Entrepreneur
Women in Cloud unveils 50-year tribute to women driving Microsoft’s trillion-dollar market shift
As part of celebrating Microsoft’s 50th Anniversary, Women in Cloud, with endorsement from Microsoft and the Microsoft Alumni Network, proudly unveils OPULIS, a stunning global coffee table book honouring 50 women whose leadership, innovation, and vision helped shape Microsoft’s evolution and who are now championing the democratisation of computing and AI access for the next generation.
Launched under the #empowHER50 campaign, OPULIS will debut globally during Microsoft Giving Month in October 2025. The making of OPULIS was never about creating a vanity list. It is a legacy tribute, a powerful signal to every Microsoft woman, today and for the next 50 years: You belong. You have an impact. Your story matters.
Unlike traditional honours based on status, the women featured in OPULIS were selected for their significance and their ability to drive meaningful transformation within Microsoft and across the broader tech industry.
Their stories are preserved not only in print but also through purpose: net proceeds of book sales will fund Microsoft AI Certification Scholarships for women, helping underserved talent access the AI-powered economy and shape the future of technology.
Built on the Philosophy of Significance
OPULIS was not created to celebrate status, but significance. Each honouree was selected based on her ability to create systemic change, drive measurable outcomes, take responsibility for opening doors, and engage deeply in building inclusive access to innovation.
This guiding philosophy is rooted in the FIRE Framework (Focus, Impact, Responsibility, Engagement) ensures the stories in OPULIS reflect transformational leadership that spans decades and disciplines.
Chaitra Vedullapalli, Executive Producer of OPULIS & President, Women in Cloud, said: “OPULIS captures the stories of Microsoft’s women who democratized access and transformed the lives of billions. These are the architects of access, the builders of innovation, and the catalysts for an inclusive AI future. Their stories inspire and ignite action.”
A Permanent Chapter in Microsoft’s History
OPULIS will be officially archived in the Microsoft Archives and Museum, serving as a timeless tribute to the women who helped shape the company’s journey and our collective future. This will preserve the stories of the women who helped shape the company’s culture, technology, and global influence.
Letty Cherry, General Manager, Image & Culture, Microsoft, said: “OPULIS is a permanent marker in Microsoft’s historical canon honouring leaders whose contributions deserve to be seen, studied, and remembered.”
Launching During Microsoft Giving Month With Purpose
Timed to coincide with the 2025 Microsoft Giving Campaign, OPULIS will mobilise global attention to fuel impact. Each book purchased directly supports AI skilling scholarships, enabling hundreds of women to access the tools and readiness needed to lead in the next wave of cloud and AI innovation.
Nathalie D’Hers, Corporate Vice President, Microsoft Digital, said: “This book is about purpose-driven legacy. OPULIS ensures that the stories of these remarkable women build access for others. It is a celebration with intention and impact.”
Manuela Papadopol, Executive Director, Microsoft Alumni Network, added: “OPULIS is the fuel for alumni and future changemakers. A powerful nod to the women who built Microsoft’s foundation and a wink to those about to shake things up next.” –
Campaign Milestones
- Global Launch: As part of its legacy-building mission, OPULIS will be officially archived in the Microsoft Archives and Museum, preserving these stories for generations to come. The global book launch will take place on October 28, 2025, during Microsoft Giving Season.
- Funding the Future: Through its “Books to Scholarships” model, OPULIS is also a purpose-driven movement: every 10 books sold funds one AI Certification Scholarship for women, with a goal of igniting 1,000 AI careers by 2030, further cementing OPULIS as a legacy with purpose.
- Global OPULIS Book Launch Tour: This tour kicks off in India on December 3, 2025, celebrating honourees and advancing the mission of economic access and digital equity.
- Honouree Engagement: Award ceremonies, book signings, and thought leadership platforms
Congratulations to the 50 Honourees!
