TechFluent Academy

Intro to Project Management, with Anna Falcon
2025-11-10 09:00 - 16:00 (America/Chicago) | Sabathani Community Center, 310 E. 38th Street, Minneapolis, MN, 55409, United States
Introduction to Project Management
with Anna Falcon
Principal at Root16
In this session, we will introduce you to the basics of Project Management. We explain how to start and run a project. At the completion of this course, you will have a foundation in Project Management, but not specific governance process or templates on exactly how to execute Project Management for a specific business division. This course is intended for individuals who are new to project management with little to no experience. You will understand the core concepts, be able to define and manage project scope, track project status, properly start or initiate a project. You will understand how to schedule tasks properly and you will understand the concept of Risk Management.

CE / Power Platform Project Presentations
2025-11-05 - 2025-11-06 | Sabathani Community Center, 310 E. 38th Street, Minneapolis, MN, 55409, United States
CE / Power Platform Project Presentations
All students will present their projects for feedback from Industry Professionals.
Panel of Judges will review via Teams Meeting; Presentations will be given in-person and streamed on camera via Teams.

Self-Study: Financial Literacy - Part 3
2025-10-30 09:00 - 13:30
Self-Study: Financial Literacy – Part 3

Economics for Everyone: Understanding a Recession (40m)
Real Estate Analytics (49m)
Real Estate: Negotiating with Sellers (1h)
Analyzing a Real Estate Deal (35m)
Real Estate Contracts (27m)
Real Estate: Estimating Repair Costs (49m)

Self-Study: Financial Literacy - Part 2
2025-10-29 09:00 - 16:00
Self-Study: Financial Literacy – Part 2

Personal Finance Tips Weekly (2h 50m)
Financial Literacy: 401k, 403b and Self-Directed IRAs (45m)
Build Sustainable Wealth & Get Out of Debt (1h 16m)
Evaluating College as an Investment (42m)

Overcoming Imposter Syndrome, with Rachel Irabor - Microsoft MVP
2025-10-28 13:00 - 16:00 | Sabathani Community Center, 310 E. 38th Street, Minneapolis, MN, 55409, United States
Overcoming Imposter Syndrome
with Rachel Irabor
D365CE & Power Platform Developer at KPMG & Microsoft MVP
Imposter Syndrome can feel isolating, but it’s far more common than we realize. In this session, participants will explore the roots of Imposter Syndrome, understand how it affects confidence and decision-making, and discover practical strategies to reframe it as a source of strength. Through open discussion and reflection, we will learn how to turn self-doubt into self-empowerment.
Learning Objectives:

Recognize the signs of Imposter Syndrome and how it impacts confidence, productivity, and career growth.
Identify external factors, such as workplace dynamics, immigration, and representation, that can contribute to feelings of self-doubt.
Apply strategies to reframe Imposter Syndrome as a tool for resilience, growth, and authentic leadership.
Develop personalized techniques to become their own strongest supporter and advocate.

Professional Communication Strategies in the Modern Workplace, with Carol Smock
2025-10-28 09:00 - 12:00 | Sabathani Community Center, 310 E. 38th Street, Minneapolis, MN, 55409, United States
Professional Communication Strategies in the Modern Workplace
with Carol Smock
Executive Director of TechFluent Academy
In today’s fast-paced, hybrid work environments, effective communication is more than just a soft skill—it’s a strategic advantage. This dynamic 3-hour session equips professionals with the tools, techniques, and mindset needed to communicate with clarity, confidence, and impact across diverse channels and audiences.
Participants will explore modern communication challenges and master strategies for navigating email etiquette, virtual meetings, cross-cultural interactions, and persuasive messaging. Through real-world scenarios, role-playing, and collaborative exercises, attendees will learn how to tailor their communication style to different stakeholders, resolve conflicts diplomatically, and foster stronger professional relationships.
Key Takeaways:

Best practices for digital communication (email, chat, video conferencing)
Emotional intelligence and active listening in business settings
Communicating across cultures and generations
Structuring messages for clarity, persuasion, and action
Giving and receiving feedback with professionalism
Building trust and credibility through communication

Self-Study: Financial Literacy - Part 1
2025-10-27 09:00 - 16:00
Self-Study: Financial Literacy – Part 1

Managing Your Personal Finances (1 hr)
Financial Basics Everyone Should Know (1hr 50m)
Financial Adulting (1h)
Finance Foundations: Income Taxes (2h)

Community Summit - Orlando, FL
2025-10-19 - 2025-10-23 | Gaylord Palms Resort, Kissimee, Florida, United States
Community Summit North America is the largest independent innovation, learning, and training event of the Microsoft Business Applications ecosystem. You’ll get real-world tips & tricks and advanced strategies around the issues you’re tackling in this changing business landscape. Summit NA has hundreds of informative and educational sessions to deliver end-to-end learning around all versions of Dynamics 365 FO/AX, CE/CRM & BC/NAV, Dynamics GP & SL, and the Microsoft Power Platform.
Each year, Dynamics Communities, a Major Community Sponsor of TechFluent Academy, generously sponsors up to 10 Learners to attend the Summit as a learning and networking opportunity. In the past, many of those in attendance have left the Summit with job offers. Many return as speakers in future years, elevating their visibility in the marketplace and lighting their careers on fire!

