#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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#empowHER50 – Aparana Gupta

When innovation is inclusive, technology becomes a force for transformation. 

For over 15 years, Aparana Gupta has redefined what it means to lead in AI, data science, and engineering at Microsoft. As a Principal Software Engineering Manager, she has led, co-architected programs that democratize access, empower emerging leaders, and shape responsible, inclusive technology at scale. 

Aparana led the APAC Exploring Leadership Program, equipping over 200 future-ready leaders with data fluency, strategic thinking, and the courage to challenge the status quo. Through knowledge partnerships and mentorship platforms like SkillUp AI, MLADS, AI and ML Connected Community – APAC and Microsoft’s Technical Women, she has supported more than 10,000 professionals, championing women in tech and cultivating diverse talent pipelines. 

As a governance leader in the MSD Data Council, she has been steering data-first and AI-ready culture across MSD. She has authored numerous intellectually stimulating & strategically innovative pieces for Data Science at Microsoft (7.3K+ subscriber base). A renowned thought leader in the AI and Data Science space, she has been a sought-after speaker and mentor across the academia and industry platforms.  

“Innovation is the sovereign birthright of every inquisitive mind—a potent force that, when unfettered by barriers, transforms dreams into the foundations of a future reimagined.” 
— Aparana Gupta 

Her work is grounded in a powerful belief: when we break down barriers to knowledge and opportunity, we unlock innovation that reflects the richness of humanity. 

Aparana’s legacy is one of inclusive leadership, bold thinking, and boundaryless collaboration—proof that when we invest in people, we ignite a future where everyone has the power to lead and 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 – JoAnn Garbin

When you’ve lived on the outside, you design systems that welcome everyone in. 

JoAnn Garbin didn’t take the traditional path into big tech—she created her own. Raised without easy access to resources or opportunity, she built her career by imagining bold futures and then doing the work to make them real. Along the way, she never lost sight of the people who helped her, and those still waiting for a door to open. 

At Microsoft, JoAnn was a bold systems thinker and changemaker. She led the Regenerative Datacenter of the Future—a groundbreaking initiative that reimagined how digital infrastructure could restore nature, empower communities, and scale mutualisms in tech. Even in the uncertainty of the pandemic, she and her team rapidly advanced a new model that tripled funding year over year and shifted the conversation around what’s possible. Its estimated impact? $1 billion to start. 

Determined to extend that mindset beyond Microsoft, JoAnn co-authored The Insider’s Guide to Innovation at Microsoft—a practical playbook for real-world innovation now used across corporations, schools, startups, and nonprofits. A new LinkedIn Learning course will spread that knowledge even further. Proceeds? Donated to STEAM education nonprofits to support the next generation of changemakers. 

“The future may be powered by AI, but it will be shaped by human creativity, connection, and care.” — JoAnn Garbin 

Now, as Founding Partner of Regenerous Labs, JoAnn is designing inclusive futures from the ground up. Her team has abandoned traditional hierarchy to build regenerative systems that scale well-being from individuals to communities through tools, stories, and bold experiments in collective agency. 

JoAnn’s story is a reminder: when you know what exclusion feels like, you fight to design systems where everyone is welcome—and everyone can thrive. 

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 – Kate Maxwell

Kate Maxwell has never seen leadership as a title—it’s a responsibility to lift others while forging bold new paths. Whether in defense, education, or tech, she has consistently turned barriers into bridges and used her platform to unlock opportunity at scale. 

Her journey began as a software engineer supporting U.S. Defense and Intelligence missions, where she was often the only woman in the room. As a result of her own experiences, she became a fierce advocate for the underrepresented, raising her voice for women, veterans, and the LGBTQ+ community in spaces not always built for them. That conviction about using her platform and privilege for good would come to define every chapter of her career. 

Kate joined Microsoft in 2020 as the Chief Technology Officer for Microsoft’s Worldwide Defense & Intelligence industry team. In that role, Kate led the company’s efforts to support allied defense organizations in digital transformation and cloud adoption. Her leadership earned her Microsoft’s prestigious Pinnacle Club award, as well as global recognition, including Technology Magazine’s #1 Woman in Tech in the world distinction in 2023. 

Today, as the Industry Lead for Worldwide Education at Microsoft, Kate leads a global team responsible for industry strategy and business capture serving customers across the K–12, higher education, EdTech, and academic research verticals. Her team’s mission aligns with the broader Microsoft mission: to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. Every day, the Microsoft Education team works to bridge the digital divide and deliver solutions to education customers that help personalize learning, increase institutional efficiencies, accelerate innovation & discovery, and prepare students for success in an increasingly tech and AI-enabled world. 

Despite her many industry & technology successes, for Kate, the most important impact has always been the human one. “Be brave, lead boldly, and lift others. That’s how we create a ripple effect of empowerment that transforms lives and reshapes what’s possible,” she says. That ethos fuels her work both inside and outside of Microsoft. 

Kate is a mentor to dozens of diverse technical and business leaders, a keynote speaker inspiring audiences on a global scale (katemaxwell.com), and a champion for policy change to support and elevate underrepresented demographics. Through her nonprofit work with TechPoint Youth, her Maxwell Scholarship for Women in Computing and Engineering, and her advocacy at all levels of government, Kate continues to change the game and open doors for the next generation of changemakers. 

Kate Maxwell isn’t just shaping the future of education and public sector innovation—she’s ensuring that the future belongs to everyone. Her legacy is one of courage, community, and a commitment to making sure everyone can realize the fullness of their own potential. 

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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