Staff Reports | Community Updates
Fresh Start Women’s Foundation has been selected as one of 25 organizations nationwide — and the only one representing Arizona — to join the 2025-26 Microsoft TechSpark Fellows Program.
Through this opportunity, Fresh Start will work with Microsoft to expand digital access, economic mobility and career advancement for women across the state.
According to a press release, the fellowship will support new learning opportunities that make AI and digital tools approachable—whether a woman is seeking a career change, preparing for higher-paying roles or building confidence with technology. These efforts aim to help more women enter in-demand fields and create long-term economic stability for themselves and their families.
“We are honored to be selected for the Microsoft TechSpark Fellowship and excited for what this means for the women we serve,” said Kim McWaters, president and CEO of Fresh Start Women’s Foundation.
“Digital skills and AI literacy are becoming essential to economic mobility. This opportunity allows us to bring even greater access, learning and support to women who are ready to strengthen their earning power and build the futures they deserve.”
Building on collaboration
Fresh Start’s selection builds on a partnership with Microsoft that began in 2023. Since then, the organizations have collaborated on data center career pathways, including on-site hiring events and the annual West Valley Career Fair supported through Microsoft’s Datacenter Community Development Grant.
This collaboration led Microsoft’s Datacenter Community Development team to nominate Fresh Start for the 2025 TechSpark Fellowship.
As part of the program, Fresh Start will appoint Abdu Dahr, vice president of strategic partnerships, as TechSpark Community Engagement Fellow. Dahr will participate in Microsoft’s national fellowship and lead the development of AI-focused learning and workforce initiatives for the women Fresh Start serves.
Fellows receive mentorship from Microsoft TechSpark leaders, targeted virtual learning, an in-person national convening and opportunities to collaborate with peers advancing digital equity across the country.
“When communities are trusted and empowered to lead, they not only catch up, but they also leap forward,” said Mike Egan, general manager of Microsoft TechSpark. “Through TechSpark Fellows, we are deepening our work in local communities to ensure AI becomes a bridge, not a barrier, to local prosperity and innovation.”
This is the third cohort of TechSpark Fellows, a select group of nonprofit leaders embedded across communities nationwide. Since 2017, Microsoft TechSpark has helped communities secure more than $700 million in funding, skill 65,000 people and create 4,500 jobs.
