Srinivas Ambati:

1. You have been very active in the community for many years. Can you define what 'giving back' means to you?

We came to this country with nothing, and so many known and unknown people have helped my family and me in many ways to reach the stage where we are today.  I thought of repaying their generosity by helping others and started doing my part. In the process, I understood that 'giving back' actually allows me to experience the full potential of a human being. Keeping this in mind, I have developed my personal philosophy as under:

-        Live gently, love everyone, and leave things in a better state than before.

-        Let go of things not meant for me quickly & constantly improve my growth mindset.

-        Lead a happy life, grow compassion, celebrate life every day, deeply involve & achieve harmony in everything I do.

-        Give back and experience life to its fullest potential.

This philosophy constantly reminds me why I 'give back.' Fortunately, my wife, Nikhila, and our children, Shrunothra & Shrujal, are on the same page. They support me in everything that I do, and therefore, 'giving back' to the community has become a most joyful experience for all of us.

2. Tell us more about the workshops and who is the right audience?

I have done many different workshops for the community. Most of them are related to Azure Cloud Technologies and range anywhere between 100 (beginner) to 400 (expert) levels. Depending on the level, I have seen high school students to senior technology professionals, including some CTOs of small/medium companies joining these workshops. As part of FAQs, we provide the necessary clarity on the workshop's right audience. For example, the right audience for the SC-900: Microsoft Security, Compliance, and Identity fundamentals exam preparation workshop we are doing on 10/1-2, is who those familiar with Microsoft Azure and Microsoft 365 and want to understand how Microsoft security, compliance, and identity solutions can span across these solution areas to provide a holistic and end-to-end solution. The target audience varies depending on the subject and the certification exam that we are targeting.

3. You have been doing this for many years? What has been the response?

Yes. I have been doing this for many years, and the response from the community is excellent. As a Cloud Solution Architect at Microsoft, I work with Fortune 50 customers and regularly deliver Azure workshops. When I realized the importance of 'giving back,' I decided to share my knowledge with the community. It all started with MetroHacks six years ago, and now I am doing these workshops for NEKK Seva Manadaara as well. By sharing my knowledge with others, I feel that I learn more and have better clarity.

So far, more than 250 people have benefitted from these workshops. Many of them have attended more than one workshop, and when we adopted a remote format during COVID, people from outside of New England started joining these workshops. Also, when few people from African countries attended the PowerBI workshop, it became global.

4. What causes matter most to you and why?

Any cause that positively impacts children, women, and the environment (not in any specific order) touches me the most. I have been a longtime supporter of the American India Foundation and serve on its Council of Governors.  Without educating our children and empowering women, we can't build better culture and society. We have only one Earth, and how can we not take care of it! It is a humbling experience to realize that we consume a part of this planet when we eat, breathe, or drink something. We need to take care of it for ourselves and our children.

Whatever I am giving back is taken from mother Earth and others who have helped me in the past. Many times, I feel that the more I give, the more I receive!

5. Finally what advice would you give to young people in the COVID world?

At least we have found a vaccine for COVID, but there is no such solution for environmental disasters. When faced with any difficult situation (not just COVID), instead of asking "why me," let's ask ourselves "what this situation is trying to teach me." We all, including young people, will learn a lot and do better with this minor change in our thinking.

Workshop

November 12, 2021: 7 pm to 9 pm
November 13, 2021: 9 am to 5 pm
Open Office Hours: November 18, 2021: 7 pm to 9 pm
(Come and ask any follow-up questions)
FAQs: https://aka.ms/SM-SC900-Workshop-FAQs

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