The geek in question: Aradia Correnti

The job title: Program Manager, Mobile Communications Business/Windows Devices Core

What are you working on right now?
I'm the program manager for the out-of-box experience, and the connectivity user experience. I also work on integrating Windows Mobile services into the platform.

What's your favorite Microsoft benefit?
Getting to be who I am. I can have my blue hair and my crazy clothing and talk about my music and not feel like I'm violating some corporate policy about not having an outside life. Microsoft really gets that intelligence and passion can come in any type of package imaginable.

I've got a diverse background -- ethnically, professionally, and in all other ways. I come from New York, I'm tri-racial. I've lived all over the country. My career has spanned journalism, technical writing, teaching, marketing, graphic design, web design, web development, instructional design, and publishing. It's to the detriment of other companies that they believe employees should look a certain way, act a certain way, speak a certain way, go to certain schools, or study this certain discipline in order to be a fit for their company.

At Microsoft, you can be brilliant and look completely weird. You can have gone to a no-name school or even not graduated from college. What's important is that you have awesome background and a fresh perspective.

Coming from such a diverse industry background, what's different about working at Microsoft?
You know, I have been truly in the rat race. Starting my career in New York City, I've experienced the backstabbing dog-eat-dog corporate environment. And that is not Microsoft. I love that I'm able to fund my dreams and come to work every day being excited about the products we make and the fact that we are, in some ways, changing the world.

I love that I can recycle everything when I'm at work -- I don't have to deviate from my morals and personal standards to work here. I work for a company that gives to charity, cares about the environment, and cares about the community.

Nice! So, going back a bit: you mentioned doing music. Tell me more!
I sing and play piano, flute, and guitar. I've been in bands since high school, and when I moved out here to Seattle, I went solo and am releasing a CD. In fact, my CD release party is on October 31st, at the McLeod Residence in Belltown!

Come to Aradia's CD release! 8pm October 31st, 2008 @ Mcleod Residence in Seattle

Three members of my band who are performing with me are from my division at work. I've been in Seattle for two years -- and after putting ads all over the place looking for bandmates, I'd only met one person I wanted to play with. Then I just got really lucky and realized, "Hey! I'm surrounded by all these great musicians!" I've got Scott Borton, Program Manager on keyboards; James Drage, Senior Developer on guitar; and Eddie Escarto-Raffo, Developer on drums. You should come to the show!

Sing those links, girl!
• Myspace.com/aradiasmusic • Arad1a.com • Self Released Debut Album: The Oddyssey. Available at the show on Oct 31st. Perhaps around town in upcoming weeks.