You’ve heard of data-driven products, data-driven services and data-driven business models, but data.org is pioneering an entirely new field: data for social impact. In the premiere episode of Leading the Shift, guest Perry Hewitt, Chief Marketing and Product Officer at data.org, shares how the organization is taking data and AI and applying it to the world’s most challenging problems. Perry shares the results of the Generative AI Skills Challenge, including initiatives focused on dispelling misconceptions about women’s health in India, upskilling women entrepreneurs in northern Nigeria and creating intensive AI curricula for teachers, students and businesses in rural Mississippi. It’s a rigorous and innovative approach built around trust, respect and co-creation—as applicable to business as it is to the public sector.

Guest: Perry Hewitt | data.org

Get more innovation insights from Microsoft Azure.

Discover and follow other Microsoft podcasts.

Host: Susan Etlinger

The Leading the Shift podcast is a place for experts to share their insights and opinions. As students of the future of technology, Microsoft values inputs from a diverse set of voices. That said, the opinions and findings of our guests are their own and they may not necessarily reflect Microsoft's own research or positions.

The AI platform shift brings immense opportunity, but the road to success isn’t always clear. On "Leading the Shift," a new podcast from Microsoft Azure, we'll talk to people doing just that—leading the platform shift in organizations of all kinds to learn with them along the way. Guests share personal experiences and pragmatic advice for navigating first-of-their-kind challenges and delivering meaningful, trustworthy innovation to their teams, customers, and communities. Whether you’re a decision-maker, a developer, or just curious about this new era of tech, join us to hear how real people tackle real innovation, in real life. Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts starting January 28, 2025.