Today in our ongoing Learning Series, Senior Associate Matt Little dives into the technology and strategy behind the use of chatbots driven by artificial intelligence. Matt is a member of our skilled Data & AI and Digital Solutions Team teams, who has previously shared his thoughts on RedCloud and the industry in our 10 Minutes With profiles. AI Chatbots have quickly become an integral part of our digital lives, and more and more businesses are adopting them as an enhancement to their user’s experience every day. We already see Chatbots serving many purposes. They can be a virtual assistant/co-pilot, sales/lead generator, customer support agent, self-service portal for IT troubleshooting or HR questions, and much more. However, not all Chatbots are created equal. As a new adopter of Chatbots, you may be asking yourself “How do I ensure that my Chatbot is becoming more efficient and effective over time?”. ​ In this blog post, we will explore important concepts you need to know to analyze the performance of a Microsoft Power Virtual Agents Chatbot, so that you can feel confident you’re getting a great return on your investment in this new and exciting space. Why Microsoft Power Virtual Agents (PVA)? ​​ We chose to focus specifically on PVA for this post because it’s a quick, easy, and cost-effective application through which AI Chatbots can be built. The pace and sophistication of these Chatbots are improving all the time, as Microsoft continues to integrate functionality from Chat GPT’s large language model, many of which are already available in the preview version of PVA today. If your organization already uses Microsoft 365, you can sign up right now for a Free 30 Day Trial of Power Virtual Agents and get started on your Chatbot journey. ​ Intro to Chatbot Terms & Metrics We’ll begin by defining the most critical words you’ll see when evaluating your Chatbot’s performance: Session - when a user interacts with your Bot or the Bot sends a proactive message to the user. Topic – a designation that determines how a Bot will respond to a user’s question, assigned based on the Bot’s understanding of the user’s intent or their use of specific trigger phrases. Engaged Sessions – a Session where an in-scope Topic for the Bot has been triggered (i.e. the Topic is something the Bot can answer), or an escalation to a live agent has occurred. Once begun, this can result in 1 of 3 potential outcomes: Resolved – User confirms the interaction was a success and/or that the conversation can end. Escalated – The conversation is transferred to a live agent or support ticket. Abandoned – The conversation times out after 30 minutes of inactivity, without being Resolved or Escalated. ​ Total Sessions – a count of the number of Sessions within a period of time. Engagement Rate – Engaged Sessions divided by Total Sessions, expressed a percentage. Resolution Rate – Resolved Sessions divided by Engaged Sessions, expressed a percentage. Escalation Rate - Escalated Sessions divided by Engaged Sessions, expressed a percentage. Abandoned Rate – Abandoned Sessions divided by Engaged Sessions, expressed a percentage. Customer Satisfaction (CSAT) – Score(s) provided by the user via a survey at the conclusion of a Session. Impact Score – how much a particular Topic contributes to a Rate, based on volume. Optimizing Bot Performance Over Time Now that we’ve got a baseline understanding of how a Chatbot’s performance is evaluated, let’s move on to how you’ll recognize trends in these metrics and start to drive them in the right direction. Accuracy of the Bot’s Responses ​Indicated by increasing Resolution Rate and/or decreasing Escalation Rate, while controlling for Abandonment Rate over time. Taking a more granular look at the Topics with the highest Impact Scores for these measures will give you a starting point for where the biggest improvements can be found. Accuracy will be improve over time if you are: regularly training your Bot on new/updated information that’s relevant to its purpose iterating on the paths & nodes the bot will follow once a Topic has been identified ​​​optimizing the trigger phrases used by the Bot to determine the Topic of the conversation use Microsoft 365’s Copilot to allow the AI to write new Topics, nodes, and responses for itself based on your inputs of what is missing Speed of the Bot’s Understanding and Response ​User expectations for Speed will be most clearly indicated in CSAT responses, and can be compared against the number of prompts needed to understand the user’s question, and the time spent by the Bot once it does generate a response. In cases where the Bot has do things like make calls out to trigger Power Automate Flows, you can also compare the duration of these Flow Runs against User expectations for Speed. Speed will improve over time if you are: optimizing the trigger phrases used by the Bot to determine the Topic of the conversation simplify the Conversation Path and/or the variables & calculations the Bot needs to perform to generate its response ​pre-filtering/loading less data in Power Automate flows, returning Flow Outputs to the Bot in earlier steps, or running Flow actions in parallel branches rather than sequentially User Satisfaction & User Engagement ​CSAT responses typically serve as a proxy for overall User Satisfaction. This data can be gathered in the form of an end of conversation survey, a prompt for the user to leave a rating, and/or by performing a sentiment analysis of the user’s tone and word choice while conversing with the Bot. User Engagement can be evaluated by sampling the behaviors of a representative group of users of the Bot. How are their Session counts changing over time? How much time are they spending with the Bot per Session before Escalation or Resolution? Are they returning to use the Bot as it gets trained on new information? Are the questions they ask evolving to take better advantage of the Bot’s full range of capabilities? ​Improving User Satisfaction and User Engagement over time will be highly contextual for each Bot. Most importantly though, the data gathered for these measures should be paired up with anecdotal evidence in order to gain a deeper understanding of specifically how the Bot can offer a better user experience in the future. ​Regularly monitoring and analyzing these metrics will give you a solid understanding of your Chatbot’s current level of performance, how to identify areas for optimization, and how to continuously refine the conversational abilities of your Bot. Now, go enjoy unlocking the potential that AI Chatbot’s have to offer!

