#empowHER50 – Chaitra Vedullapalli

When access becomes an ecosystem, women don’t just succeed—they transform the world. 

In 1995, Chaitra Vedullapalli sat in front of a TV, mesmerized by the Windows 95 launch. It wasn’t just a product debut—it was a declaration: that access to technology could change everything. That spark ignited her life’s mission to build ecosystems of opportunity. 

At Microsoft, Chaitra became a force of transformation. She unified 45 global partner programs into what is now Partner Center, secured $80M to support 400,000 partners, and streamlined over 1,000 sales portals into one platform—saving the company $100M. During the 2008 economic downturn, she led a financing initiative that unlocked $1B in revenue, proving that innovation thrives in adversity. 

But Chaitra’s vision was always bigger than the boardroom. 

As co-founder and president of Women in Cloud, she has opened over $500M in economic access for women in 80+ countries through accelerators, AI, and cybersecurity certifications, and global awards. Her ICONS Initiative bridges technology and storytelling, producing an Oscar-qualified film and elevating untold voices to influence policy and perception. 

Now, she’s stepping into her boldest chapter yet: launching a $100M GTM Fund to scale inclusive innovation across tech, film, and wellness. Guided by the ICONIC Leadership Framework and her signature SIP Method—Serving, Influencing, Partnering—featured in her TED Talk, she’s turning purpose into powerful playbooks, unlocking access for the next generation of visionary leaders. 

“ICONIC leadership is not about who sits at the table—but who has access to it, who’s impacted by it, and how decisions create prosperity for all.”– Chaitra Vedullapalli 

#empowHER50 isn’t just a milestone for her—it’s a time capsule, preserving the blueprints of how women helped lead trillion-dollar shifts in access, innovation, and power. 

Chaitra’s story is a call to action: architect boldly, lead inclusively, and leave a legacy that lifts generations. 

 
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 – Aarti Borkar

For Aarti Borkar, every challenge is an invitation—to innovate, to collaborate, and to lead with purpose. A self-described “data geek” with a passion for math and systems thinking, Aarti has spent her career turning complexity into clarity across some of the world’s most critical technology frontiers. 

Now Corporate Vice President of Microsoft Security’s Customer Success and Incident Response team, Aarti brings decades of industry experience, an eye for scalable solutions, and a commitment to empowering both customers and communities. Her impact is felt in boardrooms and breach response centers alike. 

Before joining Microsoft, Aarti’s journey included transformative roles at IBM, where she led product and growth strategy across more than a dozen acquisitions—including multi-billion-dollar deals that reshaped several Data and Application businesses. Her ability to bridge business strategy with technical execution sparked growth across global portfolios and accelerated digital transformation for customers worldwide. 

At Microsoft, Aarti has doubled down on customer impact. Since stepping into her leadership role, she has grown the Global Customer Success Security team from 120 to over 1,000 professionals in just three years—empowering more than 4,500 organizations to secure their digital environments in the past year alone. Under her direction, Microsoft’s Incident Response team has also launched a new proactive motion: hundreds of customers now engage Microsoft to be their primary incident response provider, a move that has changed the dynamics of the industry. 

Aarti’s teams deliver more than services—they deliver business resilience. Her strategy team converts frontline feedback into product enhancements, technical enablement, and community insight, making security both scalable and deeply human. Her personal sponsorship of key strategic accounts across the globe further illustrates her commitment to co-creating value with customers. 

But Aarti’s influence doesn’t stop at strategy decks or security protocols. As executive sponsor for the Microsoft Women in Cybersecurity ERG, as well as sponsor of the Executive Women CISO Community, a group of more than 50 industry women CISOs, she’s mentoring the next generation of cybersecurity talent and nurturing a thriving ecosystem of women leaders in tech.  “Every action contributes to building a cognitively diverse workforce,” she says. “If we don’t share our stories, we miss the chance to inspire others to rise.” 

Her philosophy is simple, but powerful: “If we focus on finding problems, they tend to become larger than life blockers. But if we focus on meaningful outcomes, we tend to find more doors and pathways.” 

That mindset has not only unlocked innovation at enterprise scale—it’s opened new doors for women in tech, across industries and around the world. 

 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 – Diane Boettcher

True change doesn’t just begin with opportunity—it begins with who gets seen, considered, and invited to the table. 

For over three decades, Diane Boettcher has used her position, including 10 years  at Microsoft, to ensure that inclusion isn’t just an ideal, but a practice rooted in action. As Director of Business Management, Diane has built—and taught others to build—diverse teams by cultivating diverse networks. “If we don’t intentionally reach out to those who don’t look like us,” she says, “our networks will be homogenous—and so will our teams.” 

