Doers, Not Talkers: Creating Space and Process to Drive Innovation
Why is Atlanta the innovation capital of the Southeast? The podcast series Might Could: Stories of Innovation in the ATL, from The Hatchery, Emory Center for Innovation, seeks to answer that question in conversation with innovation thought leaders and disruptors in non-profits, higher education, and industry who are making Atlanta a city of the future. On Friday, February 18, The Hatchery welcomed special guest LeAndra Jordan.
LeAndra is currently Sr. Program Manager and Site lead, The Garage at Microsoft Atlanta. She is an entrepreneur, and has worked as a Georgia Work Ready Administrator, acting as a direct public liaison for the Georgia Work Ready Partnership and contributing to the successful certification of over 1,500 examinees in the Clayton County area; as a consultant for Clayton Statue University; and as Regional Lead for the Microsoft Certified Trainer Program.
In her current role, she designs programs and experiences for Microsoft employees, customers, and partners that drive collaboration, creativity, and experimentation. The motto “doers, not talkers” is at the core of what The Garage is, and what it delivers.
LeAndra described the Microsoft Garage as a safe space for Microsoft employees to experiment, ideate, and collaborate. The Microsoft Garage operates on the idea that “hacking is for everyone.” She emphasized that passion is the start of everything in their hacking culture, which is all about creating a proof of concept and testing it. LeAndra has taken this culture a step further, bringing attention to the intersection of technology and the personal passions of her colleagues at Microsoft.
LeAndra spoke about learning from everyone who walks in the doors of The Garage. “If you’re not learning, you’re not living,” she said. “I’m not a know-it-all, but I am most certainly a learn-it-all.” As a native of Atlanta, LeAndra made sure that her team learned about the culture here and represented it in everything from the artwork to the design of the building. LeAndra said southern hospitality is a big part of The Garage at Microsoft Atlanta, from the warm, welcoming feeling at the location, to their efforts in diversity, equity, and inclusion.
As the 2021 Award Winner at The Global Hackathon, LeAndra was challenged to break down silos and bring back fun by competing in a “hack dance” with the Dublin office. LeAndra walked away with the Best Remix Award, leaning on her love for Atlanta culture. She spoke of her hope that Atlanta will be recognized as the tech hub of the South, quoting André 3000, “the South got something to say.”
LeAndra holds an MBA from Keller Graduate School of Management of DeVry University, a BA in Business Information Systems from DeVry, and multiple Microsoft Certifications, and is the Microsoft Global Hackathon 2021 Award Winner.
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