Leaders Forum 25 Agenda
THE NEW SELL OF
AI2SMB
THE B2SMBI 7th ANNUAL
LEADERS' FORUM
DAY 1
If you sell AI-based products or services at scale to Small Business, this is your must-attend event.
The B2SMBI Leaders’ Forum brings together top executives from dozens of major brands to deliver actionable AI2SMB insights you can implement immediately.
Day 1 Delivers:
– Proven AI2SMB GTM Strategies — take home battle-tested approaches that have driven measurable AI2SMB acquisition and retention
– AI2SMB Implementation Roadmaps — receive practical blueprints for leveraging your AI offering to increase SMB acquisition and retention
– Complete Playbooks — leave with comprehensive frameworks you can deploy immediately
– Strategic Partnerships — connect with potential partners that force-multiply your GTM efforts
All while enjoying one-of-a-kind, fae-to-face networking in the beautiful Sonoma setting.
9:00AM-10:30AM
REGISTRATION
CHECK IN
You don’t need to present tickets – we got you! Pick up your badge, your swag, and your Speaker instructions (if you are indeed on stage.) If you haven’t already, please inform us of any dietary restrictions you might have.
9:00AM
SMART MUFFIN MEET-UP
PRE-EVENT WORKSHOP
We all have thoughts about AI’s impact, import and implication to SMBs, so let’s talk over coffee and “Smart Muffins” – see LI post for recipe! Join as you arrive, or arrive early – it’s a casual talk-around of what each of us is seeing, hearing and thinking about this revolution we’ve enjoined called AI2SMB. Bonus: a special surprise announcement.
10:30AM-10:45AM
"EVENT KICKOFF: WHAT TO EXPECT"
WELCOME
Nothing like that feeling of “lift-off” at one of our events! Dave Walker gives the 411 on our Leaders’ Forum 2-day agenda, on logistics of the venue, on our format and activities, on ground-rules for “no pressure” engagement, and on how to make the most out of your next 24 hours with your B2SMB Leadership peers. Let’s go!
10:45AM-11:00AM
ONE BIG THING
MEET & GREET
As always, we start our event with an informal greeting on a mission – to work with a fellow-attendee to identify what’s the “one big thing” YOU want to take away from the Leaders’ Forum – with a little help from your friends!
11:00PM-11:25PM
WHEN HORSES GAVE WAY TO CARS:
A GTM FRAMEWORK
KEYNOTE
Over the course of two successful exits of more than $100Mil each, Sangram Vajre has been teaching the business of marketing with his signature frameworks. His best-seller, “Move” focuses on creating and executing effective go-to-market (GTM) strategies at any stage of a business’ lifecycle, a systematic approach to align and to grow effectively. He illustrates his concepts through real-world examples and practical guidance for implementation. As the B2SMB market continues to experience revolutionary change, GTM Playbooks have to change ahead of the waves impacting products, marketing, selling and delivery. Sangram’s framework is more than a guide, it helps you and your teams – well – MOVE!
11:25PM-11:50PM
GO-GO-GOING TO MARKET WITH AI
PANEL
Those three little letters – GTM – are most often followed by the word “plan.” But how do actually plan your GTM when your Market, and your product, and your customer are all undergoing daily change because of two little letters – AI? In the midst of what feels like a full-scale revolution brought about by “AI2SMB,” our panel will explore some ideas on how to frame GTM as a process, not a plan, and offer some specific ideas on taking your AI offering to market.
11:50PM-12:20PM
MOVE YOUR GTM
WORKSHOP
We’ll mix the bowl pretty good here in small groups of attending B2SMB Marketers, Developers and Sales Leads to apply the framework of Sangram Vajre’s “Move” to a hypothetical Seller of AI at scale to SMBs. We’ll step out of our own offerings to find means and methods of validating our GTM approach, and how to improve it.
12:20PM-12:50PM
FUEL FOR LEARNING
EARLY LUNCH
We won’t load you down with lots of carbs, but instead get your brains fueled for what promises to be a jammed Day 1. Grab a plate, enjoy the view, and start your engines!
1:00PM-1:25PM
SALES LIGHTNING
PLAYBOOKS
Let’s talk Sales. And with so much Sales talent in our B2SMBI community, its an “embarrassment of riches” when selecting Leadership Execs to talk the front lines of winning SMB Business. We’ve tapped 4 of our best-and-brightest to “Inform – Instruct – Inspire” all of us from their highly successful Sales Leadership Playbooks. Buckle up!
