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.

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

Leadership Lessons with Jeff Raikes - Part 3 Philanthropy, Entrepreneurship and baseball 08/16/2023

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 work he and Tricia Raikes are doing with The Raikes Foundation, being part of a Major League Baseball ownership group and being part of the startup ecosystem. /episode/index/show/bluebadge/id/27774180

Leadership Lessons with Jeff Raikes — Part 2 Identifying and acting on opportunities 08/09/2023

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 worked on at Microsoft that helped change the world and what he learned from the leadership at Microsoft. /episode/index/show/bluebadge/id/27704934

Leadership Lessons with Jeff Raikes — Part 1 Early learnings from early Microsoft 08/02/2023

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 in Nebraska to working in technology and how he got interested in software while working at Apple Computer, where he was involved in the development of VisiCalc, the first electronic spreadsheet. He also reveals how he got a call from Steve Ballmer, who recruited him to join Microsoft in 1981. He also delves into what it was like in the early ‘80s as an early employee of the company. /episode/index/show/bluebadge/id/27635616

Evangelizing technology with Robert Scoble 07/20/2023

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 hundreds of Microsoft employees, from Bill Gates to the janitor, using a small video camera and blogging about it. He also shares some of his insights into the latest trends in technology, such as AI, VR, ML and AR. /episode/index/show/bluebadge/id/27514683

Not taking ‘No’ for an answer with Nicola Hodson 07/05/2023

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 worked in the chemical industry, and by the Concorde, the supersonic aircraft that used to fly over her house. She also reveals how she switched from dentistry to chemistry at university after realizing she hated the former. She talks about the importance of following one’s interests and being open to new opportunities. /episode/index/show/bluebadge/id/27379374

Hallucinating the future with Rahul Sood 06/07/2023

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 at the company. Founded and sold Unikrn, the world-class esports betting and entertainment media company. And now is the co-founder and CEO of Irreverent Labs, which is on the cutting edge of using generative AI, shares what they’re doing and how they plan to disrupt the way we make movies. /episode/index/show/bluebadge/id/27073230

Beyond the Blue Badge

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