Beyond the Blue Badge

Beyond the Blue Badge - by the Microsoft Alumni Network Microsoft Stories that Inform and Inspire This 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.

Building community 11/06/2025

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 you on the journey that for Microsoft became about more than just office space. It shaped culture, innovation, and community. /episode/index/show/bluebadge/id/38933130

Changing the world 10/22/2025

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, Dee Dee Walsh, and Akhtar Badshah, learn how the company's legacy extends beyond the technology it creates and manifests in lasting social impact that stretches well Beyond the Blue Badge. /episode/index/show/bluebadge/id/38594755

Riding the Internet Tidal Wave 08/04/2025

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 early 1990s, when a handful of visionary Microsoft alumni saw the internet not as a curiosity, but as a revolution in the making. Hear Steven Sinofsky, J Allard, John Ludwig, Patty Stonesifer, and Mike Toutonghi recount the memos, meetings, and moments that sparked Microsoft’s internet awakening. /episode/index/show/bluebadge/id/37672420

The Birth of Microsoft Research 05/21/2025

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 Gates’ bold vision to Rick Rashid’s reluctant yet transformative leadership, discover how a small software company dared to invest in fundamental research—and changed the future of technology. Hear firsthand accounts of groundbreaking innovations, global expansion, and the “Impossible Things” initiative that helped shape today’s AI and cloud computing landscape. /episode/index/show/bluebadge/id/36658180

The Game Changer 04/16/2025

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 revolutionary launch of Windows 95. Featuring insights from Microsoft alumni Brad Chase, Steve Ballmer, and Brad Silverberg, listeners will hear firsthand accounts of the challenges, innovations, and celebrations that marked the development of one of the most iconic operating systems in history. /episode/index/show/bluebadge/id/36189500

Going global 03/19/2025

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, Jean-Philippe Courtois, Orlando Ayala, and Sanjay Parthasarathy as they share their experiences and insights on the strategies, challenges, and pivotal moments that shaped Microsoft's international expansion. Discover how hiring local talent, fostering cultural understanding, and embracing empathy played crucial roles in Microsoft's success across the globe. Tune in for an inspiring journey through the history of one of the world's most influential tech giants. /episode/index/show/bluebadge/id/35778910

Seizing opportunities 02/19/2025

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 early Microsoft leaders Steve Ballmer, Bob O’Rear, Scott Oki and Bill Neukom of how the deal came together, the challenges Microsoft faced, the strategic moves made, and the ultimate “divorce” that established Microsoft’s dominance in the software industry. /episode/index/show/bluebadge/id/35351835

Best of Beyond the Blue Badge 12/18/2024

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 reflects on the lessons learned from this year’s guests. Enjoy! /episode/index/show/bluebadge/id/34495640

Driving innovation with David Risher | Part 2 12/11/2024

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 2010, an international nonprofit organization to get children reading so they can reach their potential, and #HalfMyDAF, an initiative he launched with his wife in 2020 to inspire more giving from Donor Advised Funds. /episode/index/show/bluebadge/id/34353350

Driving innovation with David Risher | Part 1 12/04/2024

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 mission at Lyft to “get people out of their houses and bring them together.” /episode/index/show/bluebadge/id/34285295

Making your network count with Ken Horenstein 11/20/2024

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 Beyond the Blue Badge, host T.A. McCann talks with Ken about his Microsoft journey, lessons learned while going it on his own, his current firm Pack Ventures and the xMSFT Syndicate, and the power that networks — specifically the Microsoft Alumni Network — can have to supercharge the startup ecosystem. /episode/index/show/bluebadge/id/34001197

From leader to advisor with Kevin Ackhurst 11/06/2024

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 challenges and discover their purpose using perspectives influenced by his own journey. In this episode of Beyond the Blue Badge, Kevin joins host Michael Rawding to discuss how growing up in Apartheid-era South Africa shaped his values and how those early experiences continue to guide his approach to both business and life today. /episode/index/show/bluebadge/id/33802487

Mobilizing startups with Tom Button 10/16/2024

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 late ‘80s to 2007, Tom went on to found Mobilize.Net in 2012, taking the role of CEO and later chairman before the company was acquired in 2023. In this episode of Beyond the Blue Badge, host Dee Dee Walsh talks with Tom about the lessons he carried forward from Microsoft and his insights for future startup leaders. /episode/index/show/bluebadge/id/33453057

Changing career lanes with Benjamin Tan 10/02/2024

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 unlikely path from the tech industry — including two stints at Microsoft — to the airline industry to the nonprofit sector. In this episode of Beyond the Blue Badge, host Michael Rawding talks with Ben about his career path, what he’s doing now at World Vision, and how the lessons he learned during his decade at Microsoft have served him well. /episode/index/show/bluebadge/id/33281552

Propelling growth with Melissa Mulholland 09/18/2024

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 technological advancements for the greater good. In this Beyond the Blue Badge episode with host Sabine Morlock, Melissa shares her growth-mindset approach to life, strategies that have differentiated Crayon, and insights about owning your career journey. /episode/index/show/bluebadge/id/33102117

Opening doors with Sriram Krishnan 09/04/2024

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 Redmond to pursue tech in the Silicon Valley, and later shifting from being an executive at X to becoming an investor. Today, he is a partner at Andreessen Horowitz, one of the premier venture capital firms in the world. In this podcast, Sriram talks about relationships, taking risks, the mindset of being an investor, and tips for founders. /episode/index/show/bluebadge/id/32895412

