PODCAST · technology
Beyond the Blue Badge
by Microsoft Alumni Network
Beyond the Blue Badge - by the Microsoft Alumni NetworkMicrosoft Stories that Inform and InspireThis podcast features alumni who are leaders in business, careers and philanthropy as they talk about lessons learned, overcoming obstacles, finding their bliss and thriving post-Microsoft.
Episodes
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Azure Rising
How Microsoft reimagined products, sales motions, and ecosystems to embrace the cloud Take a front-row seat for one of the boldest transformations in Microsoft's history—the journey to the cloud. In this episode of Beyond the Blue Badge, hosts Becky Monk and Larry Herb (aka Major Nelson) sit down...
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Building community
How Microsoft's campus informed innovation and culture The story of Microsoft's iconic Redmond campus details how a bold vision turned into a tech landmark. In this episode of Beyond the Blue Badge, hosts Becky Monk and Larry Hryb along with guests Jon Shirley, Buck Ferguson and Lisa Brummel take...
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Changing the world
Microsoft's lasting legacy of social impact Join hosts Larry Hryb and Becky Monk to discover how from its earliest days Microsoft built a culture of corporate and employee giving that rippled worldwide. With stories from alumni including Jon Shirley, Bill Neukom, Mary Pembroke, Patty Stonesifer,...
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Riding the Internet Tidal Wave
Paradigm shift offers tsunami of opportunities Before streaming, smartphones, and instant access to everything, there was a seismic shift that changed the world—and Microsoft was at the heart of it. In this episode of Beyond the Blue Badge, hosts Becky Monk and Larry Hryb take us back to the…
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The Birth of Microsoft Research
Vision, innovation and the power of persistence In this episode of Beyond the Blue Badge, hosts Becky Monk and Larry Hryb share stories from tech pioneers Rick Rashid, Dennis Adler, and Dan Fay as they explore the untold story behind the founding and evolution of Microsoft Research. From Bill...
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The Game Changer
Microsoft's Windows bet and the evolution of personal computing In this episode of Beyond the Blue Badge, hosts Becky Monk and Larry Hyrb delve into the transformative journey of Microsoft Windows. They explore pivotal moments in Windows history, from the strategic shift to Windows to the...
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Going global
Inside Microsoft's expansion journey In this episode of Beyond the Blue Badge, hosts Becky Monk and Larry Hyrb delve into the captivating story of Microsoft's transformation from a small company in Albuquerque to a global tech powerhouse. Hear from key players like Scott Oki, Bob O'Rear,...
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Seizing opportunities
Behind the bets that shaped modern computing Microsoft's early deal with IBM to provide the operating system for the first IBM PC is noted as a pivotal moment in the history of personal computing. In this episode of Beyond the Blue Badge, co-hosts Larry Hryb and Becky Monk share stories from…
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Best of Beyond the Blue Badge
Season 8 recap with Sabine Morlock After eight seasons of producing the Beyond the Blue Badge podcast, common themes emerged during our conversations with dozens of Microsoft alumni. In this final episode of Season 8, host Sabine Morlock revisits some of the more poignant conversations and…
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Driving innovation with David Risher | Part 2
A ride through technology, leadership and philanthropy In part two of this episode with Microsoft alumnus and Lyft CEO David Risher, he discusses future opportunities in the rideshare business and how he is inspired philanthropically—including an experience that led him to co-found Worldreader in...
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Driving innovation with David Risher | Part 1
A ride through technology, leadership and philanthropy In part one of this engaging Beyond the Blue Badge episode with David Risher, CEO of Lyft, talks with host Rich Kaplan about his journey from launching Microsoft Access early in his career, to shaping Amazon's retail success, to his current...
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Making your network count with Ken Horenstein
How Microsoft alumni can provide rocket fuel for the startup ecosystem Ken Horenstein cut his investing teeth at what is now Microsoft's M12. He leaned into the "learn-it-all culture" to soak up the ins and outs of venture capital before leaving to start his own venture fund. In this episode of...
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From leader to advisor with Kevin Ackhurst
The intertwining of experiences, values and purpose Following an impressive career as a technology executive, including 14 years at Microsoft, Kevin Ackurst transitioned from leading organizations to advising them. As the founder of Gentle Giant, he now focuses on helping leaders navigate...
