I blogged my experience last year at Build 2017 and I asked Satya Nadella a question. It was one of the most amazing experiences and something that I remember and don’t take for granted. I was 13 and it was my first tech conference. This year I got to ask Satya a question for the 2nd time.
Yesterday I had just watched the Microsoft Build Conference keynote.
There were over 6,000 participants in the keynote room for this year’s Microsoft Build 2018 Conference and over 500,000 online viewers – definitely felt bigger than last year!@CYarkoni #MSBuild https://t.co/5AvKERAaNi
— Ruby Cogan (@RubyCogan) May 8, 2018
After the keynote my dad got an email, asking if Satya could have parental permission to meet myself and 2 other kids. I guess I got lucky because I was one of the few under 18 kids at Build. Disa Covaci (10 years), Anna Covaci (12 years) and I all came to meet Satya and have a short conversation.
There are so many things I could have asked Satya but I ended up following up my question from last year because I was interested in seeing where Microsoft’s path had gone. Last year I asked where, ideally, would the new AI technology that they were demo-ing be used in the perfect world and Satya told me that he hoped it would help people with disabilities.
So 1 year later I asked which disability – such as vision, hearing or paraplegia – that Microsoft’s technology would benefit the most from the new AI services being developed. His answer to my question was: “All of them”.
Satya followed up by telling me it is important for young people, like myself, to be able to pick up a tool, like VS Code or Scratch and develop something useful (I assume coding using all the “smart” services that Microsoft have available). I think he believes the cool AI-powered software is now simple enough for kids to use and develop.
Here is the video of me talking to Satya:
My school in Sydney offers a few courses which teach teenagers the basics of developing in Visual Studio Code. Next year I want to come back to the Build Conference with the ability to read and understand not only HTML and JavaScript but the Azure AI services.
I feel privileged to have met this extremely empathetic CEO and he has now inspired me to look further into these emerging technologies.
Ruby
Great work Ruby!
In this life who you know is just as important as what you know so keep engaging thoughtfully with those contacts that you have made.
And keep letting me know what you’re up to; I love hearing about your adventures.
Regards,
Ms McA
Awesome Ruby. As you stated last year in your Channel 9 interview you have a knack for knowing what to ask, and that makes you well on your way to becoming a great reporter someday if you still want to do that.
Greetings from Panama, tell your Dad that I said hello!
Enjoy Seattle again.
Well, how fantastic is that! Two years at Build, and each with the opportunity to meet with Satya Nadella. Good for you. And, I hope you had a great time at the conference. See you in Sydney soon!
-Peter
Hi Ruby! I’m not sure how I found your site but I’m glad that I did! Your site is so cute… I’m so impressed with you… I am in love with your post when you asked the CEO of Microsoft Satya Nadella a question! It’s great!! I look onward to spending some time here and getting to know you!