Stay ConnectedBeyond the Blue Badge – by the Microsoft Alumni Network
Microsoft Stories that Inform and Inspire
This podcast features alumni who are leaders in business, careers and philanthropy as they talk about lessons learned, overcoming obstacles, finding their bliss and thriving post-Microsoft.
Copyright: © 2019
How Microsoft reimagined products, sales motions, and ecosystems to embrace the cloud
Take a front-row seat for one of the boldest transformations in Microsoft's history—the journey to the cloud. In this episode of Beyond the Blue Badge, hosts Becky Monk and Larry Herb (aka Major Nelson) sit down with alumni legends Steve Guggenheimer, Bob Muglia, Gavriella Schuster, and Karen Fazzio. Hear firsthand how Microsoft shifted from boxed software to a global cloud powerhouse, the challenges of building Azure, and the partner ecosystem that made it all possible. Discover stories of resilience, reinvention, and the drive to democratize technology—plus, how initiatives like Women in Cloud are opening doors for the next generation.
How Microsoft's campus informed innovation and culture
The story of Microsoft's iconic Redmond campus details how a bold vision turned into a tech landmark. In this episode of Beyond the Blue Badge, hosts Becky Monk and Larry Hryb along with guests Jon Shirley, Buck Ferguson and Lisa Brummel take you on the journey that for Microsoft became about more than just office space. It shaped culture, innovation, and community.
Microsoft's lasting legacy of social impact
Join hosts Larry Hryb and Becky Monk to discover how from its earliest days Microsoft built a culture of corporate and employee giving that rippled worldwide. With stories from alumni including Jon Shirley, Bill Neukom, Mary Pembroke, Patty Stonesifer, Dee Dee Walsh, and Akhtar Badshah, learn how the company's legacy extends beyond the technology it creates and manifests in lasting social impact that stretches well Beyond the Blue Badge.
Paradigm shift offers tsunami of opportunities Before streaming, smartphones, and instant access to everything, there was a seismic shift that changed the world—and Microsoft was at the heart of it. In this episode of Beyond the Blue Badge, hosts Becky Monk and Larry Hryb take us back to the early 1990s, when a handful of visionary Microsoft alumni saw the internet not as a curiosity, but as a revolution in the making. Hear Steven Sinofsky, J Allard, John Ludwig, Patty Stonesifer, and Mike Toutonghi recount the memos, meetings, and moments that sparked Microsoft's internet awakening.
Vision, innovation and the power of persistence
In this episode of Beyond the Blue Badge, hosts Becky Monk and Larry Hryb share stories from tech pioneers Rick Rashid, Dennis Adler, and Dan Fay as they explore the untold story behind the founding and evolution of Microsoft Research. From Bill Gates' bold vision to Rick Rashid's reluctant yet transformative leadership, discover how a small software company dared to invest in fundamental research—and changed the future of technology. Hear firsthand accounts of groundbreaking innovations, global expansion, and the "Impossible Things" initiative that helped shape today's AI and cloud computing landscape.
Microsoft's Windows bet and the evolution of personal computing
In this episode of Beyond the Blue Badge, hosts Becky Monk and Larry Hyrb delve into the transformative journey of Microsoft Windows. They explore pivotal moments in Windows history, from the strategic shift to Windows to the revolutionary launch of Windows 95. Featuring insights from Microsoft alumni Brad Chase, Steve Ballmer, and Brad Silverberg, listeners will hear firsthand accounts of the challenges, innovations, and celebrations that marked the development of one of the most iconic operating systems in history.
Inside Microsoft's expansion journey
In this episode of Beyond the Blue Badge, hosts Becky Monk and Larry Hyrb delve into the captivating story of Microsoft's transformation from a small company in Albuquerque to a global tech powerhouse. Hear from key players like Scott Oki, Bob O'Rear, Jean-Philippe Courtois, Orlando Ayala, and Sanjay Parthasarathy as they share their experiences and insights on the strategies, challenges, and pivotal moments that shaped Microsoft's international expansion. Discover how hiring local talent, fostering cultural understanding, and embracing empathy played crucial roles in Microsoft's success across the globe. Tune in for an inspiring journey through the history of one of the world's most influential tech giants.
Behind the bets that shaped modern computing
Microsoft's early deal with IBM to provide the operating system for the first IBM PC is noted as a pivotal moment in the history of personal computing. In this episode of Beyond the Blue Badge, co-hosts Larry Hryb and Becky Monk share stories from early Microsoft leaders Steve Ballmer, Bob O'Rear, Scott Oki and Bill Neukom of how the deal came together, the challenges Microsoft faced, the strategic moves made, and the ultimate "divorce" that established Microsoft's dominance in the software industry.
Season 8 recap with Sabine Morlock
After eight seasons of producing the Beyond the Blue Badge podcast, common themes emerged during our conversations with dozens of Microsoft alumni. In this final episode of Season 8, host Sabine Morlock revisits some of the more poignant conversations and reflects on the lessons learned from this year's guests. Enjoy!
A ride through technology, leadership and philanthropy
In part two of this episode with Microsoft alumnus and Lyft CEO David Risher, he discusses future opportunities in the rideshare business and how he is inspired philanthropically—including an experience that led him to co-found Worldreader in 2010, an international nonprofit organization to get children reading so they can reach their potential, and #HalfMyDAF, an initiative he launched with his wife in 2020 to inspire more giving from Donor Advised Funds.
A ride through technology, leadership and philanthropy
In part one of this engaging Beyond the Blue Badge episode with David Risher, CEO of Lyft, talks with host Rich Kaplan about his journey from launching Microsoft Access early in his career, to shaping Amazon's retail success, to his current mission at Lyft to "get people out of their houses and bring them together."
How Microsoft alumni can provide rocket fuel for the startup ecosystem
Ken Horenstein cut his investing teeth at what is now Microsoft's M12. He leaned into the "learn-it-all culture" to soak up the ins and outs of venture capital before leaving to start his own venture fund. In this episode of Beyond the Blue Badge, host T.A. McCann talks with Ken about his Microsoft journey, lessons learned while going it on his own, his current firm Pack Ventures and the xMSFT Syndicate, and the power that networks — specifically the Microsoft Alumni Network — can have to supercharge the startup ecosystem.
