Each 8th of March, Worldwide Ladies’s Day (IWD) is widely known. This celebration serves as a robust reminder of the strides we’ve made towards gender equality and the work nonetheless forward. This 12 months, below the theme #AccelerateAction, we have a good time the ladies who’re driving change, breaking obstacles, and fostering inclusivity.
At Microsoft Study Pupil Ambassadors (MLSA) and the Ladies and Gender Minorities in Tech (WGMIT) Neighborhood, we consider within the energy of recognition and illustration. In honor of Worldwide Ladies’s Day 2025, we’re recognizing distinctive individuals who have made a tangible influence—whether or not by mentoring others, main initiatives, advocating for range, or constructing revolutionary options that empower underrepresented teams in addition to male allies who help girls within the Microsoft Study Pupil Ambassadors (MLSA) group, Microsoft Most Precious Professionals (MVPs), and Program and Operations administration workforce.
Why This Issues: Ladies stay underrepresented within the tech business, comprising 25% of tech jobs worldwide. Growing illustration not solely fosters innovation but additionally ensures various views in problem-solving. Recognizing the contributions of ladies in STEM helps to encourage the subsequent technology of leaders and create a extra inclusive digital future.
The Function of Male Allies: Male allies play a vital position in driving fairness and inclusion within the tech business. Their energetic help—by way of mentorship, sponsorship, advocacy, and coverage modifications—helps break down obstacles for ladies.
Honorees had been nominated by Microsoft Study Pupil Ambassadors in recognition of their excellent contributions and influence. Members of the Ladies and Gender Minorities in Tech (WGMIT) management workforce reviewed every nomination, evaluating nominees primarily based on key standards, together with influence, advocacy, and management.
Every honoree has made a outstanding distinction, and we’re honored to share their tales, amplify their voices, and encourage the subsequent technology of changemakers.
Let’s meet the honorees!
Sayanti Chowdhury
YouTube | Medium | GitHub | MLSA Profile
Sayanti Chowdhury is a rising drive within the tech group, making waves by way of her contributions to safety analysis, AI, and cloud computing.
Influence: As a Microsoft Safety Researcher (MSRC), she has actively enhanced Microsoft’s safety requirements. She can also be a devoted tech blogger and content material creator, sharing her experience on AI, cloud, and growth matters by way of medium articles and YouTube movies. As a passionate advocate for ladies in tech, she constructed a Fb group devoted to supporting girls in STEM and has helped over 15 college students, particularly girls, safe free Microsoft certification vouchers to advance their careers. Having earned a number of Microsoft certifications and led impactful tech initiatives, Sayanti is a real position mannequin within the MLSA group.
Philippa Burgess
LinkedIn | MLSA Profile
Philippa Burgess is a Gold MLSA Ambassador identified for her dedication to mentoring and empowering girls in tech.
Influence: Philippa has created a number of workshops and group initiatives that assist college students, particularly girls, develop within the MLSA program. Via her efforts, a number of group members have reached the gold MLSA milestone. She has additionally contributed considerably to Cybersecurity and AI, publishing insightful articles and main collaborative initiatives every quarter. Her management was instrumental in her workforce’s victory within the MLSA AI Tasks, the place she supplied steerage on AI ideas. Philippa continues to uplift girls in tech by making certain they’re well-represented in all her initiatives and by serving as an inspiration to different girls in tech.
Abeer Moazzam
LinkedIn | MLSA Profile
Abeer Moazzam is an influential chief within the tech group, making an enduring influence by way of her roles as a Microsoft Study Pupil Ambassador (MLSA), Nationwide Coordinator for Hult Prize UAE, and Campus Director at her college.
Influence: Over the previous three years, Abeer has led quite a few workshops and mentorship packages, empowering college students worldwide. She is a passionate advocate for ladies in tech, having mentored and supported many aspiring girls in tech. Via her management, she actively creates alternatives and ensures inclusivity in tech areas. Her initiatives have considerably contributed to gender range and supplied hands-on studying experiences to numerous college students.
Kritika Subedi
MLSA Profile | LinkedIn
Kritika Subedi is a passionate Microsoft Study Pupil Ambassador who has made vital contributions to tech training and group constructing.
Influence: Kritika has carried out a number of periods on Microsoft Azure, AI, and cloud computing, serving to college students acquire sensible expertise. She has additionally organized Hour of Code (HOC) periods for women in colleges, introducing younger feminine college students to programming and provoking them to pursue careers in know-how. As the primary MLSA from her all-girls campus, she has actively labored to shut the gender hole in tech.
Hamna Khalil
LinkedIn | MLSA Profile
Hamna Khalil is an influential MLSA in Pakistan, acknowledged for her contributions to tech training and community-building. She is thought to be probably the most energetic feminine MLSAs in Pakistan
Influence: Hamna’s articles have twice been acknowledged because the most-read articles of their respective months. She has spoken twice on the Microsoft Reactor YouTube channel. She based TECHTALK, a group devoted to empowering feminine college students in her college by fostering their private {and professional} progress. Via TECHTALK, she has mentored girls and led initiatives that encourage extra girls to pursue careers in know-how.
Diana Michelle Barrantes Gallardo
LinkedIn | MLSA Profile
Diana Michelle is a passionate advocate for ladies in STEM, working to bridge the gender hole in tech.
Influence: She has organized hackathons, workshops, and conferences, creating inclusive studying areas. Via her TikTok and LinkedIn communities, she shares insights on AI, cybersecurity, and programming, inspiring extra girls to enter these fields. Diana has additionally contributed to analysis and mentoring initiatives, offering certification help and profession steerage. Her efforts proceed to form a extra inclusive and various tech business.
