Nisaini Rexach: Taking Chicago’s Youth From Curiosity to Career

Nisaini Rexach

Sr. Partner Technology Strategist

Microsoft

Meet Nisaini Rexach, Microsoft’s Sr. Partner Technology Strategist. At the time of this interview Nisaini was Community Engagement Lead and the architect of The Circuit Summer Program. Launched in 2023 with Chicago Public Schools, this six-week intensive program transforms students into mini-consultants, solving real-world challenges for elite clients like the Chicago Bulls. Nisaini designed this captivating program to ignite a fire within students by leveraging their excitement for sports and innovative technology. By removing traditional barriers, The Circuit provides students with technology exposure, social capital, and the tools they need to courageously pursue a career in tech.

What is your role at Microsoft?

I am the Community Engagement Lead at Microsoft who sits in Public Affairs on the TechSpark team. I work with aligned stakeholders and partners to showcase the power of our technology and thought leadership, specifically looking at the impact we make when we integrate into city systems and civic structures. In this role, I oversee the Illinois region. My work over the last three years focused specifically on Chicago, but in fiscal year 2025, we’ve expanded our efforts to cover the entire state.

What brought you to this role?

This role was never on my radar. I began my career in the private sector before taking a purposeful detour into education through Teach For America (TFA). As a proud TFA alumnus, I carry a deep appreciation for my years as an educator. That experience shifted my entire career trajectory. Over the course of 12 years, it provided the foundation that eventually catapulted me into the seat I hold today. I reached another career turning point during the pandemic. I worked with school leaders to transform their environments, helping them manage complex building operations entirely in a virtual space.

 We’re competing for their attention in a digitally-saturated world, so the program has to be more than just educational; it has to be captivating.

That challenge ignited my curiosity and interest in technology. I eventually transitioned to a nonprofit organization that focuses on preparing beneficiaries without a traditional computer science degree for careers in the tech industry. It was there that I met Kevin Gates, a board member and the first program participant hired by Microsoft over 26 years ago. Kevin saw my potential and invested his time in me, opening doors and paving the way for me to get to where I am today. 

What was your educational path like? Did it mirror that of your family? 

My path did not mirror that of my family. I am the second person in my family to attain a college degree. My sister was the first. She set the example of what’s possible when you commit to your academics. I became the first in my family to pursue a career in education, eventually becoming both an elementary and high school educator.

Growing up on the border of Humboldt Park and Logan Square, the neighborhood was very different than what it is today. I faced a myriad of perils, including navigating complex gang territories and managing the impact of gang rivalries touching my direct family, but my sister’s example anchored me to remain mentally strong and not allow my surroundings to define my destination. Education became my vehicle to rise above the neighborhood infrastructure during that time to ensure I was not a mere statistic. 

What is it like to work at Microsoft? What makes it special or unique?

I absolutely love working here. It is incredibly rewarding to be at a company so deeply tethered to innovation, especially with the emergence of generative AI. We are truly at a point where technology is changing the way we work and live. It has already transformed my own daily workflows. Beyond the tech, what makes it special is the autonomy I’m given to be curious. I have the freedom to bring new ideas to initiatives and explore different ways to approach my work. 

What was the inspiration for The Circuit Summer Program? 

The Circuit is truly the program I wish I could have built for my students when I was a high school teacher. That vision stayed with me as our society became more digitized. I realized that if we want young people to explore career pathways in tech, we have to teach them about the different aspects of technology in a way that's fun and interesting. We’re competing for their attention in a digitally saturated world, so the program has to be more than just educational; it has to be captivating. When I joined the company in 2022, this was my first priority. I started building The Circuit immediately, and it took about nine months of development to bring that initial vision to life. I had the opportunity to form a volunteer team (v-team) internally who were super committed to bringing The Circuit’s vision to life. Particularly, Paige Michals, Customer Success Account Manager, who served as Program Manager (PM) for The Circuit. This program does not run without the time and toil of dynamic colleagues like Paige.

What was the process of building the program? Did you face challenges? Did you receive support from others in your organization?

The process began with a listening tour here in the local market. I met with various stakeholders to determine if a program like this was even viable. I reached out to confidants I’d met during my first year at Microsoft and asked them to be critical friends, weighing in on my proposal and telling me what I was missing. We looked at everything: liability components, student interest, whether a six-week runway was too tight, and whether a professional sports team would actually want to partner with us.

The most challenging part was conveying the value proposition of the program to a professional sports team. The Circuit is a six-week immersive experience designed to expose, develop, and ignite curiosity in young people regarding tech careers. While the anchor learning is on UI/UX and data analytics, we center the program entirely around the sports industry and showcasing just how much technology exists in that space. This is an opportunity to expose students to the aspects of sports that have nothing to do with being an athlete.

While this program is incredibly valuable for students, what value does it provide to the clients who participate?

Our students solve real-world problems for our clients. We organize them into mini-consultancies where they pitch solutions directly to the client. This past summer, the Chicago Bulls participated, selecting winning strategies that were viable for implementation in their 2025–26 season. The students provide the organization with fresh, actionable insights. 

How did you describe the benefits of the program to senior leaders? Did you have difficulty getting senior leadership on board?

In my role, I am responsible for managing critical stakeholder relationships. Because of that, I had significant latitude to develop the pilot in our market. Securing leadership approval took an organic shape largely because I directly aligned the program with our core business objectives. Chicago Public Schools (CPS) is a key customer and stakeholder. Our connection with CPS allows us to make a strategic investment in the talent of tomorrow. The program tethers the education community to the technological innovations for the next frontier.

