All Episodes

Kelly Sarabyn, who leads technology partnerships and programs at HubSpot, shares what it takes for software companies to stand out in the HubSpot ecosystem and build integration partnerships that drive measurable, lasting growth rather than fizzling out after launch.
We explore the marketplace habits that quietly kill partner ROI, the intent data most partners don't realize HubSpot gives them, why depth beats breadth when choosing where to invest, and how AI is reshaping the future of SaaS partnerships. Whether you're launching your first integration or managing a portfolio across a dozen marketplaces, this episode offers actionable insight from someone who has moved from partner marketing into operating one of the largest tech partner ecosystems in SaaS, now more than 1,500 partners strong.
 
Key Highlights Include:
The "List and Sit" Myth: Kelly explains why simply publishing a marketplace listing no longer works. Marketplaces drive real traffic, but the channel only pays off when partners invest in a strong joint value prop, keep content current, and actively amplify the listing rather than treating it as a one-time technical task.
Depth Over Breadth: One of the most common partnership mistakes is spreading too thin. As Kelly puts it, being live in 15 or 20 marketplaces while not leading in any of them is a losing strategy. Focus and resourcing beat volume every time.
The Marketplace Intent Data Advantage: HubSpot gives app partners a rarely-used edge: through the developer portal, partners can see the company domains visiting their listing and how often they return. Cross-referenced with a partner's own database, that becomes powerful buying-intent data most teams are leaving on the table.
Racing to Launch, Then Losing Momentum: Kelly names the launch-and-fizzle trap directly. Teams pour energy into going live, then lack a plan to maintain and grow the partnership. The real work, and the real return, comes in the medium and long term.
Partner-to-Partner as a Growth Engine: Kelly breaks down HubSpot's Partner Growth Accelerator, a six-week cohort that matches solutions and technology partners to build co-marketing campaigns and apply for MDF. When partners build around your platform together, it creates a "sticky web" that deepens retention. It's ecosystem-led growth in action.
The AI Question: Against the "software is dying" narrative, Kelly makes the case that software will morph, not disappear. Frontier models become infrastructure platforms with an ecosystem built on top. For services firms, agents will absorb technical implementation work and push human focus toward transformation, people, and process: changing the nature of the roles, not the need for the business.
The Partner Leader's Real Challenge: Beyond tactics, Kelly is candid about the two things every partnership leader is contending with right now: earning the function's legitimacy in the C-suite, and leading with confidence and vision in the face of genuine market uncertainty.
About Kelly
Kelly Sarabyn leads technology partnerships and programs at HubSpot, where she helps shape the strategy and enablement behind an ecosystem of more than 1,500 technology partners. She began her tech career in branding, telling the core brand stories of B2B SaaS companies, before moving into marketing and eventually leading marketing at Pandium, an early-stage embedded iPaaS. That work, selling into and studying the technology partner persona, drew her deeper into partnerships until she crossed over from marketing to become an operator in the space. At HubSpot she has grown from ecosystem partner marketing into enablement, programs, and partner strategy, with a particular focus on building intentional, scalable experiences that keep community and connection intact as the ecosystem grows.

Erica Hakonson, CEO and Founder of Maven Collective Marketing, shares her expertise on what it takes for Microsoft partners to stand out in an increasingly competitive marketplace and build marketing strategies that drive measurable growth. 
 
We explore the common marketing blind spots that hinder marketplace success, how AI and SEO are transforming discoverability, and the critical importance of aligning marketing efforts with Microsoft's fiscal year priorities. Whether you're launching your first transactable listing or managing hundreds of marketplace offers, this episode offers actionable insights from someone who has helped partners generate millions in pipeline through strategic marketing alignment.
 
