• Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button

ITC Attends Microsoft Global Nonprofit Leaders Summit

Written by: Betsy Davies

April 9, 2025


A Week of Innovation, Inspiration, and Impact: Microsoft TechSpark Fellows Summit and Global Nonprofit Leaders Summit

From March 24th to 28th, I had the incredible opportunity to travel to the Seattle area and immerse myself in a week full of learning, connection, and empowerment at two transformative events hosted by Microsoft: The TechSpark Fellows Summit and the Microsoft Global Nonprofit Leaders’ Summit (GNPLS). The experience was nothing short of extraordinary.


Connecting Across the Country: TechSpark Fellows Summit

The TechSpark Fellows Summit, held on Microsoft’s Redmond campus, brought together fellows from across the U.S.—each of us working at the intersection of technology and community impact. It was incredibly powerful to be surrounded by such passionate changemakers, all dedicated to driving digital equity, workforce development, and economic opportunity in our respective regions.


The agenda was packed with energizing content, including:

  • A preview of the AI Readiness Report, by the Berkeley Group, offering insights into the current state of AI innovation and strategies for communities to become future-ready.
  • Two impactful AI in Motion Panels, where Fellows shared real stories from the field—highlighting everything from digital skilling efforts to inclusive entrepreneurship initiatives.
  • The unveiling of the new TechSpark Playbook, an invaluable tool to help us better communicate our stories and outcomes back to our communities.


One of the most inspiring parts of the summit was the AI in Motion Pod Panel, where Fellows answered questions about our most impactful projects, challenges faced, and aspirations ahead. These candid conversations sparked new ideas and forged deeper bonds across the network.


It was a week of not just sharing what we’ve done but dreaming together about what’s possible when we work collaboratively across geographies, with Microsoft’s powerful resources and vision behind us.


Global Vision, Local Action: Microsoft Global Nonprofit Leaders Summit

Midweek, I joined hundreds of nonprofit leaders from around the world at the Microsoft GNPLS in Bellevue. This summit focused on how nonprofits can harness the power of Microsoft technologies—from AI and cloud solutions to cybersecurity tools—to amplify their missions and drive greater impact.


Sessions explored themes such as digital transformation, sustainability, data-driven decision-making, and building resilient nonprofit ecosystems. It was empowering to see how aligned Microsoft is with the values and needs of the nonprofit sector—and how committed they are to helping us scale our work responsibly and inclusively.


Lasting Impact

Walking away from this week, I feel deeply grateful—not only for the opportunity to participate in these summits, but for the continued support and inspiration provided by Microsoft through the TechSpark program.


This experience reinvigorated my commitment to community innovation and gave me fresh ideas, new tools, and powerful partnerships to help move our mission forward. I’m excited to implement the insights I’ve gained and to stay connected with this vibrant network of leaders who are reimagining what’s possible in their communities.


Thank you, Microsoft TechSpark and GNPLS, for an unforgettable experience. The future is bright—and I’m more ready than ever to help shape it.


###

ABOUT IDAHO TECHNOLOGY COUNCIL

The Idaho Technology Council (ITC) is the industry voice driving innovation in the state of Idaho. The ITC is a member driven organization; committed to the success of Idaho’s technology ecosystem and leading Idaho to a knowledge-based economy. Our mission is to build a strong tech community in Idaho by bringing people together, supporting tech education, and advocating for policies that promote sustainable growth. Together, we’re making Idaho a top destination for technology and innovation. The ITC is instrumental in building advocacy needed to persuade legislators and private industry to invest in high return initiatives that are necessary to propel new companies forward, along with retention and growth with existing companies.


Email: info@idahotechcouncil.org

Website:  https://www.idahotechcouncil.org/

 

On October 29, Idaho’s technology community filled the Boise Centre for the 2026 Hall of Fame Gala,

Inspired Intelligence: A Night to Remember at the 2026 Hall of Fame Gala

1 November 2026

Idaho Technology Council Announces Second Annual WiTECH Summit, November 18–19 in Boise

22 October 2026
The full-day summit brings together women across Idaho’s technology sector, from engineers and founders to executives, investors, and educators, for a day of keynotes, panels, and breakout sessions.

Meet Mel Pint

by Tim Munkres • 7 October 2026
Introducing: Mel Pint, Founder & CEO, OpulX Media LLC Describe the business/organization you work for: OpulX Media LLC is an Idaho-registered live events company and a sister company of OpulenceX Inc., the marketplace where artists sell their work and keep earning royalties when it resells. OpulX Media produces art, fashion and technology showcases built around augmented reality and digital collectibles. Our first production is The Digital Loom: Intersecting Realities at Boise Centre on November 14, 2026: an AR runway, an exhibition of international artists whose every work is registered as a digital twin, and a free afternoon built around The Loom Youth Prize, a statewide art competition for Idaho kids and teens. It is planned as an annual Boise event, with a Honolulu edition in April 2027. What inspired you to start your own business, or why did you decide to work for this specific organization? I watched artists sell a piece once and never see another dollar from it, while the technology that fixes that already existed and nobody was putting it in front of the people who make things. OpulenceX Inc built the tools. OpulX Media exists because tools alone do not change anything; a room full of people watching a garment come alive through their own phone, standing next to a painting a nine-year-old made, does. Boise has a technology community, an arts community and a fashion community, and they rarely stand in the same room. I wanted to build the night where they do. What sets this business apart from others in the industry? Most media companies build audiences and rent them to advertisers. We build a creator economy and stand inside it with the creators. What challenges have you faced as a business owner or employee, and how did you overcome them? Being new. A first-year event with a technology company behind it has to earn standing in the arts community before anyone will put their name next to it. We did that the slow way: a venue contract before any letter went out, a judged youth prize with real cash and real exhibition space, terms for artists that put 70% of every sale in their hands. Joining the Idaho Technology Council was part of the same answer: be inside the community before asking anything of it. What advice would you give to someone looking to join your industry? Decide what you will not do before you decide what you will. Then find the person in your community who has done the hard part for years and ask them how, before you tell them what you are building. About the Idaho Technology Council The Idaho Technology Council (ITC) is a member-based organization that champions innovation and collaboration to grow Idaho’s economy through technology. Representing a dynamic and growing community of entrepreneurs, industry leaders, and policymakers, ITC connects vision with action to position Idaho as a hub for innovation and opportunity. Learn more at www.idahotechcouncil.org .  Connect with Mel Pint on LinkedIn HERE Learn More about OpulX Media HERE