Community Summit North America 2025 opened with a keynote that captured this year’s central theme, “How AI is Redefining Microsoft Business Applications.” Thousands gathered to hear from an inspiring lineup of Microsoft executives and community innovators. The program reflected both the pace of technological change and the shared energy of the Summit community, with a focus on how Microsoft is transforming AI adoption from a survival tactic into a thriving, community-driven movement—powered by creators, partners, buyers, and users working together.
From Surviving to Thriving with AI, Community
Dynamic Communities and Cloud Wars CEO John Siefert came out to the Grateful Dead’s “Touch of Grey,” — their lone top‑10 hit — and reflected on their fiercely loyal Deadhead fan base, which inspired this year’s Community Summit t-shirt. But the story wasn’t just about music—it was a metaphor for the kind of enduring community Dynamic Communities is building with Microsoft’s ecosystem of creators, partners, buyers, and users, especially critical in the AI Revolution
He focused on AI, saying, “My challenge to everybody here this week is to go beyond getting by and surviving with AI, but instead to adapt and to thrive.” That shift, from surviving to thriving, set the tone for the launch of the new Learners Platform, which Dynamic Communities VPs Pam Misialek and Giuseppe Ianni helped introduce. The Learners platform is a hub designed to connect people across local, regional, and national events while offering digital access to tutorials, MVP content, and recorded sessions.
The AI Strategy Most Companies Miss Is Psychological
In a fireside chat, Jennifer Harris CEO and Founder at TMC made it clear: “We can have the best tech in the world, but until we psychologically get ourselves prepared for this next change, people will not adopt.” Reframing AI transformation as a mindset challenge first and a tech rollout second, she added,“The smartest people in the room are often the most resistant.” John Buccola, Chief Technology & Growth Officer at TMC, echoed that, urging companies to focus on use cases and unblock the inertia. “We’re still stuck on doing the same, repetitive things over and over again.,” he said. His advice: start small.
The shift from surviving to thriving isn’t just about scaling AI. It’s about unfreezing the mindset, simplifying the approach, and helping people see what’s possible.
Microsoft’s Leaders Reveal the Next Phase of ERP and AI Integration
Four Microsoft leaders took the stage to show what it means to build an AI-first enterprise. Georg Glantschnig, Corporate Vice President, Microsoft Dynamics 365 Agentic ERP Applications, Microsoft, outlined Microsoft’s vision where every employee has a Copilot and every business process is driven by intelligent agents. He talked about the importance of seizing the moment, without delay, “You can start today.” Mike Morton, Vice President, Dynamics 365 Business Central & SMB Business Apps, Microsoft, showcased how Business Central already has AI agents automating tasks like sales orders and payables.
Next up was Alan Ross, Head of Product, Dynamics 365 Customer Service, Experiences + Devices Engineering, Microsoft, who highlighted how Dynamics 365 is bringing together voice, service, and sales agents to create connected customer experiences powered by real-time data and automation. He used the example of someone calling an insurance company where the agent was able to respond with empahty and clear questions to get the answers needed.
Dewain Robinson, Principal Copilot Studio Solution Architect, Microsoft, walked the audience through how Copilot Studio empowers anyone to build AI agents, previewed his new “Copilot Studio 101” session, and discussed a readiness assessment analyzer to help partners evaluate their journey toward becoming a frontier firm (an organization well on the path to becoming AI-first).
Tthe autonomous enterprise is no longer a concept, it’s already in motion.
Final Thoughts
The opening keynote set the tone for what will be both a strategic and technical week. The call for curiosity, creativity, and critical thinking positioned mindset as a core competitive edge, but it didn’t stop there. Microsoft’s leaders laid out a clear roadmap for what’s next: AI agents embedded in every business process, Copilots enhancing decision-making, and the infrastructure behind an autonomous enterprise already in place. The launch of the Learners Platform reinforced the community’s role, not just as users, but as builders. With immersive education sessions, hands-on learning, and shared use cases across roles and industries, the rest of the event will expand on that vision, bridging strategy and execution in real time.
AI Agent & Copilot Summit is an AI-first event to define opportunities, impact, and outcomes with Microsoft Copilot and agents. Building on its 2025 success, the 2026 event takes place March 17-19 in San Diego. Get more details.
