Frontier Partners

How partners will win in 2026: pick one marketable superpower, prove it as customer‑zero, and scale value with agentic AI. Host  Fede Pacheco  is joined by  Alexa Easley  as they share real stories and leadership perspectives—from multiple partner voices to EPS CVP  Nina Harding  and her Leadership Team,  Lori Borg ,  Tony Surma ,  H...

This first episode of the rebranded Microsoft Frontier Partners Podcast dives into the biggest AI and Copilot announcements coming out of Ignite 2025, as host  Fede Pacheco  and guest  Karin Skapski , Sr. Partner Solutions Architect, break down what matters most for partners. They explore the launch of Copilot for Business, the debut of Agent 365 for managin...

In this special edition of No Slides Attached, Fede Pacheco and Shivani Ranganathan bring you the voices, news, announcements, and excitement from IT Nation Secure 2025 in Orlando. This episode features exclusive interviews with leaders, industry experts, and partners from ConnectWise, discussing AI, Microsoft's powered security strategies, and the strength of the MSP community. Tune in to hear ab...

On this episode of No Slides Attached, Helane Cohen and Fede Pacheco revisit standout moments and insights from Season 2’s incredible lineup of guests, and dive into the critical role security plays in various industries, particularly in the context of AI and data protection. They explore how companies, from retail to healthcare, must integrate security into every phase of their processes to prote...

On this episode of No Slides Attached, Helane Cohen and Fede Pacheco revisit standout moments and insights from Season 2’s incredible lineup of guests, showcasing how AI is transforming industries like healthcare, education, public safety, financial services, and retail. From leveraging DNA for personalized medical treatments to developing technologies that de-escalate police encounters, we explor...

On this episode of No Slides Attached, Helane Cohen and Fede Pacheco continue their industry series by diving into the intersection of AI innovation and state and local government. They’re joined by Bryan Wheeler , SVP of Product and GM of the Axon Productivity Suite, who shares insights into Axon’s mission to protect life through cutting-edge technology like body-worn cameras and AI-powered appli...

On this episode of No Slides Attached, Helane Cohen and Fede Pacheco are joined by Derek McCoy from Rescale, a leader in cloud manufacturing solutions and a partner in Microsoft’s manufacturing cloud. Derek shares insights on the shift toward digital testing in manufacturing, a trend that reduces costs and expands testing possibilities. He notes that as companies prioritize digital over physical t...

On this episode of No Slides Attached, Helane Cohen and Fede Pacheco are joined by joined by Heiko Claussen , Co-Chief Technology Officer of AspenTech, to explore how their technology is tackling energy efficiency and sustainability in industries such as chemicals, electric grids, and subsurface engineering. Heiko highlights AspenTech’s focus on sustainability through process optimization to cut e...

On this episode of No Slides Attached, Helane Cohen and Fede Pacheco are joined by Rob Want from Avanade, our Retail Partner of the Year. Rob shares insights on the integration of AI to enhance customer experiences and streamline operations, plus the importance of data security to guarantee customer loyalty. Later Helane and Fede welcome Ricardo Belmar , a prominent retail influencer and host of t...

On this episode of No Slides Attached, Helane Cohen and Fede Pacheco are joined by Dan Rodriguez , Chief Marketing Officer at 3Cloud, who discusses the company’s award-winning data and AI practice and their focus on healthcare. Dan highlights the importance of scalable data platforms and secure by design strategies in enabling AI-driven healthcare advancements, such as personalized treatment plans...

On this episode of No Slides Attached, Helane Cohen and Fede Pacheco are joined by Guillermo Elizondo , CEO and co-founder of Territorium, who shares an inspiring story about their application of AI to make education more accessible across the globe. Their solution has played a crucial role in digitizing and securing standardized tests in Costa Rica. Guillermo also sheds light on AI's potential to...

On this episode of No Slides Attached, Helane Cohen and Fede Pacheco are joined by Chris Dickin , EVP of Global Partner Strategy at Zafin. The conversation explores the cutting-edge advancements in banking, focusing on Zafin’s innovative solution for core modernization, Zafin.io. Chris shares insights on how the platform modernizes banking product propositions and pricing, and the role that AI pla...

On this episode of No Slides Attached, Helane Cohen and Fede Pacheco are joined by Dr. Henry Chesbrough , the pioneer behind the concept of Open Innovation. Dr. Chesbrough shares his insights on how organizations can (and should) leverage both internal and external ideas to drive technological advancements. The conversation dives into the rise of AI, comparing it to past technological leaps, and e...

In this episode of No Slides Attached, hosts Helane Cohen and Fede Pacheco celebrate their journey exploring AI innovations with Meital Winer, a Partner Marketing Lead focused on AI. They discuss Microsoft’s framework for building or extending Copilots, as well as the potential for partners. In the second part of the episode, we are joined by Jared Mermey , CEO of GIGXR, to discuss how their own c...

On this episode of No Slides Attached, Helane Cohen and Fede Pacheco are joined by John Turk , Sr. Partner Marketing Manager for Azure, to discuss Microsoft Fabric, the Copilot for data analytics. John talks about the challenges that organizations have to understand and use their data. In the second part of the episode, we are joined by Daniel Brown and Drew Cordell from Lantern share the story of...

On this episode of No Slides Attached, Helane Cohen and Fede Pacheco are joined by Facundo Monteiro , Director for Security in Microsoft LATAM. Facundo delves into the value of having a Copilot for Security that responds to threads in minutes. In the second part of the episode we are joined by 2024 Security Partner of the Year for the US and Canada. Micah Heaton , Micah reflects on the experience...

On this episode of No Slides Attached, Helane Cohen and Fede Pacheco are joined by Sanju Nair , a Sr. Partner Marketing Manager for Business Applications. They discuss the integration of Copilot for Sales and Services and the impact that it is having for those roles in organizations. In the second part of the episode, Brian Blanchard , CTO of Cloud Strategy at EPAM, discusses the impact of Copilot...

On this episode of No Slides Attached, Helane Cohen and Fede Pacheco are joined by Marie Quigg , SMB Go-To-Market director, as she shares her perspective on success with Copilot for Microsoft 365. Marie explains effective prompt engineering—setting clear goals, providing context, specifying sources, and managing expectations. Then, Margaret Hahn from Valorem Reply explains how culture and the inte...

On the first episode of No Slides Attached, Helane Cohen and Fede Pacheco are joined by COO and Go-VP To-Market Heather Deggans to discuss the value of taking a step back and talking about the big picture when it comes to AI conversations. Heather walks us through a framework for enabling AI transformation, including the emphasis on trust and safeguard as we co-innovate with partners. In the secon...

Welcome No Slides Attached: AI Stories with Microsoft Partners 🎙️✨ - a journey into the transformative world of AI and the Copilots helping us achieve more. We've designed this podcast for partners who are eager to gain insights, learnings, and inspiration from their peers. Seeking a breather from emails, meetings, and presentations? Our hosts from Microsoft's Partner Go-To-Market team, @Helane C...