Name: Accelerating AI Adoption: Bridging Federal and Defense Sector Practices
Start: 2025-06-17T17:04:00Z
End: 2025-06-17T17:05:00.000Z
Location: BrightTALK

Welcome to the Microsoft Federal channel, your go-to resource for the latest innovations in AI, Security, and Copilot solutions tailored for federal IT leaders. Our webinars and videos are designed to help you stay ahead of the curve, achieve more, and drive mission impact with cutting-edge technology. Join us to explore how Microsoft's solutions can empower your agency to meet its goals and enhance operational efficiency.

In this engaging theater session from the Energy Empowered Summit 2025, Will Jorgensen, Digital Platform Owner at PNNL, shares a candid and practical look at deploying Microsoft 365 Copilot within a federal agency. From security frameworks and data auditing to change management and user adoption, Will walks through the real-world challenges and solutions his team encountered during their Copilot rollout.

Learn how PNNL:

Built a three-tiered security strategy using Microsoft Purview and offensive AI agents
Designed a 10-week pilot program with structured training and feedback loops
Leveraged automation and Power Platform for provisioning and governance
Addressed user confusion around Copilot Chat, M365 Copilot, and Teams Premium
Measured ROI and user sentiment through targeted surveys and Copilot-driven analysis
Whether you're planning your own deployment or refining your adoption strategy, this session offers actionable insights and a potential playbook for success.

Deploying M365 Copilot in the Federal Space: Lessons from the Front Lines

In this dynamic keynote, Steve Winward, Technical Director for Microsoft Federal Business Applications, explores the full spectrum of Microsoft’s AI innovation—from infrastructure to productivity tools—tailored for the federal energy sector. Drawing on personal stories, technical analogies (including a memorable giant pencil), and real-world federal use cases, Steve emphasizes the cultural shift required to embrace AI and the importance of rapid iteration. Attendees will gain insights into Microsoft’s AI stack, including Azure AI Foundry, GitHub Copilot, Copilot Studio, and Microsoft 365 Copilot, and how these tools empower organizations to build agentic solutions, enhance collaboration, and drive mission impact. This session is both a technical deep dive and a cultural call to action for leaders navigating the AI transformation journey.

Putting it all together: AI integrations across the stack

Theater Session from 2025 Energy Empowered Summit hosted by Microsoft DOE Team

Agentic AI in Practice

Join Marco Casalaina, VP Products, Core AI and AI Futurist at Microsoft, as he takes the stage at the Energy Empowered Summit to explore the transformative future of artificial intelligence. In this dynamic and engaging session, Marco demonstrates how AI is already reshaping the way we communicate, collaborate, and make decisions—across languages, platforms, and industries.

From real-time multilingual translation in Microsoft Teams to the evolution of AI agents that can schedule meetings, analyze data, and even interact with third-party systems, Marco showcases cutting-edge innovations that are not just futuristic—they're available today. He dives into the architecture of AI agents, the convergence of generative AI with classical machine learning, and the rise of tools like TimeGen and Project Amelie that are redefining forecasting and predictive analytics.

Whether you're a technologist, business leader, or curious observer, this session offers a front-row seat to the AI revolution—and a glimpse into how it will shape the way we work and live.

The Future of AI is Already Here

Missed the Energy Empowered Summit? Here’s What You Missed!

From the heart of Silicon Valley, the 2025 Energy Empowered Summit lit up the room with innovation, inspiration, and impact! 

Attendees dove into powerful keynotes on AI for the Department of Energy, explored cutting-edge modernization strategies, and got hands-on with Azure technical briefings that sparked new ideas across the energy sector. 

The summit wasn’t just about tech—it was about connection. From hallway huddles to breakout brainstorms, energy leaders, visionaries, and changemakers came together to shape the future of digital transformation in energy.

Top Moments Included:

Game-changing insights from DOE leaders
Real-world demos that wowed the crowd
A buzzing expo floor full of innovation
And yes—plenty of coffee and conversation 
Whether you were there or not, this recap gives you a taste of the energy, excitement, and expertise that made the summit unforgettable.

Mark your calendar now—Energy Empowered Summit 2026 is coming, and you won’t want to miss it!

Energy Empowered Summit 2025 Recap

Explore how Curtiss-Wright and Microsoft are partnering to bring secure, mission-critical cloud services to even the most disrupted, disconnected, intermittent, and limited (DDIL) environments. This session breaks down the technical and operational hurdles of edge deployments and offers practical guidance for technology leaders, program managers, and mission planners alike. Discover how to enable scalable, resilient cloud capabilities that perform in the world’s most remote and challenging locations.

