Elise Cambournac
Nashville Technology Council
Hold on to your keyboards and prepare for a tech-tastic rollercoaster ride, because Elise Cambournac, the CEO extraordinaire of Nashville Technology Council, is about to blow your digital socks off! And yes, that was written by ChatGPT, so you should feel safe about your writing job… for now. From ChatGPT to the importance of boosting tech jobs in Nashville, Elise Cambournac joins the Lipstick Economy Podcast to talk about all things tech-related. Elise and the council work to bring technology employers, educators and talent together to grow the tech community. Elise started as an electrical engineer in France and ended up as the AVP of information technology at HCA Healthcare in Nashville before moving to the Nashville Technology Council. She has been active in Women in Technology Tennessee and the Nashville Entrepreneur Center.
What is the mission of the Greater Nashville Technology Council?
The NTC sees itself as a catalyst for creating America’s premier collaborative and innovative tech community.
“We’re trying to really advance the diverse technology ecosystem by connecting and promoting our members’ growing talent,” Elise explains, “And providing opportunities to reinvest in our greater Nashville community.”
With over 550 members, the NTC serves both tech-enabled companies and tech companies, ensuring a balanced representation of talent across various industries.
Why is technology so important to the vitality of Nashville?
While the city is renowned for its music, entertainment, hospitality, and tourism industries, technology provides the vital support necessary for their operations.
“Tech jobs are high-paying jobs. The median salary for an entry-level tech job in Nashville is about $30,000 higher than the median salary across the entire working population in our community,” Elise says, “It will help the growth of our economy and its own companies by just growing the tech talent and having tech at the center of it, but it’s also providing socioeconomic growth for our citizens.”
How does NTC help bring new talent into the pipeline?
Elise acknowledges the need for collaboration between school districts, academia, and employers to bridge the gap between classroom learning and the realities of tech careers.
“We worked with legislators to pass a computer science bill that would require by 2025 to have every student across Tennessee to have at least one computer science class to graduate from high school,” says Elise.
NTC also actively engages with Metro Nashville Public Schools (MNPS) and five rural counties in Tennessee to expose students to technology early on. Programs like Traveling Tech Day offer hands-on experiences at member companies, inspiring young minds and fostering a commitment to tech paths.
With all the advancement of Artificial Intelligence, what will new technology careers look like?
While there is still much to explore, technology should not solely focus on what it can do but also consider what it should do for the workforce.
“Everybody’s talking about ChatGPT. We had a conference in our office yesterday, and that was the topic of the keynote speaker,” Elise explains, “in terms of impact on our companies, number one, I would say over time it’s gonna be a shift of focus for our workforce as we bring more of that AI and machine learning. We’re gonna see our workforce focus on more high-value tasks. So it’s not about job contraction or anything; it’s just about freeing up the time for our existing employees to focus on the higher value task. The evolution will be by bringing new sets of tools into the organization that will drive productivity and efficiency.”
What are you excited about for the future of technology?
Staying on top of new trends and technological advancements is vital for organizations. While consumer-focused technologies gain widespread attention, countless advancements are happening in the B2B sector that consumers might not be aware of.
“I think this will lead to the creation of new types of roles that we can’t even imagine yet. So, the future of technology careers is really exciting, and it’s all about continuous learning and adaptation. We need to equip our workforce with the skills to thrive in this rapidly evolving landscape,” Elise says, “That technology’s been used in the call centers for many, many years and other technologies like that. So how do we marry the two and adopt it in a safe environment?”
Resources and Links
Website: https://technologycouncil.com
Facebook: @NashvilleTechCouncil
Instagram @NashTechCouncil
Nashville Technology Council on Linked In
Elise Cambourac on Linked In
