In this episode of Tech Innovators Spotlight, host Chad Merck and co-host Will Pollard are joined by Ed Keisling, Chief AI Officer at Progress Software, to explore what it really takes to make AI deliver value in the enterprise. Ed shares why the Chief AI Officer role is uniquely positioned to balance innovation and risk, why most GenAI projects struggle to show ROI, and how organizations can avoid chasing hype by focusing on sharp, well-defined problems. The conversation dives into Progress’s approach to AI as augmentation rather than replacement, the growing opportunity for small and mid-sized businesses, and how agentic RAG and Progress’s partnership with Microsoft are helping make AI more practical, scalable, and accessible.

In This Episode You Will Learn:

• Why many GenAI projects fail to deliver ROI and how to avoid common pitfalls
• How agentic RAG helps ground AI systems in reliable, trusted data
• Where AI is delivering real value today versus where experimentation is still ongoing

Some Questions We Ask:

• How has this current wave of AI been different from past technology disruptions?
• Why do you think so many organizations struggle to succeed with AI initiatives?
• Where do you think we are right now in the AI adoption and hype cycle?

Resources:

View Ed Keisling on LinkedIn

View Will Pollard on LinkedIn

View Chad Merck on LinkedIn

Related Microsoft Podcasts:

• Microsoft Threat Intelligence Podcast
• Afternoon Cyber Tea with Ann Johnson
• Microsoft Hybrid Cloud Partners Podcast

Discover and follow other Microsoft podcasts at microsoft.com/podcasts

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Tech Innovators Spotlight, host Chad Merck and co-host Lauren Hutchinson sit down with Coursera CTO Mustafa Furniturewala to explore how AI is reshaping education at a global scale. Mustafa shares why Coursera’s mission to democratize learning has kept him with the company for over a decade and discusses how the organization fosters a culture of experimentation to drive innovation. He breaks down Coursera’s rapid adoption of generative AI, the creation of Coursera Coach, new capabilities in personalized and hands-on learning, and the expansion of translated and AI-dubbed content to reach more learners worldwide.

In This Episode You Will Learn:

• How a decade inside Coursera has shaped Mustafa’s perspective on building at scale
• Why core skills like cybersecurity and data fundamentals remain essential alongside AI
• What makes offline mobile learning critical for low-connectivity regions

Some Questions We Ask:

• What does a culture of experimentation look like at Coursera?
• How does Coursera think about partnerships, including Microsoft?
• What role will Coursera play in the changing education landscape?

Resources:

View Mustafa Furniturewala on LinkedIn

View Lauren Hutchinson on LinkedIn

View Chad Merck on LinkedIn

Related Microsoft Podcasts:

• Microsoft Threat Intelligence Podcast
• Afternoon Cyber Tea with Ann Johnson
• Microsoft Hybrid Cloud Partners Podcast

Discover and follow other Microsoft podcasts at microsoft.com/podcasts

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the first episode of Season 2, host Chad Merck and co-host Marc-André Groulx sit down with Sal Khan, founder and CEO of Khan Academy, to explore how AI is transforming the classroom. Sal shares the story of Khan Academy’s evolution from tutoring his cousins to empowering millions of learners worldwide, and how its AI-powered tutor, Khanmigo, is redefining personalized education. They discussed responsible AI in schools, the future of teaching, and how the partnership with Microsoft is enabling Khan Academy to offer free, world-class tools to teachers globally. Sal also offers a glimpse into what’s next, from the Khan Academy Reimagined platform to innovations in writing, assessments, and early learning.

In This Episode You Will Learn:

• The ways Microsoft’s partnership is expanding access to Khan Academy worldwide
• Why Sal believes AI can make teachers more valuable, not replace them.
• The challenges and opportunities of bringing AI safely into schools

Some Questions We Ask:

• What has remained constant at Khan Academy as the platform has scaled?
• How did you approach the challenges of working directly with school systems?
• What have you learned about how students engage best with AI tools?

Resources:

View Sal Khan on LinkedIn

View Marc-André Groulx on LinkedIn

View Chad Merck on LinkedIn

Related Microsoft Podcasts:

• Microsoft Threat Intelligence Podcast
• Afternoon Cyber Tea with Ann Johnson
• Microsoft Hybrid Cloud Partners Podcast

Discover and follow other Microsoft podcasts at microsoft.com/podcasts

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.