Herstory: Meet Cynthia De Jesus

How did you get started in the association community?

Years ago, I worked with a friend processing mortgage loans where we were laid off, (thank you, housing crash). He went on to a few roles before starting his AMS services company in the association space.

One day, he reached out to have me join his organization and help grow his business. I didn’t know at the time that this decision would shape my career in ways I never imagined. That was almost a decade ago, and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the experiences and friendships I’ve made.

My experience in the association space has primarily been on the vendor side. After a four-year stint at that AMS services company, I transitioned to the sales team at Association Analytics, where I honed my skills and grew my network.

A little over a year ago, I joined HighRoad Solutions to focus on bringing true marketing automation to associations. We partner with the marketing leader, HubSpot, for an omnichannel solution and have built an integration platform, Spark, specifically for association AMSs.

What are some of the biggest challenges in tech for associations?

Recruiting and retaining skilled professionals in technology, especially women, is challenging. Associations struggle to attract top talent and keep them engaged.

The underrepresentation of women in technology roles is a persistent issue, and addressing it is vital for fostering a more inclusive and innovative industry.

How does your company support association technology needs?

At HighRoad Solutions, we’re digital marketers, software developers, and martech mavens! We’re also a passionate group of individuals who love to train, innovate, and motivate associations and nonprofits through technology. Our goal is to help associations be better marketers.

Realizing the need for associations to tap into mainstream marketing technologies, we provide a three-pronged approach to help associations evolve their martech stack.

We give marketers the software products and services that help them be better in their roles. That means we remove the friction and make it easier for them to hit their mark.

What motivated your company to become a Friend of AWTC?

Long ago, we recognized the critical need for inclusive decision-making and solution development in what traditionally has been an industry slow to adopt and roll with change. Women bring a perspective and viewpoint that is unique and incredibly valuable, not only in the tech world but also the association industry.

We were excited to be asked to formalize this philosophy by becoming a Founding Friend of AWTC and encouraging other partners in the industry to lend their support.

We love that AWTC does what they can to bring people together to solve complicated and complex problems while embracing what makes everyone unique. They encourage everyone to remain open and willing to learn from each other.

The fact that we can count on them being present at key industry events also means that we’re able to connect more frequently with women in the association community to network.

We know that our investment in AWTC, including every event we sponsor, helps AWTC get closer to shattering the glass ceiling. We not only support financially, we also have staff involved in volunteer opportunities and committees.

Their effort to innovate and drive change takes a lot of resources, and we’re proud to continue to support this important cause.

What’s your favorite thing about AWTC?

My favorite thing about AWTC is the incredible passion they bring to the industry. Their determination to break barriers, drive innovation, and foster inclusivity inspires me.

Witnessing their impactful contributions and commitment to shaping a diverse and thriving tech community is truly empowering!

As a fun fact about you, what was the weirdest job you ever had?

I worked at Circuit City in my early adulthood installing car audio (12 volt department). Speakers, radios, car alarms, and more. I was the only installer at the time in the state of Florida!

LEARN MORE

AWTC Founding Friend HighRoad Solutions is a leading integrator of digital marketing platforms with association management systems. Visit the HighRoad Solutions website.