If you're wondering how to kickstart your company's partner-led growth, this free comprehensive assessment will let you know your areas of opportunity in just 5 minutes.
Key Highlights Include:
The Marketplace Marketing Trap: Erica reveals why partners often fail to generate leads from their marketplace listings—treating marketplaces as technical exercises rather than marketing opportunities. 
AI and SEO: Beyond Traditional Search: How AI is fundamentally changing discoverability in the Microsoft marketplace. Erica explains the critical difference between how people search versus how they prompt AI tools, requiring entirely different optimization strategies.
Co-Sell Alignment as North Star: The importance of aligning marketplace listings, pitch decks, and sales assets with Microsoft's fiscal year priorities early in the year. 
Breaking Through Category Saturation: With over 500,000 Microsoft partners globally, standing out requires more than repeating what Microsoft says. Erica's team conducts deep discovery through staff interviews, client conversations, and competitive analysis to identify each partner's "category of one"—the unique value proposition that prevents commoditization and price-based competition
Stage-Specific Marketing Investment: How marketing strategy and budget allocation differs dramatically between Series A startups, growth-stage ISVs, and established system integrators
Marketing and Partnership Strategy Integration: Real-world evidence of what happens when strategic alliance, marketing, and sales teams work in alignment. Erica shares results from a multi-year managed partner engagement that generated $26 million in open pipeline, closed $16 million in revenue, and created over 2,600 marketing qualified leads through coordinated marketplace optimization, campaigns, events, and sales enablement
Purpose-Driven Partnership Growth: How Maven Collective's B Corp certification influences partner selection and long-term client relationships. The company's "Design to Give" initiative dedicates 5% of service hours to nonprofits and community impact, creating alignment with partners who view purpose-driven business as the path forward
 
 
About Erica
Erica Hakonson is recognized as one of the 2025 Top 50 Women We Admire in Marketing and Technology. As the CEO and Founder of Maven Collective Marketing, an award-winning marketing and partner strategy firm dedicated to Microsoft Partners, she has built a reputation for innovation, excellence, and impact within the Microsoft ecosystem.  
 
Under Erica’s leadership, Maven Collective has received over 200 global accolades, including 2025 Top Agency of the Year, 2025 Microsoft Advertising Growth Partner, 2025 IAMCP Global Advisor Award, 2025 Top Digital Strategy and Brand Firm, as well as B2B Agency of the Year, Best Company to Work With, and Marketing Effectiveness Award.  
 
Leading the Collective of global strategists, specialists and practitioners, she also is the strategic MarCom advisor for the IAMCP International. Beyond this she is working with MSDW and PartnerTalks to develop the first Pre-Conference Partner Marketing Day for Directions North American for April 2026, and is using business as a force for good, establishing Maven Collective as a certified B Corp as of August of this year.

And we're back with Season 2 of the Partner1® Distinguished Expert Speaker Series!
Please welcome Heather Mason, seasoned Salesforce ecosystem leader and CEO of ISV Accelerators. Heather breaks down why, when and how to partner with Salesforce, changes in the Salesforce ecosystem, why partners are now having their moment and ways to get started. For anyone looking to get started in the Salesforce ecosystem, this is a must-listen.
If you're wondering how to kickstart your company's partner-led growth, this free comprehensive assessment will let you know your areas of opportunity in just 5 minutes.
 
About Heather:
Heather Mason is a sales and alliances leader who has spent more than a decade shaping how Salesforce and its ISV partners win together. She’s worked every angle of the ecosystem—from building partnerships as an ISV, to leading strategic partner roles inside Salesforce, to now guiding high-growth companies as both an advisor and operator.
Heather is the founder of ISV Accelerators, a boutique advisory firm that provides Fractional Alliance and Sales leadership to a select group of high-potential Salesforce ISV partners. Her approach is simple but powerful: define a clear "better together" value prop that resonates within the Salesforce ecosystem, show how that joint solution drives customer outcomes, and build go-to-market motions that create real, measurable impact for her clients.
Across every role, Heather is known for her ability to quickly grasp a customer’s business, uncover opportunities others miss, and translate complex partner value propositions into clear, actionable strategies. She’s here today to share what she’s learned from eleven years navigating—and helping shape—the Salesforce partner landscape.
 

