Meet 2017 WIC LEAD Award Winner Angie Tocco

Jan 18, 2018

 

Angie Tocco, co-founder of LanYap Networks, was one of five women to receive the inaugural Women in the Channel LEAD Award recognizing exceptional female leaders in the tech channel. WiC LEAD Award winners were honored at a ceremony during the 14th Women in the Channel WiCConnect Networking Event, September 25, in Austin during Channel Partners Evolution.

“Women in the Channel launched the inaugural LEAD Award in Fall 2017 as a way for our members to recognize female channel professionals who are exemplary leaders; authoritative mentors who give women a powerful and influential voice,” said WiC President Stacy Conrad, vice president channel sales at Fusion. “Angie was voted by the WiC membership as one of five women to receive this award. She is in rare company and we are grateful for her continued inspiration and leadership.”

Angie’s depth of industry knowledge, coupled with technical expertise, provides customers with a trusted source when seeking telecom services. A 35-year veteran of telecom, she’s been donning LanYap’s iconic purple fleur-de-lis since 2011. However, her life before LanYap helped lay the foundation of success for her career. Angie is the matriarch of a family full of strong-willed, irreverent ladies and she prefers it that way.

Her dedication to ensuring the future of female leadership motivates her to mentor women in the industry and champion charities that benefit women and children. She founded Telecom for Change as a way to incorporate this philanthropic passion into work life. An avid dog lover, Angie also volunteers for several dog rescues and works with Gabriel’s Angels, an organization that provides therapy dogs to at-risk children.

 

Q:  Who is the woman who showed you how to lead the way (e.g., your role model)?

A:  My Aunt Jean. Raised in Louisville, Kentucky and possessing only a seventh grade education, she began her career as a factory worker and retired as the President of her local Steel & Aluminum Workers’ Union. She was strong, independent, and hard-working. She pushed herself to do better always. I lived with her off and on throughout my childhood and feel that my work ethic and drive come directly from her.

Q:  What are you doing to lead the way for other women in the tech channel today?

A:  I don’t ask anything of my peers or employees that I wouldn’t be willing to do myself. I think integrity and reliability are paramount, so that is the behavior I work to model while mentoring other women and what I expect from them in return.

Q:  What is one thing we could accomplish that would most benefit women in the tech channel going forward?

A:  I think all women would benefit from overcoming our social conditioning to be likable and compliant. We need to be able to make the tough and unpopular decisions, speak up when we see something wrong, and be confident in our abilities. We are hired based on our merits and need to assert that. I think that being in the company of strong women encourages us all to be equally bold.