Throughout her career, Diane has made it a personal mission to diversify the hiring pipeline. She doesn’t wait for great candidates to apply—she actively recruits them. She’s trained her peers to do the same, developing internal programs to help hiring managers grow beyond their usual circles and expand their reach. That strategic outreach has paid off: in one recent effort, her team hired over 25% from historically underrepresented groups, proving that talent is abundant when you know where (and how) to look. 

She also scrutinized job descriptions to strip away unnecessary barriers, ensuring qualifications listed as “required” truly were. By moving marginal requirements to the “preferred” category, she opened doors to candidates who may have previously self-selected out. 

Diane’s approach is simple but powerful: build systems of access with intention, and make equity a habit, not an exception. Her commitment to justice and representation has left a lasting mark on Microsoft’s hiring culture, cultivating workplaces where diverse voices aren’t just present but empowered. 

For Diane, impact means more than numbers. It means using every opportunity to uplift others and building teams that reflect the rich complexity of the world they serve. 

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 – Shilpi Mitra

In a world where opportunity often favors the loudest voices, Shilpi Mitra found her power in purpose. Raised in a conservative environment where girls were rarely encouraged to dream big, Shilpi broke convention—with the unwavering support of her mother and a love for science that landed her at BITS Pilani, one of India’s premier engineering institutions. That spark would ignite a career dedicated to not only solving complex technical challenges, but to making space for those who might never have been invited to the table. 

Shilpi’s early career shaped her into a formidable technologist, from her work at GlobalLogic to becoming Security Czar for ColdFusion at Adobe. A career break for motherhood tested her resilience—but also clarified her mission: re-enter tech and empower other women to do the same. At VMware, she helped lead study circles, technical branding initiatives, and the award-winning Nakshatra returnship program, presenting its success at WT2. 

In 2022, Shilpi joined Microsoft, where she now leads the Hybrid SQL and SQL Migration charter in Azure Data. Her work helps global enterprises harness the full power of Azure—honoring their infrastructure choices while enabling modern scalability and innovation. She also serves as a community leader for the Azure SQL Bangalore User Group and a core leader for women community within Azure Data, uplifting employees across career stages. 

Guided by the belief that “if opportunity doesn’t knock, build the door,” Shilpi has made it her mission to remove barriers, not just for herself, but for every woman who has ever doubted she belongs in tech. 

Outside Microsoft, she mentors across AnitaB.org, LeanIn WiTI, Aspire For Her, and Women Tech Network, shaping career journeys through her advisory, speaking, and mentoring roles. Her work has earned national recognition, including HerRising’s Women in Product 2024 award. 

But for Shilpi, true success is rooted in three values: passion, empathy, and mentorship. Whether securing sponsorships for LeanIn events or championing technical upskilling, she lives her purpose daily. 

“I want to be remembered as an enabler, friend, and fighter—someone who empowers, uplifts, and walks beside you,” she shares. Her legacy is clear: creating access, building communities, and reminding us all that innovation begins with action—and often, a door of our own making. 

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 – Barkha Herman

The most powerful stage you can stand on is the one you build yourself.  

Barkha Herman knows firsthand that finding your voice isn’t just about speaking louder—it’s about showing up with purpose, authenticity, and the courage to be seen. For over two decades in technology and sciences, Barkha observed a persistent pattern: brilliant women holding back, staying silent in rooms and on stages where their voices desperately needed to be heard. 

Her pivotal moment came at her very first tech conference. Surrounded by innovation, she noticed an unmistakable void—the speakers were overwhelmingly male. “Where are the women?” she asked herself. That question became a lifelong mission to rewrite the narrative. 

In response, Barkha founded WitVoices, a platform dedicated to helping women in tech and sciences find their voice and own their expertise. From small confidence-building workshops at Microsoft, like her now-famous 5-day speaking challenge, to a scalable course empowering women to build talks on their own terms, Barkha has created pathways for women to step into visibility and leadership. 

At the heart of her approach is a vibrant community—a space where women support one another, refine their skills, and share ambitions without judgment. It’s not just about building talks—it’s about building confidence, clarity, and a network that lifts as it rises. 

Her personal mantra captures her journey: “Figure out who you are, then do it on purpose.” It’s this intentionality that has fueled her mission to democratize access to stages, conversations, and leadership positions across tech and sciences. 

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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