Innovation Archives - Joshua Bellendir

Celebrating Innovation and Leadership at the 2025 Las Vegas Top Tech Awards

Joshua — Fri, 07 Nov 2025 07:20:41 +0000

What a night celebrating innovation and leadership at the 2025 Las Vegas Top Tech Awards ceremony at Allegiant Stadium!

This event always reminds me how far our tech community has come — and the amazing people driving that progress.

Congratulations to all of this year’s honorees — your leadership is shaping the future of technology across our city and beyond.

After being honored in 2023, I’ve had the privilege of serving as a judge for the past two years, helping recognize the next generation of leaders who are transforming how we work, connect, and innovate. It’s an absolute honor to fill this role and give back to a community that continues to inspire me.

As we move into November, it also feels like the perfect time to reflect with gratitude. None of us get here alone — and I’ve been blessed with incredible leaders and mentors who’ve shaped who I am today.

Thank you Yolanda Slim, Robert T. Scherrer, Steve Johnston, John Deane, Hajime Tamaoki, and William Marshall for believing in me, challenging me, and setting examples of great leadership that continue to guide how I lead others.

These awards are more than a night of recognition — they’re a celebration of community, mentorship, and a shared vision for what’s possible when great people come together.

Check out the winners and leaders driving innovation in Las Vegas:
Jeremy Brenton, Sheena DeleonGuerrero, Asal Gibson MS, CSSBB, PMP, CSM, Clinton Sparks, Edgar Garrabo, Kevin Kealy, Carami Olsen, Brandon Ward, ASBC®, Gary Larkin, Jamin Thompson, Juanny Romero, Angie Cosca, Victor Blanco, Seth Ravin

Why Every IT Leader Should Read “Fostering Innovation” by Andrew Laudato

Joshua — Tue, 21 Oct 2025 17:02:00 +0000

Just finished my second read of Fostering Innovation: How to Build an Amazing IT Team by Andrew Laudato—a must-read for any IT leader or aspiring CIO.

Packed with practical lessons and strategies you can apply right away, it resonated so much that I bought copies for my team.

I first met Andrew at an event organized by Jumpmind’s CEO, Joe Corbin. Hearing Andrew share his journey from CIO at Pier 1 Imports to COO of The Vitamin Shoppe was truly inspiring. Beyond his impressive experience, what stood out was his genuine nature and positivity. Reading his book, you quickly see the kind of positive culture he builds and why his teams thrive.

For those in IT leadership (or aspiring to it), I can’t recommend this book enough. Get a signed copy here: https://andrewlaudato.com/

A special thank you to Andrew Laudato for the conversation, the book, and his Sunshine and Coffee newsletter (and yes, the mug too!).

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Aptos Cloud: A Major Milestone in Our Digital Transformation at WHSmith North America

Joshua — Tue, 04 Mar 2025 21:51:00 +0000

I’m proud to share a significant milestone for our team at WHSmith North America: the successful launch of our new cloud-based merchandising, sales audit, analytics, and warehouse management systems. These platforms are now fully live across our business, marking a major step forward in our digital transformation journey.

Modernizing our retail technology stack has been a key strategic priority as we work to enable innovation, simplify operations, and support our store teams across more than 340 retail locations. This cloud foundation strengthens our ability to scale, respond quickly to business needs, and deliver exceptional experiences to the customers who rely on us every day.

This achievement would not have been possible without the dedication and collaboration of our teams and partners. I’m deeply grateful to our colleagues at Aptos Retail, Makira, and Atmosera, as well as the many individuals across the business who brought expertise, hard work, and persistence to this effort.

A special thank you goes to Vaishali Gupte, whose leadership was instrumental in guiding this project from planning through an exceptionally smooth go-live. Her ability to unify teams and keep the program on track was a major factor in its overall success.

I’d also like to recognize the outstanding partnership from our business stakeholders, including:
Sara Wyant, Chris Backhouse, Shelly Clausen, Richard Fortner, Melissa Turner, Greg Morgan, Chris Brooksbank II, Sophia Rossi, David Luashvili, Louise Sur, Janine Walton, Chris Burns, Terrie Phillips, and many others who played a vital role along the way.