In this episode of the Partner1 Distinguished Expert Speaker Series, we sit down with Yianni Touliatos on Microsoft’s Digital Natives team. Yianni shares his unique perspective on what it takes for high-growth startups to scale effectively within and beyond the Microsoft ecosystem.
We explore what defines a high-potential startup from Microsoft’s point of view, how founders can align with Microsoft's commercial and technical priorities, and the critical role of cloud marketplaces in accelerating go-to-market success.
Whether you're navigating hyperscaler partnerships for the first time or refining your ecosystem strategy, this episode offers tactical insights and practical guidance from someone who’s helped hundreds of founders accelerate through Microsoft.
Key Highlights Include:
What Makes a Startup “High-Growth” in Microsoft’s Eyes: Yianni explains how Microsoft identifies promising startups and what qualities they look for before going deep with a partner.
AI and Security as a Growth Catalyst: How high-growth startups are embedding AI and security into their core value propositions and how Microsoft is evolving its programs to meet the unique needs of AI-native and AI-powered secure startups.
Beyond the Hype: Building Readiness for Ecosystem Success: The inside scoop on what startups need in place - from leadership to documentation - to succeed in co-sell and partner motions.
Accelerating Through the Marketplace: Yianni’s perspective on how startups can use Microsoft’s marketplace and pre-committed budgets to drive pipeline and partner-led growth.
From Founder Hustle to GTM Repeatability: Why product-market fit isn’t enough  and what high-performing startups build into their GTM to scale through enterprise and partner channels.
Navigating Partnership Tradeoffs: Yianni’s honest take on the tension between speed and scale, and how founders can think about building with optionality in global cloud ecosystems.
Microsoft + Startup = More Than Just Credits: A look at how startups can align with Microsoft’s KPIs, drive meaningful outcomes, and create a multiplier effect through partnership.

🎙 In this episode of the Partner1 Distinguished Expert Speaker Series, we sit down with Regina Johnson, Partner Engagement Leader at Microsoft, to explore how interconnected economies can unlock new growth paths for SMCs. Regina shares her unique perspective on the power of partnerships to expand customer reach, build community, and drive impact at scale. We discuss how storytelling fuels visibility and trust, how cloud ecosystems are reshaping the partner landscape, and why representation matters at every level of business. If you're a Microsoft software or solutions partner looking to grow through community and collaboration, this is a must-listen conversation.
 
Key highlights include:
Partnership as a Path to Impact: Regina’s perspective on how SMCs can use partnerships to unlock new markets, drive sustainable growth, and create community-driven impact.
Representation and Visibility: Why representation in leadership, storytelling, and partnerships isn’t just important - it’s essential for building trust and economic opportunity.
Scaling Through Ecosystems: Insights into how cloud ecosystems and Microsoft’s partner programs are reshaping the growth trajectories for small and mid-sized businesses.
Authentic Storytelling: The role of storytelling in building credibility, increasing visibility, and connecting with customers in meaningful ways.
Personal Mission Meets Partner Strategy: A look into Regina’s own journey - how her background, purpose, and passion for inclusive growth shape her leadership and her work at Microsoft.

Brian Galicia is a Global ISV Sales leader within Microsoft. His partner team empowers partners & ISVs to grow their revenue on the Microsoft Cloud. He has been with Microsoft for 18+ years across various leadership roles including Sales and Marketing and has won numerous awards including the prestigious Microsoft Circle of Excellence/Platinum Club. He is a keynote speaker and a published co-author of “Navigating LinkedIn for Sales”, which was the #1 Sales & Selling Techniques book the week it was launched on the Kindle Store.
In this episode of the Partner1 Distinguished Expert Speaker Series, we sit down with Brian Galicia for a dynamic conversation on scaling partnerships in the Microsoft ecosystem. Brian shares insights from nearly two decades at Microsoft, leading a global portfolio of ISVs and helping software companies build scalable, cloud-first businesses.
Key highlights include:
Partnership at Scale: Brian’s perspective on what it takes for ISVs and SIs to align effectively with Microsoft’s evolving priorities and commercial motions.
Opportunities for Growth: Reflections on areas that partners are not focusing on today that are missed opportunities for growth
Co-sell Readiness & Marketplace Momentum: Practical advice for partners looking to deepen engagement, build trust with Microsoft sellers, and drive velocity through the Microsoft Marketplace
Personal Insights: A behind-the-scenes look at Brian’s journey, from his role at Microsoft to his passions outside work, including LinkedIn and personal branding
Whether you're a founder, partnership leader, or GTM executive, this episode is packed with real-world insights, tactical strategies, and inspiration to help you grow faster and partner smarter within the Microsoft ecosystem.