One of our most popular consultant-focused professional development opportunities is RedCloud’s regular “Lunch & Learn” sessions during which we bring relevant and practical learnings to our team. Our most recent L&L session in early May was no exception, as leadership and life coach Dat Tran focused on “Mental Resilience with Positive Intelligence” - skills and approaches that can help any professional in today’s quick-moving, pressure filled world! Having presented more than 30 times to a who’s who of Seattle-area leading companies, Dat’s Mental Resilience with Positive Intelligence session provides insights and practical exercises used to build mental resilience, which supports learning how to move towards peak performance and greater happiness. This allows professionals to create the mental space and type of response needed to best empower ourselves and others. During his session at RedCloud HQ in Bellevue, WA, Dat shared insights and walked us through several practical, 10-second exercises we can all use to build mental resilience - a key to success in a post-pandemic world that can feel hectic and disjointed at times. Our team also learned about the upsides and downsides of the “9 saboteurs”, how to better manage them, and finding gifts in things with a “Sage perspective” to achieve a more positive mindset overall. Overall, we had a great turnout and Dat’s presentation resonated with all of our team members who attended. We can’t wait to hear how these practical strategies are implemented by our team. What our team said: Consultant and Account Manager Melissa Wilson recommended Dat Tran as our guest speaker and said after attending his workshops she, “has benefitted from Dat’s Positive Intelligence offering and experienced greater peace, performance, and happiness as a result.” Consultant Christine Arnette commented, “Thank you for sharing your passion with us Dat Tran, what a lovely Lunch & Learn!” Thanks again Dat! About Dat Tran: Dat Tran has 13+ years of experience working with leaders across the world, and most recently as a global enablement leader at Microsoft. As a leadership and life coach, Dat focuses on balance, purpose, and authenticity. Dat has delivered over 30 coaching keynotes and workshops across Microsoft, Amazon, and Bain for affinity groups, teams, and leadership offsites since starting his Leader Within series in June 2022. His workshop was recommended to us by RedCloud consultant & account manager, Melissa Wilson, who attended a session he presented for Microsoft. More information is available at datpurposeinlife.com.

Office Scripts in Excel and more The final breakout session of the weekend for us was on Office Scripts in Excel. This is a relatively new feature that helps automate tasks, both inside Excel, but also outside of the context of an Excel file. In our opinion, these Scripts are an underutilized capability.  ​ These Scripts are like VBA scripts in many ways but do have differences. As noted by the speaker, they are not yet on parr with the capabilities of VBA but are tracking to reach parity in the near future. Where they really shine is in integration with Power Automate. A common example would be formatting an Excel based report that is generated every week. The Automation detects when the report was received via email, saved to the proper SharePoint folder, and then runs the Office Script to properly format, filter data, and even generate pivot tables and charts. ​ There were a couple of other exciting improvements. First was the general release of Power Automate buttons within Excel. This will run very similarly to the instant flow triggers that can be found on a SharePoint list. We think this will be useful, but once again, it will temp everyone to create Excel files that really should be replaced with a Power App. Another exciting one is a new Power Automate Excel automated trigger. This trigger would be activated when a particular range in an Excel file is modified! It will use a named range, and there are some things to still be figured out by the engineering team. Powerful? Yes! Tempting to turn Excel into an app again? Yes! ​ Closing Keynote The Conference closed out with a fitting keynote that provided tangible advice on change management, adoption, and engagement. Dan Holme, the Microsoft product leader for Viva Engage, led the keynote with grounded advice that unified best practices that any business could benefit from, with the Viva platform. ​ Before the conference we were not as excited or informed about Viva as we are now. Yes, it is a newer service that is still maturing, but it is clear that internal company communications, community, and culture can be cultivated with its help. We’d encourage you start exploring Viva one module at a time so you don’t get overwhelmed. For example, start with Viva Connections or Viva Engage. Get to know it and share with others what you think is actually helpful. Other links we think you’d find helpful Microsoft Adoption Learning M365 Champions Community Days