Rachel Irabor
LinkedIn | Twitter | MVP Profile
Rachel Irabor is a Microsoft MVP, Developer Relations (DevRel), and International Public Speaker, famend for her contributions to the Microsoft 365 and Energy Platform communities.
Influence: Rachel has actively engaged with the tech group by way of numerous channels, together with her YouTube channel, which has garnered over 50,000 views. Via her podcast, “Lady in Love with Tech,” Rachel mentors aspiring college students, notably girls, fostering range and inclusion within the subject. Rachel’s unwavering dedication to know-how evangelism and group growth continues to encourage and empower people worldwide.
Sarah Williams
LinkedIn
Sarah Williams serves because the Lead Operations Supervisor for the Microsoft Study Pupil Ambassadors (MLSA) program, exemplifying management, grace, and respect.
Influence: She approaches challenges with a relaxed, strategic mindset, making certain swift and efficient resolutions. Her clear and considerate communication fosters belief and confidence amongst colleagues, making her a useful asset to the workforce. Past her technical experience, Sarah’s supportive management fashion evokes these round her to carry out at their greatest. She units a excessive customary for excellence and stays a gentle, guiding presence within the face of any problem.
As a supervisor, Sarah excels at fostering a wholesome work-life steadiness for all workforce members, with a selected deal with supporting girls. She understands the distinctive challenges that working girls face and actively promotes an setting the place private well-being {and professional} success go hand in hand. Sarah leads by instance as a working mom, demonstrating that it’s doable to thrive in a demanding profession whereas additionally prioritizing household.
Eury Rivera Vasquez
LinkedIn
Eury Rivera Vasquez is an completed Operations Supervisor overseeing a number of initiatives, together with AI initiatives and Gold scholar help within the MLSA program. Her capability to offer clear, environment friendly steerage ensures easy day by day operations and strengthens the general expertise for ambassadors.
Eury performs a pivotal position in fostering inclusivity inside MLSA, notably for ladies in tech. She has supported a whole bunch of Gold Ambassadors worldwide, making certain they obtain the advocacy and mentorship wanted for fulfillment. Via AI-focused initiatives, she actively promotes equitable alternatives for ladies, inspiring the subsequent technology of ladies. Her management, professionalism, and unwavering dedication make her a trusted and valued member of the MLSA workforce.
The Ladies and Gender Minorities in Tech (WGMIT) Leads—Olivia Oputa, Dija Vijay, Valentina Lazaro, and Eleanora Matalanga—have pushed impactful initiatives at MLSA. For Worldwide Ladies’s Day 2024, the workforce hosted two world occasions in English and Spanish, partaking 60+ girls and that includes Microsoft MVPs and MLSA CPMs. The OpenTechInclusion program fostered open-source contributions, awarding high contributors for his or her efforts. Via the Azure AI Boot Camp, the leads supplied hands-on coaching and distributed certification vouchers, empowering college students with AI expertise. Their efforts proceed to advertise range and inclusion in tech, making certain girls entry sources, mentorship, and progress alternatives in tech
Socials: Olivia | Diya | Eleanora | Valentina
Zaynul Abedin Miah
LinkedIn | MLSA Profile | YouTube
Zaynul Abedin Miah serves for example of true allyship in tech, actively dismantling obstacles that restrict girls’s participation. As a Microsoft Study Gold Pupil Ambassador and chief in Azure Tech Group Bangladesh and Cloth Person Neighborhood Bangladesh, he has remodeled alternatives for ladies in tech by way of daring, inclusive actions.
Influence: Zaynul assisted no less than 15 girls to earn their first certifications, by prioritizing girls whereas distributing Azure certification vouchers. His dedication extends to occasion planning—reserving 50% of research group seats for ladies and making certain workshops accommodate cultural constraints by scheduling them throughout daytime. His management at Kubernetes Neighborhood Day Chattogram led to an unprecedented 62.5% feminine speaker illustration, and he personally mentored first-time feminine audio system. Zaynul doesn’t simply advocate for inclusion—he takes deliberate, culture-sensitive actions that create actual change.
The Microsoft Study Pupil Ambassadors (MLSA) program is a worldwide initiative that empowers college students to develop technical and management expertise whereas partaking with native and world tech communities.
The Ladies and Gender Minorities in Tech (WGMIT) Neighborhood at MLSA is devoted to fostering inclusivity, mentorship, and help for underrepresented teams in tech. Via occasions, mentorship, and advocacy, WGMIT creates alternatives for progress and management within the business.
The Microsoft Most Precious Professionals (MVP) program acknowledges know-how consultants who actively share their information and contribute to the broader tech group.
How one can Get Concerned
- Have fun and Join: Comply with and interact with the honorees on their social platforms. Share their tales and amplify their work.
- Be a part of the Motion: Grow to be an advocate for inclusivity in tech by mentoring, sponsoring, or creating alternatives for underrepresented teams.
- Be A part of MLSA and WGMIT: Take part in our packages, mentorship initiatives, and tech communities to foster progress and empowerment.
This Worldwide Ladies’s Day 2025 let’s decide to #AccelerateAction—not simply right now, however on daily basis. Let’s have a good time and uplift these making a distinction within the tech business.
We’re grateful to our group for nominating and recognizing these excellent people. Hold the dialog going by sharing your individual tales utilizing #MLSAIWD2025 and let’s proceed to construct an inclusive tech ecosystem collectively.
