The Community Roundtable

Empowering global community leaders with research-backed resources, training, and tools.

Leveraging Data Analytics for Community Success

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Community Conversations is a long-running podcast series highlighting community success stories from a wide variety of online community management professionals.

Episode #97 of Community Conversations features Chris Catania, Head of Community at Esri.

Hosts Jim Storer and Shannon Abram chat with Chris about Leveraging data analytics for community success, community building and education for executives, and his work building a community ROI model and its impact on organizational value at Esri.

Chris shares ideas for building out your own cost benefit model, and explores the positive impact of measuring community ROI.

Leveraging Data Analytics for Community Success

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Storytelling with Metrics - A Quick Learn Course for Community Managers

About Chris Catania

Chris is an award-winning enterprise community building expert. For more than 20 years, he has helped leaders build community-driven organizations that leverage the power of community and collaboration to deepen trust, increase loyalty, build better products, drive engagement, save millions and grow top-line revenue. As a speaker, consultant and strategist, he has helped audiences transform disengaged customers into loyal and passionate brand advocates. He has led clients to create a digital workplace that connects and builds strong employee relationships and networks. Today he speaks and leads workshops to empower leaders to leverage community as a strategic asset in the workplace and a competitive advantage in the marketplace.

About Esri

Esri is the global market leader in geographic information system (GIS) software, location intelligence, and mapping.

Since 1969, they have supported customers with geographic science and geospatial analytics, what they call The Science of Where.

They take a geographic approach to problem-solving, brought to life by modern GIS technology. They are committed to using science and technology to build a sustainable world.

About Esri Community

Esri Community is an award-winning global online community of Esri users where you can find solutions, share ideas, and collaborate to solve problems with GIS.

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Using MVPs to Power Effective Communities

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Community Conversations is a long-running podcast series highlighting community success stories from a wide variety of online community management professionals.

Episode #96 of Community Conversations features Michelle Mathias, Manager, Community Experience and Programs (Esri Community), and Brianna Ettley, Community Manager, Engagement and Content at Esri.

Hosts Jim Storer and Shannon Abram chat with Michelle and Brianna about the Esri Community program, including a deep dive in their award-winning community advocacy programs.

They also discuss cultivating community leaders, how they grew the MVP program in the Esri Community since its start in 2014, and what’s in store for the Esri Community as they plan a migration to Khoros’ Aurora platform.

Listen to Michelle Mathias and Brianna Ettley on Using MVPs to Power Effective Communities

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Cultivating Community Leadership - A Quick Learn Course for Community Managers

About Esri

Esri is the global market leader in geographic information system (GIS) software, location intelligence, and mapping.

Since 1969, they have supported customers with geographic science and geospatial analytics, what they call The Science of Where.

They take a geographic approach to problem-solving, brought to life by modern GIS technology. They are committed to using science and technology to build a sustainable world.

About Esri Community

Esri Community is an award-winning global online community of Esri users where you can find solutions, share ideas, and collaborate to solve problems with GIS.

Community Building at USAA

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Community Conversations is a long-running podcast series highlighting community success stories from a wide variety of online community management professionals.

Episode #94 of Community Conversations features Michelle Sneck, Ph.D., Community Builder, Data Literacy Advocate, Host of the USAA Data Bytes Podcast, and Data Science Evangelist at USAA.

Hosts Jim Storer and Shannon Abram chat with Michelle about community building at USAA, starting at the intersection of data science and community building. Michelle also shares her approach to mentorship, which involves understanding the pain points of others, being honest about their own limitations, and leveraging their network to help others succeed.

Community Conversations - Michelle Sneck Ph.D. Community Building at USAA

Listen to Michelle Sneck, Ph.D. on Community Building at USAA

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From Michelle: As promised, here’s a link to a slime mold video. I often think about how communities are like slime molds 😆This video is pretty amazing because it unpacks a bit of the behaviors that slime molds exhibit that are emergent – beyond what can be accomplished with only one individual.

About Michelle Sneck, Ph.D.

Michelle Sneck, PhD (she/her) (@MichelleSneck) is a PhD trained ecologist turned data scientist who loves: the outdoors, solving complex business problems, Star Trek, and heavy metal. She is currently a Data Scientist in Bank Business Intelligence and Analytics at USAA with a PhD in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from Rice University. Michelle is skilled in the areas of public speaking, data analysis, inference testing, and currently developing machine learning techniques. She is passionate about leveraging the power of data to better serve our members and upholding USAA’s core values of Honesty, Integrity, Loyalty, and Service.

