Aarthi Anbalagan is a Senior Software Engineer at Microsoft Azure Core with around 14 years of experience designing and operating large-scale distributed systems, telemetry infrastructures and AI-driven solutions. Aarthi’s academic journey reflects her lifelong pursuit of excellence. She stood first in her high school, graduated summa cum laude in her undergraduate degree, and earned her MS in Computer Science from an Ivy League university, graduating magna cum laude with a research focus in Big Data, AI and Human Computer Interaction.

Beyond her technical expertise, Aarthi is a passionate educator, mentor, and community builder. She founded AI Learning Champs, a peer-driven learning initiative within Microsoft that empowers engineers across geographies to build real-world AI skills through collaborative workshops and applied learning. She is also an editor of the widely-read Medium publication AI Simplified in Plain English, where she guides authors in breaking down complex AI topics for diverse, global audiences.

A recognized thought leader and advocate, Aarthi holds the title of Senior Member of IEEE, serves on technical program committees such as Big Data 2025, and has judged entrepreneurship and innovation challenges like DECA. She was recently honored with the Global Achievers Award and has contributed AI-related articles and book chapters to international publications. Her work lies at the intersection of cloud, data, systems thinking and applied AI.

Aarthi is deeply committed to advancing diversity in STEM. As a diversity champion at work and in her community, she actively volunteers for programs that uplift women and children, especially in underserved regions. She believes in the power of accessible education and has supported initiatives that teach coding and digital literacy to girls in rural areas.

Across every role as an engineer, mentor, editor, or advocate—Aarthi leads with curiosity, empathy, and a deep desire to build a future where opportunity and education reach everyone, everywhere.

You can learn more about me at www.aarthirocks.com.