Recommendations

I had the privilege of working under Tracey about eight years ago, and she remains one of the most extraordinary leaders I’ve ever had the pleasure to learn from.

Tracey brings a rare combination of intelligence, compassion, and vision to everything she does. She led our design team with clarity and purpose, consistently inspiring our designers to reach our full potential while staying grounded in empathy and understanding. Her deep knowledge and sharp decision-making earned her the respect of everyone around her, while her warmth made her approachable and deeply trusted. What stood out most was her passion, she brought energy and enthusiasm to every engagement and initiative, fostering a culture of collaboration, integrity, and excellence.

Working for Tracey was truly an enriching experience, and I’m still guided by many of the lessons I learned under her leadership. I wholeheartedly recommend Tracey to any organization, her mere presence elevates people, teams, and outcomes.

I had the privilege of managing Tracey Kelly on the Microsoft Strategic Deals Team, where she consistently demonstrated exceptional leadership and facilitation skills. Tracey is a master at conducting envisioning workshops and has mentored many others in refining this critical capability. Her ability to engage with stakeholders across a wide range of customer roles—capturing key challenges, identifying opportunities, and synthesizing insights into structured, actionable strategies—sets her apart as a true design thinking leader.

Tracey’s impact was especially evident last year when she led over seven design thinking workshops with me focused on Copilot and Copilot Studio. These sessions empowered more than 450 customers to define their AI strategies, prioritize use cases, and align initiatives with business objectives—making each engagement highly productive and outcome-driven.

Beyond her technical and strategic strengths, Tracey brings a deep passion for her work and a genuine enthusiasm for teaching and uplifting others. Her collaborative spirit, innovative mindset, and dedication to customer success make her an invaluable asset to any organization.

Tracey is in a word - exceptional - there are very few colleagues that I have worked with over my rather lengthy career that provide the depth for innovation, design thinking, creativity and deep connection to customer challenges and desired outcomes. Tracey is persistent and leverages her skills across executive level discussions through line of business and operational discussions. Her deliverables provide easily digestible readouts of what are often complex problems and visionary solutions. She knows how to leverage the strengths of a team and manages diverse interactions deftly and with inclusivity and compassion.
Could not recommend Tracey more

Tracey is someone I would trust with any customer- full stop. She led an envisioning session for one of our top airline accounts that set the tone for a multimillion-dollar engagement. She has a rare ability to cut through the noise, read the emotional undercurrents in a room, and steer the conversation in a way that makes every stakeholder feel seen and aligned.  What stands out most is her credibility. She brings both executive presence and deep customer empathy. She’s a strong communicator, a collaborative partner, and someone I’ve already lined up for additional customer-facing opportunities because I know she consistently delivers. Any team would be lucky to have her.

Tracey was instrumental in working with me with a large strategic customer to drive both envisioning and design thinking for critical part of their business operations.  She laid out the process to the customer, communicated the value of the envisioning session, and ultimately delivered on a complex design thinking plan.  She had to orchestrate communication across multiple stakeholders in teh account, including IT, Security and the Business.  Tracey is well organized, professional in front of the customers, and delivers more than what she commits. 

I first met Tracey Kelly when she was the President of the Dallas Chapter of WITI (Women in Technology International). I don't know who became a fan-girl first, me or Tracey, but that was way back in 2010 and she's been stuck with me ever since.

Over the years, I've watched her skyrocket in her career - first at Slalom, then at Microsoft. I could fill three posts with the wonderful gifts that Tracey brings to the table; her brilliance, creativity, passion, drive, intuition, commitment (I could go on and on and on, but I'll let her show you what makes her so special via her website, which is in the comments.) Suffice it to say that she's simply a hashtag#powerhouse).

I would hire her if I were in the position to do so.

I know she won't be on the market long, because she's too good at what she does, but I thought I'd give you all a fighting chance!

Congratulations if you are wise enough to recognize a gem when you see one. You're welcome! 😉

I had the privilege of working closely with Tracey Kelly during the formative stages of bringing Microsoft Catalyst to market and activating it to further define our vertical offerings, and I can confidently say she was key to its success. Tracey brings a rare combination of strategic vision, operational excellence, and deep empathy for both customers and colleagues.