Day 2 at the Microsoft 365 Conference focused on two main themes: Copilot and Viva announcements. Below is a recap of some of our top announcements and notes. All new sharing dialog All new sharing dialog in Microsoft 365 with a better UX design and updated UI that is simplified and makes external sharing prompts more obvious. VIVA Las Vegas! Viva announcement highlights! ​ Custom Topic Types for Viva Topics ​Knowledge Managers can define and edit custom topic types that can offer important context on the nature of the topic entity. Viva Pulse Answers in Viva Find answers and experts from across your organization. Ask questions and gather knowledge and expertise for all employees. Upvote crowdsourced responses or questions to get your voice heard and get your questions answered.  Search for answers, assign experts to route questions to the right place, and crowdsource solutions in Viva. Viva Amplify Viva Goals + Copilot

Meet Bidemi Ologunde! He joined RedCloud in May 2022 as a threat intelligence consultant. When he’s not gathering and analyzing potential security threats for clients, he’s sharing the latest developments in cybersecurity and intelligence on his podcast, “The Bid Picture Podcast.” Read on to learn more about Bidemi, his role at RedCloud, and how he’s helping our clients address some of the largest cyber challenges of the day!​ Briefly describe your role at RedCloud. As a threat intelligence consultant at RedCloud, my primary responsibility is to identify, evaluate and respond to security threats. To fulfill this role, I stay updated on the most recent cyber threats and attack methods. I gather and analyze information on potential security threats, which includes identifying their origin, their potential impact on the organization, and the probability of an attack. In addition, I collaborate in developing strategies to reduce these threats. This may involve implementing security measures and protocols, educating staff on cybersecurity best practices, and creating contingency plans for responding to security incidents. Tell us a bit more about your podcast, its origin, topics covered, guests you have on and audience? Sharing knowledge and information with others has always been a passion of mine. During the early days of the pandemic, I found myself listening to more podcasts and realized that I could also create my own. So, in January 2021, "The Bid Picture Podcast'' was born, where I discuss the daily implications of cybersecurity and intelligence analysis. In today's digital age, cybersecurity threats are on the rise and the stakes have never been higher. My goal was to make the podcast relatable to various audiences, including small business owners, government officials, corporate executives, parents, teenagers, grandparents, and anyone concerned about their online security. On my podcast, I cover the latest developments in cybersecurity and intelligence analysis and how they impact our daily lives. I also invite guests from diverse backgrounds to share their insights on pressing issues such as data breaches, cyber attacks, online surveillance, and more. Whether you're looking for practical tips on securing your online accounts or in-depth discussions on national security and geopolitics, "The Bid Picture Podcast" has everything you need to stay informed on the latest developments in cybersecurity and intelligence analysis. Check out Bid’s podcast on your favorite streaming platforms: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Amazon Music | Spotify If you had to give a business 3 points of key Cybersecurity advice, what would they be, what should they be most concerned about or focused on? The top priority for organizational leaders should be to prioritize cybersecurity as a business issue, rather than just an IT issue. A cyber attack or data breach can have a significant impact on an organization's reputation and financial standing. It is crucial that top-level executives consider cybersecurity a strategic priority and allocate adequate resources to protect their organization's assets and reputation. Additionally, cybersecurity should be integrated into the overall business strategy and risk management should be an ongoing process. Educating employees on cybersecurity best practices is crucial. Employees are the first line of defense against cyber threats. Organizations must provide regular training and education to their workforce on how to identify phishing emails, recognize social engineering attacks, and understand the importance of strong passwords and multi-factor authentication. The organization should promote a culture of cybersecurity awareness and encourage employees to report any suspicious activity immediately. It is essential to regularly test and update cybersecurity defenses. Cyber threats are continually evolving, and it is critical to keep security defenses up to date. Organizations should conduct regular vulnerability assessments and penetration testing to identify and address vulnerabilities in their systems and applications. They should also keep their software and security patches up to date and implement proactive security measures such as firewalls, intrusion detection, and prevention systems. Organizations must recognize that cybersecurity is an ongoing process that requires continual evaluation and updating of defenses to stay ahead of the threat landscape. We understand you are tracking the developments in AI, as they relate to Cybersecurity. What industries will be most impacted by the AI revolution, and