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Most companies focus on recruiting more partners, but what if the bigger opportunity is making the partners you already have more capable? In this Belly2Belly episode, Bill Kenney talks with Craig Patterson, Global Channel Chief at Exabeam, about partner competency, why traditional enablement often fails, and how AI can help partners learn, sell and perform more effectively. Craig Patterson, Exabeam https://www.linkedin.com/in/globalchannel/ .. Feel free to contact us with any questions Bill Kenney, [email protected] MEET, https://meetroi.com/

Most companies still measure partner performance at or near the point of sale, but partners can influence a customer long before a transaction takes place. In this Belly2Belly episode, Bill Kenney talks with Jay McBain from Omdia about why most partners never produce, the 28 measurable moments in a considered purchase, and how leading ecosystems are identifying and influencing opportunities much earlier in the buying journey. Jay McBain, Omdia https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaymcbain/ Feel free to contact us with any questions ... Bill Kenney, [email protected] MEET, https://meetroi.com/⁠�

AI companies are moving faster than traditional SaaS businesses, and partnership strategies need to evolve just as quickly. In this Belly2Belly episode, Bill Kenney talks with Cindy Zu from AirOps about how AI-native companies approach partnerships, why experimentation is essential, and how speed, accountability, and partner alignment drive better outcomes. Cindy Zu, AirOps https://www.linkedin.com/in/cynthiazu/ .. Feel free to contact us with any questions Bill Kenney [email protected] MEET https://meetroi.com/

Entering the U.S. defense market requires much more than a great product. Success depends on understanding the regulatory landscape, building trusted partnerships, and finding the right route into the market. In this Belly2Belly episode, Bill Kenney talks with Mathew Woodlee from MDW Trade and Tech Advisors about how dual-use technology companies can successfully enter the United States, leverage innovation ecosystems, and build strategic partnerships that support long-term growth. Mathew Woodlee, MDW Trade and Tech Advisors https://www.linkedin.com/in/woodlee/ .. Feel free to contact us with any questions Bill Kenney, [email protected] https://meetroi.com/

Many companies entering the U.S. believe hiring a local salesperson should be their first priority. According to Dale Shephard, that can become one of the most expensive mistakes founders make. In this Belly2Belly episode, Bill Kenney talks with Dale Shephard from TrinityHawk about why founder-led sales create stronger early momentum, the risks of hiring too soon, and how founders can build the right sales foundation before they scale. .. Feel free to contact us with any questions Bill Kenney, [email protected] https://meetroi.com/ Dale Shephard, TrinityHawk https://www.linkedin.com/in/daleshephard/

In this Belly2Belly episode, Bill Kenney talks with Chris Messina from QuarqAI about why traditional partnership models break down, why treating partners as lead-generation machines creates hidden risks, and how AI is helping organizations manage ecosystems more strategically. Chris Messina, QuarqAI https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisjmessina .. Feel free to contact us with any questions Bill Kenney, [email protected] MEET, https://meetroi.com/

Most partner ecosystems struggle with the same challenge: only a small percentage of partners actively drive revenue. In this Belly2Belly episode, Bill Kenney talks with Emily McLellan from Bongo about why partner activation gaps exist, the risks of inconsistent messaging, and why verification matters just as much as training. Emily McClellan, Bongo https://www.linkedin.com/in/emily-mclellan/ .. Feel free to contact us with any questions Bill Kenney, [email protected] MEET, https://meetroi.com/

Enterprise partner programs are evolving as AI, SaaS, and customer expectations reshape the market. In this Belly2Belly episode, Bill Kenney talks with Jason W. Gallo from Cisco about how partner programs are shifting toward value, outcomes, and ecosystem collaboration. Jason W. Gallo, Cisco .. Feel free to contact us with any questions Bill Kenney, [email protected] MEET, https://meetroi.com/

Partnership ecosystems are evolving quickly as native AI companies scale at unprecedented speed. In this Belly2Belly episode, Bill Kenney talks with Chris Samila from Partnership Leaders about how AI companies are building partner programs, why distribution matters more than ever, and how service and technology partners are beginning to blend together in the AI economy. Chris Samila, Partnership Leaders https://www.partnershipleaders.com/ https://www.joincatalyst.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissamila/ .. Feel free to contact us with any questions Bill Kenney, [email protected] MEET, https://meetroi.com/

AI partnerships are evolving quickly, but they are not yet mature. In this Belly2Belly episode, Bill Kenney speaks with David Winter of Orion Innovation about the current AI partnership landscape and what system integrators should focus on today. They cover: • Why AI partnerships currently flow through cloud ecosystems • The role of Microsoft AI Foundry and AWS Bedrock • How frontier AI partner programs may develop by 2026 • The hardware layer behind AI inference • How to prepare to become a launch partner David Winter Orion Innovation https://www.linkedin.com/in/davewinter3/ --- Feel free to contact us with any questions Bill Kenney, [email protected] MEET, https://meetroi.com/

Sales is the one lynchpin to U.S. success. In this Belly2Belly episode, Bill Kenney talks with Cameron Heffernan from Beyond Borders Marketing about the most common mistakes companies make when expanding into the U.S. market and how to avoid them. They discuss why go-to-market matters more than operations, how to approach early traction, why niche targeting works, and what realistic B2B timelines look like. Cameron Heffernan https://www.linkedin.com/in/cameronjh/ https://www.marketingbeyondborders.com/blog-posts/expanding-to-the-us-market-avoid-these-8-most-common-missteps --- Feel free to contact us with any questions Bill Kenney, [email protected] MEET, https://meetroi.com/

Partnership marketing requires more than co-branded campaigns. In this Belly2Belly episode, Bill Kenney talks with Christi Williams from ‪HubSpot about defining a joint value proposition, aligning on shared KPIs, clarifying swim lanes, and building recurring partnership frameworks that drive measurable growth. Christi shares practical advice on verticalization, accountability, and avoiding the “one-and-done” trap in ecosystem marketing. Christi Williams https://www.linkedin.com/in/christikeating/ --- Feel free to contact us with any questions Bill Kenney, [email protected] MEET, https://meetroi.com/

Agency partnerships require a different mindset than traditional tech partnerships. In this Belly2Belly episode, Bill Kenney talks with Tom Balanda from Simpli.fi about building trust with agencies, adopting a give-first mentality, and creating early momentum through communication and shared wins. Tom shares practical advice on activating agency partners, managing internal alignment, and driving real outcomes through relationship-led partnerships. Tom Balanda https://www.simpli.fi/ --- Feel free to contact us with any questions Bill Kenney, [email protected] MEET, https://meetroi.com/

U.S. expansion succeeds or fails at the board level. In this Belly2Belly episode, Bill Kenney talks with David Rose about why European venture-backed companies so often underestimate budgets, timelines, and go-to-market reality, and how USXP’s new U.S. Expansion Board Guide helps boards pressure-test readiness before entering the market. David Rose, USXP https://www.usxp.co/ .. Feel free to contact us with any questions Bill Kenney, [email protected] MEET, https://meetroi.com/

In this Belly2Belly episode, Bill Kenney talks with Kajal Sanghrajka, Founder of Upsite, about the $90 billion U.S. incentives market and why so much of it goes unused. Kajal explains how incentives work at the federal, state, and local level, how early and later stage companies can qualify, and why incentives should be part of a long term strategic growth plan rather than a last minute decision. Kajal Sanghrajka https://upsite.ai --- Feel free to contact us with any questions Bill Kenney, [email protected] MEET, https://meetroi.com/