Don’t just wait for the perfect opportunity-sometimes you have to create it.
Aliesha Pulliam’s journey through Microsoft is a study in reinvention. She began as a Premier Field Engineer for Dynamics 365, solving technical challenges for Public Sector and DoD customers. But she quickly saw that the real barrier wasn’t technology—it was adoption. So, she built bridges. Through workshops, training, and storytelling, she transformed implementation into impact, ensuring customers not only received Microsoft solutions but also embraced them.
Her ability to connect technical insight with human experience laid the foundation for her next act—Executive Communications. Blending engineering with performance, Aliesha redefined what it means to lead with voice, presence, and purpose.
But her most powerful work emerged outside the boardroom. As Chief of Staff for Blacks at Microsoft (BAM), she launched a Coding Academy in partnership with NSBE Jr. and Howard University. The goal? Equip K–12 students—many from underrepresented communities—with access to fun, scalable coding instruction. Aliesha designed a volunteer-led curriculum that could be replicated across Employee Resource Groups (ERGs), igniting pathways to tech for the next generation of innovators.
“You don’t have to wait for the perfect opportunity—sometimes, you have to create it,” Aliesha says. “Empowerment isn’t just about breaking barriers; it’s about building bridges so others can cross them too.”
Now an emcee, actress, and speaker, she continues to champion inclusive storytelling and leadership, proving that technology and creativity aren’t separate lanes—they’re a powerful intersection.
Aliesha Pulliam is a bridge-builder in every sense: connecting communities to code, customers to clarity, and young minds to boundless possibility.
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/