About USAA

The United Services Automobile Association is an American financial services company providing insurance and banking products exclusively to members of the military, veterans, and their families.

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Catherine Hackney on Community Tools

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Community Conversations is a long-running podcast series highlighting community success stories from a wide variety of online community management professionals.

Episode #91 of Community Conversations features Catherine Hackney, Principal at Confident Communities Consulting.

On this special State of Community Management 2022 episode, Catherine and host Anne Mbugua explore:

  • How does thinking about tools affect community work?
  • What does the SOCM 2022 report tell us about community tools?
  • How you can better understand your audience’s needs and expectations.
Catherine Hackney on Community Tools

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Catherine Hackney on Community Tools

About Catherine Hackney

Catherine Hackney is the Principal at Confident Communities Consulting, LLC, a Higher Logic Certified Partner. She is a reliable online community management consultant with nine years of experience. Cathering demonstrates expertise in increasing member engagement and of the Tradewing and Higher Logic platforms. Catherine was the recipient of the Higher Logic MVP award in 2016-2022. Learn more about Catherine.

About The State of Community Management

Now in its 13th year, our annual State of Community Management report provides strategic ideas and tactical benchmarks for global community management professionals.

The State of Community Management 2022 explores the state of the community management industry through the lens of the eight competencies in the Community Maturity Model™.

Each section includes data, ideas, and expert practitioner perspectives to give you new insight into the community management industry. 

Kelly Munro on Content and Programs
Download your free copy of the State of Community Management 2022.

Community Conversations – Episode #90 – Margaret Hedderman on Scaling Community Impact

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Community Conversations is a long-running podcast series highlighting community success stories from a wide variety of online community management professionals.

Episode #90 of Community Conversations features Margaret Hedderman, Communications & Editorial Director at Startup Colorado.

Margaret shares a look at the community journey at Start Up Colorado – the home for resources for entrepreneurs, startups, and small business owners in rural Colorado.

We discuss how they approached choosing a technology partner, must-haves for their online community and their path from ideation to launch.

Margaret also shares how Start Up Colorado uses thoughtful onboarding processes to boost long-term community engagement and what’s next for the network.

Margaret Hedderman on Scaling Community Impact

This episode of Community Conversations is sponsored by Hivebrite.

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About Margaret Hedderman

Margaret is a nonfiction (and fiction) writer, podcast producer, copywriter and editor.

You can find her work in BBC Travel, on Apple Podcasts, and in support of rural entrepreneurs and small business owners. Since 2011, I’ve worked as a freelance writer and content marketer across industries. I believe that everything boils down to a good story. If you need help telling yours, hit me up. 

About Start Up Colorado

Startup Colorado was founded in 2011 by Phil Weiser and Brad Feld at the Silicon Flatirons Center at the University of Colorado Law School. The initiative initially focused on supporting startups on the Front Range, and the effort to support entrepreneurship across the entire state is the latest evolution of Startup Colorado. Since 2017, Startup Colorado shifted its mission to focus solely on the foundation and success of the State’s rural-based entrepreneurs.

Colorado’s rural entrepreneurs are building some of the most exciting business opportunities across the state, from geographically isolated small towns to growing rural hubs. Whether they live inside populations of 60 or 60,000, they are dedicated to diversifying economies, creating new jobs, and fostering local talent. Their goals are mighty and their challenges many. While some business resources are scarce, others are disconnected or hard to find, making it difficult for any entrepreneur to navigate.

Startup Colorado solves for this challenge with tactics that drive greater awareness and cohesion on the playing field for entrepreneurs and the business support organizations who serve them. Through strategic networking, partnership development, and collaboration, we eliminate barriers, mitigate support gaps, and dismantle silos.

Check out more episodes of Community Conversations

Melissa Westervelt on Policies and Governance

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Community Conversations is a long-running podcast highlighting community success stories from a wide variety of online community management professionals.

Episode #89 of Community Conversations features Melissa Westervelt, Product Manager, Digital Engagement at Cambridge Associates.

On this special State of Community Management 2022 episode, Melissa Westervelt and host Anne Mbugua discuss the trends in community policies and guidelines. Melissa explains the difference between community policies and community guidelines, and shares tips for designing effective policies and guidelines for your online community.