And, of course, my deepest appreciation goes to our IT team. Their grit, determination, and technical excellence made this transformation possible. Thank you to Mackenson Emile, Ron Silverio, Bruce Field, Terence Robles, Robert Sellinger, Don Chaney, Gary Yu, Wayne Tiu, Raul Andrade, Steve Baltzer, Swathi Bangalore Rama, and the many others who contributed to this successful launch. Leading this team continues to be one of the great privileges of my career.

For more details, you can read the official press release here:
https://lnkd.in/gDcm2HZi

Onward and upward as we continue building the future of retail technology.

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A Major Step Forward: Our Oracle Retail XOCS v24 Upgrade Is Now Complete

Joshua — Thu, 21 Nov 2024 23:07:00 +0000

Major Milestone Achieved!

I couldn’t be prouder of my incredible team for successfully completing the Oracle Retail XOCS (Xstore Office Cloud Service) v24 upgrade! This cloud-based transformation not only strengthens our retail operations but also opens the door to exciting innovations.

The benefits are immense:

Reduced system maintenance, allowing us to stay ahead with targeted updates.
Seamless integration with strategic partners (e.g., Avalara).
Access to the latest POS features and enhanced user experiences for cashiers and customers alike.
Enhanced security and new selling capabilities, such as fully mobile stores, streamlined Self-checkout experiences, and additional tendering options for enhanced customer service.

Special thanks to Oracle Retail and our partner, BTM Global, for their support throughout this journey! Their efforts going above and beyond helped us complete this complex upgrade seamlessly, with no impact to our customers or stores. This upgrade positions us for even more success and agility in the future. Here’s to the next chapter of innovation!

Well done John Varcho and team!

A big shoutout and kudos to John Varcho, Raul Andrade, Giuseppe Greco, Vaishali Gupte, Robert Sellinger, Brittany Mulvihill, Trent Thomas, Istiaque Khan, Kimberly Berneck, Subramaniyan Ramakrishnan, Kyle Wittet for their incredible work on this project.

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Join Your Peers in Celebrating Visionary Tech Leaders in Las Vegas

Joshua — Sat, 28 Sep 2024 06:18:30 +0000

The 2024 Las Vegas Top Tech Awards will be held at Allegiant Stadium on October 23, 2024, from 5 to 8 p.m. On this special evening, the Southern Nevada tech community will come together to honor leaders who are leveraging technology to drive innovation, enhance business performance, and create positive change in the world.

Get your tickets here: https://bit.ly/3Xmbdha

Here’s a few snapshots from last year’s award ceremony at Allegiant Stadium!

Serving on this year’s judging panel was a fantastic experience—I spent a weekend reviewing submissions, and I must say, the caliber of talent in our Vegas tech community is remarkable. Don’t miss this opportunity to network with your peers and hear firsthand the inspiring stories of these incredible leaders.

#TopTechVegas #TTAVegas #TTAVegas24 #TopTech2024

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Vegas Inc and Cox Business 2023 Top Tech Award Winner!

Joshua — Sat, 25 Nov 2023 19:51:49 +0000

Accepting the VEGAS INC and Cox Business 2023 Top Tech Award for the Public Company category was an immense honor and a humbling moment for me last week at Allegiant Stadium. Southern Nevada tech leaders got a chance to share their teams’ accomplishments and how they are fostering innovation and excellence across their organizations. Being on stage alongside such esteemed tech leaders was an incredible experience.

This award is not just a recognition of my efforts; it symbolizes the collective vision, unwavering commitment, and relentless hard work of our outstanding teams at WHSmith North America. It is a testament to the resilience showcased by our IT and business teams, their unwavering passion, and their persistence in achieving the seemingly impossible.

Last year was just the beginning of our transformation and the exciting journey ahead. I extend my heartfelt gratitude to my remarkable IT and business teams, our invaluable partners, and, of course, my supportive family for contributing to this achievement. We have numerous accomplishments to celebrate, and this marks just the beginning of our path forward.

Join us at WHSmith as we embark on this thrilling journey ahead!

Read more about the amazing tech leaders and their teams here: https://lnkd.in/gquYDBxx

A special thanks to our amazing partners: Oracle Retail, BTM Global, RetSci, Columbus Consulting International, NCR Corporation, Amazon, Spencer Technologies

Las Vegas Top Tech Awards Cox Business VEGAS INC
#WHSmithNorthAmerica #TopTechAwards #VegasInc #AllegiantStadium