are there any particular security concerns emerging around this new technology? The AI revolution is expected to impact a wide range of industries, but some industries are likely to experience more significant changes than others. Here are a few examples: Healthcare: Artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to revolutionize the healthcare industry in various ways, ultimately improving patient outcomes. While AI has the potential to improve the healthcare industry, there are important ethical and privacy considerations to be addressed when implementing AI in healthcare. Nonetheless, with the potential benefits it brings, AI is poised to revolutionize healthcare by making it more efficient, personalized, and effective in improving patient outcomes. Finance: The finance industry can benefit greatly from AI, which has the potential to revolutionize the sector by improving efficiency, personalization, and risk management, revolutionizing the way it operates and serves its customers. Manufacturing: AI has enormous potential to transform the manufacturing industry, enhancing its efficiency, productivity, and cost-effectiveness. However, it's critical to consider ethical and social considerations such as the potential impact on jobs and the need for sustainable and responsible manufacturing practices. Transportation: The transportation industry stands to gain significant benefits from AI in various areas including self-driving vehicles, predictive maintenance, real-time traffic data analysis, and more. Retail: AI is expected to help retailers to personalize marketing, optimize inventory management, and enhance customer service. However, retailers must also consider important ethical and privacy considerations when implementing AI, such as protecting customer data and ensuring fairness in pricing and promotion. With that being said, there are several security concerns around the emerging AI technology, including data privacy, adversarial attacks, lack of transparency, cybersecurity threats, and autonomous weapons to name a few. These concerns highlight the importance of developing AI technology in a responsible and transparent way that prioritizes security and ethical considerations. Where do you see the future of Cybersecurity consulting headed? What will consultants be called on to focus in the future? The cybersecurity consulting industry shows great promise for the future, fueled by the rising demand for services driven by increasing cyber threats, new technologies, and regulatory compliance requirements. However, the industry needs to remain adaptable and innovative to meet the changing needs of businesses and organizations in the years ahead. Here are five potential factors that could impact the industry in the coming years: As cyber threats continue to evolve and become more complex, businesses of all sizes will need to invest in cybersecurity services to safeguard their networks, data, and assets. This will likely lead to a surge in demand for cybersecurity consulting services. The emergence of new technologies, such as the Internet of Things and artificial intelligence, may create new cybersecurity risks and challenges, requiring specialized expertise and consulting services. Heightened regulations and compliance requirements, such as the GDPR and CCPA, may generate a greater demand for cybersecurity consulting services to assist businesses in navigating intricate data privacy and security regulations. The scarcity of cybersecurity professionals is projected to continue, creating an increasing demand for consulting services to help businesses address their cybersecurity needs and fill the gap. As more businesses adopt remote work and cloud computing, cybersecurity consulting services will be essential to ensure the safety and security of these new technologies from cyber threats. We understand you've also written a book, can you tell us more about that? In August 2020, I had the privilege of publishing a book titled “Feet of Clay: Democracy, Democratic Values & Destructive Influences." It is a compilation of essays that explores how and why democratic values are now being threatened by social issues that have been neglected for years, such as gender and income inequality, poverty and unemployment, civil rights violations, racial discrimination, and crime, among others. As an immigrant who came to the U.S. in 2012, I became interested in the similarities and differences in the social issues in Nigeria, my home country, and the U.S. Those personal observations, in addition to the knowledge I gained from academic and non-academic sources, as well as my extensive travels to all 50 U.S. states over time, culminating in these reflections on democracy, democratic values, and their potentially destructive impacts. Name one piece of technology you couldn’t live without and why? My most valuable gadget is undoubtedly my smartphone. Its versatility allows me to easily communicate with others, access information, perform a variety of tasks, and stay connected with the world. Moreover, it helps me stay organized, productive, and entertained with a plethora of applications and features available at my disposal. Consequently, my smartphone has become an essential tool that I cannot imagine living without.