Aliesha Pulliam, Emcee, Speaker, Actress and Founder of Career Divas Collective
Anna Kopp, Microsoft Digital Lead Germany, Microsoft
Aparana Gupta, Principal Software Engineering Manager, Microsoft
Brea Starmer, Chief Executive Officer, Lions & Tigers
Chaitra Vedullapalli President, Women in Cloud
Claudia Martinez, Global Director of AI Marketing, SAP
Cloe Zeng, Chief Growth Officer, The Gottman Institute
Debbie Uttecht, Partner Marketing Lead, Microsoft
Dee Dee Walsh, Developer & AI Marketing, Growth Acceleration Partners
Doher Drizzle Pablo, Founder, Techbayanihan
Elaine Q. Chang, Technical Advisor to Chief Communications Officer, Microsoft
Erin Chapple (Bourke-Dunphy), Corporate Vice President, Commercial Solution Areas, Microsoft
Gavriella Schuster, Managing Director, Gavriella Schuster, LLC
Gena G., Senior Product Manager, Microsoft
Helen Fanucci, Founder & CEO, Pipeline Power
Jacqui Miranda, Head of Asia Corporate Segment, Microsoft
Jane Boulware, Chief Marketing Officer, The Gottman Institute
Jenny Lay-Flurrie Vice President, Chief Accessibility Officer, Microsoft
Jessica Rafuse Director of Strategic Partnerships & Policy, Microsoft
Joanne Harrell, Board member, Advisor, First Lady of City of Seattle and Adjunct Professor, UW Foster School of Business
Karen Bergin, Senior Director, Employee Engagement and Disaster Response, Microsoft
Karen Fassio, Principal, Abundant Marketing Collective
Karen Cone, Venture Partner, Board Director, Advisor, Mastersfund™, Fyrii, AffableBPM Corporation, Pagedip
Kate Maxwell, General Manager, Worldwide Public Sector, Microsoft
Kathy D., Director, Accessibility, Accommodations & Inclusive Experiences, Microsoft
Lakecia Gunter, Tech Executive and Corporate Board Director, IDEX
Letty Katchen Cherry , Partner and GM, Image & Culture, Microsoft
Lotte Cordt Ihlemann, Principal Product Manager, Microsoft
Maggie Chan Jones, Corporate Board Director BT Group , Sage , Ontinue , (USTA) United States Tennis Association
Manuela Papadopol, Executive Director, Microsoft Alumni Network
Melissa Mulholland, Chief Executive Officer, Crayon
Michele Plaia, AI Business Solutions Sales Leader, Microsoft
Michelle Pruitt, Chief Digital and AI Officer, PLIXXA
Michelle Thomas, President & CEO, MichelleFThomas LLC
Miri Rodriguez, Chief Executive Officer, Empressa AI
Monika Mital Gupta , Partner GM, Engineering, Microsoft
Nathalie D’Hers, Corporate Vice President, Microsoft Digital, Microsoft
Nickie Smith, ACC President, Be Bold for Change USA
Nitasha Chopra Vice President and COO, Business Applications, Microsoft
Njideka U. Harry, Founder, Youth for Technology Foundation (YTF) & Global VP & Leadership Group Member, Ashoka
Patti Thibodeau, Archivist, Microsoft
Sabina Nawaz CEO Nawaz Executive Consulting
Shannon Huffman Polson, Author, CEO, Veteran, The Grit Institute
Sharmila Rathinam, Founder and CEO, EatHappy
Sherlaender Phillips, Founder and CEO, FullCircle Leadership Group
Simi Olabisi, Director, Azure AI, Microsoft
Stacy Tatem (She/Her), Founding Member, Empressa AI
Tameka M., Director, Microsoft
Trish Millines Dziko, Co-founder and Executive Director, Technology Access Foundation
Yanna Andronopoulou, General Manager Greece Cyprus Malta, Microsoft
Now Available: The OPULIS Network Special: 5-Book Bundle
You can hold a piece of history by pre-ordering bundles of OPULIS by Oct 20th. Individual book orders will be available starting Oct 25th, 2025.
You can reach out to our VIP relationship manager at partner@womenincloud.com and we will customise the perfect bulk orders for you.
Visit our website for more information: https://womenincloud.com/opulis
#WICxAI Innovator Microsoft Certification Program
Through our unique Books to Scholarships model, every 10 copies of OPULIS purchased funds 1 full scholarship, delivering next-generation AI skills to underrepresented talent worldwide with a goal of igniting 1,000 AI careers by 2030. To unlock access for women across the world, this scholarship will now be offered completely free or 50% subsidised based on eligibility. Apply before Oct 30th, 2025 to be eligible. The first cohort of 100 members will start on Nov 15th, 2025.
