Spotlights
Spotlight on Creativity March 2009
March’s Spotlight is on Tracey Welson-Rossman, Director of Sales and Marketing for Chariot Solutions, a Philadelphia-based technology consulting firm that specializes in Java and open source software development. As a founding member of Chariot Solutions, Tracey has created and implemented the branding and marketing strategy for the company, helping it grow from 10 employees in 2002 to more than 50 to date. She is also heavily involved in the strategic planning process as a member of Chariot’s executive team.
Tracey is the founder and current chair of the Emerging Technologies for the Enterprise Conference (ETE), which is sponsored by Chariot and held in Philadelphia each year. ETE attracts world-renowned thought leaders in cutting-edge technologies and serves as a community forum for regional technology companies.
After graduating from Drexel University, Tracey started her career in retail management and advertising sales. She is also the co-chair of the first Founder Factory, an event that targets technology startups. In addition, Tracey is currently developing a program called TechGirlz in order to help more girls embrace technology. She is on the board of the Junior Jewish Basketball League and is a frequent volunteer at WXPN and Business Volunteer for the Arts.
Your name:
Tracey Welson-Rossman
Firm/company:
Chariot Solutions
Occupation:
Director of Sales and Marketing
Current Location:
Fort Washington, PA
Hometown:
Wyncote, PA (born and bred Philadelphian)
Favorite Philadelphia neighborhood:
The Italian Market.
Best advice you've ever been given:
Don’t make excuses for mistakes, take responsibility for them.
Your favorite thing about living in the Philadelphia Region:
Being in a major metropolitan region that still has a small-town feel. Great arts, culture, restaurant and music scene with many different neighborhoods to explore.
Your favorite thing about working in the Philadelphia Region:
The entrepreneurial community and the vitality they create for our area. Every time I meet with members of this group, I walk away inspired and re-energized. Everyone is willing to give their time to help others achieve their goals.
How would you market the Philadelphia Region to professionals outside the region?
From my standpoint, Philadelphia is a warm and welcoming business community. Whether you are looking to work at a large firm or small company, there are so many networking and business groups where you can connect into our area. You just need to look at the number of transplants into Philadelphia who have grown to make a big impact on the region.
What advice would you give to young professionals trying to break into your industry?
From a business development standpoint in the IT industry, it is important to understand the new and upcoming technologies and tools and the impact they will have on your customers. Get beyond the buzzwords; educate yourself so you can be more valuable to your prospects and clients.
How has the IT industry in Philadelphia evolved in the past ten years?
As with much of the region, the IT industry has moved from IT manufacturing to IT services. With the explosion of health care and life sciences industries and the growth of companies like QVC, Comcast and Vanguard, IT is the enabler for their success.
Chariot Solutions is an IT consulting firm specializing in application development and systems integration using Java and open source technologies. Chariot consultants include some of the top software architects in the country, all of whom possess a rare combination of deep technical expertise, applied industry knowledge and a genuine love for what they do. Chariot's consulting team has made the company the optimal partner to design, develop, deploy, integrate, support and tune mission-critical systems for companies of all sizes.
To learn more about Tracey and her work in the region, www.chariotsolutions.com.