How Microsoft Scaled Copilot with Zero Budget
Get featured on the show by leaving us a Voice Mail: https://bit.ly/MIPVM
Cadie Kneip built Microsoft’s 8,000-member Copilot Champs community from scratch—no budget, no mandate. She used gamification, storytelling, and digital marketing to drive grassroots AI adoption. Peer-led content and bite-sized media proved more effective than traditional training.
🎙️ What You Will Learn:
What happens when one person reimagines enterprise AI adoption from the ground up? In this episode, Cadie Kneip shares how she built Microsoft’s Copilot Champs community—an 8,000-strong grassroots movement—without a budget, formal mandate, or traditional training. Discover how she turned digital marketing tactics, gamification, and storytelling into a scalable model for human-first AI enablement. If you’re leading tech transformation or struggling with adoption, this conversation is packed with practical inspiration.|
🔑 KEY TAKEAWAYS
✅ Peer influence scales faster than policy: Cadie reveals why authentic, peer-led storytelling drives deeper AI adoption than top-down training.
✅ Gamification works—even without a budget: Learn how badges, leaderboards, and playful incentives created momentum across Microsoft.
✅ Short-form content beats polished production: Bite-sized GIFs and clips proved more effective than high-production training videos in a fast-changing tech landscape.
✅ Digital marketing tactics apply to enterprise learning: Cadie adapted campaign strategies to build a thriving internal community.
✅ You don’t need a big team to make a big impact: With just one person and smart automation, Microsoft scaled Copilot readiness to thousands.
🧰 RESOURCES MENTIONED:
👉 Learn more about Microsoft’s Copilot Champs Community
– Driving Microsoft 365 Copilot Adoption with Our Copilot Champs Community – https://www.microsoft.com/insidetrack/blog/driving-copilot-for-microsoft-365-adoption-with-our-copilot-champs-community/?msockid=27a84e7556686e1b23715a8257d26f66
– Return to Summer Camp: Making Microsoft 365 Copilot Fun with Camp Copilot – https://www.microsoft.com/insidetrack/blog/return-to-summer-camp-making-microsoft-365-copilot-fun-with-camp-copilot/?msockid=27a84e7556686e1b23715a8257d26f66
– Unlock your productivity: Here’s our Top 10 tips for using Microsoft 365 Copilot every day – https://www.microsoft.com/insidetrack/blog/unlock-your-productivity-here-are-our-top-10-tips-for-using-microsoft-365-copilot-every-day/
👉 Clipchamp – https://www.clipchamp.com
🔴 For full Show Notes
https://www.microsoftinnovationpodcast.com/722
✅ Find Cadie Online:
LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cadie-kneip/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/cadieandjess/
Recent YouTube videos: Inside Microsoft’s Copilot Champs Program |
Personal blog or website: Author profile at Bellevue Reporter
🔴 Subscribe for all the latest Microsoft Power Platform News: https://www.youtube.com/nz365guy?sub_confirmation=1
🔴 Share this video with a YouTuber friend: https://youtu.be/LlZezJ37qyY
✅ Recommended Playlist: Copilot Show. Hear the latest from Senior Microsoft Staff – https://studio.youtube.com/playlist/PLzf0yupPbVkqPyRqPii192UiJuT-SQHw-/videos
✅ All our Microsoft Business Applications Podcasts: https://studio.youtube.com/playlist/PLzf0yupPbVkoEIfkNYZ0dModTR5aLbRh3/videos
✅ Let’s Connect:
Collaborate with me here – https://cloverbase.com
YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/nz365guy
Website – https://podcast.nz365guy.com/
LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/nz365guy
X – https://twitter.com/nz365guy
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/nz365guy
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/nz365guy
Pinterest – https://www.pinterest.nz/nz365guy
I’m Mark Smith – nz365guy – Helping people reach their full potential
I have been a Microsoft Business Applications MVP for over 13 years. I am passionate about helping people reach their full potential, through training, coaching and mentorship.
This year we’re adding a new show to our line up – The AI Advantage. We’ll discuss the skills you need to thrive in an AI-enabled world.
Accelerate your Microsoft career with the 90 Day Mentoring Challenge (https://www.90daymc.com/)
We’ve helped 1,300+ people across 70+ countries establish successful careers in the Microsoft Power Platform and Dynamics 365 ecosystem.
Benefit from expert guidance, a supportive community, and a clear career roadmap. A lot can change in 90 days, get started today!
Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/nz365guy)
If you want to get in touch with me, you can message me here on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/nz365guy).
