Inclusion is Innovation
Stories behind the innovation
Animated Story
Uncovering courageously
Senior Technical Specialist Brent Nix once felt obligated to navigate unsafe workspaces. However, a pivotal incident at a previous company gave him the courage to uncover and ultimately find a space and voice at Microsoft where he no longer felt the need to hide his true self.
Featured Artist: Lynne Hardy
Animated Story
Innovating beyond the mind’s eye
Emmanuelle Rodrigues Nunes has an invisible disability that prevents her from visualizing things in her mind. Now she proves that she can do anything that anybody else can, working passionately to spread awareness of aphantasia.
Featured Artist: Dana Kearly
Animated Story
Embrace your identity, embrace life
Kimberly Marreros Chuco discusses embracing one’s unique identity and learning from challenges, emphasizing the importance of adaptability and accepting mistakes as part of growth, inspired by her experiences moving from an Andean mining town.
Featured Artist: Tai Silva
Animated Story
Showing up, authentically
Senior Program Manager Morty Scanlon, often felt unsafe bringing his identity to the forefront. Now, at Microsoft, he’s been given the welcoming and supportive environment that he’s needed to thrive in the workplace. Discover his story of authenticity and advocacy.
Featured Artist: Avalon Nuovo
Animated Story
This is my sazón
Ivelisse Capellan Heyer is a user experience designer who uses patience and her family to combat her own self-doubt.
Featured Artist: Sol Cotti
Animated Story
Everything has a solution
Jose Hernandez is a data scientist who uses the lessons instilled by his parents to find solutions to the challenges around him.
Featured Artist: Sebastian Curi
Animated Story
Master of messiness
As a mom and a tech leader, Elaine Chang has learned to embrace the chaos and put her “octopus mind” to work in service of innovation, at work and at home.
Featured Artist: Niege Borges
Animated Story
What leaders look like
Shrivaths Iyengar worried that coworkers would be reluctant to follow a leader who had disabilities. Instead, he discovered that his experiences made him a stronger, more empathetic manager.
Featured Artist: Ananya Rao-Middleton
Animated Story
Experiencing both sides
As a child, Ana Sofia Gonzalez crossed between Juárez, Mexico , and El Paso, Texas, every day to go to school. Learning how to live, communicate, and connect in both cultures has made her a better designer, mentor, and innovator.
Featured Artist: Dai Ruiz
Real progress requires real work
Innovation demands intention.
Microsoft’s custom Allyship Program is grounded in our unique growth mindset culture, focusing on allyship, covering, and privilege to intentionally shift behavior. We pair it with a company-wide D&I; performance priority, so that every employee is accountable for culture change.
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Innovation thrives on insight.
The conversation about identity in the workplace is rapidly evolving. That’s why we engage external experts to spark employee and ecosystem conversations on topics like intersectionality, mental health, faith, gender identity, and chosen families.
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Innovation requires introspection.
We are accountable to look within our organizations, assess what is working and what is not, and measure our progress. As one of the most transparent multinationals of our size, we proactively share data on representation and inclusion.
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Innovation calls for investment.
Our collective potential is limited when everyone doesn’t have access. Microsoft supports unique partnerships to invest in students interested in technology careers. We develop custom programs such as the Neurodiversity Hiring Program, Microsoft Leap, and the Microsoft Software and Systems Academy for transitioning military service members to clear a path for future tech talent.
