Understanding the Microsoft MVP Program: Seeking Clear Guidance
Hello everyone, I’d like to start a discussion about the Microsoft Most Valuable Professional (MVP) Program. My main concern is understanding the process of becoming an MVP and the specific requirements involved. I know the program recognizes exceptional community leaders and experts who share their knowledge and support others, but the actual path to nomination and selection seems a bit unclear. Could anyone share clear guidance on the eligibility criteria, the nomination process, the types of contributions that are most valued, and practical tips to strengthen an application? Your insights and experiences would be highly valuable, not just to me but also to others in the community who may be interested in pursuing this recognition. Thank you so much for your attention and participation.Women For Technical Talks: Building Visibility, Confidence, and Impact
Technical Content and Tracks The agenda reflected a broad and diverse technical scope, structured into four main tracks: Track 1: AI, Cybersecurity, and Economy Track 2: Motivation and Power Platform Track 3: Power BI Track 4: Data and Development with Power Platform The distribution of accepted sessions highlighted strong interest in artificial intelligence and motivation focused topics, alongside core technical areas. Topics such as AI (6 sessions) and Motivation (6 sessions) led the agenda, followed by Data (3), Development (3), Power Platform (2), and Power BI (1). In total, 21 thematic sessions were delivered within this structure. Community Engagement and Live Streaming Reach Attendance and engagement metrics further demonstrated the event’s success. The conference welcomed 291 registered attendees, with a notably high female participation rate of 79.04%, while male participation accounted for 20.96%. This balance illustrates the inclusive nature of the event while remaining open to the broader community. Participants joined from a wide range of countries, with Spain representing 68.04% of attendance, followed by Argentina (5.84%) and Colombia (4.12%). Additional participation came from countries across Europe, Latin America, and North America, including the United States, Germany, Mexico, Peru, Brazil, Portugal, and others, reflecting the global resonance of the initiative. Live streaming played a key role in amplifying the event’s impact. Chat interactions and real‑time engagement during sessions confirmed strong participation and interest across both days. Presence in Major Technical Events Beyond its own events, Women For Technical Talks (W4TT) has maintained an active presence in major conferences such as Bizz Summit, Power BI Days, .NET events, Global AI events, and other international conferences. In many of these, the community is given a dedicated 10‑minute space to present its mission and activities. These moments have proven especially impactful, as they consistently attract new women who approach the team afterwards to ask how they can participate as future speakers. Learning Moments and Community Anecdotes Like any live event, the journey included learning moments. There were last‑minute track changes and the occasional loss of a speaker, all handled through collaboration and community support. One particularly memorable moment came from reading the live chat, where attendees openly encouraged new speakers. Several first‑time presenters shared how they paused, breathed deeply, and realized—often mid‑session—that they were successfully delivering their talk to a supportive audience. These moments reinforce the emotional and human value behind the numbers. In the words of attendees: - Alba Catoira – “It has been an honor to share this space with so many inspiring professionals, to hear their stories, learn from their journeys, and feel the energy of a community that champions female talent in technology. Heartfelt thanks to the organizers for their dedication and hard work in making this event a success, to the speakers and participants for their generosity in sharing knowledge and experiences, and to the sponsors for supporting initiatives that promote diversity and inclusion in the tech sector. I leave feeling inspired and having learned so much.” - Yesarelly Salazar – “What a wonderful experience!!! What once was just an idea has now become a reality. Thank you to Women For Technical Talks (W4TT) for creating these spaces full of learning, to the sponsors for supporting this kind of initiative, and to everyone who dedicated their time to take part.” Looking Ahead: What’s Next for W4TT Women For Technical Talks is already preparing the next steps. The community plans to strengthen its monthly activity, creating a consistent rhythm of engagement and learning. A new in-person conference is planned for June, with a clear goal of increasing the number of participating countries and further reinforcing its international identity. Future priorities also include increasing visibility on social networks, improving the community website, and identifying new needs and formats for monthly activities. Each decision continues to be guided by the same principle that started W4TT: ensuring that more women feel confident, visible, and supported when sharing their technical knowledge.Thinking of Joining the MVP Program? Hear What Makes It Special!
