When funding meets community, innovation becomes empowerment, and opportunity reaches every corner of the world.
As Corporate Vice President of Microsoft Philanthropies for the last 6 years, Kate Behncken has led one of the most ambitious missions of our time: ensuring that no one is left behind in the digital economy. Her work is driven by a clear conviction that technology, when paired with trust, strong partnerships, investment, and global collaboration, can lift lives, unlock potential, and create lasting systems of opportunity.
Since 2021, Kate’s team has helped over 12.6 million people build digital skills, 80% of whom come from underserved communities. From partnerships with 430 organizations in nearly 200 countries, her work scales what matters most—access, inclusion, and local impact.
Whether supporting national education ministries or grassroots changemakers, Microsoft Philanthropies has bridged global vision with local leadership. In India, partnerships reached over 2.4 million learners in under a year. In Mexico, over 600,000 students gained access to AI education. Kate’s team is also empowering educators as force multipliers of digital equity, training millions of teachers across Brazil, Korea, and beyond. And in Thailand, a bold initiative aims to skill 4 million educators by 2027.
Microsoft Philanthropies, through the Technology for Social Impact program, has also collaborated with 375,000 nonprofits, providing $4.7 billion in donated and discounted technology. If you compare this to the size of foreign aid budgets around the world in 2024, Microsoft would rank as #13th largest, between Switzerland and Spain!
At the community level, the TechSpark Fellows Program is building new pathways for economic growth—securing $177 million in funding in 2024, reaching 48,000 community members, and supporting job creation and skills development in 37 regions.
“The combination of emergent technologies, resources, and opportunities offers us immense hope for the future and the power to create change in the present.” — Kate Behncken
Microsoft Philanthropies is helping to showcase how philanthropy can be scalable, collaborative, and deeply human. By putting technology in the hands of those closest to the world’s challenges—and possibilities—they are helping build a future where everyone has the skills, tools, and support to 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/