Delivering Azure at the Tactical Edge

Join us for a dynamic and informative session exploring the power of AI to transform federal operations. We’ll kick things off with a warm welcome and a high-level look at AI’s growing role in government. Then, dive into Microsoft 365 Copilot—what it is, how it works, and why it’s a game-changer for DoD + federal agencies. Watch a live demo featuring real-world federal use cases, get the scoop on licensing and availability in Gov. Cloud environments, and leave with actionable insights and up-to-date resources to help you stay ahead.

Copilot Unlocked – Supercharging Productivity in the Federal Workspace

This virtual workshop brings together leading experts to share actionable strategies and real-world insights for transforming the public sector experience—from citizen engagement to workforce support. Tailored for government customer experience (CX) leaders and IT professionals, the session explores emerging tools, digital trends, and innovative practices reshaping how agencies connect with the communities they serve and empower their teams.  

Key Takeaways:  

- Discover the latest technologies driving next-generation citizen services and workforce support.  
- Learn how to streamline government processes for faster, more efficient service delivery.  
- Explore real-world use cases demonstrating successful CX and IT collaboration.  
- Gain practical strategies to build a more responsive, data-informed, and digitally resilient government.

Improving Public Sector CX

In this third installment of the Microsoft Federal Civilian Data Modernization Office Hours, attendees explored the critical pillars of data governance and security within the Microsoft Purview ecosystem. The session featured expert insights from James Serra, a technical specialist in Data & AI, and James Province, a compliance and risk specialist with a legal background.

Together, they demystified the evolving Microsoft Purview platform—an umbrella suite that unifies Azure Purview’s structured data governance tools with Microsoft 365’s unstructured data security capabilities. The session included:

A deep dive into data cataloging, classification, and lineage tracking using the unified catalog and data map.
Best practices for metadata management, glossary creation, and access governance.
A walkthrough of sensitivity labeling, data loss prevention (DLP), and insider risk management for unstructured data like emails, documents, and AI prompts.
Clarification on GCC vs. Commercial feature availability, including portal navigation and upcoming capabilities like data quality scoring and data security posture management.
Real-world demos showing how to scan, classify, and secure data across hybrid environments, including on-premises and multi-cloud sources.
This session emphasized the importance of aligning policy makers and implementers to maximize the value of Microsoft Purview and ensure a secure, compliant, and discoverable data estate.

Govern, Secure, and Protect Your Data Estate

In this session, Ian Leatherman, Zero Trust Strategy Lead for US Federal at Microsoft, shares hard-earned insights from years of guiding federal agencies through their Zero Trust (ZT) transformations. Drawing on his experience as a Navy cyber warfare officer and a founding architect of the Flank Speed environment, Ian reframes Zero Trust not as a product, but as a mindset—one that mirrors how we navigate risk in everyday life. Through vivid analogies and real-world examples, he explores how telemetry, policy enforcement, and layered defense mechanisms can detect and deter sophisticated nation-state threats. Attendees will gain a practical roadmap for ZT implementation, understand the cultural and operational shifts required, and learn how to measure effectiveness beyond compliance—by building environments resilient enough to withstand red team assaults. Whether you're just starting your ZT journey or refining your architecture, this session offers actionable guidance grounded in federal-scale deployments.

Zero Trust Maturity and Lessons from the Federal Frontlines

In today's rapidly evolving technological landscape, the importance of a robust AI platform cannot be overstated. This presentation delves into the critical role that platforms play in achieving mission AI at scale, particularly within the current government environment. The discussion will cover the reinvention of applications with AI, the necessity of investment in AI development, and the impact of AI platforms on both internal and mission-focused projects.

Key Learnings:

Reinventing Applications with AI: Explore how existing applications are being enhanced with AI capabilities and the creation of new generative AI applications.
Investment in AI Development: Understand the significant investments being made in AI research and development, particularly within federal agencies.
Impact of AI Platforms: Learn about the measurable results delivered by AI platforms, including improvements in employee productivity and accelerated decision-making.
Attributes of Effective AI Platforms: Discover the essential attributes of a cohesive AI platform, including infrastructure, data integration, model catalog, and orchestration tools.

Mission AI at Scale: Why Platform Matters

In this insightful interview at AI Talks, presented by AI Scoop, Wyatt Kash sits down with Nelli Babayan, AI Director for U.S. Federal Civilian at Microsoft, to discuss the biggest challenges in implementing AI in government services since last year. Nelli Babayan shares her expertise on how Microsoft has approached these challenges, focusing on data security, privacy, and the importance of use cases. The conversation also delves into secure and responsible data governance for AI applications, highlighting Microsoft's commitment to security by design and default.

Key Learnings:

Data Security and Privacy: Ensuring that data flowing into AI systems is secure and private, accessible only to authorized users.
Importance of Use Cases: Carefully selecting and prioritizing use cases to provide meaningful proof of concept or pilots before scaling.
Secure Data Governance: Implementing tools and services focused on data governance and security, including encryption and identity management.
Unified Data Visibility: Providing visibility into the entire data estate within a unified pane of glass, enabling organizations to manage disparate data sources effectively.