The intertwining of experiences, values and purpose
Following an impressive career as a technology executive, including 14 years at Microsoft, Kevin Ackurst transitioned from leading organizations to advising them. As the founder of Gentle Giant, he now focuses on helping leaders navigate challenges and discover their purpose using perspectives influenced by his own journey. In this episode of Beyond the Blue Badge, Kevin joins host Michael Rawding to discuss how growing up in Apartheid-era South Africa shaped his values and how those early experiences continue to guide his approach to both business and life today.
Insights from a founder and startup leader
Some may know of Tom Button as a leader in Microsoft's developer division and "Mr. Visual Basic." Others know him from his role as Corporate Vice President of Windows Product Management. After nearly two decades of shaping products at Microsoft from the late '80s to 2007, Tom went on to found Mobilize.Net in 2012, taking the role of CEO and later chairman before the company was acquired in 2023. In this episode of Beyond the Blue Badge, host Dee Dee Walsh talks with Tom about the lessons he carried forward from Microsoft and his insights for future startup leaders.
World Vision Singapore CEO shares lessons from the journey
Benjamin Tan is the CEO of World Vision Singapore. However, before landing at the international relief organization that works with children, families and communities to tackle the causes of poverty and injustice, Ben's career took an unlikely path from the tech industry — including two stints at Microsoft — to the airline industry to the nonprofit sector. In this episode of Beyond the Blue Badge, host Michael Rawding talks with Ben about his career path, what he's doing now at World Vision, and how the lessons he learned during his decade at Microsoft have served him well.
Leading with a customer-first mindset
After 12 years in leadership positions at Microsoft, Melissa Mulholland joined Crayon where she now leads the company as its CEO. Crayon, based on Oslo, Norway, is a global leader in IT optimization and innovation guiding businesses toward impactful technological advancements for the greater good. In this Beyond the Blue Badge episode with host Sabine Morlock, Melissa shares her growth-mindset approach to life, strategies that have differentiated Crayon, and insights about owning your career journey.
The journey from tech leader to venture capitalist
In this Beyond the Blue Badge episode, Sriram Krishnan joins host T.A. McCann and talks about his journey in tech from product and business leader to investor and podcast co-host. The pivotal points in Sriram's career include leaving Microsoft in Redmond to pursue tech in the Silicon Valley, and later shifting from being an executive at X to becoming an investor. Today, he is a partner at Andreessen Horowitz, one of the premier venture capital firms in the world. In this podcast, Sriram talks about relationships, taking risks, the mindset of being an investor, and tips for founders.
Becoming a Swiss Army Knife in his homeland of Costa Rica
Microsoft alum Kenneth Rivera has been in love with computers since he was 10 years old. He is a Costa Rican native and worked in the Microsoft subsidiary in Costa Rica where he managed a group of Customer Success Account Managers. Kenneth is now the vice president of engineering at Growth Acceleration Partners (GAP). He joins host Dee Dee Walsh in this episode of Beyond the Blue Badge and shares his experience working in a subsidiary, how he built his skills to become a generalist in a leadership position, the importance of networking and the value of the Microsoft connections. You'll also learn a bit about the Costa Rican culture - have a listen!
Discovering gratitude, purpose, and a lasting sense of fulfillment
After 15 years in various leadership roles at Microsoft, Krishnan Iyer is tapping into his passion of helping others. Specifically, Krishnan is focused on addressing homelessness, poverty and social inequity. He serves on the boards of organizations in the Seattle area that are dedicated to these areas, founded Humanize Homelessness in 2018 and launched Dignity First in 2021. In this Beyond the Blue Badge episode, hosted by Rich Kaplan, Krishan shares how his journey at Microsoft and working with those less privileged have shaped his current work and helped him discover purpose, gratitude, and create durable happiness.
The sometimes convoluted journey to success. Dan Shapiro is the CEO and co-founder of Glowforge, the iconic 3D laser printer. Following the biggest 30-day crowdfunding campaign in history almost nine years ago, hundreds of thousands of users are bringing their creations to life with a click of a button. Prior to Glowforge, Dan founded multiple other startups including the bestselling boardgame in Kickstarter history, Robot Turtles. With an engineering degree from Harvey Mudd College, and his career start at Microsoft on the Windows 98 kernel team, this entrepreneur has a lot of valuable information to share including insights about the startup journey, how to choose a VC, build a team, and when to sell. Have a listen to this episode of Beyond the Blue Badge, hosted by T.A. McCann.
David Do is the founder of Vietnam Investments Group, a Vietnam and Vietnam-US focused private equity firm with more than $600 million under management. This Microsoft alum was born in Vietnam but raised in Australia, educated in the U.S., and worked in China before returning to Vietnam to help fuel growth of multiple economic sectors there. In this episode of Beyond the Blue Badge, host Michael Rawding talks with David about his journey, starting an early internet company in China, investment strategies and business opportunities in Asia — and specifically in Vietnam — and how his time at Microsoft helps inform it all.
Impact through influence and action Joanne Harrell has been an executive leader in the technology and nonprofit sectors most of her career. When she left Microsoft in 2021 after 20 years with the company, Joanne was leading initiatives related to AI, sustainability, and corporate citizenship. Soon thereafter, she became the First Lady of Seattle when her husband, Bruce Harrell, was elected Mayor of Seattle in November 2021. Hear the true essence of being a First Lady from Joanne in this episode of Beyond the Blue Badge, hosted by Rich Kaplan. In their discussion, Joanne unravels her experiences in the role and delves into her vision for impactful social change. Tune in and get inspired!
The impact of thoughtful leadership.
Mteto Nyati is a successful business leader of change and opportunity. During his six-year tenure as CEO of Microsoft South Africa, he transformed the business which grew more than 60% under his leadership. His style embodies a focus on people, customers, and the importance of having an impact. In this Beyond the Blue Badge episode hosted by Sabine Morelock, he shares his driving principles in these areas and how he has not only turned the lights back on for companies and his country, but for people and the community.
