Bakari Brock

Bakari Brock leads global partnership strategy at Microsoft for Startups, connecting the world's most ambitious founders with the venture firms, accelerators, and enterprise relationships they need to scale on Azure. 

His career spans some of tech's most defining moments — from Corporate Counsel at YouTube and Legal Director for global revenue at Twitter, to early BD leadership at Lyft through IPO, and VP of Strategic Partnerships at fintech startup Guideline. Along the way, he helped shape foundational developer agreements that defined how the open web consumed social data, brought YouTube to millions of new users through global distribution deals, and watched multiple companies grow from scrappy startups to household names.

A graduate of the University of Georgia and Harvard Law School, Bakari serves on the board of RENFROE® and is an active civic leader in Austin, Texas. He is deeply committed to building startup ecosystems that reflect the full diversity of the world — and to making sure the next generation of founders has the access and infrastructure to thrive.