Melissa Westervelt

Melissa Westervelt on Policies and Governance

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About Melissa Westervelt

Melissa is an experienced Product Manager with a demonstrated proficiency in SaaS management for digital engagement. Her specializations include enterprise-level community management, community building, and employee engagement strategy. She possesses strong skills in stakeholder alignment, platform search and implementation, IT change management, and managing vendor relationships. What does all of that mean? She loves helping people collaborate by giving them digital tools to ensure their projects succeed.

About Cambridge Associates

They are a global investment firm and aim to help endowments & foundations, pension plans, and high net worth private clients implement and manage custom investment portfolios that generate outperformance and enable them to maximize their impact on the world. Working alongside its early clients, Cambridge Associates pioneered the strategy of high-equity orientation and broad diversification, which since its inception in the 1980s has been a primary driver of performance for institutional investors. Today, they deliver a range of portfolio management services, including outsourced CIO, non-discretionary portfolio management, investment staff extension, and asset class mandates. Cambridge Associates maintains offices in major financial centers across the globe, with headquarters in Boston, MA.

About The State of Community Management

Now in its 13th year, our annual State of Community Management report provides strategic ideas and tactical benchmarks for global community management professionals.

The State of Community Management 2022 explores the state of the community management industry through the lens of the eight competencies in the Community Maturity Model™.

Each section includes data, ideas, and expert practitioner perspectives to give you new insight into the community management industry. 

Kelly Munro on Content and Programs
Download your free copy of the State of Community Management 2022.

Adam Ballhaussen on Technology Integration and Optimization

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Community Conversations is a long-running podcast highlighting community success stories from a wide variety of online community management professionals.

Episode #88 of Community Conversations features Adam Ballhaussen, Senior Director of Customer Education and Advocacy at Docebo.

Adam shares a look at how Docebo leverages Insided’s community solutions alongside other internal systems and offers advice for creating holistic community initiatives. We also chat about using online community programs for support, knowledge base, and product outcomes.

Adam Ballhausen

This episode is sponsored by Insided. Learn more about Insided.

Adam Ballhaussen on Technology Integration and Optimization

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About Adam Ballhausen

Adam’s approach to building Customer Education and Advocacy programs that get results is to be an empathetic leader, a diligent student, and an inspired visionary – in that order.

He’s a seasoned CEd & Advocacy leader, passionate about building communities and creating intuitive learning experiences that delight customers. As a lifelong learner, he has a knack for making complex concepts easy and fun to learn. With a background in marketing strategy and design – and an immense, admittedly geeky, love for technology – he builds learning experiences that work.

About Docebo

Docebo is redefining the way enterprises leverage technology to create and manage content, deliver training, and understand the business impact of their learning experiences. With Docebo’s multi-product learning suite, enterprises around the world are equipped to tackle any learning challenge and create a successful learning culture within their organization.

Check out more podcasts from the Community Conversations series:

Kelly Munro on Content and Programs

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Community Conversations is a long-running podcast highlighting community success stories from a wide variety of online community management professionals.

Episode #87 of Community Conversations features Kelly Munro, Community Team Lead, Xero.

On this special State of Community Management 2022 episode, Kelly Munro and host Anne Mbugua discuss the trends in community content and programs. Kelly shares tips for designing effective content and programming for your online community and discusses topics including:

  • How thinking about content and programs affects her community work.
  • The importance of onboarding for communities.
  • Advice for community professionals starting to dig into content and programs for their organization

Listen to Kelly Munro on Community Content and Programs

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About Kelly Munro

Kelly Munro is the Community lead within the Customer Success team at Xero, managing their product development & discussion forums. She has an interest in using technology to solve user and business friction with a human-centric & adaptive lens.

About Xero

Xero is a New Zealand-based technology company that provides cloud-based accounting software for small and medium-sized businesses. Their online accounting software connects small business owners with their numbers, their bank, and advisors anytime. Founded in 2006, Xero now has 3.5 million subscribers and is a leader in cloud accounting across New Zealand, Australia, and the United Kingdom. Their team of over 4,500+ talented thinkers, creators, and educators helps make life better for small businesses globally.

About The State of Community Management

Now in its 13th year, our annual State of Community Management report provides strategic ideas and tactical benchmarks for global community management professionals.

The State of Community Management 2022 explores the state of the community management industry through the lens of the eight competencies in the Community Maturity Model™.

