Women in Cloud Launches #empowHER50, Endorsed by Microsoft and the Microsoft Alumni Network, to Spotlight Women Powering the Trillion-Dollar Market Shift

New Delhi, April 17, 2025: In a landmark celebration of Microsoft’s 50th anniversary, Women in Cloud, a global network of 1,20,000 Women Tech Founders and Professionals, committed to inspire the tech ecosystem globally, has launched the #empowHER50 campaign. It honours the women who have been instrumental in powering Microsoft’s evolution into a trillion-dollar tech leader. The campaign recognises over 50 trailblazing women whose leadership, innovation, and commitment have democratised access to technology, created economic opportunities, and opened doors for millions. It also helps the future generation of leaders gain skills in cloud computing, cybersecurity, and AI development.

The #empowHER50 campaign is an initiative by Women in Cloud and endorsed by Microsoft and the Microsoft Alumni Network. It spotlights women technologists, executives, and advocates who built the critical digital infrastructure that fuels today’s global economy. These pioneers helped transform enterprise ecosystems, build innovative solutions and programs and scale cloud marketplaces. Their work laid the foundation for the intelligent cloud, secure DevSecOps pipelines, and access to enterprise-grade AI.

Act 1: Powering the Future with AI Skills Fest

The campaign launched with a high-impact, 24-hour AI Skills Fest on April 8, 2025. It was also an attempt to set a Guinness World Records™ for “the most users to take an online multi-level AI lesson in 24 hours.” Thousands from around the globe participated, earning digital credentials while building skills that will define the next era of digital transformation—from intelligent automation and data modelling to responsible AI design.

“The #empowHER50 campaign rewrites the narrative of who shapes the future of technology,” says Chaitra Vedullapalli, Co-Founder & President of Women in Cloud. “These women are not just participants—they are trailmakers, power-builders, policy influencers, and pioneers of economic access. As we face the next trillion-dollar AI-powered shift, access to AI innovation must be democratized. That’s why we’re mobilizing women with industry credentials, DevSecOps skills, thought leaders, and AI fluency—because equitable access to AI & Quantum isn’t just the right thing to do, it’s the smartest investment we can make in our collective future.”

Act 2: Investing in the Future

Achievements pave the way for future success, so following the Skills Fest, the #empowHER50 campaign will move to 50 Days of Learning. The training program is meant to deepen the AI and DevSecOps expertise of participants. It would offer curated AI training, expert-led training sessions and self-paced tutorials. All of it is designed to prepare women for leadership in an AI-powered economy. The learning tracks focus on real-world applications such as secure software pipelines, machine learning operations (MLOps), cloud-native app development, and data-driven decision-making.

There would be monthly DevSecOps workshops in collaboration with the WiC partner network and empowHER50 leaders. Women in Cloud would also offer subsidised scholarships for 1,000 women to earn DevSecOps certification.

Act 3: Celebrating Contributions

The final initiative within the #empowHER50 campaign is the awards gala and launch of #OPULIS. The #empowHERaccess Awards and Recognition Gala will be held on July 18, 2025. It will celebrate the women who shaped Microsoft and the global tech industry and connect with those building what’s next.

#OPULIS is a commemorative coffee table book that documents 50 years of inclusive tech leadership. It amplifies women-led initiatives as an ICONIC artifact for future generations. The #empowHER50 movement culminates at #WICxINDIA from December 3–5, 2025, showcasing global momentum toward a digitally equitable future for all.

The hashtags - #empowHER50 #AIforAll #womenincloud #empowHERaccess #WICxDevSecOps

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About Women in Cloud:

Women in Cloud is a community-led economic development organisation with a bold mission to unlock $1 billion in new net economic access for women entrepreneurs and professionals by 2030. In collaboration with Fortune 100 companies, government agencies, and community leaders, WIC creates pathways to cloud and AI careers, entrepreneurial success, and leadership through collective action. WIC has already made a $500M+ economic impact, empowered 120,000+ women, and built an ecosystem recognised by the Washington State Senate and Guinness World Records™