A life of service: From restaurant server to nonprofit senior executive, meet Allyson Fryhoff

Magnetic. Empathetic. Kind. These are a few words that come to mind when I think of Allyson Fryhoff, managing director of nonprofit and nonprofit healthcare business at Amazon Web Services (AWS).

When I sat down with Allyson to uncover her life’s purpose, who inspires her, what drives her to make the world a better place, her favorite Amazon Leadership Principle, and how the power of technology can be used for good, it was clear to me that her various life experiences, like each of us, have helped shape her reality and pave the way to her destiny.

From growing up with a brother who was a person with Down syndrome to a mother who is a nonprofit entrepreneur focused on helping children with developmental disabilities—to a father who would always encourage her to do her best—Allyson comes from a New Jersey-made family who firmly believes in embracing someone’s abilities to help them reach their full potential, being open to new and diverse perspectives, and making the world a better place.

Whether Allyson was waiting on tables or working as a substitute teacher in Silicon Valley after college (while hoping to teach full-time), she ended up getting her break into the tech world unexpectedly from one of her recurring customers at the restaurant who saw her potential.

Since diving into Silicon Valley and broader corporate America culture (before the Silicon Valley we know today existed!), Allyson worked her way up the ladder from square one, accompanied with her life-long mindset to learn and be curious. For over 25 years, she’s been a trailblazer for all women—and those who identify as women—in technology and a shining example for all of us to be who we can see. From product and sales to strategic alliances and business development executive leadership roles, the former cocktail waitress and substitute teacher leveraged her hospitality and educator skills to take on new challenges and opportunities with a service-based approach, always putting her customers first. In her current senior executive role at AWS, Allyson leads the team inspiring organizations to accelerate their digital transformations, missions, and patient and community outcomes to make the most positive impact she can by helping equip the world with cloud technology for good at global scale.

While her nurturing, direct, bold, curious, and kind personality has propelled her into the highest ranks of corporate America, what’s most inspiring about Allyson is her ability to remain true to her purpose of serving and coaching others while extracting the goodness out of those who cross her path. Her ability to see someone (or a company) for their abilities. Her ability to foster them to unleash their excellence. Her ability to leave them better than how she found them.

Interested in hearing more of Allyson’s story and inspiring insights to help you navigate your own career journey or leverage the power of technology for good? Watch our conversation now.

Learn more about how AWS helps support nonprofits at the AWS for Nonprofits and NGOs hub.

Want to know the cloud maturity level of your nonprofit organization? Take a five minute assessment to find out, and learn what steps you can take next in your cloud journey. Ready to dive deeper? Download the newly released research report to learn the technology trends and state of cloud adoption for nonprofits.

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