Co-Pilot Studio - PVA, with Simon Wang
2025-10-15 09:00 - 16:00 | Sabathani Community Center, 310 E. 38th Street, Minneapolis, MN, 55409, United States
Co-Pilot Studio, Power Virtual Agents (2-Day Session)
with Simon Wang
AI Business Solutions Engineer at Microsoft
In this session, you’ll explore the fundamentals of Microsoft Copilot and Power Virtual Agents, learning how they enhance user interactions and automate business processes. You’ll gain hands-on experience configuring and deploying chatbots, integrating them into business applications to improve engagement. Discover how AI-driven automation can streamline workflows and boost efficiency, while Copilot helps generate insights and support decision-making within tools like Microsoft Dynamics 365. You’ll also learn best practices for conversational AI, ensuring clear and effective interactions. By connecting Power Virtual Agents with Microsoft Dataverse and Power Automate, you’ll enable seamless data flow and automated actions. Customize chatbot functionalities for specific business needs and prepare for the Basic Business Application Certification with key concepts and exam strategies.
This course developed by Simon Wang, of Microsoft.

Sales, Marketing and Customer Service Co-Pilot, with Simon Wang
2025-10-14 09:00 - 16:00 | Sabathani Community Center, 310 E. 38th Street, Minneapolis, MN, 55409, United States
Sales, Marketing and Customer Service Co-Pilot
with Simon Wang
AI Business Solution Engineer at Microsoft
This hands-on course equips professionals with the skills to harness Microsoft Copilot across sales, marketing, and customer service functions. Participants will learn how to streamline workflows, personalize customer engagement, and drive data-informed decisions using AI-powered tools embedded in Dynamics 365.
Through real-world scenarios and guided practice, learners will explore how Copilot enhances productivity—from drafting compelling marketing content and analyzing campaign performance to generating sales insights and resolving customer inquiries with speed and precision.
By the end of the course, participants will be able to:

Automate routine tasks and communications across CRM and marketing platforms
Use Copilot to extract actionable insights from customer data and sales pipelines
Generate persuasive content for campaigns, proposals, and customer outreach
Improve customer service responsiveness and personalization using AI assistance
Integrate Copilot into daily workflows for consistent, scalable impact

Self-Study: Mastering Microsoft Powerpoint, Day 2
2025-10-13 09:00 - 12:30
Self-Study: Mastering Microsoft Powerpoint (9.5 hours total)
Proficiency in Microsoft PowerPoint is an essential skill for many careers. Discover how to create more polished and professional presentations by mastering PowerPoint. Learn to use the features and built-in tools in PowerPoint. Design better slides, using animations and rich media. Enhance presentations with visualizations and storytelling.
Recommend completing 4.5 hours on Day 2.

Self-Study: Mastering Microsoft PowerPoint
2025-10-10 09:00 - 13:00
Self-Study: Mastering Microsoft Powerpoint (9.5 hours total)
Proficiency in Microsoft PowerPoint is an essential skill for many careers. Discover how to create more polished and professional presentations by mastering PowerPoint. Learn to use the features and built-in tools in PowerPoint. Design better slides, using animations and rich media. Enhance presentations with visualizations and storytelling.
Recommend completing 5 hours on Day 1.

Self-Study: Master Microsoft Excel, Day 2
2025-10-08 09:00 - 13:00
Master Microsoft Excel (13 hours total)
Employers around the world cite Microsoft Excel as one of the most sought-after skills for any new hire. This learning path helps you become an Excel power user—covering everything from functions and formatting to PivotTables and dashboards. Master the powerful features and functions in Excel. Learn how to use Excel’s robust built-in formulas. Get up to speed on PivotTables, dashboards, and Power Query.
Recommend completing 5 hours on Day 2.

Self-Study: Master Microsoft Excel, Day 3
2025-10-09 09:00 - 12:00
Master Microsoft Excel (13 hours total)
Employers around the world cite Microsoft Excel as one of the most sought-after skills for any new hire. This learning path helps you become an Excel power user—covering everything from functions and formatting to PivotTables and dashboards. Master the powerful features and functions in Excel. Learn how to use Excel’s robust built-in formulas. Get up to speed on PivotTables, dashboards, and Power Query.
Recommend completing 3 hours on Day 3.

