#empowHER50 – Jessica Rafuse

Jessica Rafuse believes that accessibility is where partnerships combine with technology to accelerate opportunity and she’s turning that belief into a global movement. 

As Director of Accessibility Strategic Partnerships at Microsoft, Jessica leads with one goal in mind: to accelerate accessible technology so everyone can fully participate in the digital world. Her work sits at the intersection of partnership, technology, and business value, turning ideas into accessible solutions that democratize technology for all.  

From the transformative Ability Summit that now reaches over 20,000 participants to accessibility features built into your favorite products, Jessica’s impact is both personal and systemic. She’s helped position accessibility not as an afterthought, but as a strategic imperative for organizations seeking to lead with empathy and drive business results. “Disability is part of the common human experience and we all have a responsibility to create a more accessible future.” 

One of Microsoft’s most impactful projects that is most notable for Jessica is partnering with the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam to use AI and computer vision to generate text descriptions for more than one million artifacts, bringing art, history, and culture to life for blind and low-vision visitors. “Vivid reds, moody blues, swirling stars of Van Gogh,” she notes.  

As the head of Microsoft’s Global Commercial Accessibility Program, Jessica empowers over 400+ Microsoft sellers to champion accessibility in every conversation with customers, partners, and communities. She equips them not just with tools, but with language, empathy, and confidence— promoting accessibility as a business strategy and disabled talent as subject matter experts. 

At the Microsoft Ability Summit, Jessica creates a platform for disabled and neurodiverse leaders to be celebrated and accessible technology to scale. It’s a free, global, digital gathering—where AI is reimagined as a companion, tool, and equalizer. This summit is not just an event—it’s a movement. A call to action for companies and communities alike to embrace the responsibility and the opportunity of accessibility. 

Jessica Rafuse is proof that when accessibility is embedded in culture, business impact follows. Her leadership is a beacon, reminding the tech world that accessibility is a catalyst for innovation.  
 
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/  

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#empowHER50 – Kelly Lanier Arnold

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/  

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#empowHER50 – Heather Doran

Heather Doran doesn’t just drive outcomes; she builds systems where others can succeed, scale, and shine. 

As Head of Business Operations and Chief of Staff for Microsoft’s Commercial Cloud and AI Marketing organization, Heather has been a catalyst for some of Microsoft’s most strategic marketing and operational initiatives. From budget strategy and spend optimization to operational efficiency and change management, her influence is woven through transformative efforts that shape how Microsoft engages customers, partners, and communities. 

“It’s not just what you drive—it’s what you enable” 

Her leadership philosophy is rooted in intentionality and empowerment. That belief guides how she leads, with precision, empathy, and a relentless focus on enabling others. She’s known for asking hard questions, surfacing unseen blockers, and building trust by pairing accountability with genuine care. 

One of her greatest impacts has been building bridges, between teams, between strategy and execution, and between vision and reality. She creates the connective tissue that turns ideas into outcomes, ensuring diverse voices are included and empowered in high-stakes moments. 

Her commitment to access extends beyond corporate walls. As Chairwoman of the Board for Hesperus, a Native American nonprofit, she has championed IT skills development in Native American communities, demonstrating that leadership is as much about opening doors as it is about walking through them. 

Heather’s approach to democratizing opportunity is anchored in three strategies: aligning systems that create clarity and cohesion across complex initiatives; modeling transparency and accountability to help others navigate opaque structures; and bridging communities to champion representation, ensuring that access isn’t tied to proximity or privilege, but to intentional design. Through this, she continues to shape a legacy of bold, transparent, and inclusive leadership. 

 
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/  

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#empowHER50 – Santhi Thammineni

For Santhi Thammineni, innovation isn’t just about what we build; it’s about who we build it for.  

From small-town roots to the global tech stage, Santhi’s journey has been fueled by resilience, curiosity, and purpose. A first-generation immigrant and lifelong learner, she has spent over 20 years bridging technical excellence with human impact, rising from software engineer to senior AI leader at Microsoft.  

Her career spans roles at Cyient, Deloitte, T-Mobile, King County, and Snohomish County, with a consistent throughline: using data and AI to create access, solve problems, and empower others. At Microsoft, she leads initiatives that democratize enterprise AI through agent-based solutions, transforming how organizations interact with and leverage their data. She’s also driven adoption of modern data platforms like Synapse and Fabric, unlocking insights at scale and embedding responsible AI practices at every layer.  

“True innovation isn’t measured by code or models—it’s measured by the access we create, the people we uplift, and the lasting impact we leave behind.” — Santhi Thammineni  

Beyond the systems she builds, Santhi invests deeply in people. She founded the Women in Data & AI community, making AI approachable and amplifying diverse perspectives. As Co-Director of Microsoft’s Exploring Leadership Program, she helped over 1,500 employees grow their leadership skills, training facilitators to spread learning across the organization.  

Her approach to impact is anchored in three principles: building inclusive communities where diverse voices thrive, designing accessible AI solutions that empower more people to benefit from technology, and investing in mentorship programs that nurture the next generation of leaders. Through it all, Santhi is proving that the most enduring innovations are measured not in lines of code, but in the lives they transform. 

 
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/  

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#empowHER50 – Kathryn Courtney

What if the key to high performance isn’t pressure but permission? Kathryn Courtney is proving that inclusion and impact can thrive side by side. 

At the peak of the pandemic, Kathryn led a high-stakes project with Microsoft OCP —7,000 customized documents, 7 languages, delivered in just 8 weeks. But instead of hiring traditional tech marketers, she chose a different path: assembling a team of 12 recently displaced workers, none with experience in tech or marketing. The project doubled as a crash-course reskilling bootcamp, and not only did the team deliver, but over half transitioned into tech roles afterward many still working with her today. 

This ethos now fuels her work as President and CEO of Mix Consulting, where she’s built a business model that centers humanity without compromising results. Her team has grown 4x, maintained a 90%+ client retention rate, and delivered on global initiatives for companies like Intuit and Microsoft’s Copilot+ PC strategy all while allowing team members to prioritize family, wellness, and life outside the screen. 

“Access to opportunity isn’t just about skill-building; it’s about system-bending creating structures where people who don’t fit the dominant mold can thrive on their own terms.” — Kathryn Courtney 

Kathryn’s formula for success is rooted in values and radical transparency. She builds collaborative systems that flex around people’s lives, uses values like “Grace + Accountability” as a compass for every decision, and maintains open financial models with shared upside and accountability. 

Through it all, she’s showing what’s possible when inclusion is designed into the business model not added on as an afterthought. 

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/  

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