At last year’s September launch of the Global Innovation Exchange, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella announced that the new GIX facility would be named the “Steve Ballmer Building” to honor Ballmer’s leadership in driving Microsoft to be a global company during his tenure as CEO. Nadella noted that Ballmer has always been an advocate for business collaboration across international borders. Under his leadership, Microsoft was the first company to open a basic research facility in China and, as a result, Microsoft established a 20-year relationship with Tsinghua University. Microsoft President Brad Smith added that, “In the 42-year history of Microsoft, no one has done more than Steve to take Microsoft to the world, to build our subsidiaries, and to connect us with people and customers around the world.”
We recently interviewed Mr. Ballmer and asked him to offer his insights into topics like innovation, innovation leadership, and how to develop an innovation mindset. He shares these perspectives and more in the video below.
About the GIX Steve Ballmer Building
The state-of-the-art, three-story Steve Ballmer Building is located in Bellevue’s growing Spring District. Built for innovation, the building was designed specifically for GIX programs and features one of the largest and most comprehensively equipped makerspaces in the region. The distinctive spaces within the Ballmer Building provide GIX students with access to electronic prototyping labs, 3-D printers, laser cutters, a wood shop, two design studios, sophisticated learning spaces, co-working spaces, AR/VR technology, and more.