JoAnn Garbin

JoAnn Garbin is a sustainability and technology entrepreneur, innovation architect, and keynote speaker with extensive experience leading teams from concept to commercial scale. With a career at the intersection of technology, sustainability, and human-centered design, Garbin has founded multiple ventures and created Microsoft's Regenerative Datacenter of the Future. She has collaborated with organizations including Apple and Xerox across various industries. Garbin studied mechanical engineering and philosophy at Villanova University, a combination that informs her holistic approach to innovation.

At Microsoft, Garbin led transformative projects, advancing the Regenerative Datacenter of the Future from concept to a pioneering design that integrates large-scale infrastructure with local ecosystems. This initiative secured significant funding and projected substantial impact in the cloud computing and data center sectors. Her experience in sustainability, along with her role as Director of Innovation in Microsoft's cloud business, provided her with deep insight into scalable and repeatable innovation processes. Prior to Microsoft, Garbin co-authored the original City of Philadelphia Climate Action Plan and developed an Energy and Emissions Management System used by companies such as Dell, Merck, Xerox, and Pfizer to measure and report global sustainability data.

Garbin is the co-author, with Dean Carignan, of the book "The Insider's Guide to Innovation at Microsoft." The book outlines principles for driving innovation and examines the successes and challenges behind major Microsoft initiatives, including Xbox, Windows Mobile, and Bing in artificial intelligence. Drawing on interviews with Microsoft employees, the book offers insights and practices relevant to technology and business leaders. Garbin was recognized as a Thinkers50 Radar honoree and shortlisted for the Innovation Award.

Following a personal experience with breast cancer, Garbin launched "The Insider's Guide to Innovation at Microsoft" and co-founded Regenerous Labs. Her work focuses on fostering innovation with purpose and resilience, addressing challenges in sustainability, adaptability, and impact. Garbin's expertise has been featured in Bloomberg, Forbes, Financial Times, and Big Think. She continues to share her frameworks as a keynote speaker, workshop facilitator, and executive advisor in the fields of sustainability, technology, and innovation.