From ViVE 2025 to Boca Raton: A Week of Innovation, Partnerships & the Future of Digital Health & AI ??

What a whirlwind week! From the ViVE 2025 Conference in Nashville to the Ultimate Partner Winter Retreat in Boca Raton, one thing is clear: we are in the middle of a transformation in healthcare, cybersecurity, AI, and partnerships. These aren't just buzzwords—they are shaping the future of how we deliver care, protect data, and build ecosystems that thrive.

Four Defining Themes at ViVE 2025

Thank you, Keith Fraidenburg, MBA, Jody Tropeano Greene, Kristina Patel, MSHI, Kimberley Jacques, and Nicole Mazzara, for the opportunity to become part of the CHIME and ViVE communities! This year, three dominant themes emerged across ViVE's keynotes, panels, and conversations:

1?? Health Equity – Making quality healthcare accessible to all, especially underserved communities. The role of Community Health Centers (CHCs) in addressing disparities has never been more critical.

2?? Digital Transformation in Healthcare – From clinical decision-making to operational efficiencies, AI is no longer optional—it's a necessity.

3???Cybersecurity & Compliance—With?increasing threats to patient data and healthcare infrastructure, the industry must shift from compliance to?proactive, AI-driven cyber resilience.

4?? Climate change—With the urgent challenges of climate change in healthcare—rising hospitalizations, supply chain disruptions, and growing health inequities—it's time to move from reactive crisis mode to proactive, AI-powered resilience! Smart investments in climate-health innovation are critical to protecting communities and healthcare systems. Climate health innovation is essential to protecting communities and healthcare systems

Keynote at ViVE: Securing the Digital Pulse of Healthcare ??

I was honored to deliver a?keynote on cybersecurity in healthcare—"Securing the Digital Pulse: New Cybersecurity Rules in Healthcare"—alongside?Rob Courtney, Carahsoft's Healthcare CTO.

In an industry where ransomware attacks, data breaches, and compliance challenges are growing daily, healthcare leaders must ask:

? Are we prepared for the next wave of cyber threats? ? How can we embed security into digital transformation efforts? ? Can AI predict, prevent, and respond to cyberattacks before they happen?

In a digital-first world, security?is more than compliance;?it also involves?resilience, trust, and patient safety. Just ask @Regina Manfredi. Thank you to the #Crayon team for their insights.

Community Health Centers: No Longer the "Best-Kept Secret"

A primary focus was the role of CHCs in providing care for 1 in 10 Americans—with only 1% of total U.S. healthcare spending.

?? CHCs are not a footnote in healthcare—they are a cornerstone.

It was inspiring to hear?60+ CHC leaders?share how they?use technology, AI, and partnerships to drive innovation. Thank you to?NACHC, HLTH Inc., and the HLTH Foundation?for amplifying these critical voices.

From ViVE to Boca: The Ultimate Partner Winter Retreat ??

After an incredible few days at ViVE, I headed to?Boca Raton, Florida,?for the?Ultimate Partner Winter Retreat, which my good friend?Vince Menzione hosted.

What an outstanding day at the Ultimate Partner Executive Forum in Boca Raton, FL! This event brought together the top minds in partnerships, cloud GTM, AI, and co-selling, delivering high-impact insights that define Success in 2025 and beyond.

Vince, your leadership and commitment to bringing together top minds in partnerships, go-to-market strategy, and technology are at the next level. It was an honor to be in a room filled with hyperscaler leaders from Microsoft, Google, and the most prominent players in tech, discussing how we shape the future of partnerships in the AI era.

?? Key Topics Covered:

? 2025 Partner Business Landscape & Predictions – How the hyperscalers (Microsoft, Google Cloud, AWS) and ISVs are shifting go-to-market (GTM) strategies. ( Vince Menzione and Jay McBain )

? How Executives Must Adapt in Turbulent Times – The strategies, mindset shifts, and actions leaders need to thrive. (Vince, Jay McBain , Janet Schijns , and Greg Sarafin )

? Cloud Marketplaces & Ecosystems – Why marketplaces are now the fastest-growing B2B sales channels and how partners can maximize this shift. ( Dux Raymond Sy , Dexter Hardy and @jason rook)

? AI & Growth Strategies – How AI will reshape partnerships, GTM execution, and customer success. Laura Ripans, Jon Yoo, Dai Vu )

