I was in the room where it happened. I sat in a conference room on the Microsoft campus while Mitch Hill chose Avanade from a list of contenders for the name of the new joint venture between Accenture and Microsoft (or Alaska and Montana as all the coded documents read). And I stood behind the cameras as Steve Ballmer and Joe Forehand introduced Avanade to the world.

Avanade was conceived and created due to the thoughtful effort of a dedicated team of people 22 years ago. I was impressed then by the passion of the people around those conference room tables—people determined to create something new and different. They were looking for the spunk and spirit of a dot.com start-up software company. They wanted Avanade to put people first, to give them the freedom and resources to create something new.

Helping with the communications to launch Avanade in 2000 was my last—and possibly favorite—project as an Accenture employee. I left soon after to join a dot.com start-up (which didn’t). I soon found out I was in the process of creating something of my own. My oldest child, Caroline, and Avanade “launched” at roughly the same time. I returned to Avanade in 2011 as a freelancer, which means I’ve had a front row seat to a couple of amazing growth journeys that started in 2000.

Lately, I have been interviewing people about what drew them to Avanade and what makes this place different from other places they’ve worked. I hear similar themes, including how good Avanade is at encouraging each person to bring his/her/their ambitions and perspectives and talents here, where they are given the chance to pursue things they care about. I don’t quite understand how a company can achieve so much as a group while also valuing individuality so highly, but Avanade definitely gets it. And delivers it.

The other day, it occurred to me that the vision those people had about Avanade 22 years ago in Seattle is on display every day. Somehow, this place continues to feel and operate like a people-driven software company, even as it grows in size and reach. As a freelancer, it’s fun to have this close-but-still-outside vantage point, and have the background to see where things began and how far they’ve come.

My front-row audience perspective applies to being Caroline’s mom, too. And my hopes for her are similar to what I think Avanade tries to offer its people. I want her to be her full self, to pursue her dreams and to be a proud part of our family. 

When I look at Caroline, I see someone who is figuring out how to stand on her own and make her way into the world. Avanade is ahead of her on that front, but I am still excited to see where they both go next.