Exclusive Ideagen Interview Series (Part I) With Microsoft’s Dr. Sidhant Gupta

Microsoft. Sidhant, welcome.

Sidhant: Thank you, George.

George: Sidhant is a researcher in the medical devices group at Microsoft. He broadly investigates mobile sensing techniques and builds hardware for better understanding the human body and progressing frontiers of medical science. He graduated with a doctorate in computer science from the University of Washington in 2014. His graduate research was built on his philosophy of sensing everywhere without putting sensors everywhere. That is to find ways to send signals with minimal hardware that is easy to install and low cost. During his PhD work he invented a device that plugs into a home’s electrical outlet that lets homeowners see and matches not only how much energy their home consumes but also how it is used.

For example it shows power usage of each and every appliance using only a single plug-in sensor. His published work has received various best paper awards and has been the basis of various commercialization efforts. Sidhant has been named one of the top 30 technology disrupters under the age of 30 by Forbes and so many other accolades including serving as Board Chairman at Idea-gen.com. Sidhant, you really are changing the world. Welcome to the show today. We’re so honored to have you with us.

Sidhant: Thank you for such a kind introduction, George.

George: Of course. We’re going right into the interview with Ideagen. We always like to start with asking, please highlight the incredible work that you’re doing as a change agent across the planet. Sidhant, could you please describe Microsoft’s unique mission and especially your work with Microsoft Research.

Sidhant: Indeed. Just like our CEO Satya Nadella puts it: it is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to do more. At Microsoft research we are empowering people whenever and wherever it’s possible. Whether that’s creating new software that makes you more productive while you go about your business or making technology that is designed for underprivileged kids.