From techie to generalist with Kenneth Rivera 08/07/2024

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 is now the vice president of engineering at Growth Acceleration Partners (GAP). He joins host Dee Dee Walsh in this episode of Beyond the Blue Badge and shares his experience working in a subsidiary, how he built his skills to become a generalist in a leadership position, the importance of networking and the value of the Microsoft connections. You’ll also learn a bit about the Costa Rican culture - have a listen! /episode/index/show/bluebadge/id/32394397

Durable happiness with Krishnan Iyer 07/17/2024

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 boards of organizations in the Seattle area that are dedicated to these areas, founded Humanize Homelessness in 2018 and launched Dignity First in 2021. In this Beyond the Blue Badge episode, hosted by Rich Kaplan, Krishan shares how his journey at Microsoft and working with those less privileged have shaped his current work and helped him discover purpose, gratitude, and create durable happiness. /episode/index/show/bluebadge/id/32099317

Navigating startups with Dan Shapiro 06/19/2024

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 button. Prior to Glowforge, Dan founded multiple other startups including the bestselling boardgame in Kickstarter history, Robot Turtles. With an engineering degree from Harvey Mudd College, and his career start at Microsoft on the Windows 98 kernel team, this entrepreneur has a lot of valuable information to share including insights about the startup journey, how to choose a VC, build a team, and when to sell. Have a listen to this episode of Beyond the Blue Badge, hosted by T.A. McCann. /episode/index/show/bluebadge/id/31800892

Rise of Vietnam with David Do 06/05/2024

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 fuel growth of multiple economic sectors there. In this episode of Beyond the Blue Badge, host Michael Rawding talks with David about his journey, starting an early internet company in China, investment strategies and business opportunities in Asia — and specifically in Vietnam — and how his time at Microsoft helps inform it all. /episode/index/show/bluebadge/id/31504547

Demystifying the First Lady with Joanne Harrell 05/15/2024

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. Soon thereafter, she became the First Lady of Seattle when her husband, Bruce Harrell, was elected Mayor of Seattle in November 2021. Hear the true essence of being a First Lady from Joanne in this episode of Beyond the Blue Badge, hosted by Rich Kaplan. In their discussion, Joanne unravels her experiences in the role and delves into her vision for impactful social change. Tune in and get inspired! /episode/index/show/bluebadge/id/31299082

Turning the lights back on with Mteto Nyati 05/01/2024

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 the importance of having an impact. In this Beyond the Blue Badge episode hosted by Sabine Morelock, he shares his driving principles in these areas and how he has not only turned the lights back on for companies and his country, but for people and the community. /episode/index/show/bluebadge/id/31038578

From ideas to startups with Prasanna (Sankar) Sankaranarayanan 04/17/2024

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 including his path to becoming co-founder of unicorn company Rippling and now founder of 0xPPL, a decentralized social network for the crypto natives. Reflecting on his journey, he emphasizes the importance of understanding market trends and executing effectively. /episode/index/show/bluebadge/id/30855623

Online safety with Julie Inman-Grant 04/03/2024

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 the US Congress, and later joined Microsoft in 1995 as the second government affairs professional in the company’s Washington, D.C. office. In her 17-year career at Microsoft, Julie held various public and government affairs roles including leading Internet safety, privacy and security first for APAC and then globally. After serving in leadership roles at Twitter and Adobe, Julie is now the Australian eSafety Commissioner. In this Beyond the Blue Badge episode, Julie shares her perspective on online safety challenges today and how she brings passion, persistence, and purpose to everything she does. /episode/index/show/bluebadge/id/30651258

Unlocking potential with Jan Muhlfeit 03/21/2024

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 unlocking potential. When Jan left the company, he was Chairman of Europe and now he coaches executives and Olympic athletes, runs seminars for global corporations, speaks at universities, helps children explore their strengths, and authors books. In this Beyond the Blue Badge episode, host Sabine Morlock talks with Jan about approach to markets, people, and leadership. /episode/index/show/bluebadge/id/30445103

Data-driven outcomes with John Kahan 03/06/2024

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 Matthew SIDS Research Foundation at Seattle Children’s hospital or advising organizations that include U.S. Venture, MidOcean Partners, Stagwell, Novartis Foundation and the Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation. In this episode of Beyond the Blue Badge, host Rich Kaplan talks with John about advances in data science, AI for Good and the evolution of artificial intelligence. /episode/index/show/bluebadge/id/30249063

Intentional service with Steve Guggenheimer 11/01/2023

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 that while still at the company, and now he is a non-executive director for HSBC Holdings, Forrit, Leupold & Stevens and the Software Acquisition Group. He’s also an advisor to 5G Innovation Labs and Tensility Venture Partners. In this episode of Beyond the Blue Badge, Steve talks with host Rich Kaplan about his Microsoft career, the intentional steps needed to find corporate board positions and why your network truly matters. /episode/index/show/bluebadge/id/28486511

Corporate investing with Adam Coccari 10/18/2023

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 capital and corporate venture capital, or CVC, advice he has for startup leaders and more when he talks with host T.A. McCann. /episode/index/show/bluebadge/id/28357481

Global Opportunities with Eriko Asai 10/05/2023

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, legal and corporate affairs for Microsoft Japan and President of GE Japan. Eriko and Michael talk about leading while female in Japan, the strengths, challenges and opportunities for business in Japan, her next chapter and words of wisdom for everyone to find what that looks like. /episode/index/show/bluebadge/id/28229879

Growth by Choice with Haresh Khoobchandani 09/06/2023

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, trends and opportunities in the Asia-Pacific region, and advice for current and aspiring leaders in this rapidly changing world. /episode/index/show/bluebadge/id/27961614

Beyond the Blue Badge

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