This week, the annual Microsoft 365 Conference in Las Vegas is taking place. It is one of the largest, in-person gatherings of Microsoft engineers and the community in the world. Benny and Yusuf from the BS&I team are at the conference representing the RedCloud team and sharing highlights and announcements with you all. Below is the recap from Day 1 of the conference. Keynote with Jeff Teper & Rajesh Jha Today we found ourselves at the Microsoft M365 Conference to learn more about new developments in business tech and also connect with others in the industry. The 3-day event kicked off strong with a not so unsurprising trend, AI. Jeff Teper and Rajesh Jha led the Keynote speech with a clear message in mind, and that was displaying to the world that they are taking AI seriously, and exploring every possible way to integrate it into business applications, the cloud, and security. According to Jeff, of the users on GitHub who have had early access to Microsoft Copilot, 88% said that they benefited from using the Copilot AI features in code development. More impressively, of those 88% of users, 50% of their code came from Copilot! This is true productivity value! Instead of searching and digging through code repositories or documentation, Copilot automatically finds and adds it. That is huge! ​On Microsoft Teams, Copilot is going to help those individuals who were running late to a meeting by being able to summarize the discussion that they had missed. This can even include the general sentiment and tone of the meeting. It doesn't take a genius to see the value, but we will admit that it brings up questions. How will those sentiment analyses be stored and used at manager or tenant level analytics? Who is to blame when there is a misunderstanding because the summary provided is inaccurate and leads to misunderstandings or wrong decisions? Going forward with AI, there is going to be a new tension between efficiency, human agency, and trust. If it will be important to strike a balance, because if not, there could be a drastic drop in conscious and unconscious confidence in content that you consume. ​ Following the keynote, we had some opportunities to choose a few break out sessions on different topics and services. ​ SharePoint Innovations + Copilot Today's SharePoint announcements follow four main themes: Simpler authoring Compelling content. Deeper engagement Flexible platform Below are some of our favorite announcements. To see the full detailed announcements check out Microsoft's post here. Introducing Copilot for SharePoint New start page for creating sites Coauthoring with team members New brand center OneDrive - All new user experience The new OneDrive Home experience reduces the time to find your files so you can spend more time being productive. The new “For you” area uses AI-powered file recommendations to surface files personalized to you, bringing the most relevant, time-sensitive content to top of your OneDrive. We’ve also added rich, context-based organization, such as views that show you recent, shared, and favorite and files from meetings. These views help you get back to content quickly. And lastly, inline activity updates let you catch up on files at a glance or jump right to comments in files that you want to address.

We sat down with Tony Dulay after he had settled into his role at RedCloud. With an impressive career focused on identifying the best candidates for the job, Tony brought years of experience in recruitment - and specifically in consulting - to our team. Read on to learn more about Tony and his previous role at RedCloud, what attracted him to our team, and hear about what social media platform he couldn’t live without. ​ Briefly describe your role at RedCloud. I work with the recruiting team on sourcing and hiring great people and working on various projects, from employment branding to process improvement. What was it like to join RedCloud (onboarding process)? The process was PHENOMENAL! I don’t think I ever had someone walk me through each step and ensure I had professional and personal access to all my systems (benefits). Emily and Shana both did a great job. Given your background and other experiences, what stands out with RedCloud? My answer is cliché, but the people. The comrade was felt between the group from day one. What initially drew you to RedCloud? I like the idea of working at a smaller company. You can see the impact that your work has on the firm. You also can bring new ideas to the table and be heard by senior leadership. Where do you see the future of consulting or RedCloud? Consulting allows working professionals to work on various projects and time management. RedCloud can provide these professionals options on projects and teams they want to work on. It also allows them to have a flexible work schedule, a consultant can choose to take a break between projects/assignments. Name one piece of technology you couldn’t live without and why? It’s not a technology but a social media platform. Facebook has allowed me to stay connected and stay close to my family. It’s great to see what each family member is doing and accomplishing. This was more useful to me when I was living out of state.

We are honored to have been named (again) by Seattle Business Magazine as the best company to work for in Washington State in 2022. This is a testament to the amazing team of professionals we have built over the years, our people-first approach to the consulting industry, and our ongoing dedication to providing resources and support for our consultants. But when we take a look around our industry and those of our clients, the reality of what makes a great workplace has dramatically changed in the last three years. Spurred by the pandemic, many more employees are working from home some or all days of the week - so the definition of a “best workplace” is changing too. With this transition to remote or hybrid style work, we believe it is important to examine and evolve what we as a firm can and should do to remain a preferred place to work in our industry. Below are some practices and tactics we have deployed to ensure we remain a high-quality employer, supporting our employees and further creating a community, no matter where we may do our jobs. Benefits and Support From Home to Office At RedCloud, nearly 50% of our employees now work outside of our home office region in Bellevue, Washington. These remote employees are thriving, delivering top-notch results to clients while enjoying the flexibility to live where they want. We believe that providing a personal touch - even though it may be from afar - can go a long way to keeping a team engaged and feeling that sense of belonging we all strive for. Here’s a quick list of our home-to-office benefits: Personal touch - small gifts, personal notes, and/or coffee gift cards to our remote teams from account managers and company leadership. Top-notch technology—We invest in the best technology (laptops, headphones, mics, etc.) to ensure a seamless work experience. Regular communications with our HQ team - ongoing virtual meetings with account managers and that “open door” policy (even if there is no door!) Unlimited referral bonuses are available for referring candidates and project opportunities. We recognize the value in great people bringing in great people, no matter where in the country they live! How do we stay “great” in today’s remote reality? We believe a people-first mentality is key to ensuring employee confidence, trust, and satisfaction at every engagement. Part of that is providing onboarding and "Triple Touch" ongoing project support. Our account managers are active communicators, ready to support our team from afar or across town. We also strive to offer exceptional experiences for our exceptional employees, including a wealth of professional development opportunities to benefit each person and the team. Training is offered across many disciplines, and opportunities to learn from peers during RedCloud's enrichment programs, mentoring, and social events (remote and in-person) are provided throughout the year. Lastly, giving back to the communities where we live and work is at the heart of our company culture – it’s part of RedCloud’s DNA. Each year, our team gives back to our community partners at local organizations RedCloud has long-standing relationships with. While our community efforts are focused on Seattle-area nonprofit partners, we continue to seek ways these partnerships can extend to other parts of the country and invite our consultants to support with their talent and time, no matter their geography! Join us - either remotely or in person - and find out why RedCloud continues to strive to be a “great place to work.”

