#empowHER50 – Michelle Thomas

When technology becomes a tool for access and inclusion, it doesn’t just change systems—it changes lives. 
 
Michelle Thomas is a visionary leader who has spent her career bridging the digital divide to ensure no one is left behind. As President and CEO, and a proud graduate of Spelman College—the #1 ranked HBCU—she brings a powerful perspective on empowerment, equity, and community-building through technology. 

 
At Microsoft, Michelle played a pivotal role in advancing the AI for Good & Government Initiative, convening national, state, and local leaders to address societal challenges through innovation. Her leadership of the largest AI for Government event in the U.S. catalyzed high-impact collaborations and secured key digital transformation contracts, proving how AI can serve communities at every level. 

Michelle’s commitment to inclusion extended through her work as Director of Microsoft’s Accelerate Atlanta and Miami programs, delivering digital skills training, job access, and economic opportunity to underserved populations. Backed by over $1 million in investment and partnerships with nonprofits and corporate allies, these efforts directly impacted communities of color, low-income residents, and those disproportionately affected by the pandemic. 

“Empowering the future means using technology to create access, opportunity, and inclusion—so no one is left behind in the digital age.” — Michelle Thomas 

Her advocacy continues through MichelleFThomas LLC, where she drives diversity initiatives, supports students with LinkedIn and Microsoft Learn trainings, and elevates women in leadership as Vice President of Charlotte Women Executives. Whether mentoring rising professionals or partnering with leaders like Carla Harris, Michelle’s work is rooted in purpose, connection, and access. 

Michelle’s legacy is built on empowerment through education, opportunity, and collaboration. By championing inclusive access to technology, she is reshaping what’s possible—for individuals, communities, and future generations. Her story is a call to action: when women lead with vision and heart, the future gets brighter for everyone. 

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 – Ananya Ghosh Chowdhury

 
Empowering the world through AI starts with making it accessible to everyone, everywhere. 

With a bold vision for the future of AI, Ananya Ghosh Chowdhury is redefining what it means to democratize emerging technology. As a Senior Cloud Solution Architect in Data and AI at Microsoft, she is transforming how industries operate, while making sure the benefits of AI reach far beyond boardrooms and into communities worldwide. 
 
From designing multimodal, multilingual AI solutions in fast-paced retail environments to building generative AI platforms for healthcare, Ananya’s work has enhanced customer satisfaction, driven operational efficiency, and saved organizations millions annually. Her platforms are built on responsible AI principles, prioritizing privacy, content safety, and transparency, creating models of impact that others can scale. 

She’s helped boost order accuracy in drive-throughs, speed up call center resolution times, and deliver wellness assessments that personalize healthcare experiences. Her innovation has reshaped how businesses operate—and how they serve people. 

“True democratization of AI means breaking down barriers and making technology accessible to all. By providing the right tools, education, and support, we can empower individuals and businesses to leverage AI for transformative change.” — Ananya Ghosh Chowdhury 

Beyond enterprise transformation, Ananya is a thought leader and educator, known for her LinkedIn newsletter The Future of Generative AI, speaking appearances at ODSC and AI Summit, and contributions to Microsoft’s 50th Anniversary Campaign. Recognized as a LinkedIn Top AI Voice and a Marquis Who’s Who honoree, she uses her platform to ensure that AI works for everyone, not just the few. 

Through AI upskilling initiatives, mentorship with Women in Data Science, and her advisory roles in AI startups and universities, Ananya is equipping businesses and individuals to embrace AI confidently and ethically. Her leadership ensures that as AI advances, inclusion keeps pace—so no one gets left behind. 
 
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 – Hannah Lewbel

Hannah’s 20-year career across the world’s most iconic tech companies—Amazon, Apple, Microsoft—is a study in building human-centered systems that meet people where they are, especially in life’s most critical moments. She builds scalable, innovative technology and grows thoughtful organizations to help people—especially in moments that matter. Whether it’s a child in rural Kenya reading their first book in their own language, a Veteran accessing care after military service, or a student collaborating on a digital whiteboard in class, her focus is on empowering leaders and creating human-centered, intuitive, and high-impact products. 

At Amazon, she led engineering for the first Kindle and its next-gen successors, bringing the joy of reading to more than 50 million people in 30+ languages. Her patents—including the Kindle Lighted Cover and “Find Your Device” feature—pioneered accessible design at scale. At Apple, she helped engineer the original Mac Mini, iMacs, and MacBooks, building hardware that would become everyday creative tools for millions. 

When she joined Microsoft, Hannah brought that same focus on accessibility, empathy, and excellence to her work. In Microsoft Education, she led engineering for Microsoft Whiteboard across mobile, web, and Surface Hub, creating a lifeline for collaboration during the COVID-19 pandemic. She also filed foundational patents that made virtual engagement easier, including the now-ubiquitous “hand raise” feature. 

