When service becomes strategy, and purpose meets precision, impact becomes inevitable.
For more than two decades at Microsoft, Leona has embodied the quiet power of servant leadership elevating underrepresented communities, reshaping partner ecosystems, and creating enduring pathways for women and youth to thrive in tech.
As Director of Go-to-Market Benefits & Partner Engagement, Leona has played a transformative role in empowering women- and Black-owned cloud and services partners across the globe. Through her leadership of the Black Partner Growth Initiative and partner engagement with organizations like Women in Cloud and the Black Channel Partner Alliance, she has driven programs that expanded Microsoft’s ecosystem and amplified economic opportunity for thousands.
Her leadership philosophy is simple but profound: “Lead with purpose, serve authentically, and embody a spirit of peace and gratitude.”
From leading the team that designed the AI Cloud Partner Concierge program to orchestrating over 1,3100 global events that redefined Microsoft’s regional marketing and operations strategy, Leona’s work is a masterclass in scale and soul. Her efforts have reached thousands of strategic partners over the last several years, boosted partner satisfaction, and unlocked millions in reinvested impact.
But her legacy stretches far beyond business metrics.
Leona co-founded Blacks @ Microsoft (BAM) within the Customer and Partner Solutions division and spent five years nurturing the High School Intern Program mentoring over 120 students, several of whom are now Microsoft employees. She’s a fierce advocate for STEM education, endowing the Leona H. Dotson Women in STEM Scholarship and championing lifelong access to learning through the Educational Advancement Foundation and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority.
Whether mentoring young professionals, leading ERGs, or uplifting communities through organizations like The Greater Seattle Chapter of the Links, Incorporated, The Seattle Chapter of Jack & Jill of America, and the College Success Foundation, Leona’s commitment is unwavering: to leave every space more inclusive, more inspired, and more equitable than she found it.
Her story is a blueprint for what happens when leadership is led by heart, and legacy is built not just in what we create, but in who we lift along the way.
About #empowHER50 campaign
This campaign celebrates women leaders at Microsoft, past and present, who have been instrumental in democratizing access to technology, opportunity, and growth. By honoring their contributions over the last half-century, this campaign highlights stories of resilience, innovation, and inclusivity. Through digital spotlights, a commemorative coffee table book, live recognition events, and more, the campaign inspires collective action toward achieving equitable societal goals. To learn more about empowHER50, please visit https://womenincloud.com/empowHER50
To learn about Microsoft 50th celebrations: https://news.microsoft.com/microsoft-50/
