A toast to Technology Moms

For Mother's Day, coming up Sunday, allow me to salute a few ladies in technology who I think do a great job managing work-life balance in our harried, global, 24x7 economy.

Barb Martin who balances her role in technology sourcing for an increasingly global Steelcase with the needs of her teenage sons. Nicole Milstead, who does Global Sales Support for Oracle, and appreciates the fact that Oracle is global. So when her 3 and 5 year olds need to go to the pediatrician, she can continue to support sales proposals at night. Tough to help with homework from France or India or California but they do.

Judith Rothrock, who last year overcame a health ordeal and takes pride in the fact that her son Curtis now believes even more that women are strong, multi-tasking leaders  who should be running the world - not just advising vendors on marketing like Judith does.

Kimberly McDonald Baker who moved her family to Michigan from the Valley for a better quality of life - while continuing to drive sales and marketing for her Valley based Oracle implementation firm, Project Partners. Karen Beaman, who moved her kids twice within a year - first to New York, then to Bay area for the new start-up Workday.  I would be tired just thinking of a cross-country move!

Jennifer Scholze, who enjoys the easy-going (!) life of a VC at SAP Ventures. Her schedule past week included a small 5th birthday party for son Jackson, followed by a business trip to CA, and when back home the real "Narina Quest" party for 18 kids. Including her 2 year old daughter Morgan. Mary Ann Thompson, who handles conflicting editing deadlines for sandhill.com and TechSpend and other clients- and still keeps up with her boisterous young ones.

Margaret, my wife. No, not a technology lady. If I bought her a Garmin she would argue with its suggested routes and toss it on the sidewalk. But she has raised 2 trouble makers into tech savvy teens while I do my 150,000 miles of travel a year.

So here's to the Nicoles - and the Margarets. Enjoy Sunday. We will forgive you if you toss the Garmin or the Blackberry out. And Judith, even let you run the world. If you can grab it from young Morgan!