We’re thrilled to share our brand-new video spotlighting the heart of the MVP Program - our MVPs themselves! In this inspiring video, MVPs from around the world open up about what being part of this global community means to them, and why they love it. Watch the MVP Program video here If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to be an MVP - or if you're considering applying - this is the perfect place to start! But that’s just the beginning. We’ve gathered a set of helpful resources to guide you through the program and how to get involved: New to the MVP Program? Start Here: MVP Communities Website – Find everything you need to know about the MVP Program, including how to apply, who the MVPs are near you, and the impact they’re making in their communities. MVP FAQs - Our updated FAQ page answers key questions about the application process, eligibility, expectations, and more. Live Event Replay - Don’t miss the replay of our recent live session, where MVPs Anastasia Salari and Zaid Zaim share their personal journeys, practical advice, and tips for those thinking about applying. Ready to Take the Next Step? If you’ve been actively contributing to the community over the past 12 months, this might be your moment. Whether through sharing knowledge, helping others, organizing events, or driving conversations - you’re exactly who the MVP Program is looking for. Dive into the resources, get inspired by the stories, and if you meet the criteria, consider applying or connecting with someone who can nominate you. Your journey to becoming an MVP could start today!
The Remarkable Journey of Microsoft Communities in Northern Nigeria
In 2019, a staggering statistic from the World Bank revealed that 87% of Nigeria's impoverished population resided in the North. Motivated by this alarming reality, Hriscare International Foundation, a local NGO in Northern Nigeria, embarked on a mission to combat poverty. Fortuitously, during the Microsoft Certified Trainer West Africa boot camp in Abuja that same year, Tabitha Hris, the founder of Hriscare International Foundation, and Collins Ajonye, CEO of GovirtualAfrica, were introduced to the Microsoft Certified Trainers West Africa Bootcamp which was held in Abuja . This encounter highlighted the absence of an active Microsoft community in Northern Nigeria. Guided by Mr. Seyi Oluwawujumi and Mr. Ayodeji Folarin, Tabitha Hris and Collins Ajonye resolved to establish the Northern Microsoft Community. In 2021, Hriscare International Foundation initiated a program called Techprenuer's Ignite with Microsoft, launching the first project in Jos, Plateau State. This initiative led to the creation of the Jos Microsoft Community, followed by the Abuja Microsoft Community. These communities actively work towards replication in other Northern states. GovirtualAfrica partnered with Hriscare Foundation, providing co-working spaces and halls for training sessions in Jos , Plateau State while Fulcrum iLab in Abuja extended their facilities to support the Abuja Microsoft Community. Over the past year, since the establishment of the Microsoft Communities in Northern Nigeria, facilitated by Hriscare International Foundation, numerous success stories have emerged. Each community comprises Students Communities, Women Communities , and General group (Professionals , Students and others), fostering inclusive participation. Remarkably, the Northern Microsoft Community has already produced the region's first Microsoft Most Valuable Professional (Tabitha Hris) and Five Microsoft Learn Student Ambassadors (Panshak Koproda, Joshua Dakim, Paul Umaru, Christiana Hris, and Nyipoji Jibarang), solidifying their pioneering status in Northern Nigeria. Earlier this year, Hriscare International Foundation took a step towards inclusivity by including visually impaired individuals in the Jos Microsoft Community. One standout participant was Kefas Lungu, a visually impaired student at the University of Jos. Within two months of joining the community, Kefas achieved remarkable success. He was the first to complete the Microsoft Student Skills Summit challenge, a task created by Microsoft for the global summit's after-party in March. Additionally, he developed a powerful solution using Power Automate. Inspired to streamline his daily tasks, Kefas Lungu , a visually impaired University of Jos student who created and presented a powerful solution at the just concluded Global Power Platform Bootcamp 2023 in Jos . He joined Jos Microsoft Community two months ago and has been on fire! Kefas automated a tool that checks for operating system updates, installs pending updates, removes unnecessary files, and scans for damaged system files. This tool proved invaluable, saving him significant time and