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Mobilizing startups with Tom Button
Insights from a founder and startup leader Some may know of Tom Button as a leader in Microsoft's developer division and "Mr. Visual Basic." Others know him from his role as Corporate Vice President of Windows Product Management. After nearly two decades of shaping products at Microsoft from the...
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Changing career lanes with Benjamin Tan
World Vision Singapore CEO shares lessons from the journey Benjamin Tan is the CEO of World Vision Singapore. However, before landing at the international relief organization that works with children, families and communities to tackle the causes of poverty and injustice, Ben's career took an...
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Propelling growth with Melissa Mulholland
Leading with a customer-first mindset After 12 years in leadership positions at Microsoft, Melissa Mulholland joined Crayon where she now leads the company as its CEO. Crayon, based on Oslo, Norway, is a global leader in IT optimization and innovation guiding businesses toward impactful...
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Opening doors with Sriram Krishnan
The journey from tech leader to venture capitalist In this Beyond the Blue Badge episode, Sriram Krishnan joins host T.A. McCann and talks about his journey in tech from product and business leader to investor and podcast co-host. The pivotal points in Sriram's career include leaving Microsoft in...
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From techie to generalist with Kenneth Rivera
Becoming a Swiss Army Knife in his homeland of Costa Rica Microsoft alum Kenneth Rivera has been in love with computers since he was 10 years old. He is a Costa Rican native and worked in the Microsoft subsidiary in Costa Rica where he managed a group of Customer Success Account Managers. Kenneth...
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Durable happiness with Krishnan Iyer
Discovering gratitude, purpose, and a lasting sense of fulfillment After 15 years in various leadership roles at Microsoft, Krishnan Iyer is tapping into his passion of helping others. Specifically, Krishnan is focused on addressing homelessness, poverty and social inequity. He serves on the…
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Navigating startups with Dan Shapiro
The sometimes convoluted journey to success. Dan Shapiro is the CEO and co-founder of Glowforge, the iconic 3D laser printer. Following the biggest 30-day crowdfunding campaign in history almost nine years ago, hundreds of thousands of users are bringing their creations to life with a click of a...
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Rise of Vietnam with David Do
David Do is the founder of Vietnam Investments Group, a Vietnam and Vietnam-US focused private equity firm with more than $600 million under management. This Microsoft alum was born in Vietnam but raised in Australia, educated in the U.S., and worked in China before returning to Vietnam to help...
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Demystifying the First Lady with Joanne Harrell
Impact through influence and action Joanne Harrell has been an executive leader in the technology and nonprofit sectors most of her career. When she left Microsoft in 2021 after 20 years with the company, Joanne was leading initiatives related to AI, sustainability, and corporate citizenship.…
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Turning the lights back on with Mteto Nyati
The impact of thoughtful leadership. Mteto Nyati is a successful business leader of change and opportunity. During his six-year tenure as CEO of Microsoft South Africa, he transformed the business which grew more than 60% under his leadership. His style embodies a focus on people, customers, and...
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From ideas to startups with Prasanna (Sankar) Sankaranarayanan
Prasanna (Sankar) Sankaranarayanan, a former software engineer for Bing, is skilled at building, growing and scaling startups — mostly with success, and always with learning. In this episode of the Beyond the Blue Badge podcast, he talks with host T.A. McCann about his start up experience…
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Online safety with Julie Inman-Grant
Creating a more positive place with technology policy and ethics Julie Inman-Grant has over 30 years of experience in the corporate, government and non-profit sectors, working at the intersection of technology, public policy and online safety. She started her career as a legislative assistant in...
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Unlocking potential with Jan Muhlfeit
Making the most of markets, people and leadership Jan Muhlfeit joined Microsoft in 1993 after being with Software602 (then a startup), and he said it was one of the best decisions in his life. It's been 10 years since Jan left his 22-year career at Microsoft, and he has carried forth the focus on...