Prasanna (Sankar) Sankaranarayanan, a former software engineer for Bing, is skilled at building, growing and scaling startups — mostly with success, and always with learning. In this episode of the Beyond the Blue Badge podcast, he talks with host T.A. McCann about his start up experience including his path to becoming co-founder of unicorn company Rippling and now founder of 0xPPL, a decentralized social network for the crypto natives. Reflecting on his journey, he emphasizes the importance of understanding market trends and executing effectively.
Creating a more positive place with technology policy and ethics
Julie Inman-Grant has over 30 years of experience in the corporate, government and non-profit sectors, working at the intersection of technology, public policy and online safety. She started her career as a legislative assistant in the US Congress, and later joined Microsoft in 1995 as the second government affairs professional in the company's Washington, D.C. office. In her 17-year career at Microsoft, Julie held various public and government affairs roles including leading Internet safety, privacy and security first for APAC and then globally. After serving in leadership roles at Twitter and Adobe, Julie is now the Australian eSafety Commissioner. In this Beyond the Blue Badge episode, Julie shares her perspective on online safety challenges today and how she brings passion, persistence, and purpose to everything she does.
Making the most of markets, people and leadership
Jan Muhlfeit joined Microsoft in 1993 after being with Software602 (then a startup), and he said it was one of the best decisions in his life. It's been 10 years since Jan left his 22-year career at Microsoft, and he has carried forth the focus on unlocking potential. When Jan left the company, he was Chairman of Europe and now he coaches executives and Olympic athletes, runs seminars for global corporations, speaks at universities, helps children explore their strengths, and authors books. In this Beyond the Blue Badge episode, host Sabine Morlock talks with Jan about approach to markets, people, and leadership.
How data science and generative AI are changing the world — for good.
In his last role at Microsoft, John Kahan headed up what would become Microsoft's AI for Good efforts. To this day, John continues to use data and AI to help solve the world's problems whether it's via his work with Aaron Matthew SIDS Research Foundation at Seattle Children's hospital or advising organizations that include U.S. Venture, MidOcean Partners, Stagwell, Novartis Foundation and the Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation.
In this episode of Beyond the Blue Badge, host Rich Kaplan talks with John about advances in data science, AI for Good and the evolution of artificial intelligence.
The path to board service starts with planning, networking
When Steve Guggenheimer left Microsoft as a corporate vice president in 2020 after a 27-year career, he had already been thinking about what he wanted his next career milestone to be — board service. He started laying the groundwork for that while still at the company, and now he is a non-executive director for HSBC Holdings, Forrit, Leupold & Stevens and the Software Acquisition Group. He's also an advisor to 5G Innovation Labs and Tensility Venture Partners. In this episode of Beyond the Blue Badge, Steve talks with host Rich Kaplan about his Microsoft career, the intentional steps needed to find corporate board positions and why your network truly matters.
Corporate investing with Adam Coccari
Advice for startups eyeing corporate venture capital
Adam Coccari leads Intuit Ventures. Before that, he was on the early Microsoft Ventures team, which became M12. Before that, he was a startup founder. Adam shares insights about differences between venture capital and corporate venture capital, or CVC, advice he has for startup leaders and more when he talks with host T.A. McCann.
Embracing change leads to great growth, success
In this episode of Beyond the Blue Badge, host Michael Rawding talks with Eriko Asai, co-founder of Trinity Indo-Pacific Partners. Before starting her strategic advisory firm, Eriko held notable positions that included director of policy outreach, legal and corporate affairs for Microsoft Japan and President of GE Japan. Eriko and Michael talk about leading while female in Japan, the strengths, challenges and opportunities for business in Japan, her next chapter and words of wisdom for everyone to find what that looks like.
Insights on embracing change in a dynamic world
In this episode of Beyond the Blue Badge, host Michael Rawding interviews Haresh Khoobchandani, a former Microsoft leader who is now a vice president at Autodesk and the author of "Growth by Choice." Haresh discusses his leadership philosophy, trends and opportunities in the Asia-Pacific region, and advice for current and aspiring leaders in this rapidly changing world.
In this episode of Beyond the Blue Badge, host Rich Kaplan talks with former Microsoft executive Jeff Raikes, who shares his journey before, during and after working at Microsoft. In the final part of this three-part episode, Jeff talks about leading the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the work he and Tricia Raikes are doing with The Raikes Foundation, being part of a Major League Baseball ownership group and being part of the startup ecosystem.
In this episode of Beyond the Blue Badge, host Rich Kaplan talks with former Microsoft executive Jeff Raikes, who shares his journey before, during and after working at Microsoft. In Part 3 of this three-part episode, Jeff talks about the opportunities to land business and key strategies he worked on at Microsoft that helped change the world and what he learned from the leadership at Microsoft.
Early learnings from early Microsoft In this episode of Beyond the Blue Badge, host Rich Kaplan talks with former Microsoft executive Jeff Raikes, who shares his journey before, during and after working at Microsoft. In Part 1 of this three-part episode, Jeff talks about how he went from a farm in Nebraska to working in technology and how he got interested in software while working at Apple Computer, where he was involved in the development of VisiCalc, the first electronic spreadsheet. He also reveals how he got a call from Steve Ballmer, who recruited him to join Microsoft in 1981. He also delves into what it was like in the early '80s as an early employee of the company.
Providing unvarnished insights about innovation throughout history In this episode of Beyond the Blue Badge, host Dee Dee Walsh talks with Robert Scoble, a well-known technology evangelist, blogger and author who worked at Microsoft from 2003 to 2006. They discuss his experience of interviewing hundreds of Microsoft employees, from Bill Gates to the janitor, using a small video camera and blogging about it. He also shares some of his insights into the latest trends in technology, such as AI, VR, ML and AR.
Following your passions and curiosity can lead you to the top
In this episode of Beyond the Blue Badge, Peter Proud interviews Nicola Hodson, the chief executive of UK and Ireland for IBM, about her career journey and her passion for STEM. Nicola shares how she was inspired by her father, who worked in the chemical industry, and by the Concorde, the supersonic aircraft that used to fly over her house. She also reveals how she switched from dentistry to chemistry at university after realizing she hated the former. She talks about the importance of following one's interests and being open to new opportunities.
