Innovators gather in force at Google Cloud's Government and Education Summit - No need for FOMO with on-demand viewing

In early November more than 27,000 innovators gathered virtually for our second annual Google Cloud Government and Education Summit. Leaders from across the globe inspired and engaged us over two days with their stories of innovation, resilience, and persistence, even in the most challenging of times and circumstances. 

Speakers shared how they’ve embraced technology to digitally transform — enabling their teams to accomplish more at greater scale, empowering their organizations with data and information, and building human connections with technology through interaction with constituents and learners.

This year, we also focused on building stronger organizations, leaders, and professionals, with an emphasis on creating opportunities to cultivate sustainability, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). 

Day two was affectionately named Learning Day — and we featured 21 interactive sessions designed to help students and professionals advance their future. There was something for everyone — for those who currently work in technology and want to see what’s coming next in the cloud, those thinking about a future career in cloud technology, and educators teaching our next generation of technologists.

We packed a lot of content and engagement into this year’s summit. Here’s a quick look at the numbers.

• Registrants from 151 countries

• More than 80 speakers from government and education

• 14 government sessions and 12 education, health, and research sessions

• 10 sessions focused on personal, professional, and organizational growth, with emphasis on DEI, and sustainability initiatives

• 29 learning sessions

• 21 region-specific sessions - spanning Asia-Pacific, EMEA, and Latin America  sessions, including 18 customer speakers

And, we introduced six new solutions, services, and certifications to help power innovation in government, education, and research.

• Google Workspace earns FedRAMP High Authorization

• Google Cloud earns Department of Defense Impact Level 4 Provisional Authorization

• Google’s new RAD Lab solution helps spin up cloud projects quickly and compliantly

• Google introduces the Women's Collective - a forum for public sector women across regions and technical aptitudes to get together, learn, strategize and grow. Join via pubsecconnect.com  

• New Public Health Decision Support tools that power rental and housing assistance efforts nationwide

• New Google Cloud Student Success Services tools that help educators scale individualized learning with an AI-powered interactive tutor

Can’t Miss Content

If we missed you for the live broadcast or you want to catch more sessions, we have great news. Google Cloud Government and Education sessions are available on demand, so you can continue exploring and learning at your leisure. 

It’s hard to choose from all the great content at this year’s summit. I offer a few of my favorites below to get you started in your learning journey

1. Government and Education Summit Global Keynote: Thomas Kurian, CEO, Google Cloud kicked off the Summit to discuss the need for a “transformation cloud” for the public sector and highlight security and compliance advancements for this community. Then, Mike Daniels, Vice President of Global Public Sector at Google Cloud, spoke with public sector leaders from around the world —  including Amy Pechacek, Secretary-designee, Department of Workforce Development, State of Wisconsin; Lori Carrell, Chancellor, University of Minnesota Rochester; and Gerald Mullaly, Director UK Prime Minister's Office and Cabinet Office — about opening doors to digital transformation to accomplish more at greater scale, empower decision makers with data and information, and build human connections.

2. Contact Center AI Transforming Constituent Experience:  Innovative agencies across the public sector are transforming the business of government call centers – increasing call handling speed, capacity, and customer satisfaction. The city of San Jose shares how it implemented virtual agents and utilized machine learning to create custom translation services for a seamless user experience integrated into existing 311 services. And, the US Postal Service explains how it’s using Contact Center AI to automate package tracking, achieve consistent results in packaging centers across the country, and improve package management and customer satisfaction.

3. Sentiment Analysis Powers Vaccine Distribution and Opioid Analytics: Hear from the California Office of Digital Innovation about how the state is using Google Cloud Sentiment Analysis to power Intelligent Vaccine Impact (IVIs) solutions, and learn how the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse is using sentiment analytics to combat the opioid epidemic.

4. Reimagining the Learning Experience: Learning platforms are changing the student experience – allowing for customized educational goals mapped to individual needs and preparing learners to be their best selves with tailored learning pathways. Experience two different paths for success – from the Council Bluffs, Iowa Community Schools pilot around classroom virtual automation solutions to the work the Michigan Corrections system is doing to reinvent their learning systems.

5. Accelerating Time to Science to Fight COVID-19: The pace of scientific discovery has accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic more than ever before. At the height of COVID-19, researchers focused their efforts on fast-tracking the therapeutic discovery process, with cloud-based programs accelerating virtual screening and compound analysis. Learn how Google Cloud helps accelerate time to discovery and the vast computing resources that drive speed and efficiency.

6. Amplifying Voices: Developing a High-Impact Workforce through Belonging and Allyship: Strong teams emerge when members take the time to understand and accept each other’s unique story. Magic happens through that understanding: you discover everyone’s strength to advance allyship. Reggie Butler, Founder and CEO of Performance Paradigm, shows how to shift the paradigm in traditional team structures to build team- level belonging and an inclusive environment where everyone feels comfortable and confident in bringing their voice — and their power — to the table.

7. A Conversation with Vint Cerf and Jim Hogan on Disability in Tech: In this session, Vint Cert, regarded as one of the founders of the internet, connects with Jim Hogan, an autistic Googler and a neurodiversity advocate. Hear how these two dynamic leaders define disability and the specific challenges they faced – and continue to face – in tech. And, gain valuable insight into their advocacy journey, how they’re scaling their efforts for greater impact in the workforce, and what they’re excited about within the tech inclusion and accommodation space. 

8. Day One Closing Keynote: Opening Doors and Driving Inclusion: We closed Day One of the summit with a discussion focused on DEI. I had the honor of hosting Megan Smith, CEO of shift7, and Anjali Adukia, cofounder of the ‘Messages, Identity and Inclusion in Education’ Lab at the University of Chicago, as they discuss the importance of opening doors to everyone, from all backgrounds — and how technology can help surface and reduce inequalities. They share how we can mitigate unconscious biases, bring more voices to the table, and build more inclusive environments. 

We want to share a special thank you to all of the public sector, education, and health leaders, as well as leadership development experts and Google colleagues who shared their time and talents so generously to make this global summit a reality. We also want to thank all of you who took time out of your busy schedules to join us in learning and growing.

Let’s keep the conversation going. What was your favorite part of this year’s Government and Education Summit? What would you like to see next year? Drop me a line or share your thoughts here.