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Data-driven outcomes with John Kahan
How data science and generative AI are changing the world — for good. In his last role at Microsoft, John Kahan headed up what would become Microsoft's AI for Good efforts. To this day, John continues to use data and AI to help solve the world's problems whether it's via his work with Aaron…
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Intentional service with Steve Guggenheimer
The path to board service starts with planning, networking When Steve Guggenheimer left Microsoft as a corporate vice president in 2020 after a 27-year career, he had already been thinking about what he wanted his next career milestone to be — board service. He started laying the groundwork for...
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Corporate investing with Adam Coccari
Corporate investing with Adam Coccari Advice for startups eyeing corporate venture capital Adam Coccari leads Intuit Ventures. Before that, he was on the early Microsoft Ventures team, which became M12. Before that, he was a startup founder. Adam shares insights about differences between venture...
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Global Opportunities with Eriko Asai
Embracing change leads to great growth, success In this episode of Beyond the Blue Badge, host Michael Rawding talks with Eriko Asai, co-founder of Trinity Indo-Pacific Partners. Before starting her strategic advisory firm, Eriko held notable positions that included director of policy outreach,...
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Growth by Choice with Haresh Khoobchandani
Insights on embracing change in a dynamic world In this episode of Beyond the Blue Badge, host Michael Rawding interviews Haresh Khoobchandani, a former Microsoft leader who is now a vice president at Autodesk and the author of "Growth by Choice." Haresh discusses his leadership philosophy…
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Leadership Lessons with Jeff Raikes - Part 3 Philanthropy, Entrepreneurship and baseball
In this episode of Beyond the Blue Badge, host Rich Kaplan talks with former Microsoft executive Jeff Raikes, who shares his journey before, during and after working at Microsoft. In the final part of this three-part episode, Jeff talks about leading the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the…
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Leadership Lessons with Jeff Raikes — Part 2 Identifying and acting on opportunities
In this episode of Beyond the Blue Badge, host Rich Kaplan talks with former Microsoft executive Jeff Raikes, who shares his journey before, during and after working at Microsoft. In Part 3 of this three-part episode, Jeff talks about the opportunities to land business and key strategies he…
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Leadership Lessons with Jeff Raikes — Part 1 Early learnings from early Microsoft
Early learnings from early Microsoft In this episode of Beyond the Blue Badge, host Rich Kaplan talks with former Microsoft executive Jeff Raikes, who shares his journey before, during and after working at Microsoft. In Part 1 of this three-part episode, Jeff talks about how he went from a farm…
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Evangelizing technology with Robert Scoble
Providing unvarnished insights about innovation throughout history In this episode of Beyond the Blue Badge, host Dee Dee Walsh talks with Robert Scoble, a well-known technology evangelist, blogger and author who worked at Microsoft from 2003 to 2006. They discuss his experience of interviewing...
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Not taking 'No' for an answer with Nicola Hodson
Following your passions and curiosity can lead you to the top In this episode of Beyond the Blue Badge, Peter Proud interviews Nicola Hodson, the chief executive of UK and Ireland for IBM, about her career journey and her passion for STEM. Nicola shares how she was inspired by her father, who...
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Hallucinating the future with Rahul Sood
Artificial intelligence and the art of the possible If you're into AI and what's possible, this latest episode of Beyond the Blue Badge will have you leaning in. Host T.A. McCann talks to Rahul Sood. Rahul is a serial entrepreneur who started the Bing Fund and eventually Microsoft Ventures while…
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Transitioning from global to local with Rajiv Kaul
In the latest Beyond the Blue Badge, Michael Rawding hosts Rajiv Kaul, who was talking to us from Mumbai, India. Rajiv is currently the executive vice chair and CEO of CMS Infosystems, India's largest physical payments company and the world's largest ATM cash management company. Prior to joining...
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Putting people before tech with Julie Larson-Green
Julie Larson-Green is no stranger to the Seattle tech scene. She is well known for her work at Microsoft where she led teams of hundreds for Office and Windows. She spent 25 years at the company before making the leap to Qualtrics. Speaking of leaps, she is now CTO at Magic Leap. Host Dee Dee...