Her ability to take complex, evolving concepts and help shape them into a structured, scalable offerings was nothing short of impressive. Tracey consistently demonstrated leadership in aligning cross-functional teams, refining messaging, and ensuring that every detail - from customer engagement frameworks to internal enablement - was thoughtfully executed.

Beyond her professional expertise, Tracey is a joy to work with. She’s collaborative, insightful, and always brings positive energy to the room. Her contributions have had a lasting impact not only on the Catalyst program, and its evolving presence, but on the broader Microsoft organization as well.

If you're looking for someone who can turn vision into reality while inspiring those around her, Tracey is that person.

Helping customers envision the way forward is truly an exceptional skill. You do it better than anyone I have seen. You will be missed here….unless we get to bring you in as a contractor. You are going to be in big demand. I am hearing the song “Nobody does it better.”

I’ve had the absolute pleasure of working with Tracey on multiple projects, and each one has been a huge success, largely thanks to her incredible leadership and infectious passion.

She has this unique ability to inspire everyone around her, and you can’t help but step up your own game when you’re working with her. Anyone who gets the chance to collaborate with her will walk away feeling not just accomplished but genuinely enriched👏

Tracey's talent in unmatched. She has a way of leading and orchestrating strategic engagements that bring any size audience, large or small to collaborate, align on future vision, and goals. Her approach is simplistic and purpose driven which resonates with the audience and as a result of that, the engagements are very productive. I have had the pleasure of working alongside Tracey on these engagements and truly learned a lot from her style and approach that I also use now. I highly recommend Tracey as her experience and skills will be an advantage for anyone or company looking to benefit from upleveling their strategy game. Reach out to her ASAP.

I had the privilege of working with Tracey for seven years at Slalom, where she led our Experience Design Practice and served as the Global Community Lead. From day one, Tracey brought an extraordinary blend of creativity, strategic thinking, and leadership that elevated not only our client work but also the way our teams collaborated and delivered.

Tracey has an unmatched ability to translate complex business challenges into clear, innovative solutions that delight customers and drive measurable results. She’s a true design thinking leader who is skilled at bringing together cross-functional teams, fostering an environment of empathy and curiosity, and guiding them to uncover new possibilities that align with business goals.

What stood out most was Tracey’s vision and her ability to build and scale communities of practice. She didn’t just manage a team, she inspired a global network of practitioners to share knowledge, challenge the status quo, and continually raise the bar for quality and impact. Her collaborative spirit, depth of expertise, and commitment to human-centered design made her an indispensable partner to our clients and a trusted leader within Slalom.

Tracey is a rare talent who blends creativity, strategy, and execution flawlessly, and any organization would be fortunate to have her shaping their future.

I've had the opportunity to work on several digital transformation and innovation projects with Tracey anchored in best practices envisioning future solutions through user design thinking. No one leads design thinking sessions better than Tracey, leading large groups of diverse stakeholders with inspiration to imagine a future free of the traditional boundaries that hold companies back from achieving the max potential of human ambition and measurable outcomes.

Tracey is a powerhouse advantage for anyone looking to unleash breakthrough opportunities in innovation. This is especially important in today's environment with the evolution of AI creating new possibilities faster than most companies can keep up. Tracey is a winner through and through, I've learned so much from her partnership!

I've had the pleasure of working with Tracey a number of times and Tracey is truly talented. She is a masterclass in facilitation. A room full of executive egos with differing points of view? Not a problem for her. She can guide any group to understand what they need to do to solve their known and unknown (prior to Tracey) challenges. While the term is overused, Tracey is a ROCKSTAR!

I had the privilege of working closely with Tracey Kelly over the past year, particularly in our joint efforts supporting American Airlines. Tracey consistently demonstrated a rare blend of strategic insight, customer empathy, and executional excellence that made a measurable impact.

Tracey played a pivotal role in two major initiatives:

• SalesHub Transformation: She led multiple envisioning and roadmap sessions with American Airlines, helping define and refine the SalesHub 2.0 strategy. Her ability to translate complex business needs into actionable technical plans was instrumental in aligning stakeholders across Microsoft and the customer.

• Power Platform Pilots: Tracey co-led a Power Apps hackathon with the AA team, driving innovation for pilot engagement and seller enablement. Her collaboration with technical teams and customer stakeholders ensured rapid prototyping and adoption.