It’s been over a year since Chris Munson joined RedCloud as part of our Denny Mountain Media acquisition in January 2022. While Chris may have joined us during a busy transition period, he quickly settled into his role at RedCloud and became a vital member of our team. Read on to learn more about Chris, what he had to say about his colleagues, and more. We’re grateful to have you on our team, Chris! Briefly describe your role and how long you've been at RedCloud I joined RedCloud one year ago via the Denny Mountain Media acquisition. What was it like to join RedCloud (onboarding process)? During onboarding, I had a long talk with one of RedCloud’s Managing Partners, Brett Clifton, and was really impressed. He listened to my concerns and thoughtfully answered all my questions, which really helped me feel comfortable with my transition to the RedCloud team. The entire process went very smoothly. Given your background and other experiences, what stands out to you with RedCloud? The people I work with at RedCloud are my favorite thing! From my account manager Kelly Hallissey to Don Kenoyer, Emiliya Wazeri, and Ashley Powell, who I work with daily, everyone is extremely professional and skillful at their job. I honestly feel very fortunate to be a part of such a talented team. Where do you see the future of consulting or the future of RedCloud? RedCloud has so many positives that position it well for future success, from its high-quality employees and the way they collaborate closely with clients to the company's commitments to transparency, environmental sustainability, and charity. I also think that RedCloud's strong roots in the Pacific Northwest are a real advantage in building relationships with local businesses and organizations. I think all these things continue to make RedCloud a company that clients trust and would want to work with. Name one piece of technology you couldn’t live without and why? After staring at screens for work and entertainment all day long, I would have to say...my electric guitar! It really helps me to clear my head and relax when I pick it up and play for a few minutes. What are you looking forward to the most this year with RedCloud? I love my job and the people I work with, so I continue everything that I've experienced with RedCloud to date!

What started as a personal project to empower local kids with access to education and technology, has left a lasting impression on the Seattle-area community at large. Rick Rizzs, lead voice of Major League Baseball’s Seattle Mariners, isn’t just an American sports broadcaster. He is a local legend and icon in the community, for his commitment to giving back to those in need - including our long-time community partnership with Rick to provide educational opportunities and supplies to local area youth. Join us as we get to know more about Rick’s nearly three decade long commitment as the founder of Toys for Kids and their work with the RedCloud team. What is the mission of Toys for Kids and what types of programs do you run? The core mission of Toys for Kids to make sure that Christmas shows up for thousands of homeless and underserved children throughout the state of Washington. As the homeless situation in our community continues to grow year after year, so does the need. We want to make sure that Santa Claus shows up for these children. We have a number of great programs throughout the year. Christmas in July at Seattle Mariners’s T-Mobile Park where we bring over 350 kids to see a Mariners game. Our annual “Back to School Backpack” program in August The TfK Gala in November where we not only raise money to purchase toys for the children, but also for the Dave Henderson scholarship program where we award $5,000 scholarships to high school seniors. Can you tell us why you started Toys for Kids? We started Toys for Kids saw a great need in our community among the homeless population, especially with children. I’ll never forget it. [Former Seattle Mariner] Dave Henderson and I were at a local bar in Pioneer Square one night towards the end of the 1995 baseball season. We happened to catch a story playing on the TV that said there were 8,316 homeless people in King County (at least that they could count). We wondered how many of those are children? Neither of us knew. I suggested we get together with some Seattle Mariners players who are active in the community, form our own charity and go seek out these children - and that’s what we did. Dave and I, with the help of Seattle Mariners players Edgar Martinez, Jay Buhner, Dan Wilson, Julio Cruz, Aaron Sele, John Olerud, Bill Haselman, John Moses, Matt Sinatro, Jeff Nelson, Jamie Moyer, and Omar Vizquel to form Toys for Kids. In our first year we raised $18,000 and were able to support three hundred children from the Broadview Women's Shelter, First Avenue Service and Harborview Medical Center, the latter of which held a Christmas party for homeless children. Fast forward to today, at our most recent end of year gala we raised almost $1 million, purchasing brand new toys for over 17,0000 homeless and underserved children in and around King County. We also work with more than thirty-six