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Advice to entrepreneurs with Soma
Former executive Soma on how to unlearn your Microsoft ways Pioneer Square Labs managing director T.A. McCann sat down with former Microsoft executive S. "Soma" Somasegar to discuss his work as a partner at Madrona Venture Group. A 27-year veteran of Microsoft, Soma is a legend, especially…
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Lessons in leadership with Steve Vamos
Putting humanity at the heart of every decision Steve Vamos' impressive 40-year resume includes leadership positions at Apple, IBM, Microsoft and most recently five years as CEO of New Zealand-based Xero — a cloud-based accounting platform for small and medium businesses. In this installment of...
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Be bold with Nickie Smith
Lifting others through events, coaching, partnerships After 25 years at Microsoft, most recently as the Global Learning and Experience Director, Nickie Smith is going it on her own as the founder of not-for-profit People for Change, to expand Be Bold for Change internationally, and help lift…
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Chasing innovation with Francis deSouza
Investing in world-changing ideas Francis deSouza is CEO of Illumina, a biotech company working to improve health by unlocking the power of the genome. The Microsoft alumnus is well-versed in the startup world and chases innovation. He joined Microsoft when it acquired his startup and then left…
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Saving the ocean with Kimberly Mathisen
Collaboration and unlocking the power of data Kimberly Mathisen was recently the GM of Microsoft Norway. Today, she's following her passion as the CEO of HUB Ocean, a nonprofit foundation that is developing a groundbreaking data platform and tools to "change the fate of the ocean by unleashing…
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Preserving history with Tom Ikeda
Sharing stories for generations to come For 26 years, Tom Ikeda has been using digital storytelling to preserve history at Densho, a nonprofit organization that he co-founded in 1996 to preserve and document the testimonies of Japanese Americans who were incarcerated during WWII. In this episode…
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Adaptive leadership with Neil Holloway
How to become a differentiator in your career Before joining Seattle startup Skytap in 2017, Neil Holloway spent nearly his entire career at Microsoft. During those 26 years, he held various roles including managing director of the UK and president of Microsoft EMEA. Throughout this career he has...
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Activate allyship with Gavriella Schuster
Discover the framework to achieve gender equity Allies are essential for creating change and achieving gender equity. Gavriella Schuster is working to teach more people how they can become inclusive allies. During her more than 25 years at Microsoft, most recently as Channel Chief, Gavriella was…
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Unlocking startup success with Robert Wahbe
Creating new industry categories, trials and tribulations and advice for desired outcomes Robert Wahbe co-founded Seattle-based Highspot, a company that defined a new market category. Now, the sales enablement platform is valued at nearly $4 billion. During this Beyond the Blue Badge episode…
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Unlocking opportunity with Mohit Bhende
Smart interviewing to level up on representation Mohit "Mo" Bhende is determined to bring more diversity into engineering roles. After six years at Microsoft, Mo co-founded Seattle-based Karat, which provides the first interviewing cloud to help companies find engineers in an equitable way. In…
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Investing in innovation with Bindi Karia
Navigating the entrepreneurial ecosystem for startup success It's no secret that many Microsoft alumni dive into the startup world after leaving the company. After eight years at Microsoft as venture capital and emerging business lead in United Kingdom, Bindi Karia did just that and has since…
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Beyond the Blue Badge - by the Microsoft Alumni NetworkMicrosoft Stories that Inform and InspireThis podcast features alumni who are leaders in business, careers and philanthropy as they talk about lessons learned, overcoming obstacles, finding their bliss and thriving post-Microsoft.
HOSTED BY
Microsoft Alumni Network
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Beyond the Blue Badge have?
Beyond the Blue Badge currently has 100 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Beyond the Blue Badge about?
Beyond the Blue Badge - by the Microsoft Alumni NetworkMicrosoft Stories that Inform and InspireThis podcast features alumni who are leaders in business, careers and philanthropy as they talk about lessons learned, overcoming obstacles, finding their bliss and thriving post-Microsoft.
How often does Beyond the Blue Badge release new episodes?
Beyond the Blue Badge has 100 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Beyond the Blue Badge?
You can listen to Beyond the Blue Badge on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Beyond the Blue Badge?
Beyond the Blue Badge is created and hosted by Microsoft Alumni Network.
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