Later, in Substrate, she transformed Microsoft 365’s personalization capabilities using AI and behavioral signals. At Xbox, she led the Gaming Experiences team, shipping cross-platform integrations with Discord and Riot Games that redefined multiplayer connection across SmartTVs, PCs, and mobile. 

But her legacy extends far beyond product innovation. 

As CTO of Worldreader, she helped scale a literacy platform that now reaches over 22 million children in 100+ countries. Today, as Senior Technical Advisor to the CIO at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Hannah is applying her expertise at the largest healthcare system in the country. From AI-driven burnout prevention tools to modernizing a $28.6B benefits platform, she’s building systems that directly improve care for 9.1 million Veterans and their families. 

A relentless advocate for access, Hannah taught computer science to high school students through Microsoft TEALS, mentors young women in STEM, and served as a nationally certified EMT and firefighter during the height of COVID. Her leadership is thoughtful, powerful, and deeply human. 

For Hannah Lewbel, the ultimate measure of impact isn’t just what you build—it’s who you empower to make more good happen in all the moments that matter. 

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’s 50th celebrations: https://news.microsoft.com/microsoft-50/  

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#empowHER50 – Laura Neumann

When Laura Neumann walked into tech spaces where few women had gone before, she didn’t just make room at the table—she built a new one. 

With a bold vision and unwavering belief in education as a catalyst for opportunity, Laura transformed how Microsoft supports global learners, championing accessibility, equity, and innovation across the education technology ecosystem. 

As a Partner Sales Executive at Microsoft, Laura saw the immense potential in collaborating with EdTech platforms to close the digital divide. In 2020, she launched the Microsoft EdTech Partnership Program, a pioneering initiative to expand access to skilling and certification programs through trusted education providers like Coursera, edX, Udacity, and DataCamp. What began as a bold experiment quickly became a breakthrough. 

Microsoft’s first collaboration with Coursera reached over one million unique learners, offering high-impact courses in technology, data science, and business. That success validated Laura’s conviction—EdTech partners were not only viable, they were essential to Microsoft’s global skilling strategy. Today, 45% of Microsoft’s Global Partner skilling is delivered through these platforms, opening doors for millions in underserved communities. 

Through consistent results, compelling metrics, and real-world impact stories—many amplified in partnership with Women in Cloud—Laura built an irrefutable case for EdTech’s role in Microsoft’s learning ecosystem. 

Laura’s work has helped shift Microsoft’s skilling model from closed classrooms to open, inclusive digital spaces—spaces where anyone, anywhere can gain the skills needed to thrive in today’s economy. She didn’t just drive numbers; she changed narratives. 

For Laura, this work is more than strategy—it’s a mission. “Powerful women rise by lifting others, breaking barriers, and redefining what is possible,” she says. That belief has guided every step of her journey—from standing alone in boardrooms to building inclusive platforms that now serve millions. 

Her story proves that when one woman dares to push boundaries, entire systems can evolve. Laura Neumann is more than a champion of education—she’s an architect of access, building a future where learning has no limits and where women, everywhere, rise together. 

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 – Helane Cohen

When complexity is simplified and connection becomes strategy, engagement doesn’t just grow—it transforms communities. 

 
Helane Cohen has spent nearly 14 years at Microsoft transforming the way people access, understand, and engage with opportunity. As Owner of CliftonStrengths Coaching & Consultancy business —and a longtime leader inside Microsoft—her mission has been clear: simplify the complex, humanize engagement, and ensure everyone has access to the information they need to succeed. 

At Microsoft, Helane turned platforms into pipelines for connection. She led the integration of a taxonomy search feature into LinkedIn, transforming it into the central hub for Americas Partner Communications. This shift made real-time information not only accessible but actionable, resulting in a 96.2% year-over-year increase in social engagement. “True transformation begins by simplifying complexity and humanizing engagement,” she says. “When access is intentional, innovation becomes inclusive, and communities thrive.” 

Her approach to content proved just as impactful. Through the Top Stories blog, Helane delivered high-impact insights in short, digestible formats, making enablement easy and empowering. Her editorial strategy drove a 65% year-over-year increase in blog views, proving that clear communication fuels adoption at scale. 

But she didn’t stop at systems and stats. Helane believes deeply in the power of visibility and authenticity. She launched the scalable #MeetTheTeam campaign to spotlight Microsoft leaders and partners through storytelling, building trust and belonging in the ecosystem. The campaign achieved a 4.5x year-over-year engagement boost, with sustained performance in FY25. 

Helane’s career is a masterclass in communication as a vehicle for equity. Her work ensures that information is not a privilege for the few, but a right for all, delivered with empathy, intention, and strategy.  And Helane’s number one Clifton Strength is Communication, and she has leveraged it in all aspects of her work and personal life. 

Through every initiative, she has helped Microsoft partners feel seen, informed, and empowered. Because when engagement is intentional and access is human, relationships deepen, opportunities multiply, and transformation becomes truly inclusive. 

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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