AITALKS - Overcoming AI Implementation Challenges in Government Services

In this video, Kevin Tupper, Chief Architect for AI Transformation at Microsoft, outlines how Copilot Chat integrates directly into Microsoft 365 — giving every licensed user a secure, AI-powered assistant without the need for additional licensing.

Learn how enabling Copilot Chat helps your agency improve mission performance while maintaining full compliance and oversight through Microsoft Purview. See why enabling Web Grounding enhances usefulness while keeping AI use inside your trusted environment.

Explore how current federal policy encourages proactive AI adoption — and why enabling Copilot Chat is a bold, compliant, and mission-aligned move. 

This is your opportunity to lead with confidence and empower your workforce to work smarter, faster, and more securely.

Copilot Chat is accelerating secure AI adoption across the federal government

In this episode of the Federal Transformation - Healthcare Video series, Dr. Thomas Osborne, Chief Medical Officer at Microsoft Federal, and Bishen Singh, Digital Advisor in the health and life sciences space, delve into the revolutionary advancements in AI technology with a spotlight on DAX Copilot. Discover how this AI assistant is reshaping clinical documentation, enhancing patient-clinician interactions, and improving overall healthcare efficiency. Learn about the ambient listening capabilities, multilingual support, and customizable note formats that make DAX Copilot a game-changer in the healthcare industry. Tune in to understand how this innovative tool is not only benefiting clinicians but also significantly improving patient experiences.

Guest Speaker: Bishen Singh, Digital Advisor, Microsoft

Transforming Healthcare with AI: Exploring DAX Copilot

This meet-up will provide you with valuable insights on how to effectively start your data modernization efforts using Azure Synapse Analytics and Azure Databricks today, and how to prepare your data platform for Microsoft Fabric when it arrives. 

Our expert speakers, James Serra and Jocelynn Hartwig, will share best practices and practical advice to help you navigate the complexities of data modernization. The session will be moderated by Brandon Showers ensuring a dynamic and engaging discussion. 

Speakers: 
• James Serra: Principal Technical Specialist at Microsoft Federal, with over 40 years of experience in the field. James is skilled in Big Data, Data Warehouse Architecture, Data Governance, and Data Strategies. He has authored a book on data architectures and is a recognized expert in the concept of data Lakehouse. 
• Jocelynn Hartwig: Senior Technical Specialist at Microsoft Federal, specializing in data modernization for federal civilian agencies. Jocelynn has extensive experience in technical sales and has been actively involved in planning and executing data modernization initiatives.

Preparing for Microsoft Fabric

Recording from ATARC's GITEC 2025 event on April 1st.  
Discover how Copilot Agents can revolutionize the way Federal employees work. This session will explore how advancements in AI and automation are driving efficiency and enhancing mission impact, empowering teams to achieve more with innovative tools and technologies.

Transforming agency business processes with M365 Copilot agents

In today’s rapidly evolving digital environment, securing the cyber-software supply chain has become a top priority for federal agencies and government contractors. Securing the Cyber-Software Supply Chain 2025 brings together public- and private-sector leaders to address the growing threats targeting software infrastructure.

This virtual workshop will explore the latest defense strategies, technologies, and frameworks for strengthening the software supply chain. Attendees will gain practical insights from government and industry experts on how to identify risk, eliminate vulnerabilities, and build long-term resilience into critical software systems. Whether you're modernizing legacy applications or managing open-source dependencies, this session will help you align your organization with best practices for supply chain security in 2025 and beyond.

Key Takeaways:

- Viewers will learn how to recognize and mitigate risks in the software supply chain.

- Experts will outline emerging threats and advanced tactics used by adversaries in targeting government software systems.

- The session will provide a roadmap for integrating resilient, secure-by-design principles into the development lifecycle.

- Attendees will walk away with actionable steps to enhance cyber posture across procurement, development, and deployment stages.

Securing the Cyber/Software  Supply Chain

AI isn’t a future ambition—it’s a mission-critical asset today. Join Microsoft Federal CTO Jason Payne, DoD Mission Team Leader Derek Strausbaugh, and NSG’s Chief AI & Data Officer Vassili Patrikis for a dynamic conversation on how agencies are bridging defense and civilian practices to scale AI adoption. From policy shifts to proven pilots, discover how government leaders are breaking down silos, accelerating implementation, and turning innovation into real-world impact.

Accelerating AI Adoption:  Bridging Federal and Defense Sector Practices

Government Modernization

Defense Technology

Government Innovation

Microsoft Federal

Copilot

Public Sector Technology

National Security

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Accelerating AI Adoption: Bridging Federal and Defense Sector Practices

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Microsoft Federal