In this episode of the Partner1 Distinguished Expert Speaker Series, we sit down with Elena Kennedy, Senior Partner Development Manager at Microsoft. Elena shares her extensive experience and insights on driving partnership success with cloud providers and AI startups. We discuss the strategic priorities for aligning with Microsoft, emerging trends in the ISV and software partner ecosystem, and the role of the commercial marketplace in accelerating growth.
Key highlights include:
Strategic Priorities: Elena's top three priorities for software companies to focus on when aligning with Microsoft, including leveraging Microsoft programs, showcasing compelling customer stories, and prioritizing partnership development. Emerging Trends: Insights on the latest trends in the ISV and software partner ecosystem, including untapped opportunities and innovative solutions leveraging Azure AI.
Commercial Marketplace: The role of the commercial marketplace in driving growth for ISVs and the potential for multi-party private offers.
Deepening Engagement: Steps for companies already co-selling with Microsoft to deepen their engagement and grow faster.
Leadership Qualities: Critical leadership qualities and mindsets for software companies navigating rapid growth within the Microsoft ecosystem.
Tune in to learn about the latest strategies, innovative use cases, and the future of partnerships with Microsoft. Whether you're a SaaS company, services partner, investor, executive, board member, or simply interested in the intersection of AI and cloud partnerships, this episode is packed with valuable information and expert perspectives.

In this episode of the Partner1 Distinguished Expert Speaker Series, we sit down with Daragh Morrissey, who is Data & AI for Financial Services at Microsoft. Daragh shares his extensive experience and insights on the evolution of AI, from its early days to the groundbreaking advancements of today. We discuss the practical applications of generative AI, the potential of agentic AI, and the strategic considerations of the build vs. buy decision for partners and customers.
Key highlights include:
Evolution of AI: Discussion on the evolution of AI from predictive AI to generative AI and the current focus on agentic AI
Use Cases in Financial Services: Examples of how AI is being used to handle complaints in banks and automate processes
Build vs. Buy Decision: Insights on when to build versus buy AI solutions, with examples from the industry
Future of AI: Predictions on the future of AI, including the potential for artificial general intelligence and hyper-personalized financial services
Advice for ISVs and SIs: Best practices for partnering with Microsoft and innovating with AI
Tune in to learn about the latest trends, innovative use cases, and the future of AI in financial services. Whether you're a SaaS company, services partner, investor, executive at a financial institution, or simply interested in the intersection of AI and finance, this episode is packed with valuable information and expert perspectives.

In this episode of the Partner1 Distinguished Expert Speaker Series, we sit down with Parul Bhandari, who is leading Microsoft’s Telco, Media & Gaming Partner Strategy globally. Parul shares her vision for how AI, security, and innovation are transforming industries and unlocking unprecedented opportunities for growth.
From driving productivity with tools like Microsoft M365 Copilot to creating hyper-personalized customer experiences and pioneering new AI-native business models, Parul discusses the trends reshaping the next 2–3 years. She also dives into the challenges businesses face in this new era, including cybersecurity, ethical considerations, and the evolution of tech ecosystems.
Key highlights include:
How AI is becoming a strategic lever for growth in the telecommunications industry.
The power of ecosystems and partnerships to drive innovation and create long-term value.
Leadership strategies for executives, board directors and VC and PE firms in scaling profitably while staying resilient in a rapidly evolving market.
Whether you're a SaaS leader, investor, or executive looking to stay ahead in today’s competitive landscape, this conversation is packed with actionable insights and forward-thinking strategies.
Tune in to discover how to embrace AI, build strong ecosystems, and lead your organization through this era of transformation.