To learn more: https://womenincloud.com/workforce/
Want to be involved? Join the book launch team and help amplify these untold stories of impact. Learn more and get involved today!
Indian pharmaceutical giant Sun Pharma has agreed to buy Organon for US$11.75bn in a deal aimed at expanding its women’s health and biosimilars business.
Organon, which was spun out of Merck in 2021, has built a portfolio of more than 70 women’s health and general medicines products, including biosimilars, sold in the US and about 140 other countries.
The acquisition would give Sun Pharma a broader presence in biosimilars, which are medicines designed to be highly similar to existing biological drugs, and strengthen its position in women’s health.
Dilip Shanghvi, executive chairman of Sun Pharma, said: “Organon’s portfolio, capabilities, and global reach are highly complementary to our own, and we believe that bringing the two organizations together can create a stronger and more diversified platform.”
The companies said the combined business would generate annual revenue of US$12.4bn, operate across 150 countries and rank among the top three companies globally in women’s health.
They also said it would become the seventh largest biosimilar player.
Sun Pharma said the deal would help grow its innovative medicines business and expand its biosimilars offering.
It added that the combined company would have 18 large markets each generating more than US$100m in revenue.
Organon’s largest markets include the US, Brazil, Canada, China and countries in the European Union. The company also has six manufacturing facilities across the EU and emerging markets.
The deal follows market speculation that began on 10 April, when Indian media reported that Sun Pharma had submitted an all-cash offer for Organon.
A later report said the offer had been revised to US$13bn. Sun Pharma shares rose about 7 per cent on India’s National Stock Exchange after the announcement.
Sun Pharma said it would acquire all of Organon’s issued and outstanding shares in cash, using a combination of available cash and committed bank financing. It also estimated synergies of about US$350m within two to four years of completion.
The company said the acquisition would strengthen its cash generation, with EBITDA and cash flow set to nearly double, supporting efforts to reduce the net debt to EBITDA ratio of 2.3 times resulting from the deal. EBITDA is a measure of operating performance before certain costs are deducted.
Organon reported revenue of US$6.2bn last year and adjusted EBITDA of US$1.9bn. It also reported debt of US$8.64bn, down from US$9.5bn when it separated from Merck, and a cash balance of US$574m.
In November, Organon announced plans to sell its JADA System, designed to control and treat abnormal postpartum uterine bleeding or haemorrhage, to Laborie Medical Technologies for up to US$465m. Net proceeds from the sale will contribute to Organon’s cash balance as of 31 March 2026.
Organon will merge with a subsidiary of Sun Pharma, with Organon surviving the merger. The boards of both companies have approved the transaction.
Carrie Cox, executive chair of Organon, said: “Following a comprehensive review of strategic alternatives, our Board determined that this all-cash transaction offers compelling and immediate value to Organon stockholders.”
The transaction is expected to close in early 2027, subject to regulatory approvals and Organon stockholder approval.
The women’s digital health market is set to reach US$5.28bn in 2026, up from US$4.36bn in 2025, according to a new report.
That would represent annual growth of 20.9 per cent, driven by factors including greater smartphone use among women, wider uptake of telehealth and a stronger focus on preventive care.
The report said the market could reach US$11.47bn by 2030, with projected annual growth of 21.4 per cent over the forecast period.
It also pointed to rising awareness of gender-specific health needs, expansion among digital health start-ups, growing demand for personalised healthcare, investment in femtech innovation and the spread of AI-enabled diagnostics.
Wearables linked to health apps and wider use of remote monitoring tools are also expected to play a larger role, as companies focus on more preventive and joined-up care.
Smartphone use was highlighted as a major driver because mobile apps are increasingly being used for women’s health services, from menstrual cycle tracking to pregnancy support.
The report cited Eurostat data showing that in 2023, 89 per cent of EU residents aged 16 to 74 in urban areas accessed the internet via smartphones.
The report also said companies in the sector are developing new technology aimed at improving access to more personalised healthcare.