Thanks for listening 🚀 – Mark Smith
Get featured on the show by leaving us a Voice Mail: https://bit.ly/MIPVM
Cadie Kneip built Microsoft’s 8,000-member Copilot Champs community from scratch—no budget, no mandate. She used gamification, storytelling, and digital marketing to drive grassroots AI adoption. Peer-led content and bite-sized media proved more effective than traditional training.
🎙️ What You Will Learn:
What happens when one person reimagines enterprise AI adoption from the ground up? In this episode, Cadie Kneip shares how she built Microsoft’s Copilot Champs community—an 8,000-strong grassroots movement—without a budget, formal mandate, or traditional training. Discover how she turned digital marketing tactics, gamification, and storytelling into a scalable model for human-first AI enablement. If you’re leading tech transformation or struggling with adoption, this conversation is packed with practical inspiration.|
🔑 KEY TAKEAWAYS
✅ Peer influence scales faster than policy: Cadie reveals why authentic, peer-led storytelling drives deeper AI adoption than top-down training.
✅ Gamification works—even without a budget: Learn how badges, leaderboards, and playful incentives created momentum across Microsoft.
✅ Short-form content beats polished production: Bite-sized GIFs and clips proved more effective than high-production training videos in a fast-changing tech landscape.
✅ Digital marketing tactics apply to enterprise learning: Cadie adapted campaign strategies to build a thriving internal community.
✅ You don’t need a big team to make a big impact: With just one person and smart automation, Microsoft scaled Copilot readiness to thousands.
🧰 RESOURCES MENTIONED:
👉 Learn more about Microsoft’s Copilot Champs Community
– Driving Microsoft 365 Copilot Adoption with Our Copilot Champs Community – https://www.microsoft.com/insidetrack/blog/driving-copilot-for-microsoft-365-adoption-with-our-copilot-champs-community/?msockid=27a84e7556686e1b23715a8257d26f66
– Return to Summer Camp: Making Microsoft 365 Copilot Fun with Camp Copilot – https://www.microsoft.com/insidetrack/blog/return-to-summer-camp-making-microsoft-365-copilot-fun-with-camp-copilot/?msockid=27a84e7556686e1b23715a8257d26f66
– Unlock your productivity: Here’s our Top 10 tips for using Microsoft 365 Copilot every day – https://www.microsoft.com/insidetrack/blog/unlock-your-productivity-here-are-our-top-10-tips-for-using-microsoft-365-copilot-every-day/
👉 Clipchamp – https://www.clipchamp.com
🔴 For full Show Notes
https://www.microsoftinnovationpodcast.com/722
✅ Find Cadie Online:
LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cadie-kneip/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/cadieandjess/
Recent YouTube videos: Inside Microsoft’s Copilot Champs Program |
Personal blog or website: Author profile at Bellevue Reporter
🔴 Subscribe for all the latest Microsoft Power Platform News: https://www.youtube.com/nz365guy?sub_confirmation=1
🔴 Share this video with a YouTuber friend: https://youtu.be/LlZezJ37qyY
✅ Recommended Playlist: Copilot Show. Hear the latest from Senior Microsoft Staff – https://studio.youtube.com/playlist/PLzf0yupPbVkqPyRqPii192UiJuT-SQHw-/videos
✅ All our Microsoft Business Applications Podcasts: https://studio.youtube.com/playlist/PLzf0yupPbVkoEIfkNYZ0dModTR5aLbRh3/videos
✅ Let’s Connect:
Collaborate with me here – https://cloverbase.com
YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/nz365guy
Website – https://podcast.nz365guy.com/
LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/nz365guy
X – https://twitter.com/nz365guy
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/nz365guy
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/nz365guy
Pinterest – https://www.pinterest.nz/nz365guy
I’m Mark Smith – nz365guy – Helping people reach their full potential
I have been a Microsoft Business Applications MVP for over 13 years. I am passionate about helping people reach their full potential, through training, coaching and mentorship.
This year we’re adding a new show to our line up – The AI Advantage. We’ll discuss the skills you need to thrive in an AI-enabled world.
Accelerate your Microsoft career with the 90 Day Mentoring Challenge (https://www.90daymc.com/)
We’ve helped 1,300+ people across 70+ countries establish successful careers in the Microsoft Power Platform and Dynamics 365 ecosystem.
Benefit from expert guidance, a supportive community, and a clear career roadmap. A lot can change in 90 days, get started today!
Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/nz365guy)
If you want to get in touch with me, you can message me here on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/nz365guy).
Thanks for listening 🚀 – Mark Smith
source