How Microsoft Scaled Copilot with Zero Budget

Microsoft Innovation Podcast

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3d ago 35:44

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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
Return to Summer Camp: Making Microsoft 365 Copilot Fun with Camp Copilot
Unlock your productivity: Here's our Top 10 tips for using Microsoft 365 Copilot every day
👉 Clipchamp - https://www.clipchamp.com

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Chapters

1. How Microsoft Scaled Copilot with Zero Budget (00:00:00)

2. From Film to AI: Cadie’s Unlikely Journey to Leading Copilot Adoption (00:03:32)

3. The Secret Sauce: Digital Marketing Meets Enterprise AI Adoption (00:07:00)

4. Peer Influence > Prescribed Learning: The Human-First Approach (00:11:01)

5. Building a Scalable, Budget-Free Learning Ecosystem (00:16:00)

6. Advice for New Adopters: Kickstart Your Copilot Journey (00:31:02)

722 episodes

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