Artificial intelligence and the art of the possible
If you're into AI and what's possible, this latest episode of Beyond the Blue Badge will have you leaning in. Host T.A. McCann talks to Rahul Sood. Rahul is a serial entrepreneur who started the Bing Fund and eventually Microsoft Ventures while at the company. Founded and sold Unikrn, the world-class esports betting and entertainment media company. And now is the co-founder and CEO of Irreverent Labs, which is on the cutting edge of using generative AI, shares what they're doing and how they plan to disrupt the way we make movies.
In the latest Beyond the Blue Badge, Michael Rawding hosts Rajiv Kaul, who was talking to us from Mumbai, India. Rajiv is currently the executive vice chair and CEO of CMS Infosystems, India's largest physical payments company and the world's largest ATM cash management company. Prior to joining CMS, He had a distinguished career at Microsoft India, including as its president from 2001 to 2005. His final stint at Microsoft was in Redmond, as senior director of the Emerging Markets Group. He talks about switching from a global tech company to a local financial industry company, how doing business in India has changed and where the best opportunities lie.
Julie Larson-Green is no stranger to the Seattle tech scene. She is well known for her work at Microsoft where she led teams of hundreds for Office and Windows. She spent 25 years at the company before making the leap to Qualtrics. Speaking of leaps, she is now CTO at Magic Leap. Host Dee Dee Walsh, developer marketing & business development at Growth Acceleration Partners, sat down with Julie in the latest episode of Beyond the Blue Badge where Julie shares anecdotes from her time at Microsoft and discusses what it's like to be female executive in tech.
Former executive Soma on how to unlearn your Microsoft ways
Pioneer Square Labs managing director T.A. McCann sat down with former Microsoft executive S. "Soma" Somasegar to discuss his work as a partner at Madrona Venture Group. A 27-year veteran of Microsoft, Soma is a legend, especially amongst Microsoft developers. He became corporate vice president of Microsoft's developer division and is credited with reigniting Microsoft's relationship with the developer community. After much reflection on his next chapter, Soma joined Madrona Venture Group based in Seattle. This was not an easy decision. In the latest episode of Beyond the Blue Badge, Soma talks about the decision-making process he went through when leaving Microsoft, the transition from operator to investor, and the essential qualities every entrepreneurial CEO should possess.
Putting humanity at the heart of every decision
Steve Vamos' impressive 40-year resume includes leadership positions at Apple, IBM, Microsoft and most recently five years as CEO of New Zealand-based Xero — a cloud-based accounting platform for small and medium businesses. In this installment of Beyond the Blue Badge with host Michael Rawding, Steve shares his thoughts and experiences on what it takes to lead a global company during a time of tremendous change. He advises on how leaders can be more empathetic and put their employees at the heart of what they do. He also shares his unique perspective of running a global company from New Zealand.
Lifting others through events, coaching, partnerships
After 25 years at Microsoft, most recently as the Global Learning and Experience Director, Nickie Smith is going it on her own as the founder of not-for-profit People for Change, to expand Be Bold for Change internationally, and help lift others through her executive coaching company, Bold Leadership Practice. Podcast host Peter Proud caught up with the UK native to talk about her starting an organization to meet her needs and those of others, international expansion, the power of coaching and more.
Investing in world-changing ideas
Francis deSouza is CEO of Illumina, a biotech company working to improve health by unlocking the power of the genome. The Microsoft alumnus is well-versed in the startup world and chases innovation. He joined Microsoft when it acquired his startup and then left the company to start another tech company before moving to the biotech industry. In this episode of Beyond the Blue Badge, Francis discusses the three questions he asks himself when he wants to start a new business, why the Illumina mission matters, his advice for fellow entrepreneurs and why he's excited about the future of innovation in healthcare.
Collaboration and unlocking the power of data Kimberly Mathisen was recently the GM of Microsoft Norway. Today, she's following her passion as the CEO of HUB Ocean, a nonprofit foundation that is developing a groundbreaking data platform and tools to "change the fate of the ocean by unleashing the power of data, technology and collaboration." In this episode of Beyond the Blue Badge, she speaks with host Peter Proud about her move to the nonprofit sector, the big audacious problems that our oceans face and how data can help save the seas.
Sharing stories for generations to come
For 26 years, Tom Ikeda has been using digital storytelling to preserve history at Densho, a nonprofit organization that he co-founded in 1996 to preserve and document the testimonies of Japanese Americans who were incarcerated during WWII. In this episode of Beyond the Blue Badge, Tom sits down with host Paul Shoemaker to discuss his family's own experiences during WWII, why he started Densho, why it's crucial to preserve history correctly and how we all need to speak up to spark change on the issues we care about.
How to become a differentiator in your career
Before joining Seattle startup Skytap in 2017, Neil Holloway spent nearly his entire career at Microsoft. During those 26 years, he held various roles including managing director of the UK and president of Microsoft EMEA. Throughout this career he has had to constantly evolve and learn, while showing up as a leader. In this episode of Beyond the Blue Badge, Neil talks with host Peter Proud about leaving his comfort zone, navigating his career at Microsoft, staying relevant, and how to become a differentiator.
Discover the framework to achieve gender equity
Allies are essential for creating change and achieving gender equity. Gavriella Schuster is working to teach more people how they can become inclusive allies. During her more than 25 years at Microsoft, most recently as Channel Chief, Gavriella was a change agent for gender equity at the company and beyond to the channel ecosystem. She left in 2021 to focus on helping others become allies within their own ecosystems. Her e-book "BeCOME ALLIES" shares framework for great allyship and gives practical ways for people to get started. In this Beyond the Blue Badge episode, Gavriella sits down with host Ali Spain to discuss her experience as woman leading at Microsoft, how being the "only" in the room propelled her into this work, six actions you can take to become a supportive ally and why it's crucial for change.
Creating new industry categories, trials and tribulations and advice for desired outcomes
Robert Wahbe co-founded Seattle-based Highspot, a company that defined a new market category. Now, the sales enablement platform is valued at nearly $4 billion. During this Beyond the Blue Badge episode, Host T.A. McCann sits down with the Microsoft alum to discuss the ideation of Highspot, the trials and triumphs that came with breaking into a new industry space, how to achieve desirable business outcomes and advice for other startup leaders.