homeless organizations to make sure Christmas shows up for these kids. And those since retired Seattle Mariners? They still help out with our mission to help homeless kids to this day. What are you most proud of that the Toys for Kids charity has accomplished today? I am proud that: Toys for Kids has a clear vision to help homeless children during the holiday season. We are able to make that happen with the help of so many incredible donors who are willing to provide resources and the many volunteers who donate their time, making all of this come to fruition. We have been able to grow the charity each and every year to fulfill this need and make an impact not only in our community, but those around the state as well. Seattle Mariners players willingly volunteer their time to hand out toys at the holiday parties. Our Executive Director, Heather Jones, and her family take care of planning and executing the TfK Gala in November. Their hardwork and dedication doesn’t go unnoticed. I’m proud of so many things, but I’m especially proud of the passion that each and everyone of us have to help these children and their mothers during the holiday season. It is so rewarding to see the smiles on their faces when they get a toy - it lets them know that there’s hope for a better future. That’s why we do what we do. Tell us a bit more about Toys for Kids’s relationship with RedCloud came to be? One of the best things that has ever happened to Toys for Kids has been the relationship with Brett Alston and RedCloud! Heather Jones, had previously worked with Brett through another organization and we are so happy and fortunate to have RedCloud as such an important partner and part of our Toys for Kids family. It’s hard to explain the impact that Brett and RedCloud has had on Toys for Kids or how much they have helped us throughout the year, but, I’ll try. Brett, his wife Wendy and their children along with their neighborhood friends help children in need to get ready for another school season by putting together hundreds of backpacks with school supplies. RedCloud not only helped purchase multiple tablets, headphonesfor the Broadview Women's Shelter, but also helped install Wi-Fi so they could use this new technology (particularly important during the pandemic’s remote learning)in their hundred-year-old building in downtown Seattle. Brett and RedCloud are all in with everything we do. Brett is a member of our Board of Directors and is at the forefront, bringing in new ideas and a vision to guide us in our growth over the years. Without Brett and RedCloud we would not be where we are today as far as making an impact with these homeless and underserved children in our community. RedCloud has been truly a blessing for our Toys for Kids charity and thousands of kids. Can you tell us specifically about the high school scholarship program that RedCloud supports? One of the best programs Toys for Kids has is the Dave Henderson Scholarship Award. Many years ago, Dave and I talked about doing something more with the funds we raised for Toys for Kids during our annual gala. One thing we talked about was creating a scholarship for a high school senior who could use some financial help with higher education. Shortly after Dave’s passing eight years ago, we started the scholarship award to honor him. In our first year we awarded one recipient, in comparison 2022 where we awarded ten scholarships! RedCloud is a vital part of our Dave Henderson Scholarship Award program. As a sponsor they donate an additional $5,000 to the fund to make sure a high school senior has a chance to jumpstart his or her college education with the scholarship. Additionally, Brett is actively involved in - choosing an award winner from the hundreds of essays submitted by high school seniors throughout Washington. But that’s not all. Brett also shows up at the high school of the winner he selected to personally present the award to them. We receive an absolutely amazing response from the award winner, the children in their classroom and the school. How many games will the Mariners win this season? I guarantee you the Mariners will win every game each, scoring more runs than the other team and you can take that to the bank. Honestly though, last year was an amazing season for the Mariners and our fans. We got to the playoffs for the first time since 2001! We were also one of the youngest teams in the AL league. With that core group of players along with the others on the roster and the team that our Director of Baseball Operations, Jerry Dipoto, has put together, I feel very confident that the Mariners will get back to the playoffs again this season. In 2023 our goal is to get to the World Series and win it. I believe in my heart we have the team, the organization, and the fanbase to make that happen. Any final thoughts? I also want to thank you for taking the time to chat with me about Brett Alston, RedCloud and what they have meant to Toys for Kids down through the years. The Mariners have a bright future and so does our Toys for Kids charity because of people like Brett Alston and RedCloud. We are truly blessed and can’t thank him and RedCloud enough. Thank you.

