Microsoft’s Summer Interns Produced a Must-See Musical Number Celebrating Diversity, Inclusion, and Thinking Big

Microsoft’s summer class of interns decided to look beyond their job description this year and take their appreciation for the company to the next level. Over eight weeks, 150 interns and full-time employees created a full-out musical number that takes viewers through the history of the company, starting with Bill Gates as a young visionary. The whole concept was thought up by interns and executed on a completely voluntary basis, including working on mornings, weekends, and nights on top of their regular schedule. 

Microsoft’s diverse set of talent came across clearly in the eight-minute video, with interns and employees from all different backgrounds involved. The participation across a variety of departments, from engineering to marketing, was similarly impressive. At minute six of the video it slows down to focus in on three interns who emphasize the main message of the musical: that anyone who dreams of doing something big can do it, even if they’ve been told otherwise. 

They also take time to specifically mention the uneven playing field people of underrepresented identities face in the tech industry, and have two women of color sing these lines: “There’s someone out there somewhere playing Minecraft with her friends, and another doesn’t have computer classes to attend. And someone still who doesn’t see a role model who looks like them. To any kid who played pretend, to you this song extends.” 

In the director’s notes they include that this passion project was brought to life because they were always encouraged to bring their whole selves to work – showing that Microsoft’s emphasis on well-rounded employees and commitment to inclusion extends to the intern level. 

While the video highlights Microsoft’s successes, the video also includes comedic references to Microsoft’s failed projects like Vista and the Windows Phone, as well as the nostalgia-inducing mention of Clippy the helpful paperclip icon of Microsoft Word. All of these references come together to show why “It’s all happening here,” the main idea and chorus of their song. 

Overall, it’s inspiring to see such a big project come together from a group of summer interns with a fun idea, a passion for where they work, and a recognition of the inclusive culture that exists at Microsoft. While maybe not every company needs an eight-minute long musical about their history, it does show that creating a great culture and giving interns the chance to test out their own ideas can lead to creative products with big results.