Each section includes data, ideas, and expert practitioner perspectives to give you new insight into the community management industry. 

Kelly Munro on Content and Programs
Download your free copy of the State of Community Management 2022.

Catherine Hackney on Member Onboarding

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Lessons from The NEW Community Manager Handbook is a limited-run podcast series, featuring the 21 community leaders showcased in the Handbook in conversation with Anne Mbugua.

Episode 12 features Catherine Hackney, Principal, Confident Communities Consulting on member onboarding.

Catherine and host, Anne Mbugua discuss the importance of member onboarding in online communities (hint: it’s really important!). They also share ideas on how to use automation to scale your impact, quick wins when starting an onboarding program, and the importance of involving members in their onboarding journey.

Catherine Hackney on Member Onboarding

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About Catherine:

Catherine Hackney is an online community management consultant with over nine years of community experience. She has demonstrated expertise in increasing member engagement. She is a proven expert on the Tradewing and Higher Logic platforms. Catherine was a recipient of the Higher Logic MVP award in 2016-2022.

About Confident Communities Consulting

Confident Communities Consulting consultants ensure your success in supporting and retaining customers through compelling online communities that house up-to-the-minute resources, thought leadership, continuing education, mentorships, and networking. We have worked with organizations in several different industries with their own unique online communities, including non-profits, B2C, and B2B. Our consultants consistently demonstrate value to community members across the globe through the connections and knowledge sharing that are found in successful communities. Communities, like gardens, require continuous care through seeding and weeding to grow into something prosperous. We care for communities by implementing creative solutions to obstacles such as technical issues, functionality limitations, inappropriate usage, user and staff inquiries, etc. Increase the confidence your members and customers have in your organization with the help of our experienced online community management professionals.

About The NEW Community Manager Handbook

The NEW Community Manager Handbook features 21 profiles of community leaders sharing advice and ideas on everything from accessibility, hiring, strategy, gamification, defining the digital workplace, technology, and more. Each profile is paired with research from the State of Community Management reports and includes tactical advice for implementing what you’ve learned.

Learn from community management experts at Easterseals, Glencore, Microsoft, UKG, the World Bank Group, Analog Devices, Inc., AAMC, Zapier, Doctors Without Borders, and more.

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Dianne Kibbey on Community Migrations

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Community Conversations is a long-running podcast highlighting community success stories from a wide variety of online community management professionals.

Episode #85 of Community Conversations features Dianne Kibbey, Global Head\VP of Community and Social Media, Newark Electronics.

Dianne shares a look at how they choose a new community platform, and what the timeline looks like for a major community migration. She also chats about how her community uses google translate to connect their global member community.

This episode of Community Conversations is sponsored by Verint.

Listen to Dianne Kibbey on Community Technology

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Questions we cover in Episode #85:

  • What was one of the biggest considerations when choosing a platform?
  • How do you measure the number of registered members?
  • Have you found a programming that transcends geographical differences in language?
  • What were some of the major milestones along the way and how long was the overall migration process?
  • How can you clean up the cobwebs in your online community?
  • What were some of the key aha moments in making this change?

About Dianne Kibbey

Dianne leads global social media marketing and the strategy\operations of the largest online community for electronics engineers and makers for Premier Farnell, a global B2B distributor of electronic components. Dianne has over 15 years of experience leading industry-recognized innovation and launch strategies for business, online communities (internal and external), unique content marketing programs, and social media strategies. She is a strong leader, recognized for building highly effective and diverse technical development and business teams with the ability to speak both business and tech to ensure maximum benefit. Dianne is exceptionally skilled at marketing to highly technical audiences.

About Newark Electronics

Newark is a high-service distributor of technology products, services and solutions for electronic system design, maintenance and repair.

Global access, with service that’s close to home

Newark has operations in the US, Canada and Mexico, serviced from our regional distribution hub in South Carolina. We are committed to supporting local language, currency, product and shipment needs across North America and around the world. As part of Farnell’s global operations, our access to stock and stronger relationships with suppliers, we are better able to serve your needs.

A commitment to innovation that powers change

We have a history of innovation and have developed many industry firsts that save precious time for our Design Engineer customers, such as the first online Community for engineers – element14. More recently we continue to bring the latest technologies to market, from development tools that speed up the design process to modular devices that engineers can quickly and easily build into their devices and the latest in easy-to-deploy artificial intelligence.