Smart interviewing to level up on representation
Mohit "Mo" Bhende is determined to bring more diversity into engineering roles. After six years at Microsoft, Mo co-founded Seattle-based Karat, which provides the first interviewing cloud to help companies find engineers in an equitable way. In this episode, host Eddie Pate and Mo discuss how Karat is raising the bar on representation, its flagship Brilliant Black Minds program and partnership with Serena Williams, closing the interview access gap, and why he always puts people first.
Navigating the entrepreneurial ecosystem for startup success It's no secret that many Microsoft alumni dive into the startup world after leaving the company. After eight years at Microsoft as venture capital and emerging business lead in United Kingdom, Bindi Karia did just that and has since spent her career helping fuel innovation as a tech industry guru, advisor, speaker and venture partner. In this episode of our Beyond the Blue Badge podcast, host Peter Proud sits down with Bindi to discuss the stages of launching a startup, the six characteristics she notices of a successful entrepreneur, the importance of utilizing your network in the entrepreneurial ecosystem and how she's investing in the innovation of today.
Using corporate experiences to fuel the nonprofit sector and change lives
Microsoft alumni have the opportunity to use their unique experiences to supercharge change in the nonprofit sector. In this episode of our Beyond the Blue Badge podcast, host Paul Shoemaker sits down with alum Alonda Williams, author, speaker and current chief executive officer at Big Brothers Big Sister of Puget Sound, which is provides mentorship to thousands of children. Alonda discusses how she uses her Microsoft and life experiences to lead in the nonprofit sector, why she's passionate about building confidence in young black girls, and how mentorship can transform our communities and youth.
Finding the right balance for a remote workforce
Microsoft alum Joe Levy is CEO and co-founder of Uplevel, a Seattle-based software company that helps engineering teams measure and manage their time and productivity. Like many companies in the early days of the pandemic, Uplevel went 100% remote and Joe has used their own software to pivot and tweak the way his own team operates, including experimenting with a four-day work week. He sat down with Beyond the Blue Badge host Ali Spain to discuss leading during the pandemic, managing a remote workforce and keeping startup culture strong.
How to cultivate and maintain rich partnerships
In 2000, tech giants Microsoft and Accenture came together to found Avanade. The founding partnership has evolved into a global leader that digitally transforms businesses using Microsoft ecosystems. Microsoft alumnus Adam Warby was a founding employee at Avanade and was named CEO in 2008 where he stayed for 11 years. In this episode of our Beyond the Blue Badge podcast, Adam sits down with host Peter Proud to discuss navigating a company with two large corporate parents, crucial decision points to Avanade's success, advice for how to be a good partner and how he's empowering the next generation of business leaders.
Building a company culture where both your people and business thrive
Company culture can make or break a business. Growing that culture can be difficult, but it can also be the key to success. When your people thrive, so does your business. That's exactly what our new Beyond the Blue Badge podcast will dive into. Host, T.A. McCann, sits down with Anoop Gupta, co-founder and CEO at SeekOut, an AI-powered talent optimization platform aiming to help companies recruit and retain talent. Recently named CEO of the Year by GeekWire, Anoop discusses what he learned as Bill Gate's technology assistant, the pivotal decisions that led to SeekOut's success and why being kind remains a foundational principle of his company.
How to win the pursuit of diverse talent
A diverse workforce is key to a healthy, vibrant, successful and innovative organization, yet many companies claim they can't find the talent or don't have access to it. In this episode of our Beyond the Blue Badge podcast, our host Eddie Pate sits down with diversity talent acquisition expert Cody Horton to discuss how you can fish for diverse talent to fill the pipeline, what your company may be doing wrong and practical tips for an inclusive hiring and onboarding process. Cody is a veteran of the United States Navy where he was a Lieutenant Commander. He did multiple stints at Microsoft first in enterprise support before focusing on staffing. In 2016, Cody founded Diverse Recruiting Experts to help employers attract and retain a diverse workforce.
With the climate crisis looming, more people are examining how they invest their money and what impact that has on the planet — both good and bad. Sustainable investing that benefits all stakeholders is becoming more prevalent. In this Beyond the Blue Badge episode, host Peter Proud talks with fellow alum Richard Peers about nature's role in finance. Richard spent 23 years at Microsoft, at the intersection of finance and technology. After leaving in 2019, he founded Responsible Risk, which consults financial services and technology companies on sustainable finance.
How to start saving the planet for generations to come
Climate change is at the forefront of our world's issues, and it's going to take all of us to move the needle. Kathleen Hebert has dedicated her post-Microsoft career to fighting climate change, an issue she's made her purpose. Her multi-pronged approach to change includes volunteering, investing, learning and making changes in everyday life that can have lasting impact. In this episode of Beyond the Blue Badge, host Paul Shoemaker sits down with Kathleen to discuss why and how she's tackling climate change, the environmental responsibilities that different organizations and businesses have, what the future of climate change looks like for all of us and how we can contribute. Kathleen was a corporate vice president at Microsoft from 1989 to 2003. After leaving the company, she spent 19 years at Social Venture Partners, deep diving into the world of philanthropy. She's now a venture partner, board member and investor at E8 Ventures, which is investing in clean tech for environmental impact. She also serves on the board of the Clean Energy Transition Institute and The Nature Conservancy.
Pursuing social impact at work and tapping connections to spark greater change.
In this episode of Beyond the Blue Badge, Microsoft Alumni Network Executive Director Ali Spain sits down with fellow alum Susan Koehler to discuss how everyone can pursue a social impact-focused career, the evolving sustainability industry and how partnering with connections can spark larger impact. Susan held multiple roles at Microsoft over ten years, including working on social initiatives related to child safety and trustworthy computing. Susan transitioned to sustainability when she took a role as chief marketing officer at Footprint before recently joining Persefoni, a climate disclosure and carbon management solution where she can combine her passions for tech and sustainability.
