Pax8 and Castle Rock Sky partner to help Black American West Museum.
In February of 2020, in recognition of Black History Month, Pax8 was honored to host the Black American West Museum & Heritage Center at our head office in Greenwood Village, CO. Bringing several displays featuring stories, facts, and depictions of various African American people and groups that helped pave the way and shape the identity of the Western United States.
Pax8 and Castle Rock Sky Wanted to Help Out
Touched by the message and moved by their mission, several Pax8 employees asked how they could help the organization. We discovered that much of the museum’s technology was outdated, including their website, and quickly jumped on the opportunity to help this local nonprofit.
Partnering with Microsoft and Castle Rock Sky, one of our Colorado-based MSP partners, we were able to help the Black American West Museum breathe new life into their organization’s tech. Here’s their story:
Video Transcript
Ryan Brown, Sales Trainer & Coach, Pax8:
In February [2020], the Black American West Museum and Heritage Center came into Pax8, and during Black History Month gave an amazing presentation for us.
Calyn Hamilton, Regional Sales Manager, Pax8:
They did an excellent presentation for the employees here at not only Pax8, but the entire building.
Daphne Rice-Allen, Chair of the Board, BAWMHC:
The Black American West Museum’s mission is to promote an understanding of the African American men, women, and children who settled and developed the Western United States.
David Coles, VP of Technical Services, Castle Rock Sky:
They’re such a great example of an organization that’s trying to have direct and local impact on their community.
Brown:
Immediately, we saw a need though, that they had around resources, also funding and just awareness in general.
Pamela Eggar, Sales Enablement Specialist, Pax8:
They were not up to speed and, and basically thriving in today’s tech world.
Eleise Clark, Board Member, BAWMHC:
Our capabilities of getting the information out to our community will be greatly impacted by the help from Pax8.
Corey Eberly, VP of Sales, Castle Rock Sky:
When Pax8 approached us for a potential client that needed some help, it was kind of a no brainer for us as Castle Rock Sky is a big believer in helping and giving back to the community.
Rice-Allen:
It would be a partnership that would take the museum to another level.
Eberly:
A couple of individuals at Pax8 had said, “Hey, we want to do a t-shirt. We want to do a fundraiser for these folks.”
Brown:
I started thinking and Calyn and myself started putting our heads together. And we said, “Why don’t we look and see what artistic talents our community has?”
Eggar:
When Ryan asked me, I was like, “Yeah, absolutely. I’m all over that!”
Hamilton:
The shirt I have on right now was designed by Pam Egger. She’s a Pax8 artists and local Denver artist.
Rice-Allen:
The shirt was just phenomenal. When we first saw it, it was like, “Oh, that’s cool.”
Hamilton:
This is called “bulldogging.” It’s something that was actually started by a Black cowboy in Colorado.
Rice-Allen:
It depicts Bill Pickett. It shows the Black gentleman doing the steer flipping.
Eggar:
I drew it in my own style, and I tried to kind of imagine his story. It sparked my interest; it was learning something.
Rice-Allen:
It captures the essence of what the museum is.
Brown:
One big piece to this initiative has actually become the Microsoft Give Program.
Hamilton:
The Microsoft Gives Program is really going to help the museum get trained up on the new technology that they received through our MSP partners with Microsoft.
Coles:
It’s a way we’re going to be able to get and leverage the hardware that is needed for the lab environment itself.
Eberly:
I think this helps set them up to really get to the next level of technology that they’re not at.
Brown:
And I think the biggest thing that the Give Program is going to do immediately is actually give training and resources to the museum.
Hamilton:
So [for] every hour of time a Microsoft employee donates to train the museum employees, they will also give $25 per employee to the museum as a donation.
Coles:
The more folks that we can get engaged and participating in giving back to the Black American West Museum, the more Microsoft is able to pitch in and leverage.
Hamilton:
The motivation behind Pax8’s Tech for Social Impact Program was really seeing the museum and the needs that they had when they came out to visit us.
Brown:
It was the best way for us to help our partners and the community organizations we choose to partner with to make the most out of the tools and resources available.
Eggar:
It’s Pax8’s way of connecting with the community and teaching and providing information and resources.
Clark:
To get assistance from Pax8 would mean that we were able to put our virtual programming out, to improve our website.
Rice-Allen:
Just expanding how we reach the community.
Eggar:
The resources that they will be receiving because of this are huge. I think it will help them out a great deal.
Coles:
It’s exciting because it encourages everybody involved in the whole program from start to finish from, from us to Pax8 to some of the other partners to donate time and hours.
Hamilton:
What I want to do is find a way that I can use the platform I have to really make a difference and help someone in the community.
Brown:
This was an easy project for me to get behind. It’s something that means a lot to me, and, in the climate and the culture that we’re in right now, I think it was just a natural alignment.
Eggar:
I really wanted to be a part in giving something that could help them get to where they need to be.
Eberly:
We thought this would be a great way to give back to the community.
Clark:
Pax8 is going to help us be able to reach out into the community.
Hamilton:
It’s just a good feeling, knowing that we’re helping a business grow, helping them with needs they’ve had for a long time.
Coles:
Really exciting and rewarding to be part of.
Hamilton:
This project and this help and this community involvement will keep going.
Help Support the Black American West Museum and Heritage Center
Operated entirely by volunteers who are passionate about keeping history alive for future generations, the museum relies on donations to continue their mission of promoting an understanding of the role that African Americans played in the settlement and growth of the western United States. You can donate to the museum here.
Technology for Social Impact
Have a nonprofit organization you’d like to help update their technology? Microsoft helps partners offer affordable and innovative cloud solutions for eligible nonprofit organizations by offering donations and discounts for Microsoft 365, Azure, and Dynamics 365 licensing. To learn more about Microsoft for nonprofits, you can talk with a Pax8 rep or go ahead and start the process of registering your nonprofit clients with Microsoft.