ensuring the optimal performance of his system. Hi, my name is Kefas James Lungu, a 300-level student of history and international studies university of JOS. I’m a visually Impaired person from Adamawa state Nigeria. I’m a python and C developer who in February attended a Microsoft event in Jos, and picked interest and I decided to take the challenge during the Microsoft Student Summit and was able to finish within 2 days, becoming the first person to finish the challenge. After the Event, I was inspired to use power automate to automate one of those tasks I do often. I didn’t want it to be too complex, so I automated a tool that checks for operating system update instead of doing it manually, checks and automatically install all pending updates on the system, removes junks and other unnecessary files from the computer. Then, it will proceed to scan your system for damaged or missing any operating system files, and fix them all. Before now, I had to do these things manually, and depending on your number of apps, it can be very time consuming, given that different apps have separate ways of checking for updates. Plus, you must do these tasks as much as necessary to prevent operating system malfunctioning, and with the rising cyber threats, it is always advisable to keep all your apps up to date. And that is where the tool come in handy. My desktop flow was highly inspired by this tool. Apart from this, I sometimes practice coding with leetcode to enhance my coding skills. One of the major challenges I fazed during my tech journey and still facing is having to deal with inaccessible infrastructures. My next target is to build a bott with the power virtual agent, but I don’t know when that will be. The Northern Microsoft Community in Nigeria is witnessing a substantial shift in the adoption of Microsoft tools, leading to improved employment prospects for its members. Although there is still progress to be made, the community acknowledges the positive strides they have taken. By embracing the latest Microsoft technologies and fostering innovation tailored to their unique needs, they believe it is possible to eradicate poverty in Northern Nigeria.Refactoring a Career Through Consistency: TodayCode’s Joeun Park’s MVP Story
Joeun Park’s MVP story is not defined by a single breakthrough, but by decades of steady, intentional progress. With more than 20 years of experience as a developer, she began coding long before developer communities and content platforms became mainstream. Over time, she navigated shifting technologies, industries, and life stages, continuously reshaping her role. After many years as a backend engineer, a major life transition prompted her to expand into data science, content creation, education, and community leadership—ultimately leading to her work as the founder of TodayCode and as a Microsoft MVP. Park’s journey into software development began early. She wrote her first programs in elementary school using GW-BASIC, exploring computers out of pure curiosity rather than career ambition. In middle and high school, she became deeply involved in PC communication communities, where people built things together, shared knowledge, and learned collaboratively. Many of the connections she formed during that time remain active today, with peers still working as developers. She studied Information and Communications Engineering at university and later pursued a master’s degree in Information and Computer Education, originally intending to become a teacher. However, abrupt policy changes drastically reduced hiring for computer teachers nationwide. Faced with a closing door, Park pivoted back to industry—a decision that came with significant challenges. At a time when discriminatory interview questions were commonplace, she reportedly submitted nearly 3,000 applications before securing her first role at an IT company in Korea. From there, her career gained momentum. Over the next decade, she worked as a backend developer across diverse domains, including gaming and advertising. Each transition brought new business contexts and new technical stacks—ASP, PHP, Django, Ruby on Rails—often outside what was considered “mainstream.” Park viewed these shifts not as disadvantages, but as training. She believed that once the core principles of software engineering were understood, adapting to new languages and frameworks was possible. Working in smaller teams, she often took on overlapping roles as a backend engineer, data analyst, and data engineer—experience that would later support her transition into data science. Python Korea User Group for over ten years. These long-term community roles strengthened her belief that sustainable growth happens faster when people learn together. Community