The story behind the Microsoft Super Bowl 2015 commercials

Microsoft ran two inspiring commercials in the SuperBowl, in this post you can watch the ads and find out more about the amazing stories behind them

“The real question that needs to be asked as well as answered is what is it that we can do that is unique, that is impactful?” – Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft

Yesterday’s Super Bowl ads from Microsoft focused on exactly that: what can we do that is unique, that is impactful? and they tell the stories of two individuals who exemplify that attitude.

Estella’s Brilliant Bus

Estella decided to spend her life savings and build a bus to bring technology to underserved communities. Estella was born in Florida and had a career helping kids. She was a teacher, principal, and guidance counselor with a passion for helping underachieving and underprivileged children and families improve their lives.

Her vision is to empower parents with better skills so they will get more involved in their children’s education and lives, thus improving the quality of life for the family. The realization of her vision is Estella’s Brilliant Bus. After she retired, Estella spent a large sum of her pension money to create a customized mobile learning center that can travel to communities and deliver services where they are needed most. Making a difference one child at a time and/or one family at a time.

Right now she is working to take talented youth from across the nation to the 2015 #YesWeCode Hackathon in New Orleans this summer.

Estella’s Brilliant Bus

You can learn more about Estella’s Brilliant bus at estellasbrilliantbus.org . Microsoft supports Estella’s program through the Microsoft YouthSpark program a company wide initiative to create opportunities for hundreds of millions of youth around the world through partnerships with governments, nonprofits and businesses. The goal of YouthSpark is to empower youth to imagine and realize their full potential by connecting them with education, employment, and entrepreneurship opportunities. Here in Canada, Microsoft YouthSpark sponsors organizations such as Boys and Girls Club, and Partners in Learning.

Braylon O’Neill

Braylon O’Neill was born missing the tibia and fibula bones in both of his legs. Braylon is an extremely active little boy obsessed with sports. Microsoft Research works on research and technology in a variety of fields including research and technology in gait analysis . But tools like the Kinect have made this type of work accessible to any developer. Here in Canada, a team of students from the University of Calgary won $10,000 at the 2013 Microsoft Imagine Cup World Finals with their remote physiotherapy application using Kinect technology.

Braylon O’Neill making strides

These stories continue last year’s Empowering Us All stories. You can see these and other empowering stories from last year at Microsoft.com/empowering