Sivakrishnan ‘Soma’ Somasegar is not a well-known name in American sports, unless you watch soccer, Major League Cricket, or are a tech whiz. He meant something to all three communities. Somasegar mostly made his name as a senior executive at Microsoft. But he made time for people whom he could barely give a minute of his schedule. Mannerisms like that left an impact on those who knew him.

Grammy-winning artist Ciara was one of them. At his unfortunate passing earlier this week, she remembered her friend and sent condolences to his family. Somasegar was 59.

“Rest in Paradise Soma,” she wrote, sharing an obituary post from the Seattle Sounders FC on Instagram. “Praying for peace in everyone’s heart of Somas family during this time. ♥️🕊️”

Ciara and Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson share a connection with Somasegar, being among the 11 families that co-own  Major League Soccer club Seattle Sounders FC. Somasegar was a venture capitalist and was the managing director of Madrona. Having worked at Microsoft for a long time, Somasegar was selected to be part of this exclusive group because of how relevant he was to the Seattle community. 

“Soma’s impact on Seattle reached far beyond the technology industry,” Seattle Sounders FC wrote in a tribute on Instagram. “Through his leadership, mentorship and generosity, he helped foster innovation, empower entrepreneurs and strengthen the community that he cared about so deeply. His influence can be seen in the countless people and organizations that benefited from his vision and encouragement.

“As a member of our club’s ownership group, Soma brought thoughtfulness, optimism and a genuine belief in the power of sport to unite people. Soma, his wife Akila, and their entire family embraced the Sounders and Reign communities with warmth and purpose, proudly giving their support to our clubs.”

Along with these clubs, Somasegar also owned the Major League Cricket team Seattle Orcas. Coming from India, he knew full well how attractive cricket could be if the sport was allowed to grow. According to the team, Somasegar had been influential in building infrastructure for cricket in the Pacific Northwest.

“He brought the same quiet commitment and generosity to cricket that he brought to everything else — and to everyone he ever encountered,” Somasegar’s friend and co-owner of the Orcas, Sanjay Pathasarthy, said.

Tech giants like Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella also joined hands with Ciara in mourning this sports aficionado. 

Microsoft CEO and others offer their prayers to Soma Somasegar on his passing

“For Anu and me, this loss is very personal,” Nadella said. “Soma was there for us during some of the toughest moments in our lives, always with quiet strength, kindness, and a sense of steadiness we depended on. We will miss him very much.” 

After joining Microsoft in 1989, Somasegar contributed to eight Windows releases and worked on the Windows NT OS. Over his 27-year tenure, he also became the Corporate Vice President of Microsoft’s Developer Division. That’s where he looked into Visual Studio and the .NET framework. Quietly, like his personality, Somasegar helped the company be the superpower it is today.

“His contributions to Microsoft and culture were as legendary as was the admiration and respect he earned from generations of the Softies he guided and led,” former Microsoft executive Steven Sinofsky added. “Om Shanti, Soma.” 

“It was clear he truly believed in building something real for the sport here in the Pacific Northwest,” a former colleague and founding member of the Seattle Orcas wrote. “The impact across so many lives is unmatched and, honestly, immeasurable. It’s hard to put into words what the loss meant for most of us. The world lost a gem.”

The Seattle Sounders and Seattle Reign will carry Somasegar’s memory with them as they take the field for the remainder of the 2026 season. Meanwhile, Ciara, Russell Wilson, and the rest of the ownership group must now rally together to uphold the incredible philanthropic standard he set for the community.