#empowHER50

Welcome to #empowHER50: Celebrating half a century of women leaders democratizing computing access at Microsoft

For five decades, women at Microsoft have been instrumental in democratizing computing access, bridging opportunity gaps, shaping inclusive policies, and fostering innovation. The #empowHER50 campaign recognizes these transformative contributions and underscores Microsoft’s continued commitment to equitable access to technology and skills development.

The #empowHER50 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.

Proudly Endorsed by Microsoft

“At Microsoft, we believe technology should be accessible to all, and our women leaders have been at the forefront of democratizing access,” said Nathalie D’Hers, Corporate Vice President, Microsoft. “Through this collaboration with Women in Cloud, we celebrate their contributions while also investing in future talent through skilling certification opportunities in hopes of inspiring the next generation of leaders to come.”

Nathalie D’Hers | Corporate Vice President – Microsoft Digital

Nominate Trailmakers

Your participation is crucial in making the #empowHER50 campaign a success. By nominating someone, you are not only acknowledging their past and present contributions but also inspiring future generations to continue pushing the boundaries of what is possible. Thank you for helping us celebrate the incredible women of Microsoft who have shaped and will continue to shape the future of technology and leadership.

Do you know a current or former Microsoft woman leader who has been instrumental in democratizing access to technology, empowering communities, or driving innovation? We are calling on you to help us recognize and celebrate their achievements.

Who Can Be Nominated? We invite nominations for current and former Microsoft women employees who have:

  • Utilized technology innovation to democratize access to tools and resources.
  • Led programs that significantly expanded opportunities within and beyond Microsoft.
  • Mobilized funding to support substantial initiatives promoting access and equity.
  • Made a marked impact on Microsoft’s standing as a leading industry employer through their efforts.

How to Nominate: To nominate a remarkable woman leader, please fill out the nomination form provided below. Your input will help us highlight those who are making significant strides in creating a more accessible and equitable world.

Nomination Deadline: Please submit your nominations by April 5, 2025 to ensure they are considered for recognition.

AI Skills Fest

It’s Official — We Made History, Together!

We did it! Thanks to you, our incredible community, we’ve successfully earned the GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ title for most users to take an online multi-level artificial intelligence lesson in 24 hours, with a total of 126,151 participants. As a team, we earned this title during the global kickoff celebration for the Microsoft AI Skills Feston April 8, 2025, with learners of all levels, ages, and geographies.

Participants will receive an email from the event registration team and be able to download the record holder badge on May 1st.

We’re beyond proud that the Women in Cloud community contributed and our learners helped shape this global achievement, proving that when we unite around access, innovation, and empowerment, history happens.

Thank you for joining us!

Spotlights

Be Part of #empowHER50: Activations

OPULIS Global Launch Celebration

Thursday, October 30, 2025 | 9:00 AM PDT | Virtual Event

Apply For Microsoft Certification – Free or Subsidy Based Scholarship
Advance your career with Microsoft Certifications & acquire high-income skills and unlock new opportunities.

OPULIS Legacy Special Bundle: 5-Book Bundle
Celebrate the bold stories of 50 women who helped shape Microsoft’s trillion-dollar transformation across AI, cloud, gaming, and beyond.

Why to Participate?

Celebrate the achievements of individuals creating lasting societal change.

Gain insights into scalable solutions for democratizing access.

Be inspired to drive equity in your own organization or community.

#empowHER50 Advisory Committee

Gavriella Schuster

Karen Fassio

Monika Mital

Chaitra Vedullapalli

 Letty Cherry

Michelle Pruitt

Tameka McNair

Debbie Uttecht

Karen Cone

Dee Dee Walsh

Brea Starmer

Interested to Sponsor?

Sponsorship Opportunities for OPULIS Book Global Launch and 10-Cities Tour

TABLE + COMMUNITY SPONSOR BENEFITS (Starting at $2500)

  • Reserved table for 8 guests at our signature events such as awards, launches, etc.
  • On-stage brand visibility.
  • Logo featured across digital + media campaigns to 120,000+ members in 80 countries.
  • VIP networking with cloud, Al, and sustainability industry leaders.
  • Opportunity to gift seats to rising stars, customers, or partners.
  • Annual community benefits, including invitations to quarterly meetups, bimonthly access digests, and visibility through the Women in Cloud event ecosystem.

FAQs

Who can nominate for these Awards?

#empowHERaccess Award nominations are open to all women and allies/men. You can nominate yourself or your colleagues/peers. 

How do I nominate?

  • Nominate yourself or a deserving candidate for up to two categories using the nomination link provided. Remember, only the first two nominations received will be considered for the shortlisting process, so choose wisely.
  • To increase your chances of success, carefully review the category criteria and provide detailed performance information for each category. The more factual information and stats you can provide, the better your chances of being shortlisted. We encourage you to include links to associated work for our judges to verify the information shared.
  • Make sure to respect and make full use of the word count, and submit an essay-style entry of around 200 to 400 words max. Use the submission form to structure your entry, covering everything from introduction to growth/impact plan. Don’t forget to highlight your advocacy for gender parity, diversity, equity, and inclusion.
  • You are also invited to include links to associated work for our judges to verify the information shared. Where websites form part of an entry, please ensure any URLs, access details, usernames and passwords needed for judging are supplied, that they work, and that they will continue to work up to 6 months post submission. Sites that cannot be viewed will be eliminated from the judging. Please also ensure that the information submitted is accurate and the correct companies are credited as appropriate. We accept no responsibility for any incorrectly submitted information. When entries are submitted on behalf of clients by agencies or other parties, client sign off is assumed.
  • Entries must be made using the online entry platform only. Entries will not be accepted by any other means.

What is the involved cost?

There is no cost to enter a submission for the awards.

If you are shortlisted, there is a cost to attend the live #WICxIcons Awards Ceremony on July20th in Bellevue, WA. The Women in Cloud will be in touch to help book your place.

If I can’t attend the ceremony, will this impact my chances of winning?

No, this will not impact your chances of winning at all. You are welcome to ask someone to accept the award on your behalf.  Your award will be sent to your postal address post-event.

Who judges the submissions?

An independent panel of industry judges who are Women in Cloud Board of Advisors will vote on the winners for each category.

The judges reserve the right to re-categorize entries if they think another category would be more suitable. However, they cannot be expected to routinely re-categorize incorrectly entered projects. The judges’ decisions are final and no correspondence will be entered into regarding them.

Rules of Entry

  • Any entry may be withdrawn for any reason up until the shortlist is released upon written request to the organizers.
  • By entering the #empowHERaccess Awards, you agree that we may contact you to verify nomination information.
  • Our Publicity Team may reach out to you to request interview follow ups for case study content. We will never ever use anything without your permission/consent as all submissions are treated with the strictest confidence.
  • By entering the #empowHERaccess Awards, you agree that we may contact you about sending a representative to a roundtable discussion related to your category and work (if relevant).
  • Winners will be announced at the event ceremony and further communicated via social media once the announcement has been made on the evening of July 20, 2023

Nomination  Deadline.

Friday July 10, 2023

Who shall I contact if I have any more questions?

If you need any further assistance, please contact us via email: community@womenincloud.com

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