When girls see what’s possible, they start to believe they belong and Kelly Lanier Arnold is building that vision, one datacenter career pathway at a time.
As a Community Affairs Regional Manager for Cloud Operations at Microsoft, Kelly has been a driving force behind programs that empower women to explore and pursue careers in technology infrastructure. Her passion for inclusivity led to the launch of Introduce a Girl to Engineering and Pathways to Technology Careers, two signature programs that expose young women to real tech role models and hands-on experiences with datacenter technology.
In 2021–2022, Kelly piloted the Women in Datacenters Pathway Program in the U.S. and Ireland—a multi-month initiative that provided female students with IT fundamentals training, culminating in industry recognized (CompTIA) certification and direct mentorship from Microsoft datacenter professionals. The program helped participants build confidence, gain in-demand skills, and visualize a future in tech.
“Believe in yourself, let passion fuel your dreams, and be willing to embrace change.” — Kelly Lanier Arnold
By collaborating with state community colleges systems and industry partners, Kelly has built bridges into tech for underrepresented women creating programs that are practical, inclusive, and deeply human. Her initiatives have reached hundreds of students and inspired over 87% of participants to consider a technology career.
Kelly’s success is powered by three strategies: building programs that connect learning to opportunity, bridging aspiration with authenticity and role models, and scaling impact through allyship, mentorship, and collaboration.
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/
