Special
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!
Former US first lady Dr Jill Biden visited Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust and Imperial College London to explore work on women’s health and antimicrobial resistance.
The visit was hosted by professor the Lord Darzi of Denham, who chairs the Fleming Initiative and directs Imperial’s Institute of Global Health Innovation.
Dr Biden, chair of the Milken Institute’s Women’s Health Network, spoke about the impact scientists, clinicians, innovators and investors can have on improving women’s healthcare.
Dr Biden stressed the importance of “collaboration, prevention and education” in improving women’s health globally.
At the museum, Dr Biden and Esther Krofah, executive vice-president of health at the Milken Institute, heard about the worldwide significance of the discovery and the contribution of women who, during wartime Britain, grew penicillin in bedpans to support early experimentation.
The discussion also explored how AMR is a key women’s health issue, with women disproportionately affected in low and middle-income countries, and in high-income settings where women are more likely than men to be prescribed antibiotics.
Dr Biden was shown an architectural model of the Fleming Centre in Paddington, which will bring together research, policy and public engagement to address AMR worldwide.
The second part of the visit brought together Imperial clinicians, researchers and innovators for a roundtable on women’s health priorities, including improving diagnosis, equity in maternity care and support during the menopause transition.
Participants highlighted wide variation in the quality of care for conditions affecting women and called for fairer access to services, with the postcode lottery named as a priority to address.
Professor Tom Bourne, consultant gynaecologist and chair in gynaecology at Imperial’s Department of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction, described how AI could improve diagnostic accuracy for conditions such as endometriosis.
Equity emerged as a central theme.
Professor Alison Holmes, professor of infectious diseases at Imperial College London and director of the Fleming Initiative, highlighted persistent gaps in women’s representation in clinical trials, including antibiotic studies, which limits the ability to optimise care and treatments.
Dr Christine Ekechi, consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, drew on national maternity investigations to underline the importance of valid data, meaningful engagement with affected communities and rebuilding trust.
Menopause and midlife health were also identified as priorities for clinical research.
Professor Waljit Dhillo, consultant endocrinologist and professor of endocrinology and metabolism in Imperial’s Department of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction, described a new treatment for hot flushes, including for women unable to take hormone replacement therapy, such as those with a history of breast cancer.
The discussion then turned to bringing innovation into health systems. Innovators shared how data and technology are being used to close gaps in women’s health, while noting challenges in accessing funding to grow and scale.
Dr Helen O’Neill and Dr Deidre O’Neill, co-founders of Hertility Health, described predictive algorithms using self-reported data to help diagnose gynaecological conditions at scale.
Embedded into clinical workflows, the technology could reduce waiting times, identify conditions earlier and improve outcomes. They noted how “we have cures for the rarest genetic conditions but don’t even have the answers to common women’s health issues.”
Dr Lydia Mapstone, Dr Tara O’Driscoll and Dr Sioned Jones, co-founders of BoobyBiome, outlined work creating products that harness beneficial bacteria found in breast milk to support infant health.
By isolating and characterising key microbial strains, BoobyBiome has created synbiotics, combinations of beneficial bacteria and the food that nourishes them, to make these benefits accessible to all babies.
Speakers throughout the visit stressed the need to reduce variation in care quality and outcomes for women, strengthen prevention and education, and address power and equity in women’s health.
Professor the Lord Ara Darzi said: “It was a privilege to welcome Dr Biden and the Milken Institute to Imperial to meet some of the outstanding researchers, clinicians and innovators advancing women’s health.
“Imperial’s unique combination of clinical excellence and world-leading research positions us at the forefront of tackling the biggest health challenges facing society and the UK’s ambition for innovation demands nothing less.
“For too long, the health needs of women and girls across their life course have not received the attention they deserve.
“By working together across borders and disciplines, we can transform equitable access to care, accelerate the detection and treatment of disease, and ultimately improve health outcomes for millions of women in the UK and around the world.”
Fashion, beauty and lifestyle retailers have joined the American Heart Association to raise awareness of heart disease in women.
The Go Red. Shop with Heart. campaign launched at the New York Stock Exchange on 30 January.
Retailers will ask for donations at checkout in February or donate a percentage of proceeds from selected items.
More than four in 10 women in the US have some form of cardiovascular disease, a term for heart and blood vessel conditions such as heart disease and stroke.
Heart disease and stroke kill more women in the US each year than all forms of cancer combined.
Brands taking part include Away, Commando, Lafayette 148, Michael Kors, Reebok, ShopSimon.com, Summersalt, Torrid and White & Warren.
More than 40 other nationwide retailers are also inviting customers to support the organisation this February through its Life Is Why campaign.
Nancy Brown is chief executive officer of the American Heart Association.
She said: “Nearly 1 in 3 women die from cardiovascular disease each year, yet women are still profoundly under-represented in the clinical research, science and medicine that could save their lives.
“Retailers and consumers are uniquely positioned to turn everyday moments into meaningful change through Go Red. Shop with Heart.”
According to the American Heart Association 2026 Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics Update, heart disease is the leading cause of death in the US and stroke is the number four cause of death.
The organisation projects that at least six in 10 US adults will have cardiovascular disease within the next 30 years and related costs are expected to triple.
However, approximately 80 per cent of cardiovascular disease is preventable through lifestyle changes.
Mindy Grossman is a volunteer board member at the American Heart Association and partner and vice chair of Consello.
Grossman said: “Retail has always been a powerful connector.
“Shop with Heart gives our industry a shared platform to lead with purpose and unite consumers in support of heart health.”
Milken Institute has launched the Women’s Health Network digital platform with Velir x Brooklyn Data to speed collaboration and investment across research, care and technology.
The new website creates a hub for members to share content, connect and coordinate projects, with branding and the first public Drupal build delivered by Velir x Brooklyn Data. A launch video premiered on 4 November 2025 at the inaugural steering committee and member luncheon in Washington DC, then featured at the Milken Institute Future of Health Summit.
Phase two is scheduled for February 2026, adding member log-ins for networking and content exchange. Phase three in April 2026 will add advanced collaboration tools and expanded community features.
“This launch represents the type of mission-driven, cross-sector digital work we are incredibly proud to support,” said Eliza Pare, vice-president of client services at Velir. “The Women’s Health Network is poised to transform collaboration in women’s health, and we’re honoured to help build the digital infrastructure that will make that possible.”
Chaired by former first lady Dr Jill Biden, the Women’s Health Network brings together leaders from industry, startups, investors, health systems, patient groups, academia and philanthropy. More than 100 members have joined, with a steering group that includes organisations such as the American Cancer Society, American Heart Association, Amgen, Deloitte, GE Healthcare, Merck, Microsoft, Northwell Health, Organon and others.
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