Leadership in turbulent times, navigating a complex industry and taking care of employees and customers
John Mangelaars is chief executive officer at Skyscanner. Headquartered in Edinburgh, Scotland, Skyscanner is a travel search engine which sees near 100 million visits per month. At Microsoft, John spent time as general manager of the Netherlands and led advertising and online in Microsoft Europe. After 23 years at the company, John left to become CEO of Travix International and then joined Skyscanner in 2021 — mid pandemic. In this episode of our Beyond the Blue Badge podcast, John sits down with host Peter Proud to discuss leadership during crisis, the importance of taking care of people and customers and why he never lets himself get too comfortable.
Dan Lewis is CEO and founder at Convoy, a transportation logistics company based in Seattle which is now valued at nearly $4 billion. Dan worked at Microsoft for three years in product management and marketing for Hotmail and Windows, but he was always interested in startup life. By tapping his network and taking advantage of opportunities, he was able to launch Convoy in 2015, which quickly took off and now has 75,000 trucking companies on the platform. In this episode of our Beyond the Blue Badge podcast, host T.A. McCann and Dan discuss his startup journey, including disrupting an industry, building confidence and trust, securing investors, taking risks, make-or-break decision points, and adapting to change.
Allie Attenwoode loves data. As a diversity data guru, she's on a mission to empower others to utilize diversity data to inspire change at their companies. Allie joined Microsoft right after college and started in university recruiting before moving to senior recruiting operations coordinator. After Microsoft, she became a senior business intelligence engineer of inclusion and diversity analytics at Amazon. Now, she's CEO and Co-founder of Tenty Diversity Analytics and an entrepreneur in residence at Neowork Ventures. In this episode of our Beyond the Blue Badge podcast, host Eddie Pate sits down with Allie to discuss why diversity data matters, how to collect and analyze it to pinpoint problems and some of the biggest mistakes that companies are making today.
Eugenio Pace is founder and CEO of Auth0, a company that builds identity management solutions. Eugenio started as a consultant at Microsoft in his native Argentina before relocating to the Redmond headquarters as an FTE. He stayed for 10 more years before exiting to start Auth0, which gained unicorn status before being acquired by Okta for $6.5 billion in May 2021. In this episode of our Beyond the Blue Badge podcast, host T.A. McCann talks with Eugenio about how he built his company from the ground up, Microsoft's influence on Auth0, and his advice for others wanting to launch their own company.
In honor of Microsoft Give Month, we're re-releasing our inspiring conversation with Microsoft Alumni Network Integral Fellow and TAF Executive Director Trish Millines Dziko.
In this episode of Beyond the Blue Badge, Paul Shoemaker talks with Trish Millines Dziko how promoting diversity during her tenure at Microsoft became her fulltime job when founded Technology Access Foundation. Learn how her upbringing influenced her passion for preparing children of color for a career in technology, her new book and what's next for TAF.
Ross Hunter joined Microsoft in 1983 and was one of the company's first program managers. He spent 17 years at the company before getting involved in the public sector. He became a representative for the Washington State Legislature and now is the secretary of the Department of Children, Youth, and Families. In this episode of our Beyond the Blue Badge podcast, host Paul Shoemaker talks with Ross about the early days of Microsoft, transitioning to the public sector, and the important work he's doing now to foster early upstream change for children and families across Washington state.
Ed Fries created his first video game when he was only in high school. He landed a job at Microsoft in 1986 and helped develop Word and Excel before running the games group. Ed was crucial in Microsoft's breakthrough into the gaming industry. In this episode of our Beyond the Blue Badge podcast, host Rich Kaplan sits down with Ed to discuss his journey through fast-growing Microsoft in the '80s and '90s, the trials and triumphs of building Microsoft's gaming group, and the most successful products he's been a part of including Xbox and Halo.
Mylene Padolina spent a decade at Microsoft helping shape diversity and inclusion initiatives, primarily surrounding disability inclusion and youth. Now, she's a consultant through MPadolina & Associates and works with various organizations on disability inclusion to support all. In this episode of our Beyond the Blue Badge podcast, host Eddie Pate sits down with his former colleague to discuss her time at Microsoft, what made her who she is today, and how you can get involved to make the workplace inclusive and help everyone reach their full potential.
Daniela Braga is founder and CEO at DefinedCrowd, a fast-growing Seattle startup that that's working to make artificial intelligence smarter. Daniela worked at Microsoft for almost seven years in multiple program manager roles in three different countries, including her native Portugal. In this episode of our Beyond the Blue Badge podcast, host T.A. McCann sits down with Daniela to deep dive into her two decades working in cognitive technology, taking the leap to found her own startup, life as a female founder, and advice for early-stage entrepreneurs.
J Allard spent 19 years at Microsoft. Leading teams ranging from 20 to 3,000, J helped develop multiple businesses, brands, and initiatives at the company, including Xbox. He was an early advocate of Microsoft's foray onto the internet. In this episode of our Beyond the Blue Badge podcast, host Rich Kaplan sits down with J to discuss his early days at Microsoft, the birth of Xbox, and the platform he's built post-Microsoft.
In this episode of our Beyond the Blue Badge podcast, host Eddie Pate sits down with his former Microsoft colleague, Jose Pinero. Jose spent 19 years at Microsoft in multiple sectors from entertainment services to diversity and multicultural marketing. Jose is a business and career coach largely working to empower underestimated populations. He's also launching the first Latinx startup studio to infuse the startup world with diverse entrepreneurs. In this episode, Jose talks about his formative years at Microsoft, the importance of cultural knowledge in corporate America, and how he plans to change the future of work with his new startup studio.
Dianne Calvi is president and CEO of Village Enterprise, a nonprofit working in sub–Saharan Africa that aims to alleviate poverty through entrepreneurship and innovation. Dianne worked across multiple sectors — including an 11-year stint at Microsoft — before joining Village Enterprise in 2010. In this episode of our Beyond the Blue Badge podcast, host Paul Shoemaker talks with Dianne about how she's scaling Village Enterprise and why she's rooted in empathy. They also dive into how tech, data, and partnerships are crucial in the fight to alleviate poverty.
