Top Speakers You Can’t Afford to Miss at Community Summit North America 2025

The air in Anaheim, California, crackles with a unique energy every October. It’s the sound of innovation, collaboration, and the collective ambition of the Microsoft Dynamics and Power Platform communities converging at Community Summit North America. For 2025, the event promises to be more impactful than ever, serving as the definitive launchpad for the next era of business applications. While the expo hall dazzles and the networking opportunities are unparalleled, the true heart of Summit lies in its sessions. The wisdom shared from its stages can redefine your strategic roadmap, unlock hidden potential in your tech stack, and propel your career forward.

But with hundreds of sessions to choose from, how do you decide? The key is to follow the luminaries—the thinkers, builders, and pioneers who are shaping the future of the ecosystem. These are the speakers you simply cannot afford to miss at Community Summit North America 2025.

1. The Visionary: Charles Lamanna, Microsoft CVP, Business Applications & Platform

No Summit agenda is complete without a keynote from Charles Lamanna. As the leader steering the ship for Microsoft’s entire Business Applications and Power Platform division, his keynote is not just a presentation; it’s a strategic forecast. Attending his session is paramount for any leader or developer seeking to understand Microsoft’s long-term vision.

In 2025, expect Lamanna to dive deep into the next phase of AI integration, moving beyond Copilot as a feature to Copilot as a fundamental, woven-in fabric of every business process. He will likely unveil groundbreaking capabilities in low-code development, showcasing how citizen developers and pros will collaborate more seamlessly than ever. His talk will provide the essential context for every other session you attend, answering the "why" behind the "what" and giving you a critical head start on the industry’s direction for the coming year.

2. The Architect of Intelligence: Emily Wang, Microsoft Principal PM, AI & Copilot

If Lamanna paints the broad vision, Emily Wang is the architect who brings it to life. As a Principal Program Manager deeply embedded in the AI and Copilot engineering efforts, her technical breakout sessions are masterclasses in practical implementation. She moves beyond marketing hype to deliver tangible, actionable insights.

Wang’s sessions are a must-attend for solution architects, developers, and power users ready to get their hands dirty. She excels at demonstrating complex AI-driven workflows, explaining the architecture behind Copilot extensions, and providing best practices for responsible AI deployment. In 2025, listen for her deep dives into crafting effective prompts, building custom Copilots for niche industry scenarios, and integrating Azure OpenAI service models directly into your Power Apps and Dynamics 365 solutions. You’ll leave her session with a notebook full of ideas and a clear technical path to execute them.

3. The Dynamics 360° Strategist: Lindsey Weintraub, MVP & Managing Partner, SBS Group

For those whose world revolves around Dynamics 365, Lindsey Weintraub is a perennial must-see. An MVP and managing partner at a leading consultancy, she possesses a rare blend of deep technical expertise and sharp business acumen. She speaks the language of both the C-suite and the IT department, making her sessions invaluable for anyone involved in an ERP or CRM implementation or optimization.

Weintraub specializes in translating business challenges into Dynamics 365 solutions. Her 2025 sessions will likely focus on advanced strategies for leveraging the latest F&O and CE updates to drive operational efficiency and customer intimacy. Expect real-world case studies, hard-won lessons from the field, and pragmatic advice on change management and user adoption. She cuts through complexity to deliver clear, strategic guidance that ensures your Dynamics investment delivers maximum ROI.

4. The Power Platform Pioneer: Shane Young, MVP, SharePoint & Power Apps Guru

Shane Young is a force of nature in the community. Known for his infectious energy, unparalleled expertise in the Microsoft data stack (especially SharePoint), and his ability to make complex concepts hilariously simple, his sessions are consistently standing-room-only. He is the definitive expert on making Power Apps work powerfully with real-world data sources. Community Summit NA 2025

For anyone looking to build robust, scalable, and user-friendly applications with Power Apps, Young’s workshops are non-negotiable. He doesn’t just show you how to do something; he explains why his approach is best, teaching you to think like a developer. In 2025, anticipate deep technical sessions on performance tuning, complex formula writing, and innovative connectors that break down data silos. His practical, no-fluff advice will save you countless hours of frustration and elevate your app-building skills from novice to expert.

5. The Industry Icon Turned Innovator: Jukka Niiranen, MVP & Co-Founder, SuperSync

A legend in the Dynamics CRM world, Jukka Niiranen has transitioned from being a prolific MVP and blogger to a hands-on innovator as co-founder of SuperSync, a solution built on the Power Platform. This unique perspective—deep historical knowledge combined with a startup founder’s drive—makes his insights incredibly compelling.

Niiranen’s sessions are perfect for those looking to understand the evolving landscape of customization and integration. He provides a critical, honest, and forward-looking analysis of the platform's capabilities and limitations. Attending his talk will give you a unique view into the future of independent software vendors (ISVs) and how native Power Platform solutions are disrupting traditional implementation models. He challenges conventional thinking and inspires audiences to build more elegant and effective solutions.

Maximizing Your Summit Experience

Your time at Summit is precious. To make the most of it:

• Plan, But Be Flexible: Identify these key speakers and add their sessions to your schedule now. However, leave room for spontaneous discoveries.

• Engage Actively: The learning doesn’t stop when the session ends. Approach the speakers after their talk. They are at Summit to connect with the community. Ask your burning question, share your challenge, and get their direct advice.

• Look Beyond the Big Names: While these headliners are essential, some of the most valuable insights often come from fellow customer speakers. They are in the trenches, facing the same challenges you are, and their success stories are a goldmine of practical advice.

Community Summit North America 2025 is more than a conference; it’s an investment in your professional future. By strategically planning to learn from these top speakers—the visionaries, architects, strategists, pioneers, and innovators—you ensure that you return to your organization not just with new knowledge, but with transformative ideas that will define your success for years to come.