? Co-Selling & Partner Revenue Acceleration – Practical ways to drive revenue with hyperscaler sales teams and within multi-party deals. Jin Bae , Maisa Penha , Cassandra Gholston , with Erin Figer )

? Winning Partner Sales & Execution Strategies – The formulas that scale revenue in the evolving cloud economy. (@Erika Irby, Marc Palombo, MBA , Christine Mulcahy , James Caton )

? Acre of Diamonds: Effective Selling Strategies - The future belongs to those who collaborate, orchestrate, and execute. (@Vince, Steve Cohen , Brian Kane

??Pinnacle Partner Win Formulas??? - Major trends shaping ecosystems, how are partners adapting through mindset, marketplace strategies, co-sell motions, and 2025 planning? (Leigh Ann Campbell, Neeti Gupta, and me Jen Waltz ???????♀? )

Beyond the insights, this event was about?building lasting relationships—reuniting with old friends ( Steven Karachinsky , Nabil Aitoumeziane , Tiffany Wallace , Justin E. Murphy ) meeting new ones, and doing something innovative only Vince and the UPL team could dream up: "moonlight networking." ??? (#IYKYK!)

And let's not forget one of the week's most hilarious and insightful moments: I gave Jon Yoo a masterclass in driving top-of-funnel into the ultimate MQL > SQL! ??

The Ultimate Partner Playbook: 10 Takeaways from Boca ??

The discussions at the Ultimate Partner Winter Retreat were nothing short of transformational. With Vince Menzione and Jay McBain leading the "2025 Partner Business Landscape and Predictions."

Here are 10 key insights that will shape the future of partnerships, AI, and co-selling:

1?? Co-Sell Is the Whole Game – It's not just for new deals. Retention, expansion, and scale depend on it.

2?? Channel Managers Must Drive Revenue – Relationship management alone won't cut it anymore. You must be a revenue driver.

3???$400B Is Flowing Through Hyperscalers—If you're not selling through hyperscalers,?you're missing out.

4?? SaaS Needs to Go Autonomous—Or Be Left Behind – The future belongs to autonomous solutions.

5?? AI Is Reshaping the Channel – The winners will be ecosystem orchestrators, not just vendors.

6?? AI = Growth, Not Just Cost-Cutting – The most significant gains are in scale and revenue acceleration.

7???Trusted Third Parties Will Enable AI Partnerships.?Without trust, there will be no AI-powered partnerships.?

8???"Place" is now the most important of the 4Ps.?70% of revenue flows through the channel.

9?? Partners Are Scaling Faster Than Vendors – 84% of Salesforce sellers credit partners for their Success.

?? AI Success Lies at the Edge – Real insights come from untouched, real-time customer data.

The Future of Partnerships: AI, Marketplaces & Ecosystem Innovation

A few major themes emerged in Boca that all technology leaders need to embrace:

?? AI is not just a tool—it's an economic shift as significant as the internet. ?? ?? Marketplaces are transforming how solutions are bought, sold, and deployed. ?? Co-selling is about execution, trust, and data-driven strategy—not just alignment. ?? Partnerships must move to the boardroom. Companies that don't prioritize partnerships at the executive level will be left behind.

As Jay McBain put it, Gen AI is a once-in-a-generation opportunity for the channel. If you were sitting in a meeting with a young Bill Gates or Steve Jobs, knowing what you know now, how would you act differently?

That's the AI revolution we're in today. ??

A Personal Reflection: The Power of Mentorship & Relationships

One of the most meaningful moments of ViVE was reconnecting with my first professional mentor, Michael Robinson. Two decades later, his leadership impact on my career is still profound.

It reminded me:

?? Success isn't just about what you achieve—it's about who you impact along your career journey.

Vince Menzione John Menzione , Susan Tommy and Lena Russomagno , BRAVO!! Your commitment to curating this incredible community at Ultimate Partner is a testament to that. You're not just bringing together the best minds in the industry—you're building a movement.

What's Next? Let's Keep the Conversation Going ??

The pace of change is accelerating. The winners will be those who adapt, innovate, and build high-value ecosystems around AI, cloud, and cybersecurity.

If you're navigating co-selling, AI-powered partnerships, or go-to-market strategies, let's connect. The future belongs to those who collaborate, orchestrate, and execute.

Drop a comment or DM me—what stood out to you from ViVE or Ultimate Partner? Let's keep the conversation going.

#ViVE2025 #HealthCenters #Partnerships #UltimatePartner #GoToMarket #AI #Cybersecurity #CoSell ??