Meet the judges who will decide the 2025 Imagine Cup World Champion
The countdown to the 2025 Imagine Cup World Championship has begun – watch live on May 19!
Every year, the Imagine Cup brings together the brightest student innovators from around the world, empowering them to turn their ideas into market-ready startups. After months of hard work, innovation, and competition, it all comes down to the global stage at Microsoft Build on May 19th, where the 2025 Imagine Cup World Champion will be revealed. The winning team will earn this coveted title, $100,000 USD, and a mentorship session with Microsoft Chairman and CEO, Satya Nadella.
The 2025 Imagine Cup launched in October 2024, challenging students worldwide to harness the power of AI to solve real-world problems. From a highly competitive pool of submissions, standout teams were selected by a panel of judges and received one-on-one coaching from Microsoft experts — refining their pitches and strengthening their products. Now, just three finalist teams remain, set to pitch their startups at the World Championship, with the winner announced at Microsoft Build. Throughout the competition, students gained access to the latest AI technology, entrepreneurial experience, and global exposure—proving that with the right tools and support, student innovation can shape the future.
With the World Championship just around the corner, we’re excited to introduce this year’s esteemed panel of judges—visionary leaders who bring deep expertise in AI, entrepreneurship, and innovation.
Asha Sharma
Asha Sharma
CVP, Product, AI Platform, Microsoft
Asha Sharma leads product development for Microsoft’s AI Platform. The AI Platform serves all Microsoft first party teams and enterprise customers with critical infrastructure, foundation models, and tool chains to build, manage, and deploy AI applications. This includes products ranging from Azure Machine Learning to Cognitive Services to our customizable APIs and Azure AI services.
Prior to Microsoft, Asha was the Chief Operating Officer of Instacart (Nasdaq: CART) responsible for the P&L, product, design, data science, research, marketing, operations, customer support and new businesses. Asha was also previously Vice President of Product at Meta overseeing multiple product groups building Messenger, Instagram Direct, Messenger Kids, Remote Presence (calling, video, etc.), and company-wide platforms.
Asha earned a Bachelor of Science degree in business from University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management.
Anastasia Georgievskaya
Anastasia Georgievskaya
CEO and Co-founder, Haut.AI
Anastasia Georgievskaya is the CEO and Co-founder of Haut.AI, an Estonian-based technology company pioneering the use of artificial intelligence and generative AI in beauty commerce and clinical research. With a strong foundation in bioengineering and biophysics, Anastasia brings over nine years of hands-on experience in applying advanced AI to personalized skincare and longevity-focused innovations. Under her leadership, Haut.AI has become a front-runner in computer vision and generative AI technologies that empower beauty brands to deliver hyper-personalized product recommendations and skin health insights.
Haut.AI is part of the Microsoft for Startups Pegasus Program.
Khalil Fuller
Khalil Fuller
Partner and Head of Dorm, Pear VC
Khalil Fuller is a Partner at Pear and the Head of Dorm. He supports student entrepreneurs, from first years to PhD candidates, in refining their ideas and taking bold action to pursue startup success.
Khalil is a multi-time founder. The companies he has started have cumulatively reached over $100M in revenue and 5M+ users. He was the Co-founder & CEO of Learn Fresh, a K-12 edtech company that makes math fun using the statistics and celebrity of professional sports, the Co-Founder & President of Boundless, a venture studio that builds and backs vertical SaaS companies in overlooked markets, the Founder of Trak Changes, a productivity software tool for the construction industry, and the Founder & CEO of Gift Card Bank, a nonprofit that distributes gift cards to low-income families in need.
He graduated from Brown University and earned his MBA & MA Ed from Stanford as a Knight-Hennessy Scholar. Khalil lives in Berkeley with his wife Hadley and their Australian Shepherd named Thisbe.
Earlier this year, Microsoft joined forces with Pear VC to become the official cloud and AI provider for their elite early-stage accelerator, PearX.
Dream it. Build it. Live it.
We’re honored to have these incredible judges at the 2025 Imagine Cup World Championship. Their insights and perspectives will help spotlight the bold ideas and hard work of our student finalists.
The Imagine Cup World Championship is a unique opportunity to witness the next generation of innovators in action. From breakthrough AI applications to bold solutions addressing global challenges, this event showcases how student-led startups are already shaping the future.
Tune in to Microsoft Build on May 19th to see which team will be crowned the 2025 Imagine Cup World Champion!
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Updated Apr 26, 2025
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