Lili Cheng

Architect, Brainstormer, Concerned citizen, Educator/Teacher, Engineer

Lili Cheng is the Corporate Vice President and Managing Director of Microsoft Research Americas ( Redmond, NYC, New England, Montreal). Cheng has a long history of research and AI with Microsoft and is a member of the National Academy of Engineering/Computer Science. Cheng founded the Social Computing Group and Future Social Experiences (“FUSE”) Labs in Microsoft Research and works with top universities, and researchers around the world. Prior to Microsoft Research she founded and ran the Copilot Studio Products for Microsoft. Prior to Microsoft, Cheng worked in Apple Computer’s Advanced Technology Group on the User Interface research team, where she developed QuickTime Conferencing and QuickTime VR. Lili is also an architect (of buildings). She is a licensed architect and practiced architecture in Tokyo and Los Angeles for Nihon Sekkei and Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, designing large-scale commercial building projects including Canary Wharf in London. Cheng was born in Tokyo, grew up in Omaha Nebraska, and lives in the Seattle area with her husband, and has three sons.