Book
From Autism
to Beyond
A Mother’s Journey of Hope
Introduction
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.
From Autism to 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.
The Author
I am a mother, a professional, inspirational leader and a believer in the impossible! Marietta Davis is a seasoned sales professional with an extensive career in the technology industry. She has held critical positions at IBM, Lotus Development, Ameritech, Tata Consulting and most recently the role of vice president of U.S. Dynamics at Microsoft Corporation. Davis was responsible for leading more than 400 sales, marketing and technical experts serving Microsoft’s business customers with Dynamics ERP and CRM Solutions. While at Microsoft, Davis successfully managed and grew multiple business at Microsoft to $1B and triple digit growth milestones. Her diverse portfolio extends to mentoring strong leaders in to key roles, acting in an advisory capacity to incubation and small startups. She currently sits on the National Board of Youth Villages, a private nonprofit organization dedicated to helping emotionally and behaviorally troubled children and their families. The organization assists more than 23,000 children and families each year from more than 20 states and Washington, D.C. A graduate of Bradley University, she also graduated with an MBA from Loyola University, as well as executive advanced leadership classes at Harvard University. She was inducted into the Spelman College “Game Changer” Hall of Fame for her work in 2015 additionally she has been a sought after speaker at Morehouse College, Georgia Tech as well as Women in Technology