Principal UX Researcher, Microsoft
Founder and President, Baal Dan Charities

From Perth to the global tech stage and from school service initiatives to international humanitarian leadership, Tanya Pinto exemplifies what it means to lead with purpose.

Tanya is currently a Principal UX Researcher at Microsoft, working on AI and Copilot within Microsoft 365 as part of Microsoft’s Experiences + Devices team. Alongside her professional career in technology and global consulting, she is also the Founder and President of Baal Dan Charities, a humanitarian organisation she established in 2005 while working full-time.

A lifelong commitment to service

The name Baal Dan, meaning “Donation to Children” in Hindi, reflects the heart of Tanya’s mission to support impoverished children, particularly orphans and street children, in developing countries.

Since its founding, Baal Dan Charities has raised nearly $2 million, providing aid to over 14,000 children in 14 countries through food, education, supplies and grassroots community programs. Among its many achievements, the charity:

Provides daily meals for more than 1,000 children
Has supported over 20 orphanages
Built a school for 150 children, along with additional education projects in India and Zambia

Tanya’s humanitarian leadership has been widely recognised. She is the youngest recipient of the John Curtin Medal for Humanitarian Leadership from Curtin University and has also received the Woman of the Year Award at the Harvard Women’s Empowerment Conference and the Sri Sri Ravi Shankar Award for Uplifting Human Values.

From Corpus Christi College to the world

Born in Mumbai, Tanya spent her early years living and studying in Dubai before her family immigrated to Australia, where she completed her schooling at Corpus Christi College.

Reflecting on her time at the College, Tanya expresses deep gratitude for the many staff members who shaped both her education and character. She fondly remembers educators, including Father Joseph Mathew, Mr Christian, Mrs Stringer, Mr Papineau, Mr Symonds, Mrs Adam, Mr Burns, Mrs Dragun, Ms Egan, Mrs Hawley, Mr Waller, Mrs Boggs, Mrs Whitehead, Mr Petale and Mr Martino, among many others. She also recalls the importance of initiatives such as Rice Bowl Day, which helped foster social awareness and compassion, along with the many excursions, activities and shared experiences that enriched school life.

Some of the most formative moments came through school camps and retreats, particularly the Year 10 retreat and Year 12 camp. Tanya describes these experiences as pivotal to her personal growth, strengthening her confidence, friendships, resilience and ability to manage stress, skills that continue to support her in leadership and professional settings.

A global career grounded in values

After graduating with First Class Honours in Mass Communications from Curtin University, Tanya’s career took her across the world. She has lived and worked in more than 20 countries and travelled to over 50, gaining extensive experience in humanitarian leadership, brand strategy and global consulting.

Prior to joining Microsoft in 2017, Tanya founded Shakti Consulting LLC, working with global creative agencies, NGOs and major brands on cause marketing, branding and qualitative research. Her work included leading global rebranding strategies for World Vision International, consulting for organisations such as UNHCR, Save the Children and charity: water, and field deployments in countries including Ethiopia, Senegal and Zambia. She has also moderated international conferences and reported from refugee camps under challenging conditions.

Today, at Microsoft, Tanya brings this depth of human understanding to her work in UX research and AI, helping shape technology that is ethical, inclusive and human-centred.

Advice for today’s students

For students hoping to combine career success with service, Tanya encourages them to listen to what calls them to serve. Passion, she believes, makes it easier to find the time and energy to commit to a cause alongside a full-time career. Service can be small or large but every act matters.

“Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.”- St Mother Teresa

In an age shaped by technology, AI and social media, Tanya also highlights the importance of developing interpersonal and communication skills. Human relationships, kindness and empathy cannot be replaced by technology and often have the greatest impact when they are not shared online.

Looking ahead

As the world enters what Tanya describes as one of the fastest periods of technological evolution in history, she feels excited and privileged to be working in the tech and AI space while continuing her lifelong commitment to humanitarian service.

Her journey is a powerful reflection of the Corpus Christi College values of Courage, Commitment and Compassion, lived out on a global scale.