One example it gave was a 2024 collaboration between Algorand and the Self-Employed Women’s Association to launch a digital health passport for women in India’s informal economy using blockchain technology.
Recent mergers and acquisitions were also noted. In March 2023, Maven Clinic acquired Naytal to expand its services in the UK and Europe.
North America was identified as the largest market in 2025, while Asia-Pacific is expected to be the fastest-growing region.
Companies named as key players included Flo Health Inc, Natural Cycles, Elvie, Bellabeat, Clue by Biowink, MobileODT Ltd., Glow, Veera Health, Biowink GmbH, Ava AG, Hims & Hers Health, Inc., The Women’s Wellness Centre, Elara Health, myGynaeDoc, Maven Clinic, Kindbody, Allara Health, Tia and Hera Med Ltd.
Entrepreneur
Future Fertility raises Series A financing to scale AI tools redefining fertility care worldwide
Future Fertility Inc. has announced the closing of a US$4.1 million Series A financing round.
The round was led by M Ventures (the corporate venture capital arm of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany) and Whitecap Venture Partners, with participation from new investors Sandpiper Ventures, Gaingels, and Jolt VC.
The financing will accelerate Future Fertility’s commercial expansion into Asia-Pacific and support its entry into the United States, including planned FDA 510(k) clearance for additional products as part of a broader U.S. market entry strategy.
Proceeds will also advance the development of a broader AI platform, from egg assessment through to embryo transfer, designed to support clinicians, embryologists, and patients across the full IVF journey.
M Ventures and Whitecap have supported Future Fertility’s mission to translate AI innovation into meaningful clinical outcomes since the company’s earliest stages.
Oliver Hardick, investment director, M Ventures, said: “Future Fertility is addressing a critical unmet need in reproductive medicine with a differentiated AI platform grounded in clinical data and real-world workflow integration.
“We are excited to continue supporting the company and team because we believe its technology has the potential to improve decision-making for clinicians, bring greater clarity to patients, and help advance a more personalised standard of care in fertility treatment.”
Future Fertility’s AI platform addresses a long-standing gap in fertility care: historically, there has been no objective, clinically validated method for assessing egg quality (Gardner et al., 2025), despite it being one of the most important drivers of reproductive success.
The company’s suite of deep learning tools includes VIOLET™, MAGENTA™, and ROSE™, purpose-built for egg freezing, IVF, and egg donation respectively.
The tools are based on AI models trained and validated on more than 650,000 oocyte images and are deployed in over 300 clinics across 35 countries.
Rhiannon Davies, founding and managing partner, Sandpiper Ventures, said: “The best outcomes in fertility care globally come from better data and smarter tools. Future Fertility understands that, and they’ve built a platform that delivers on it.
“Sandpiper is proud to back a team turning rigorous science into real results for patients and clinicians alike.”
Partnerships with the world’s leading fertility networks – including IVI RMA and Eugin Group across Latin America and Europe, FertGroup Medicina Reproductiva in Brazil, and most recently announced Kato Ladies Clinic in Japan – reflect growing demand for objective, AI-powered oocyte assessment in fertility care. In the United States, ROSE™ is newly available under an FDA 513(g) determination.
Research shows that approximately 50 per cent of IVF patients do not understand their likelihood of success, and many discontinue treatment prematurely, even though cumulative success rates improve significantly with multiple cycles (McMahon et al., 2024).
By delivering earlier clarity on egg quality, Future Fertility’s tools support more informed conversations between clinicians and patients, helping set realistic expectations and guide decisions about next steps.
Future Fertility’s growing evidence base spans seven peer-reviewed publications in Human Reproduction, Reproductive BioMedicine Online, Fertility & Sterility, and Nature’s Scientific Reports, and more than 70 scientific abstracts accepted and presented with partner clinics at conferences worldwide.
Christine Prada, CEO, Future Fertility, said: “Fertility treatment is one of the most emotionally and physically demanding experiences a person can go through.
“Every patient deserves objective data, not just a best guess, to support better decisions at critical moments in their care.
“This funding means we can bring that clarity to more patients, in more countries, at a moment when it matters most.”
Find out more about Future Fertility at futurefertility.com
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