Empowering people through technology

In my 20 years at Microsoft I have traveled to many different places and met many different people. Recently, I had the opportunity to visit El Salvador and Guatemala and met some people who really inspired me and reminded me why I love what I do, and the power that technology can have in people’s lives to really impact their quality of life and alter their future.

In Guatemala I met Otto Knoke, a technology pioneer and data analyst who lives with ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis). With the help of Juan Manuel (a local Microsoft Valued Professional), the eye tracking feature in Windows 10 and the Tobii EyeTracker,  his life has taken an incredible turn for the better. In his own words, referring to his current set up at home, “this solution completely changed my life, I regained my freedom.”

Despite his condition, Otto continues to be productive, through his company he serves local customers with data analysis, business analytics, and data cleansing. It was incredible to see how this feature in Windows 10 has not only changed his life, but also his family’s. He’s now able to communicate much better and interact in more natural ways with the people he cares most about. Minutes after leaving his house, he’d already posted a few pictures of us on his Facebook page, which speaks volumes about the agility with which he’s able to feel included both physically and digitally.

Meeting Otto was a true honor and I was extremely humbled and inspired by his determination. Tasks we take for granted every day, would be impossible for him if he didn’t have the technology.

In El Salvador , I visited the Centro Superate Fundación Poma where their mission is to help at risk youth by taking them off the streets and giving them a place where they can learn together to create a brighter future for themselves and their families. Microsoft is the technology partner and has been since 2010. Across Central America there are 11 Superate centers operating. 

After an extremely warm welcome by the children upon arriving, I was given a tour of the facility where I met and spoke to students who attend here three hours a day learning three courses: English, Computer Skills and Values. Many shared how they had never spoken a word of English or touched a PC only a few years back. They all shared one thing in coming - huge aspirations for their future. About 97% of Superate students go on to study at a University.

I had the opportunity to meet with three students who had graduated from the Superate program who told me of their plans for the future. I asked them what they most missed since leaving the Center and they all said they missed the sense of community. While in the program they were with kids in their same situation all who had gone from a very risky situation to one that showed a promising future. Although they were happy how far they had come, they all still missed that element of what Superate brought them.

Like Otto and the students of Centro Superate there are countless stories across the world. Stories of technology changing the paths of people’s lives and making what once seemed impossible, possible. Technology truly has the power to give people home, dreams and new ways of collaborating and interacting. I am proud to be part of a company that can have such an impact on the lives of others.