Welcome to the AI Community Learning Program Newsletter!
👋 Hi there! I’m Shyvee—a former Product Lead at LinkedIn and LinkedIn Learning instructor, now focused on driving growth, product adoption, and building vibrant professional communities on Microsoft Teams.
My passion is helping people connect, collaborate, and discover new ways to thrive—while having fun along the way! Through my work, I aim to empower individuals and communities to achieve more, combining my background in product management, growth marketing, community building, and learning design. I’m also fascinated by AI and eager to bring together these interests to create empowering, creative experiences that help people become AI-powered professionals!
Our Vision for the AI Community Learning
Our vision for the AI Community Learning Program is to empower you to master AI, spark meaningful connections, and lead in the future of work. Powered by Microsoft Teams, we aim to create a unique, hands-on learning environment that unites a global, multi-disciplinary community to learn, collaborate, and grow—equipping members with practical AI skills for our rapidly evolving world.
An Incredible Start: The Alpha Program
Taking an iterative approach to product and program development, we launched our very first Alpha program in November 2024. Participants experiment one fun, creative AI tool each day —from crafting stories, generating songs, animating characters to creating podcasts and AI-powered videos. It’s all about exploring, enjoying AI, and connecting with fellow enthusiasts along the way.
The response was incredible! With 1,000 applications from across the globe in just five days (and $0 marketing budget), we carefully selected 45 participants representing 16 countries, 34 cities, 18 professions, and 15 industries. You can read more about our program launch stats here and learn about the Alpha program here.
In just three weeks, this amazing group created over 300 projects! The results speak for themselves:
The program received a 91 NPS score, far exceeding the industry benchmark of 67 for similar educational programs.
100% of participants reported improvements in their AI proficiency, and 80% experienced a transformation—going from feeling unsure about AI to feeling very confident using AI tools by the end of the Alpha program.
Here are a few standout projects from our Alpha participants:
The Lion's Journey
A heartwarming tale of courage, wisdom, and destiny set in the golden savanna produced by Jungle Kings & Lion Queens (Dhiraj Nimbalkar, Heli Vyas, Ishan Raina, Manasa Kayati)
Thanksgiving Family Celebration - A Disney Mini Movie
by Barbara Nicolau and Riya Lodha
Earth 2097 by The Alpha Prism Squad
A global team united by AI, creating a stunning cyberpunk movie trailer in 40 hours with 20+ AI. tools, endless imagination, and boundless creativity by Ricardo Luiz, Archana Panwar, Shweta Kawale, and Padma Kandi!
It’s worth noting that many of these participants had little to no experience with AI tools or video creation prior to the program. Yet, over just a weekend, they collaborated, experimented, and leveraged what they learned to produce these remarkable projects. This highlights not only their dedication but also the transformative power of the program.
More Exciting Programs Ahead
This is just the beginning! We’re scaling up and planning even more events and learning opportunities in the coming weeks and into 2025, so there will be plenty of chances to dive into AI education with us. No FOMO—lots more to come! Be sure to subscribe to stay in the loop! 🤗
Join the AI Enthusiast Community
Our vision goes beyond individual programs—we’re building an AI Enthusiast Community (launching in a few weeks, more to come here) to bring together people excited about learning and experimenting with AI. And we’re recruiting dedicated members to help shape it as either Community Leaders or AI Experts.
Joining as a community leader offers fantastic benefits like access to our private Community Leaders’ network, exclusive sessions with Microsoft AI leaders, and special prizes 🎁✨. Those who apply for these roles will also be invited early into the community to start connecting and sharing!
Community Leaders: Help foster community discussions, organize online or in-person events, or potentially run local/professional-focused chapters. If you love engaging with people and building communities, this is a great way to make an impact! (Estimated time commitment: 1-2 hours per week)
AI Experts: If you have real-world AI expertise, you can contribute through occasional events like speaker sessions or workshops, lead small group discussions, or answer questions. (Estimated time commitment: 1-2 hours per event)
If either role sounds like something you’d enjoy, please fill out this quick survey —we’d love to hear from you!
Thank you again for your interest—stay tuned for even more exciting AI programs and opportunities in the coming months!
What Our Alpha Members Are Saying
Hear from our founding cohort about their experiences how the program transformed their confidence and creativity with AI!
Questions?
Contact us at AICommunityLearning@Microsoft.com.
