Like many of my colleagues in the technology sector, I've been incredibly excited to witness this amazing time in technology - driven by the advancement of cloud technologies and platforms, the aggregation of big data and advances in AI, machine learning, IoT and the like. The future promises to be incredibly bright.

If you’ve been paying attention to recent headlines as I have, I’m sure you’ve become increasingly concerned by some dark clouds that shed a negative light on technology's unintended consequences and misuse to enable malicious behavior, cyber terrorism, and cybercrime. The New York Times recently referred to the current time as a "Second Inning".

I believe that technology organizations and technology leaders have an opportunity, and potentially an obligation to inform and educate lawmakers so they better understand both the potential for good and the possible threats. My belief is rooted in what I’ve seen first-hand in my work and advocacy. I was recently reminded of this importance on a trip last month to Washington, DC and a series of conversations with technology leaders from Microsoft, elected officials and technology partners who met at our Nation's Capital in an effort to harness technology for a greater good.

This most recent episode of my podcast, Ultimate Guide to Partnering is a first-hand report back from this field visit on my findings. In this episode you will learn about a framework developed by Microsoft - A Cloud for Global Good, outlining a series of initiatives and recommendations around a cloud that is trusted, responsible cloud and inclusive. You will also learn about an organization featured in Episode 6,  Voices for Innovation that works to inform legislative officials of key policy matters that shape the future of technology. In addition, I spend time with a Microsoft partner, learning first-hand about her recent experience visiting with lawmakers.

My interview guests include two technology policy leaders, Jonathan Friebert and Owen Larter, who discuss Microsoft's commitment to this framework and how technology organizations can get involved. And the Microsoft partner is Carol-Lynn Grow from LawToolBox.com, who shares why these issues matter to her and how her involvement has impacted the work she does as technology business leader in Denver, Colorado.

If you'd like to learn more or get involved to ensure the technology we create and advance ultimately serves the greater good, then please join me to stay informed. There are links below to learn more about the framework and the book, A Cloud For Global Good as well as links to learn more about Voices for Innovation.

Important Links:

* A Cloud for Global Good - https://news.microsoft.com/cloudforgood/

* Owen Lartner Email -  [email protected]

* Voices for Innovation - https://www.voicesforinnovation.org/

* LawToolBox.Com - http://www.lawtoolbox.