Beyond her technical acumen, Tracey is a natural connector. She fosters trust, builds momentum, and brings clarity to complex engagements. Her communication is crisp, her energy contagious, and her commitment to customer success unwavering.

Tracey would be an asset to any team at Microsoft — especially in roles that require cross-functional leadership, customer-facing innovation, and a deep understanding of Dynamics 365, Power Platform, and enterprise transformation.

Over the past 3 years, I’ve had the privilege of collaborating with Tracey Kelley as a co-lead of the Design Thinking community at Microsoft. From the outset, Tracey demonstrated a deeply supportive, inclusive, and collaborative approach to leadership and teamwork. Every interaction with her has been a learning experience—from the way she thoughtfully designs workshops and customer engagements, to the genuine warmth and positivity she brings to every conversation with colleagues.

Tracey is a rare all-rounder. She seamlessly bridges the gap between business and technology, engaging confidently with C-suite stakeholders while maintaining a strong design and innovation lens. Her ability to translate complex challenges into actionable strategies is backed by a solid foundation in commercial acumen and a deep understanding of customer-centricity.

Beyond her professional strengths, Tracey is a culture carrier—someone who uplifts teams, fosters psychological safety, and leads with empathy. Her departure from Microsoft is a loss for us, but an incredible opportunity for any organization lucky enough to work with her next.

Tracey Kelly you are the best in the business I have ever seen with envisioning, design thinking and strategic storytelling. Absolute super star who is a passionate highly skilled operator. Look forward to collaborating on many more projects.

Tracey - you have taught me and so many of our peers and customers. You're Design Thinking principals are now ingrained part of my process - Thank You! Please let me know if there's anything I can do to help as you look forward to the lucky organization that gets to land you!

I've had the privilege of working with Tracey Kelly in the Design Thinking Community, and honestly, she’s one of the most inspiring and forward-thinking people I’ve worked with. Whether she's leading community discussions or guiding teams through design thinking workshops, Tracey brings clarity, creativity, and a strong sense of purpose to everything she does.

What really stands out is her ability to take complex business challenges and turn them into clear, actionable strategies. Her leadership was key in growing the community—she helped align our goals around learning, impact, and executive support, and led initiatives like outcome-based training and AI-focused events that really took our work to the next level.

On top of that, Tracey is just a great collaborator. She's always contributing helpful resources, following up thoughtfully, and keeping communication flowing in Teams. She’s someone you can rely on, and someone who makes the whole team better.

I really admire Tracey—not just for her expertise, but for the way she shows up with energy, generosity, and insight. She’s the kind of design thinking practitioner I hope to become, and working with her has been incredibly inspiring.

If you’re looking for someone who can challenge your thinking, drive real outcomes, and uplift everyone around her, Tracey is that person.

Tracey is a thought leader in Design Thinking. You'll find some of her approach documented in our book "Design Thinking in Software and AI Projects". In engagements with her, I found her thorough yet also flexible in her approach. A great listener, she can decipher true and practical business goals and use that knowledge to drive technology projects that deliver return on investment, customer satisfaction, ongoing relationships and further opportunities. She adds tremendous value when taking part in or leading any team.

I’ve had the pleasure of working with Tracey Kelly, and I can confidently say she is a powerhouse of innovation and strategic thinking. As an Envisioning Director at Microsoft, Tracey brings over 20 years of experience in design and transformation, consistently delivering customer engagements that drive measurable outcomes.
Her ability to apply design thinking to complex business challenges is unmatched. Tracey collaborates seamlessly across cross-functional teams to craft customer-centric solutions that reimagine strategies and unlock growth. Her workshops are immersive, insightful, and always leave participants energized and aligned.
Tracey’s knack for blending creativity with data-driven insights has led to impactful enhancements in sales and marketing. She doesn’t just envision the future—she helps businesses embrace it with clarity and confidence.
If you're looking for someone who challenges the status quo, fosters strategic collaboration, and creates meaningful customer experiences, Tracey is the person you want on your team. Her leadership and vision are truly inspiring.

One of Tracey's superpowers is her ability to transform business complexity into actionable clarity through her design thinking workshops. Tracey's expertise in artificial intelligence combined with her human-centered approach makes her a uniquely effective strategist: someone who not only drives AI innovation but ensures it is grounded in real user needs and business impact. It was a pleasure to work with Tracey!