The program is specifically designed to help students become AI-natives and experience what the future of work will look like. This is a skill set that ensures they remain competitive candidates in any field. We provide an experience where students apply intellectual rigor to AI tools. They spend their time learning how generative AI can enhance their personal productivity, be used as an asset for client delivery within the program, and as a foundational resource for their upcoming careers and post-secondary experiences.

Tell me more about the program’s participants. What are the requirements for participation?

Our students come directly from the district’s Career Technical Education (CTE) pathway. We chose this pathway specifically because students are required to complete a summer experience. Working with CPS offered a major advantage because we were able to go directly through the district rather than a separate youth-serving organization. By integrating with their existing summer program infrastructure, the process became very seamless. 

To ensure the program is truly accessible, we intentionally eliminated GPA requirements as a barrier to entry. The only requirement is a single letter of recommendation from a CTE instructor. Our goal is to make this as engaging, inspiring, and informative as possible for every student.

When you engage young people in a way that is truly accessible to them, coupling their inherent interests with current workforce trends, you can achieve true success.

We have students from the South, West, East, and North sides. This program brings together a diverse group of young people who might otherwise never interface. By connecting students from various zip codes, we are helping them build the foundation of a professional social network. They aren't just learning skills; they are building a roster of peers who can vouch for one another as they move into their careers.

Did you face any challenges when you were first trying to engage with Chicago Public Schools?

When we first engaged with the district, we were very intentional about the program model. We have 25 slots available to students from across the entire district, and we had to be clear that the vision was not to pull exclusively from a single high school. Landing those conversations in the right way was vital to building a thriving, robust partnership. How we interface with the district is incredibly important to ensuring the enduring shelf life of the program, especially since they serve as our primary recruitment pipeline.

One of our biggest challenges was managing an extensive waitlist. We had to decline a high volume of students, which was difficult because the demand far exceeded our space constraints. Another challenge was ensuring a true balance across schools. We had to have some difficult conversations to avoid redundant selection from a single campus because we were committed to a well-balanced program that represented the whole district.

How does the program support students who might not have always seen themselves in tech? 

At that stage of life, young people often don’t know what industry they want to work in yet. Our program is designed to ignite curiosity. We have students who are passionate about tech from the start, but we also have others who discover their passion can lead to careers like UI/UX design.

We gauge our impact through weekly surveys and student retrospectives, conducted just as we would with a customer. We ask questions like: "Did you see yourself in tech? Did your confidence go up? How has learning about AI impacted what you want to study in the future? Do you feel better about public speaking? What did you learn about working in a group format? How did this push you to have courageous conversations? 

Can you give me an example of a program participant who had a successful experience? 

One of our "Circuiters," Salvador, is a powerful example of what this program is about. He joined us from Roosevelt High School and completed two summers in the program. He is now a freshman at Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT). From the beginning, it was clear he was a bright young man.

During his first summer, Salvador shared his dream of attending IIT to study cybersecurity. The Program presents an array of post-secondary pathways to the students to show the menu of opportunities that are available, from community college to workforce programs. When IIT presenters visited, his interest was solidified. To deepen his experience, we scheduled a virtual coffee chat for him with one of our cybersecurity colleagues and continued to support him as he completed certifications in our program and with other organizations, like CompTIA.

When Salvador applied to IT, he was accepted but hadn’t heard back regarding a prestigious scholarship he’d applied for. This is where social wealth and social currency come into play. Without telling him, we contacted the provost’s office and the people we knew at the university. We told them about Salvador, what he’d done with us over two summers, and why he was an outlier. He was ultimately awarded the scholarship.  

Salvador’s mother, a fellow educator, shared with me how the program transformed Salvador from a shy, introverted student into a confident public speaker who eventually presented in front of the Chicago Bulls.

When businesses design programs for youth, it is incredibly important to have a team that is genuinely passionate about that specific audience and age group to ensure the initiative's success. 

The highlight of this journey was earlier this year at the Teach for America 25th Anniversary gala. As a board member and the MC, I watched Salvador share his story in front of over 550 people, including a Vice Chancellor from IIT. Seeing him on that stage, knowing he is just getting started, was one of the greatest highlights of this program. He is truly a star.

What are the long-term goals for the program?

The goal is to expand our focus areas beyond sports into industries like broadcast media and gaming, and to forge new partnerships. We are looking for aligned partners who can support the program in different ways, like through fireside chats, site visits, or a day-long hackathon. We want to offer a 'lower lift' for partners, allowing them to engage with the students on a mini-project or a specific issue without requiring a full six-week commitment, while still providing immense value. 

What do you wish more businesses in Chicago specifically understood about the value of initiatives like The Circuit Summer Program?

When you engage young people in a way that is truly accessible to them, coupling their inherent interests with current workforce trends, you can achieve true success. It is important for businesses to realize that young people are incredibly insightful and clever. Employers should never underestimate what students can achieve. They don't lack ability; they simply need the right scaffolds and infrastructure in place to really bring their potential to life.

When businesses design programs for youth, it is incredibly important to have a team that is genuinely passionate about that specific audience and age group to ensure the initiative's success. My background as a former high school teacher made this process much more applicable and reduced the barriers to entry for me personally. While being an educator isn't a requirement for this work, it definitely aided in the program architecture and allowed me to design the experience in a very intentional way.