Happy New Year from the RedCloud team! After enjoying some well-deserved down time to recharge and reconnect with family and friends over the holiday season, our RedCloud team is charging out of the gates in 2023, ready to build on the success of 2022 and continue the evolution of our firm as opportunities abound for our consultants. Read on for our top highlights of 2022 and what's ahead in 2023... ​ Opportunities from "New Normal" 2022 was a unique year in the growth of RedCloud, driven by the changing landscape of “back to work” in everyone’s post-pandemic life. Our consultants and corporate team adjusted to the new normal, increasing face time with clients and each other, but also demonstrating how effective the new hybrid work style can be in the right situations. We’re enjoying the myriad of developments that have arisen from the pandemic, ranging from a renewed importance on time face to face, to the vast opportunities for our people and firm provided by hiring talented consultants and serving clients in many new geographies reachable in today’s new “remote” work landscape. ​ Some of the top highlights of 2022 for RedCloud included: We expanded into 18 new states across the country, putting RedCloud operating in 25 states, with more than half of our workforce now outside of our home in Washington State. RedCloud was recently named one of Seattle Business magazine’s Washington’s Best Companies to Work for in 2022, a tribute to our people-first approach and the culture our team has developed here. Supporting that geographic expansion, we invested heavily in the infrastructure of our firm, which enabled us to grow now and in the future. For the 5th straight year, we provided a high school student with a scholarship to attend college in partnership with our friends at Toys for Kids. Exciting for our consultants, we added a range of new Fortune 500 clients across retail and technology including some of America’s largest brands. A substantial foundation of our growth came in thanks to our burgeoning Business Intelligence practice, which provides actionable insights into our clients’ most critical data - which in 2022 included providing technical leadership support to the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) aircraft maintenance program. According to the Chinese horoscope, the Year of the Rabbit (2023) should be a lucky year for everyone, and accordingly our sights are set high on accomplishing great things for our clients, our team, and the communities in which we live and work. We look forward to continuing to write the RedCloud story along the way - join us for the journey ahead! ​ Happy new year and all the best in 2023!

Meet Sydney, a valued senior associate on our team who recently returned to RedCloud after completing her internship in 2021. With a degree from Seattle University and previous RedCloud experience, she’s already off to a great start, her consulting expertise already at a high level. As an avid fan of vinyl records, Sydney enjoys spending her free time listening to music. Briefly describe your role and how long you've been at RedCloud I am a privacy consultant working with Microsoft's IDEAs team to ensure that data transfers between Microsoft Teams follow their data handling standards and national and global laws. I have been working with the privacy team for just over four months. However, I interned at RedCloud for a year, from 2020-2021. So happy to be back! What was it like to join RedCloud (onboarding process)? Rejoining RedCloud was a very exciting time for me. My communication with Scott Ekman, John Schmid, and Emily Barber during the onboarding process was prompt. It showed they truly cared about me not only as an employee but recent college undergraduate as well. When I went to the office to pick up my supplies, I was warmly welcomed by Brett Alston, Brett Clifton, and other account managers I worked with during my internship. I cannot thank RedCloud enough for the welcome back! Given your background and other experiences, what stands out to you with RedCloud? RedCloud's dedication to their employees' success and happiness, not only with projects but interpersonal growth, is something I deeply admire and appreciate. A fundamental value of RedCloud is giving back to the community in any capacity, which is rare. I was lucky enough to work with the team on service projects during my internship, and that experience made me extremely proud to be working at RedCloud. What originally drew you to RedCloud? Regardless of the department, the entire team is always available to support employees with any task. RedCloud wants its employees to thrive in their respective industries and navigate the world post the COVID-19 pandemic. The creation of their mentorship program has allowed me to work with people from different parts of the business and develop skills that help make me a better employee, well-rounded consultant, and human being. Where do you see the future of consulting or the future of RedCloud? RedCloud's expansion of the Business Intelligence and Solutions team, led by Benny Swedberg, put the company in a position to help clients with projects other firms may not have the resources to help with. The team continuously provides industry knowledge and updates through Lunch and Learns, which allows our consultants to provide clients with unique and valuable tools. Name one piece of technology you couldn’t live without and why? I would find it nearly impossible to give up my record player (and vinyl collection). I have not gone a day without listening to music in years! Music is deeply important to me as it connects people worldwide regardless of location, language, and life experience. Music can help teach compassion and understanding and convey feelings otherwise challenging to describe. I have not gone a day without listening to music in years! What are you looking forward to the most this year with RedCloud? I look forward to expanding my knowledge of the privacy industry as I begin my new role. Privacy is a space that is constantly changing due to new laws and regulations but also developing technologies and outside threats to it. The world is now running on data, and protecting that data for users worldwide is of the utmost importance.