AI Access for All - OPULIS Global Launch to Award 100 AI Scholarships Worth $1 Million to Train and Certify Future Innovators - 758766.ppt

(1888PressRelease) Every copy of OPULIS turns inspiration into opportunity, transforming a story into a scholarship and a reader into a changemaker.

1. AI Access for All - OPULIS Global Launch to Award
100 AI Scholarships Worth $1 Million to Train and
Certify Future Innovators

3. (1888PressRelease) Every copy of OPULIS turns
inspiration into opportunity, transforming a story into a
scholarship and a reader into a changemaker.

4. Women in Cloud announces the global launch of
OPULIS: Women Powering Microsoft’s Trillion-
Dollar Shift, a collector’s edition book featuring
leadership strategies and celebrating 50 women who
helped shape Microsoft’s evolution into the AI era.
The publication is officially endorsed by Microsoft and
the Microsoft Alumni Network.

5. As part of this historic launch, $1 million in Microsoft
AI Innovator Scholarships will be awarded through the
Book-to-Scholarship Model, a first-of-its-kind
initiative turning book ownership into a career
opportunity.

6. With more than 700 scholarship applications from 20+
countries, the program has already revealed an
extraordinary global demand for AI upskilling. Top
participating countries include Brazil, the United
States, Nigeria, India, Australia, South Africa, Canada,
Kenya, and Egypt.

7. By achieving 1,000 OPULIS book pre-orders, Women
in Cloud successfully unlocked 100 AI Certification
Scholarships, empowering learners with world-class
Microsoft credentials that open doors to $70,000-per-
year digital careers, creating $7 million in new annual
wages and an estimated $21 million in total economic
impact.

8. “Electricity unlocked the industrial revolution and AI
is unlocking quantum progress,” said Chaitra
Vedullapalli, President of Women in Cloud and
Executive Producer of OPULIS. “This movement
ensures that access to AI careers isn’t just reserved for
the few, but it’s available to everyone.”

9. Built on the Philosophy of Significance
OPULIS was not created to celebrate status, but
significance. Each honoree was selected for her ability
to create systemic change, drive measurable outcomes,
take responsibility for opening doors, and engage
deeply in inclusive innovation. This guiding
philosophy, rooted in the FIRE Framework (Focus,
Impact, Responsibility, Engagement), ensures that
every story in OPULIS reflects transformational
leadership that has reshaped industries and
communities alike.

10. The Making of OPULIS – A Monumental Journey
OPULIS (noun) / ō-pyə-lis /
From the Latin roots OPUS (“masterpiece”) and POLIS
(“community”).
OPULIS comes from the Latin word meaning strength, prosperity,
and community—a fitting symbol for a movement built to empower
and uplift. Like many Microsoft projects, the name carries a
meaningful code name rooted in purpose. The making of OPULIS
was a monumental feat. The project came together from idea to
global launch in less than five months, including: 10 days to secure
consent from all leaders, 11 days to finalize every story with
Microsoft’s approval, the alignment of a publisher supporting the
Book-to-Scholarship model, the use of 69 AI agents to create and
review over 2,000 pieces of content, and the gathering of 40+
industry endorsements in less than a week.

11. A Permanent Chapter in Microsoft’s History
OPULIS is officially endorsed by Microsoft and the
Microsoft Alumni Network and will be archived in the
Microsoft Archives and Museum, preserving the
stories of women who shaped the company’s culture,
technology, and global influence for future
generations.
The ultimate goal of the OPULIS movement is to
ignite 1,000 AI careers by 2030, fueled by book
sponsorships, AI scholarship funds, and corporate
grants proving that storytelling and access together can
spark large-scale economic mobility.

12. The 50 Women of OPULIS
Aliesha Pulliam • Anna Kopp • Aparna Gupta • Brea Starmer • Chaitra
Vedullapalli • Claudia Martinez • Cloe Zeng • Debbie Uttecht • Dee Dee
Walsh • Doher Drizzle Pablo • Elaine Q. Chang • Erin Chapple (Bourke-
Dunphy) • Gavriella Schuster • Gena Goh. • Helen Fanucci • Jacqui
Miranda • Jane Boulware • Jenny Lay-Flurrie • Jessica Rafuse • Joanne
Harrell • Karen Bergin • Karen Fassio • Karen Cone • Kate Maxwell •
Kathy Dixon • Lakecia Gunter • Letty Katchen Cherry • Lotte Cordt
Ihlemann • Maggie Chan Jones • Manuela Papadopol • Melissa
Mulholland • Michele Plaia • Michelle Pruitt • Michelle Thomas • Miri
Rodriguez • Monika Mital Gupta • Nathalie D’Hers • Nickie Smith •
Nitasha Chopra • Njideka U. Harry • Patti Thibodeau • Sabina Nawaz •
Shannon Huffman Polson • Sharmila Rathinam • Sherlaender Phillips •
Simi Olabisi • Stacy Tatem • Tameka McNair • Trish Millines Dziko •
Yanna Andronopoulou

13. Endorsements
“When we think of artifacts preserved in museums, we imagine
ancient manuscripts or art. OPULIS reminds us that stories of
women in technology are equally foundational to
understanding our world.” — Business Insider
“OPULIS is a powerful example of what inclusive leadership
looks like in action.” - Emma Hinchliffe Most Powerful
Women Editor | Fortune Magazine
“It’s a celebration of leadership, a recognition of the women
who helped shape Microsoft’s culture and innovation.” - Rich
Kaplan, Board of Trustees, Microsoft Alumni | Network,
Former CVP, Microsoft

14. “OPULIS isn’t just a coffee table book; it's a call to
action. A testament to what’s possible when we
multiply access and lead with purpose. If you care
about creating an inclusive future, you’ll treasure every
page. “ Dawn Trudeau, Co-Owner Seattle Storm |
WNBA Basketball Team

15. Partner Recognition
Small, medium, and enterprise corporations collaborated to
power the AI Scholarships, which are made available as a
result of book pre-orders. Women in Cloud proudly
acknowledges its strategic partners for enabling this initiative:
Adaptiva, Ntegral, Accenture, Meylah, Microsoft, JP Morgan
Chase, Eat Happy Now, The Women In Tech Network,
Microsoft Accessibility Team, Highline Community College,
Be Bold, Athena International, Microsoft Alumni Network, Up
Your Creative Genius, Full Circle Leadership Group, Mercer-
MacKay Solutions Inc, SafePC Solutions, Enslow Group, LLC,
Ingram Micro, Gotteman Institute, and Kate Maxwell Speaks
united by a shared mission to democratize access to AI careers,
technology innovation, and economic opportunity.

16. Global Launch Events
Date: October 28, 2025 | Time: 4 PM – 7 PM PT
Location: Bellevue, WA
Sign up today: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/opulis-
book-signing-launch-celebration-tickets-
1612442752679?aff=ebdsoporgprofile

17. The celebration will include inspiring panels, a book
signing, a time capsule ceremony, and the
announcement of 100 Microsoft AI Scholarships.
Date: October 30, 2025 | Time: 9 AM – 10 AM PT
Location: Online
Sign up today:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1612585579879?
aff=oddtdtcreator

18. The global celebration will include inspiring panels, a
time capsule ceremony, and the announcement of 100
Microsoft AI Scholarships.

19. Availability
OPULIS is available now in hardcover and digital
formats at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and 4000
retailers worldwide. Every 10 books sold funds one AI
Innovator Certification Scholarship. Learn more:
https://womenincloud.com/opulis