In 2014, The Cannata Report launched its first initiative to highlight the industry’s diverse workplace with the first Young Influencer themed issue. The goal: to acknowledge, highlight and promote young people performing critical roles within the technology industry. They wanted to emphasize the importance of different perspectives from varied demographics to show how a broader base of thought contributes to success for individuals, their companies and the industry as a whole.
By highlighting these different perspectives, especially those under 40 years old, they hoped to increase awareness of the growing population of young professionals in the industry and continue to attract a more diverse pool of talent to the industry.
In 2018, Chelsey Bode, President of Pearson-Kelly Technology, was named one of the six Young Influencers blazing trails in their own careers and the industry at large. They are digital natives, emerging entrepreneurs, and innovators in the truest sense. Defying stereotypes of their generation, they are committed to their professions, looking to grow, giving back to their communities, and imaging a dynamic future not only for themselves, but also for this industry.
What Makes Chelsey Bode a Young Influencer
From eight to five, she was fully committed to her sales position to help the company make its first dollars. However, the rest of her time was spent bolstering the company’s web presence, insuring the company’s brand was communicated (even though she had no advertising budget), and taking advantage of free networking opportunities through community and Chamber of Commerce events in the Springfield, Missouri area.
At the end of her two years with the company, Bode stayed on, with her eyes set on an upward career path with leadership opportunities. In 2011, Bode was promoted to vice president. In 2016, after developing a solid succession plan with her father to navigate the company through any potential deaths or life transitions, Bode began buying into Pearson-Kelly Technology. In April 2018, she was elevated to president of the company she helped build from the ground up.