In this episode of Beyond the Blue Badge, host T.A. McCann talks with his former Microsoft colleague, Terry Myerson. Terry is the CEO of Truveta, a new health tech startup that's building a data platform to better study U.S. health using de-identified patient data. Terry was an executive vice president at Microsoft for more than 21 years before joining Madrona Venture Group and The Carlyle Group and subsequently launching Truveta. He also is part of the Seattle Sounders FC ownership group. In this episode, Terry dishes on his time at Microsoft, the opportunities that followed, utilizing his connections to soar, and how his new mission is using data to save lives.
In this episode of our Beyond the Blue Badge podcast, host Rich Kaplan sits down with alum Robbie Bach — former Xbox chief and president of entertainment and devices. As the 20th anniversary of Xbox approaches, Robbie reminisces on the early trials and triumphs of the industry-changing product. He also reflects on his early days at Microsoft, lessons learned in different product groups, and what he's been doing following his 22-year career at the company.
Charles Stevens spent 22 years at Microsoft as a corporate vice president from 1984 to 2006. Now, he's focused on what he calls "giving forward." Charles sits on the boards of multiple nonprofits including Seattle Children's and United Way of King County. In this episode of our Beyond the Blue Badge podcast, host Eddie Pate — who was hired by Charles at Microsoft — talks with his former colleague about leading diversity initiatives, lessons learned over the past two decades, and the systemic racism that guides many sectors in the U.S. including business, education, and healthcare.
Microsoft alum Njideka Harry is founder and executive board member at Youth for Technology Foundation. Njideka is a social entrepreneur that experienced the "Digital Canyon" first-hand when she moved from her native Nigeria to the U.S. for university. In this episode of our Beyond the Blue Badge podcast, host Paul Shoemaker talks with Njideka about her personal journey to start and grow YTF, Microsoft's influence, and why she's passionate about ensuring technology training and lifelong learning skills are available to all communities in sustainable and accessible ways.
Dr, Kai-Fu Lee helped establish Microsoft China and Microsoft Research China before moving on to do the same for Google. He now is the CEO of Sinovation Ventures and he's invested in more than 350 different companies in China. He's literally written the book on AI and innovation. In this episode of Beyond the Blue Badge, he speaks with podcast host T.A. McCann about the differences between entrepreneurs in China and the U.S., innovations in health tech, the many companies in China that are led by Microsoft alumni.
Orlando Ayala retired from Microsoft in 2016 after 25 years in a number of leadership roles, including overseeing 40,000 people in 115 subsidiaries around the world to working directly with Bill Gates on his senior leadership team as Worldwide Sales Marketing and Services Group's executive vice president. But retirement didn't mean slowing down. In this episode of Beyond the Blue Badge, Orlando talks with host Rick Kaplan about his Microsoft days and how he's using his knowledge of tech and his position on company boards to disrupt and transform the healthcare and energy industries.
Microsoft alum S. Revi Sterling heads the U.S. Agency for International Development Women's Global Development and Prosperity Initiative's WomenConnect Challenge. What that means is that she gets to put her passion for eliminating the digital gender divide to work every day in places around the world. In this episode of our Beyond the Blue Badge podcast, host Eddie Pate will talk with Revi about her time at Microsoft, how the seed for what she's doing today was planted there, and the impact she's having from a socioeconomic, cultural, policy and financial-inclusion perspective.
When Jon Browning looks back at his 24-years at Microsoft, he thinks about the mentors who helped him along his career path from first installing telephones fresh out of college to eventually becoming a director at the tech giant. When he left the company, he knew that there are so many people who don't have anyone help them bridge between the academic world and the professional workforce. He founded Global Mentorship Initiative to change all of that. In this episode of Beyond the Blue Badge podcast, host Paul Shoemaker talks with Jon about Global Mentorship Initiative, helping underserved students bridge that gap, and matching mentors with hundreds of individuals from around the world, including refugees from Chad, South Sudan, Syria and Palestine. They also talk about how you can help.
Building and managing a fast-growing company with more than $1B valuation Outreach.io is one the rare "unicorn" startups with more than $1B in valuation, and Microsoft alum Manny Medina is at the helm. Manny talks with T.A. McCann about fundraising, how his Microsoft experience helps, and advice to fellow entrepreneurs in the second part of this two-part episode of our Beyond the Blue Badge podcast.
Outreach.io is one of the fastest-growing tech companies with a valuation of more than $1.33 billion. Microsoft alum Manny Medina is at the helm. Manny talks with T.A. McCann about managing, building the right team and board, fundraising, and rapid growth of this "unicorn" in the first part of this two-part episode of our Beyond the Blue Badge podcast.
Steve Ballmer has always been a numbers guy. When he left Microsoft, he started to dig into our nation's numbers to get a better picture of where his philanthropic dollars could do the most good and USAFacts was born. In this episode of Beyond the Blue Badge, host Rich Kaplan talks with Steve about USAFacts, big data around some of the nation's biggest issues from the economy to the elections, from COVID to obesity and why seeing and understanding all the data matters.
In this episode of Beyond the Blue Badge, host Eddie Pate talks with Sean Kelley, a veteran of the U.S. Navy and veterans' advocate while in his roles at Microsoft, Starbucks, and Amazon. On this Veterans Day episode, Eddie and Sean talk about hiring veterans in tech and beyond, why advocacy and inclusion of veterans for a diversified workforce is essential and smart business, and how alumni can fight the good fight.
Beyond the Blue Badge host Paul Shoemaker speaks with fellow Microsoft alum Terri Cole on National Philanthropy Day about her work with Social Venture Partners and United Indians of All Tribes. They talk about listening and learning, being an advocate and ally, her work with United Indians, where she derived her passion for philanthropy, and more.
In this episode of Beyond the Blue Badge, host T.A. McCann talks with Kieran Snyder. Kieran was at Microsoft for more than nine years managing several UX groups. She got her start at Microsoft working on the core spelling and grammar infrastructure for all languages that weren't English. Today, she's co-founder and CEO of Textio, an augmented writing platform based in Seattle. She talks with T.A. about being an "inevitable founder" and starting a company with her spouse. They also discuss diversity, how Textio's board and C-suite are 60 percent female, and how she's built a killer culture.
