Allison Matthews
Microsoft
Austin, TX USA
"This is the one life that we have. What adventures do you want to have in that life?"
Career Roadmap
Allison's work combines: Technology, Education, and Working with Others
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Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Here's the path I took:
High School
Bachelor's Degree
Economics
University of Waterloo
Life & Career Milestones
My path in life has been direct
1.
I started out as a math major at the University of Waterloo, but quickly realized I was good at memorizing—not understanding—it, and switched to economics.
2.
Through my co-op degree, I moved cities every four months which taught me how to adapt quickly and thrive in new environments.
3.
During college, I landed an internship at Microsoft Canada, which sparked my interest in tech and helped launch my career.
4.
After graduating, I moved to the West Coast and immigrated to the U.S., eventually taking a finance role at Microsoft in Seattle, Washington.
5.
I worked across different areas at Microsoft—finance, business management, marketing—each step guided by curiosity.
6.
A chance conversation with the early Minecraft Education team led me to join them when the project was still experimental.
7.
I became executive producer of Minecraft Education, helping shape its strategy and grow it into a global learning platform.
8.
I then moved up to Head of Minecraft Education, where I now lead vision, partnerships, and help inspire future learners through play.
Defining Moments
How I responded to discouragement
THE NOISE
Messages from Myself:
You don't belong here. You're not smart enough and you haven't done enough.
How I responded:
Anytime I found myself in a new challenging environment, I'd have a voice in my head telling me that I don't belong there because I'm not good enough and I haven't achieved enough to have earned a spot in that room. I struggled with that underlying insecurity and imposter syndrome for many years. It was a real journey to work through that, but I eventually learned to stop undermining myself, adopt a better mindset, and release the imposter syndrome.