1:25PM-1:50PM
ON THE WINGS OF DATA
PANEL
Is your next AI2SMB opportunity hidden in plain sight? Our Panelists will share strategies for identifying overlooked data assets, overcoming implementation barriers, and measuring market impact—revealing that some of the most valuable data for innovation already exists within your organization.
1:50PM-2:15PM
THE SHAPE OF CX IN AN AI WORLD
KEYNOTE
In his recent column for the Forbes Business Council, InfoBip’s Chief Business Officer, Ivan Ostojic wrote: “The race to redefine customer experience (CX) is accelerating. As interactions between businesses, brands and their customers shift, I believe we will see significant developments across the critical layers of infrastructure, application and experience this year… From ever-evolving technology, business models, and delivery to hybrid AI deployment and scaling strategies, here are 10 predictions that I believe will shape CX in 2025.” Prepare for a provocative view ahead.
2:15PM-2:35PM
SMART COOKIES
BREAK
2:35PM-3:00PM
A VIEW FROM THE TOP: 2025 EDITION
PANEL
By this point in our agenda, we’ll have digested a LOT. So now it’s time to get the perspective of the visionaries. We’ll talk the long view (well into next week!) of AI2SMB, managing the speed of change, picking winners, and negotiating all those curves!
3:00PM-3:15PM
THE AI2SMB IMPACT ZONES
Legendary Product Builder Raj Mukherjee (Indeed, GoDaddy) believes AI’s impact on SMBs hits 3 key areas: first, lowered barriers to customer acquisition. Second, lowered cost of operations. Then third? Greater opportunities for SMBs to radically re-imagine and transform their business. A tour of a visionary’s futures.
3:15PM-3:40PM
ARE YOU AI2SMB READY?
WORKSHOP
We’ll once again break into small groups of attendees to answer our recent B2SMBI Survey, “Are You AI2SMB Ready?” Candid assessments are required! Let’s see how ready we think we are!
3:40PM-4:05PM
HOW B2SMBI CAN DRIVE AI2SMB
DISCUSSION
If not us, who? As the global marketplace of Small Business continues to face rapid and radical change, The B2SMB Institute is keen to play a leadership role in what we’re calling “AI2SMB.” Dave Walker is joined by Kush Shrivastava to lead an all-hands discussion and feeback session on what our community needs to be successful in this enormous, volatile and challenging AI revolution.
4:05PM-4:30PM
THE TRUST ACCELERATOR
Roland Ligtenberg, Housecall Pro Co-Founder, has built a community of 100K+ SMB customers by using “Community” as a “Trust Accelerator” to overcome skepticism toward tech sellers. From early Fuddruckers meet-ups with adopters to today, his community strategy has reduced sales friction, shortened cycles, and improved retention among solopreneurs. His playbook transforms tech introductions from pitches into dialogues, demonstrating why community-led growth is a foundational B2SMB strategy rather than just marketing jargon.
Dan Gliatta
Founder/Strategist
Cargo Agency
4:30PM-5:15PM
"INVALUABLE VERBATIMS" FROM NEW GEN/NOW GEN"
PANEL
A new twist to one of our event’s most popular segments. Dan Gliatta and Bryce Colburn moderate a group of 5 Small Businesses – who happen to be players in the B2SMB marketplace! All are young, hungry and facing the challenges of running an enterprise as both Operators and as Purveyors. We’ll talk about what they do to win SMB Business, AND what it takes to win their business. This highly interactive session allows all of us to hear from fresh voices: what moves an SMB to “Yes.”
5:15PM-6:30PM
"LET US ALWAYS BE FRIENDS..."
RECEPTION – WINE TASTING & CHARCUTERIE
“… or at least until this bottle ends!” It’s time to unwind as the Kunde Family Winery offers their very best to the weary attendees of the Leaders’ Forum. With long and beautiful views of the Sonoma Valley at sunset, we’ll share the day.
6:30PM
LEADERS' LEAGUE
EVENT DINNER
Sponsored by Verizon Business
We cordially invite ALL event attendees to join your peers for an extraordinary dinner in Kunde’s wine caves. We’ll be fed by Italian-trained culinary master, Chef Carlo Cavallo. After serving as Executive Chef for Giorgio Armani restaurants (earning “Best New Chef” from Los Angeles Magazine), Chef opened Meritage in Sonoma in 1999. The restaurant won “Best Seafood Restaurant” in Napa & Sonoma Counties for 14 consecutive years (2000-2014), alongside Thomas Keller’s Bouchon. Carlo won the “Best Beef in America Chefs Challenge” (2009) and three consecutive “Best Overall Martini” awards. In 2014, he launched Bistecca & Vino, an upscale Italian steakhouse. Selected for the prestigious Culinary Enrichment and Innovation Program (2018), he’s appeared on Food Network shows and has been featured in prominent publications like the New York Times and Wine Spectator. MANGIA!
