About Me
I am an authentic, no nonsense, ‘what you see is what you get’ person.
I Hope You Will Enjoy The Musings Of Marietta!
My walk through life has been far from conventional. Growing up in Urbandale, Iowa, as one of a very few black students, I learned amazing life lessons and perspectives. An upper middle-class upbringing instilled a commitment to my community and advocacy of myself and of others. I exercised leadership and advocacy early, elected the Student Body President in high school, and continued to refine my voice in debate and communications throughout college. At my core, I champion the underdog and those less fortunate.
Overcoming odds including family addiction, raising special needs children, and climbing the corporate ladder as a black woman in tech, has shaped me in countless ways. It was never easy but taking it one step at a time I persevered, growing into my story and my voice. I bring these stories of challenge and triumph forward not only to heal many of the wounds I have experienced but also to inspire women and mothers who might want to give up to keep trying.
From Autism to Beyond
A Mother’s Journey of Hope
Marietta Colston-Davis is a visionary technology leader whose extensive career includes high impact roles at IBM, Microsoft, Lotus Development, and Tata Consulting, and corporate board roles with SharpSpring (NASDAQ: SHSP) and Priority Technology Holdings (NASDAQ: PRTH).
As Global Managing Director / Vice President, she led IBM’s relationships with Cardinal Health and Coca-Cola. At Microsoft, Marietta influenced more than $8B in revenue over a decade in executive sales and management roles.
She built U.S. Dynamics into a billion-dollar business, leading more than 500 sales, marketing, and technical experts, and over 1000 partners serving business customers. Marietta is a sought-after keynote speaker on leadership and women in technology at conferences across the United States. She was awarded Spelman College’s 2015 “Game Changer Award” recognizing visionary women leaders in technology. Marietta’s passion for service drew her to external leadership roles Including the national nonprofit boards of Youth Villages and The Posse Foundation. Marietta launched Vision to Learn’s Atlanta presence, partnering with the Atlanta Hawks and Atlanta Braves to fulfill the organization’s mission to provide free eye exams and eyeglasses to elementary school students in low-income communities. Her writings have appeared in Thrive Global and HuffPost.
Marietta’s first book, From Autism to Beyond, A Mother’s Journey of Hope, is an Amazon best seller. Her latest release, Earning Your Stripes, is a children’s book published in English and Spanish. Marietta holds degrees from Bradley University and Loyola University, and executive certificates from Harvard.
Growing up in Urbandale, Iowa, Marietta Colston was no stranger to being different. As the only Black student from preschool to graduation, she understood what it meant to be on the outside of acceptable norms. Educated and loving parents could have never prepared her for the challenges that her unique existence would unfold.
Determined to create the perfect life for herself, Marietta lived the American dream as she climbed her way to be one of the top executives of Microsoft. That is until the day her son, Tyler was born-ten fingers, ten toes, and “different”. What was later diagnosed as Autism Spectrum Disorder, Marietta wrestled with the gift of a unique-minded child while other areas of her life fell apart.
Autism and Beyond will give you encouragement when you or a loved one lives amongst those who aren’t like you and the hope that being uncommon brings.
Marietta Colston-Davis is a mother, professional, inspirational leader, and a believer in the impossible. Not only is Marietta a graduate of Bradley University, but she also holds an MBA from Loyola University, as well as certificates in executive advanced leadership from Harvard. As an inductee into the Spelman College “Game Changer” Hall of Fame, Marietta can be found encouraging audiences as a motivational speaker at many colleges and universities in the state of Georgia.
What are people saying about Book
Life Wisdom, treasured reminders.
From Autism to Beyond shares the vulnerabilities of a mother, feverishly determined to provide for the well being of her son. Equally, the book reminded me of the reality that differences exist among and often manifest themselves in comparable outputs – deficient confidence, questioning of our instincts, determined to be perfect, measuring ourselves against others, or even becoming robotic in the care of ourselves. I treasured the reminders from the author, Marietta Colston Davis, to be a learner in life, to know better is to do better, modeling kindness matters, and faith is material to happiness.
Encouraging!
This is a heartfelt and heartwarming story of a mother rearing her autistic son. From the devastating diagnosis as a young boy to the fierce determination to raise him to be all that God intended him to be, this book is a message of hope and encouragement for all us mothers who are in the same “club”
A book that will provide inspiration and insight for everyone!
This is a story of inspiration, insight, bravery, and persistence that speaks to all of us. Ms. Colson-Davis is an excellent writer and a gifted storyteller. It’s a tremendous resource for anyone experiencing autism with a friend or loved one. It’s also a guidebook for navigating for whatever unexpected hurdles or gifts life throws your way. Highly recommended!
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