marketing with NWF. This opportunity marked the beginning of a 12-year journey through diverse industries such as financial services, non-profit, technology, and the public sector. Each role has contributed to a well-rounded and versatile skill set in the marketing domain.

As the Digital Marketing Manager for Cloudforce, Christine blends creativity with analytics to create amazing campaigns and strategies. She loves the challenge of thinking outside the box while using data to refine her ideas. This mix ensures every project is innovative yet grounded in solid numbers, delivering impactful results that keep up with the fast-paced technology industry.

More fun facts about Christine:

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

• Growing up in a Navy family, I loved all things Navy and Naval Academy-related, and was inspired by the TV show JAG, which I watched religiously with my dad as a kid. This led me to dream of becoming a Navy JAG Lawyer, a dream that was only dashed by a height requirement I missed by a mere inch.

What do you do when you’re not at Cloudforce?

• Outside of Cloudforce, you can find me teaching Pure Barre part-time at a DC studio where I live, a gig that evolved from my long-standing love for the energizing and fun classes.

What are you reading at this moment?

• I am a huge historical fiction fan, so right now I am reading The Things We Cannot Say by Kelly Rimmer, which is set during World War II. My reading list is long!

What are three words to describe you?

• The three words that best describe me are “loyal,” “outgoing,” and “thoughtful.”

What is one quote that stands out to you?

• While not so much a quote, something my dad said to me in a recorded cheer from my last marathon always sticks with me: “keep going, you’re halfway there, you’re doing great so far.” Whenever I feel overwhelmed or stressed, I listen to that recording and push myself to keep going. Because he’s right, I am doing great so far, and I can’t wait to see what’s next.

What is your favorite tradition or holiday? 

• Thanksgiving because I love to create the entire meal from main course to side dishes and it leads up to the festive holiday season.

Jorge is a systems engineer and he’s always been interested in everything related to computers. His career started in education as a teacher. He was so dedicated to education that he decided to pursue a master’s degree in informatics for education. As time passed, Jorge wanted to delve more deeply into the technical side of things. He started doing work related to the cloud and infrastructure, and he loved it. He ended up in the DevOps world, and he took the opportunity to work with big companies around the world, including governments, financial institutions, and supply chains.

At Cloudforce, he enjoys working as a Cloud Solutions Engineer, providing awesome solutions to clients!

Other fun facts about Jorge:

What do you do when you’re not at Cloudforce?

• I have always enjoyed outdoor activities, but it wasn’t until a couple of months ago that I started to get into them. I love trails, walking next to a river, visiting a lake, and even climbing some (not too elevated) mountains. I think they offer a way to connect with the environment and be grateful for the beauty of our planet.

What is your favorite thing to eat?

• There are many actually! But the top ones are BBQ ribs, pasta, and … beans! I have a special recipe for beans that I can share if you want!

What fictional world (comics, TV, anything) or place would you like to visit?

• I would really like to visit Snow Hill Island in Antarctica and see my favorite animal in the world … emperor penguins.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

• Stay humble but be proud of your achievements; don’t detract from them! And, at the same time, if you have the possibility, always be willing to help others achieve their goals.

What are you reading at this moment?

• I’m not the kind of person who reads books a lot, unfortunately, but listening to good stories and podcasts is something I enjoy the most. I’m currently listening to The Moth, a podcast that talks about the stories and experiences of people in different circumstances. They can be happy, funny, or sad, but always interesting. Highly recommend!

Edward Krosel is a native of Prince George’s County, born and raised in the College Park and Beltsville areas. Growing up, he was an avid sports enthusiast, participating in soccer, baseball, lacrosse, and wrestling. His passion for sports led him to compete in a couple of amateur MMA fights and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu tournaments during college. Recently, Edward became a father to a wonderful little boy named Kai. When he’s not chasing after a toddler, you’ll find him in the kitchen experimenting with different styles of cooking. In the summer, he loves firing up the grill and smoking various meats from the local butcher shop.

Edward’s IT career officially began in application support at Oracle. Later, he transitioned to a Tier II help desk role at the Food and Drug Administration where he supported researchers and scientists during the early days of the pandemic. Subsequently, he took on a Systems Administrator role at RedZone Technologies, focusing on security engineering and on-premises infrastructure, and he ended up leading a team of 6 talented engineers. His curiosity led him to explore security in cloud technologies. Constantly focusing on different facets of security such as web applications, identity, networking and cloud infrastructure led him to obtaining his CISSP certification. As a Microsoft Azure Solutions Architect Expert, Edward designed and implemented solutions for small and mid-level businesses. Whether securing O365, architecting cloud environments, or optimizing workloads, he found immense satisfaction in solving complex challenges. Edward now brings his expertise as a Senior Cloud Solutions Administrator at Cloudforce.

Other fun facts about Edward:

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

• I always wanted to grow up to be a hacker.

Do you have any hidden talents?

• I am above average at Tetris.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever given?

• Don’t worry about others, take pride in your work and let it speak for you.

What is one quote that stands out to you?

• “You cannot believe everything you read on the internet.” – Abraham Lincoln

What is your favorite tradition or holiday?

• My favorites are Thanksgiving/Christmas. Having the whole family together and in one place – it’s an irreplaceable feeling.

David’s journey in technology began early, sparked by an old PC left behind by his older brother. Initially planning to pursue an electrical engineering degree at the University of Canterbury in Christchurch, NZ, David’s interests quickly shifted to computer science and human-computer interaction. Seeking new opportunities and the chance to explore more of the world, he moved to Melbourne, Australia, where he earned a degree in Computer Science at Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, laying the foundation for his career in software development.

David is now a Cloud Application Architect at Cloudforce with 15 years of experience in software architecture, application development, and product management. Prior to Cloudforce, David spent 15 years at HireRoad (formerly Acendre Inc., NGA.net), developing SaaS-integrated talent management systems for government and commercial clients. His expertise spans various cloud platforms and development practices, and he is certified as both a Scrum Product Owner and Scrum Master, bringing agile expertise to his approach. At Cloudforce, David focuses on developing tools to leverage generative AI functionality within the Microsoft Cloud ecosystem.

Other fun facts about David:

What do you do when you’re not at Cloudforce?

• I play a lot of pool in my basement, I love cooking and baking, and I like to ride my mountain bike (preferably down mountainsides).

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

• A fighter jet pilot… Too bad I grew up in NZ and RNZAF’s air combat force was disbanded just before I finished high school.

What is your favorite dessert?

• Elizabeth David’s chocolate almond cake

What are you reading at this moment?

• Snow Crash by Neal Stephenso

What is your favorite tradition or holiday?

• Matariki – which is the Māori name for the Pleiades star cluster. Its first rising in deep winter, around late June or early July, marks the beginning of the new year in the Māori lunar calendar. Matariki was added as an official holiday in New Zealand in 2022 but has been observed for centuries. Matariki is traditionally an occasion to mourn the deceased, celebrate the present, and prepare the ground for the coming year. Celebrations include feasting, music, dance, and storytelling – emphasizing the themes of renewal, growth, and community.