Microsoft's Garage Director: "AI will reduce gender gaps in tech"
Ady Mor-Biran has spent years turning ideas into breakthroughs—both for Microsoft and herself.
Nothing in Ady Mor-Biran’s career was accidental. While she may not have envisioned the entire path from the moment she immigrated to Israel from Venezuela at age 13 to the senior position she holds today at Microsoft, each transition along the way was carefully managed and planned.
"Every three to four years, I reinvent myself. I am a very project-oriented person, and once a task is defined, I create a clear work plan—down to an Excel sheet detailing all the steps needed to reach my goal," says Mor-Biran, who has been leading Microsoft's Garage, the company’s innovation center, for the past four years.
When she first assumed the role, Mor-Biran managed only the Israeli center. Over time, innovation centers in Africa were added to her portfolio, and six months ago, she also took responsibility for the new Garage Microsoft established in India.
Is the Garage just a flashy innovation lab designed to showcase Microsoft’s technological edge, or have real breakthroughs emerged from it?
"Microsoft now has 48 products and hundreds of features that originated in this format," Mor-Biran explains. "One of the most significant developments from the Israeli Garage is a special Xbox remote control designed for people with disabilities. It allows users who cannot operate a traditional controller to play using a foot pedal or joystick. The idea was born in the Israeli Garage after an interview with Ziv Shilon (an entrepreneur and social activist who lost his left hand in combat in Gaza in 2012), and the prototype was also developed here.
"But most of what we work on doesn’t become a product. The primary goal is to make Microsoft employees more entrepreneurial, giving them a platform to bring their ideas to life. That’s why the Garage is located right on Microsoft’s main campus in Herzliya. In the lobby, there’s a space designed for creation, equipped with advanced technology and even carpentry tools. Some projects evolve into full-fledged products or features, while others simply serve as valuable learning experiences. In some cases, we even transfer the intellectual property (IP) to external organizations."
A meticulously planned career path
As Mor-Biran herself describes it, her career has followed a structured, strategic approach—just as she believes innovation processes should.
"The most important thing is to define the idea and then move to execution. Every time I felt it was time for a change, I mapped out the relevant roles and built a planning tree outlining the steps I needed to take to reach them—down to an Excel list of key people who could help me. I tracked all my scheduled meetings until I achieved my goal."
Today, she laughs, such a process would look entirely different. "AI tools like Copilot would have saved me so much time in mapping out connections before job interviews. Everything would be much more efficient."
Can AI also help in career growth?
"I believe technology, and AI in particular, can help bridge employment gaps in high-tech and foster greater diversity," she says. "In the tech world, success isn’t about elbowing your way in, wearing suits, or having gray hair. AI relies on language rather than coding, emphasizing verbal skills, and women excel in this area. Creativity will be the key differentiator in the future, and I’m convinced AI will help narrow the gender gap."
A passion for creativity and self-expression
Beyond her high-tech career, Mor-Biran has a deep passion for words. In addition to working exclusively in tech, which aligns with her academic background, she also writes poetry.
"As part of my ‘midlife crisis’ in my 40s, I decided to embrace my writing and share my personal journey—including my experience as a mother to a child with special needs. Since then, I’ve been posting a ‘Song for Friday’ on my Instagram and Facebook pages. I’m very authentic and open there. Unexpectedly, this exposure led to new opportunities. People involved in Microsoft’s initiatives for people with disabilities discovered my poetry, which eventually led me to my current position at the Garage. What was initially difficult for me—sharing my personal life—became a turning point in my career when I was at my most vulnerable and authentic."
A job that felt tailor-made
Mor-Biran was born and raised in Venezuela and immigrated to Israel with her family at 13. She served in Unit 8200 but quickly realized that she didn’t enjoy programming. After earning a degree in computer science from Bar-Ilan University, she started as a programmer at a startup but soon sought a more business-oriented role in a larger company.
After several attempts, she landed a marketing role at Mercury, which was later acquired by HP. There, she advanced rapidly, and by age 30, she was leading the marketing and pre-sales division with 40 employees.
How did she decide to leave such a high-ranking position?
"After 12 years at HP and a midlife crisis in my 40s, I set two goals: first, to work at a company at the forefront of technology—specifically in the cloud; and second, to find an organization with a culture that better suited my personal circumstances, which had changed dramatically."
That personal shift was the diagnosis of her 10-year-old son with autism spectrum disorder.
"I made a list of companies I wanted to join, with Microsoft at the top. I met with at least five people every week—connections I identified as potential gateways to someone senior at Microsoft. Within seven weeks of starting this project, I was hired for a marketing role in cloud operations. I applied and got in."
A few years later, a position opened at Microsoft that felt even more perfect: marketing manager for startups. "It combined everything I loved—working with startups, innovation, technology, and diversity. At the same time, I also started leading Microsoft’s disability initiatives, which led me to discover the Garage.
"When I saw the job description, I felt like they had written it specifically for me. For the first time in my life, I struggled to manage the interview process because I was so excited. I wasn’t at my best in the interviews, but I still got the job."
Representing Israel abroad amid war
Since then, she has managed five Garage innovation centers. The day before our conversation, she had returned from a work trip to India, where she inaugurated the newest center and met its employees for the first time. The next day, she was set to fly to Serbia to launch another.
How is an Israeli manager received abroad during wartime?
"Throughout the war, I’ve encountered nothing but open arms and empathy. In India, I even felt admiration. Despite everything, Israel is still seen as a hub of entrepreneurship and innovation—a model others want to replicate. Our technological depth and work ethic are well-known. We are also highly committed to delivering results.
"The war only reinforced this perception because, even with so many Israeli employees serving in the reserves—including at Microsoft Israel—we still met all our business goals."