THE NEW SELL OF
AI2SMB
THE B2SMBI 7th ANNUAL
LEADERS' FORUM
DAY 2
Our agenda on Day 2 of the Leaders’ Forum dives deep into two key elements of “The New Sell”: Reach and Partnerships.
We’ll begin the day with with Intuit SMB Media Labs (sponsors of our Day 2 Brunch.) Our Speakers will talk optimizing an SMB-targeted Media Strategy and Plan.
We’ll also talk SMB Influencers – specifically turning them into some of your most efficient and effective lead sources.
Then we’ll convene our B2SMBI Partnerships Circle to talk collaboration within the explosive AI2SMB Marketplace. We’ll move beyond the theory of successful partnerships and get down into the nuts and bolts of finding, launching, managing and measuring cooperative marketing, selling, development and distribution.
We’ll start the day relatively early (been up late?) with a classic Sonoma brunch, wrapping our event up by noon.
8:30AM-9:25AM
BRUNCH
SPONSORED BY INTUIT SMALL BUSINESS MEDIALABS
A good evening demands a great brunch. Join us for a variety of fresh quiches, a local cheese + charcuterie board, fresh sliced fruits, yogurt / granola / blueberry parfaits and fresh baked croissants. Oh, and coffee. We’re going to need coffee.
9:25AM-9:30AM
INTRO TO DAY 2
INTRODUCTION
A key initiative for the Institute in the back-half of 2025: to help our Member organizations achieve breakthrough performance in reaching and engaging small business decision-makers through data-driven media strategies, innovative channel optimization, and deep audience understanding.
We’ll both present and seek feedback on the components of each “pillar of deliverables” from our nascent Media Resource Center:
– SMB Audience Intelligence
– Media Strategy Excellence
– Channel Innovation
9:30AM-9:55AM
A NEW KIND OF AUDIENCE SELECTION
KEYNOTE
Last year, Dave Raggio introduced Intuit’s Small Business MediaLabs, and we wondered why no one had really thought of the idea before: leverage your existing customer base like a media channel, rich with media strategic and tactical insights. Over the last 12 months, not only has the concept taken hold, it’s established a powerful and now proven way to grow your top of funnel.
9:55AM-10:10AM
HOW SMBS ARE GOING TO MARKET
KEYNOTE
Small businesses in 2025 are treating advertising as a growth engine—driven by strategic intent, expanding budgets, and increasing confidence in their ability to reach the right audiences and measure real results. Across industries and firm sizes, SMBs are becoming more sophisticated advertisers, adopting advanced marketing technologies, diversifying their channel mix, and expecting ROI visibility as standard. In this session, we’ll explore the latest small business advertising trends shaping 2025—and what they mean for your strategy.
10:10AM-10:35AM
THE POWER OF INFLUENCE
PANEL
We’ve certainly heard that Partnerships can be “ships to nowhere.” Maybe that’s because we still struggle to understand the form, the function and the fundamentals of Partnership that really sail. We’ve assembled both SMEs and Partnership leads to unpack how to engineer collaboration for a complex B2SMB marketplace.
Rich Hargrave
Sr. Directory- Partnerships,
vcita
Steve Strauss
Board Member,
SCORE
10:35AM-10:55AM
PARTNER SHOWCASES
We’re dedicating time to hear from “Newbies” to B2SMBI alongside long-standing Members with “New News.” We’ve asked each of them to give a brief 5-minute-max pitch of their business, or update on their offerings, and most importantly what they both offer and need from our Partnerships Circle. Qs welcome!
10:55AM-11:30AM
PITCH FOR PARTNERS
Back by popular demand: we’ll invite attendees to stand and introduce their company, their partnership opportunities and what they’re looking for.
3-Minute time limit per Pitch!
11:30AM-11:45PM
RECAP OF PARTNERSHIPS CIRCLE MEET-UP
We’ll end Day 2 with summary take-aways and a commitment to meet within 14-days with prospective partners we’ve identified during the time together.
11:40AM-12:00PM
STEPS TOWARDS PARTNERSHIP
WALKABOUT
The Kunde Family Winery grounds afford us a number of paths to stroll – perfect places to casually engage in small group walkabouts. It’s an opportunity to meet and greet more of your Partnerships Circle attendees.