involvement was another central pillar of her growth. Park has been active in the Python Korea User Group for over ten years, consistently contributing through knowledge sharing and community engagement. She has also participated in PyCon Korea both as a speaker and as an organizer, helping shape the conference from behind the scenes as well as from the stage. These long-term community roles strengthened her belief that sustainable growth happens faster—and more meaningfully—when people learn together. A major turning point came after two years of parental leave. Upon attempting to return to work, Park faced pressure to resign. While formal processes allowed her to return on paper, there was no longer a team or role prepared for her. Eventually, she chose to leave the company. Rather than viewing this period as a pause, she treated it as preparation. She committed to a personal rule: do something every day. Her “one commit a day” practice—sometimes no more than a single line of text or a comment—became a way to maintain continuity, confidence, and momentum. In 2017, she launched a YouTube channel called TodayCode, meaning “share what you learned today” and “write code today.” What started as a personal learning log quickly evolved into a platform. Her early content focused on hands-on, practical topics such as Kaggle, public data analysis, and applied data workflows—addressing a gap she saw in overly theoretical materials. As the audience grew, so did invitations to teach, consult, and collaborate. TodayCode became a company, and Park’s professional identity expanded to include data scientist, creator, educator, mentor, and community organizer. Her sustained contributions were eventually recognized with her selection as a Microsoft MVP. Park’s impact lies in demonstrating that small, consistent actions can fundamentally reshape a career—especially when setbacks occur. Her daily commit habit is not about visibility or metrics; it is about continuity. Even on days when progress feels minimal, continuing to act builds confidence and keeps learning active. Over time, those small actions compound into real skills, tangible outcomes, and new opportunities. She defines a successful developer as someone who helps others grow. Through YouTube, teaching, mentoring, and long-term community involvement, she has worked to create environments where beginners and non-traditional learners can progress sustainably. Her decade-long engagement with the Python Korea User Group and her contributions to PyCon Korea exemplify this philosophy in practice: knowledge grows when shared, and communities accelerate individual growth. By openly sharing her experiences around parental leave and career disruption, she has also contributed to broader conversations about fairness and sustainability in tech. Her work as an MVP reflects not just technical expertise, but long-term community building. Joeun Park’s story is a reminder that careers can be refactored—sometimes by choice, sometimes by circumstance—but rarely without consistency. If you are questioning your direction or navigating change, start smaller than you think you need to. Make one commit. Write one note. Share one thing you learned. Those actions add up. And if possible, step into a community. Learning and growing together often changes not just the speed of progress, but its meaning. Resources Todaycode YouTube https://www.youtube.com/todaycode Microsoft MVP Profile https://mvp.microsoft.com/en-us/MVP/profile/6e97d5d1-396f-ed11-81ab-000d3a5600fa Book (Co-author): Korean Text Analysis with Python github https://github.com/corazzon https://www.linkedin.com/in/todaycode/PrivyDoc: Building a Zero-Data-Leak AI with Foundry Local & Microsoft's Agent Framework
Tired of choosing between powerful AI insights and sacrificing your data's privacy? PrivyDoc offers a groundbreaking solution. In this article, Microsoft MVP in AI, Shivam Goyal, introduces his innovative project that brings robust AI document analysis directly to your local machine, ensuring zero data ever leaves your device. Discover how PrivyDoc leverages two cutting-edge Microsoft technologies: Foundry Local: The secret sauce for 100% on-device AI processing, allowing advanced models to run securely without cloud dependency. Microsoft Agent Framework: The intelligent orchestrator that builds a sophisticated multi-agent pipeline, handling everything from text extraction and entity recognition to summarization and sentiment analysis. Learn about PrivyDoc's intuitive web UI, its multi-format support, and crucial features that make it perfect for sensitive industries like legal, healthcare, and finance. Say goodbye to privacy concerns and hello to AI-powered document intelligence without compromise.