In this episode of Beyond the Blue Badge, host Rich Kaplan talks with JoAnne Kennedy. JoAnne was one of a handful of female engineers at Microsoft in the early days. When she left the company, she became a senior director of product development at MSNBC.com and then vice president of technology for the NBC News Division. Today, she's vice president of technology at Nordstrom. Rich and JoAnne discuss the landscape for women in technology, the importance of diversity and inclusion and why women need to be advocates for each other.
In this episode of Beyond the Blue Badge, host Eddie Pate talks with Rodney Hines about his amazing career at Microsoft and Starbucks before taking a "coffee break" to start his own business, Metier Brewery. Metier is one of the few black-owned breweries in the nation. Eddie and Rodney discuss how inclusion is a main ingredient for Metier's success.
In this episode of Beyond the Blue Badge, host Lora Poepping talks with Shannon Huffman Polson about her amazing journey that took, well… a lot of grit. She grew up in Alaska, became the youngest woman to climb Denali, became the first female attack helicopter pilot in the army, did a three-plus year tour at Microsoft, and went on to become an author and speaker to share her leadership lessons. Her book, "The Grit Factor: Courage, Resilience and Leadership in the Most Male-Dominated Organization in the World," is available September 8.
Microsoft alum Reggie Brown talks with Beyond the Blue Badge host Paul Shoemaker about his passion for education, and particularly about his involvement with two organizations – Rainier Scholars and Ashesi University. They also address education's role in eliminating systemic racism.
Kai Bond was a serial entrepreneur before he became a venture capitalist. Before that, he was a program manager working with the MSN Mobile team at Microsoft. Now the partner at New York-based Courtside Ventures sits down with Beyond the Blue Badge host T.A. McCann for a frank discussion about challenges of starting companies, the importance of diverse investment teams, and three things all early-stage founders must do when they first meet with VCs.
Brad Silverberg was named P.C. Magazine's Person of the Year in 1995 for his leadership on Windows 95. In part two of this two-part episode of Beyond the Blue Badge, the former SVP of Windows shares his memories and behind-the-scenes stories of the shipping Windows 95, launch party and his life beyond with host Rich Kaplan.
Brad Silverberg was named P.C. Magazine's Person of the Year in 1995 for his leadership on Windows 95. In Part 1 of this two-part episode of Beyond the Blue Badge, the former SVP of Windows shares his memories and behind-the-scene stories of the making of Windows 95 with host Rich Kaplan.
Beyond the Blue Badge podcast host Lora Poepping talks with fellow Microsoft alum and Glassdoor Chairman Robert Hohman about building companies on the foundation of transparency, how the innovative ideas that led to Glassdoor helped pull back the curtain on workplace culture and identify what REALLY matters to employees in today's workplace.
Beyond the Blue Badge podcast host Paul Shoemaker talks with fellow Microsoft alum Ravi Venkatesan. Ravi has spent three decades leading organizations in the private, public and social sectors, across three continents and multiple industries. He was the former chairman and CEO of Microsoft India and founder of Social Venture Partners India. Today he's UNICEF's Special Representative for Young People and Innovation, and he's also the founder of the Global Alliance for Mass Entrepreneurship (G.A.M.E. India) and a trustee of the Rockefeller Foundation. Paul checked in with Ravi to discuss why his focus these days is centered on youth and helping develop future leaders. (This conversation was recorded during the early days of the coronavirus outbreak.)
Beyond the Blue Badge podcast host T.A. McCann talks with fellow Microsoft alum and Silicon Valley Bank's Head of Startup Banking Claire Lee about fundraising during a pandemic. During this uncertain time, it they discuss what's happening in the market, what entrepreneurs asking for cash need to focus on now, and they even tackle failure and how to know when it's time to quit.
Brad Chase was part of the leadership team behind the Windows 95 launch, flipping Microsoft's marketing strategy on its head and helping create buzz and consumer demand for software that changed the computer industry. In this episode of Beyond the Blue Badge, podcast host Rich Kaplan talks with the former Microsoft senior vice president about the risky and bold moves that helped make Windows 95 a phenomenon, the celebrities from Steven Spielberg to the Rolling Stones who hitched their cars to the Windows 95 train, and how success all stems from first having a solid strategic plan.
The job for life has disappeared. With the pace of technology and the pace of change, you'll have multiple career pivots throughout your life. In today's episode of Beyond the Blue Badge, host Lora Peopping sits down with Brett Alston to talk about making successful career pivots. Brett has made several career pivots since leaving Microsoft and, as managing partner of RedCloud Consulting, he helps hundreds of others who are making big career changes. He's graciously talking about what works – and what doesn't – to help fellow Microsoft alumni have success in their next career pivot.
In this Beyond the Blue Badge episode, host Paul Shoemaker speaks with fellow Microsoft alum Jabe Blumenthal. During his days at Microsoft, Jabe designed the first version of Excel and was the company's first program manager. Since leaving Microsoft, he's taken a "systems approach" to tackle big issues, including land conservation, climate change, clean energy. He's devoted much time to his work with Climate Solutions and the Progress Alliance of Washington among other organizations. Here, he and Paul talk about the importance of finding focus to make a difference, understanding the big picture, and why policy must be part of any solution.
In his first Beyond the Blue Badge episode, host and Pioneer Square Labs Managing Director T.A. McCann speaks with fellow Microsoft alum and Algorithmia co-founder and CEO Diego Oppenheimer. Diego started his company as a side project while still working at Microsoft. They discuss his ah-ha moment, when was the right time to go "all in," raising money, shifting a business model, decoding enterprise sales, and the beauty of hearing "No."
Host Rich Kaplan celebrate the 25th anniversary of the release of Windows 95 by talking with the men and women instrumental in shipping the software that changed the world. In Season 3, Episode 1, Rich talks with David Cole. David was the general manager for Windows 95. He and his team are responsible for inventing many of the software functions we take for granted today. Learn how a set of commandments, 18-hour days, and a massive beta testing program turned "Chicago" into one of the best-selling software products in history.
Our TOPPODCAST Picks 