Self-Study: Master Microsoft Word, Day 2
2025-10-07 09:00 - 13:00
Self-Study: Master Microsoft Word (8 hours total)
Proficiency in Microsoft Word is one of the most in-demand software skills today. This learning path helps you become a power user in Word. Discover how to create forms, format documents, use built-in templates, and more. Use Word’s powerful features and functions with ease. Create and edit forms. Utilize Word’s built-in styles and templates.
Recommend completing 4 hours on Day 2.

Self-Study: Master Microsoft Word, Day 1
2025-10-06 09:00 - 13:00
Self-Study: Master Microsoft Word (8 hours total)
Proficiency in Microsoft Word is one of the most in-demand software skills today. This learning path helps you become a power user in Word. Discover how to create forms, format documents, use built-in templates, and more. Use Word’s powerful features and functions with ease. Create and edit forms. Utilize Word’s built-in styles and templates.
Recommend completing 4 hours in Day 1.

Resume, Cover Letter & LinkedIN Profile Workshop, with Andrew Riordan
2025-09-30 13:00 - 16:00 | Sabathani Community Center, 310 E. 38th Street, Minneapolis, MN, 55409, United States
with Andrew Riordan
Founding Consultant, Power 365 Recruitment

Resume, Cover Letter & LinkedIN Profile Workshop
• Understand keys to successful resumes and how to stand out as an applicant
• Understand various approaches and benefits/drawbacks of each
• Understand best practices and different approaches for common scenarios
• Understand fundamentals of LinkedIn
• Understand various aspects of SEO and getting one’s profile viewed
• Understand best practices and different approaches for common scenarios

Testing Accommodations, Exam Preparation, with Carol Smock
2025-09-30 11:00 - 12:00 | Sabathani Community Center, 310 E. 38th Street, Minneapolis, MN, 55409, United States
Testing Accommodations, Exam Preparationwith Carol Smock
Executive Director at TechFluent Academy
In this session, our Executive Director will help you understand the Testing Accommodations available as you prepare to take your Certification Exams. She will also provide Study Guides and resources available to help you prepare for the Certification Exams.

Self-Study: D365CE Item by Item Training - Field Service App
2025-09-26
Self-Study: D365CE Item by Item Training – Field Service App
The Field Service curriculum is built for individuals with no prior experience in Dynamics 365 or field operations systems. It walks learners through the foundational concepts of delivering service in the field, managing technicians, and using technology to improve efficiency.

Understand what work orders are and how they’re created and completed
Learn how dispatchers assign tasks and optimize technician schedules
Get introduced to managing service parts, assets, and customer equipment
Explore how service agreements are created and used for recurring work
Become familiar with mobile tools used by field staff on the go

This set of 56 beginner-level micro-courses ensures learners are well-prepared to support and deliver field service using Dynamics 365.

Self-Study: D365CE Item by Item Training - Customer Service App
2025-09-25
Self-Study: D365CE Item by Item Training – Customer Service App
Perfect for those new to customer support systems, the Customer Service curriculum introduces learners to the basics of managing customer issues with Dynamics 365. With 45 micro-courses tailored to beginners, it builds core skills needed to navigate service workflows, resolve cases, and support customers effectively.

Learn the structure and purpose of customer service cases
Understand how to search and use a knowledge base to resolve issues
Get introduced to Service Level Agreements (SLAs) and how they work
Explore tools for tracking customer communications and case progress
Gain visibility into how agents and teams collaborate within the system

By the end of this curriculum, first-time users will feel confident using D365 to handle and track customer service interactions.

MANDATORY: TechFluent | IBI Pre-Training - VIRTUAL
2025-09-24 09:00 - 09:30
MANDATORY: TechFluent | IBI PRE-TRAINING
In this 30-minute Session Elif Item, Founder and CEO from IBI, will introduce the IBI Platform. Over the next 3 days you will use the IBI platform to learn about the Sales, Service and Field Service Modules and how to properly configure them.

These learning modules are self-paced and support your pursuit of the PL-200 and MB-910 Certifications. You will only have 30 days to complete this self-study. Delivered virtually via Teams to all students.
The Sales curriculum is crafted specifically for individuals who are new to Dynamics 365 Sales. It offers a clear, step-by-step introduction to the tools and workflows that help manage customer relationships and drive sales. Through 37 easy-to-follow micro-courses and guided learning paths, learners gain hands-on experience navigating the system and understanding the end-to-end sales cycle.

Get familiar with the Sales app interface and navigation
Learn how to manage customer data with accounts and contacts
Track emails, calls, and tasks using activity management
Understand how to create and move opportunities through the sales pipeline
Explore how to create quotes and use sales forecasting tools

This beginner-friendly curriculum ensures learners develop a strong grasp of CRM fundamentals and are prepared to use Dynamics 365 Sales in real-world contexts.

Self-Study: D365CE Item by Item Training - Sales App
2025-09-24
Self-Study: D365CE Item by Item Training – Sales App
The Sales curriculum is crafted specifically for individuals who are new to Dynamics 365 Sales. It offers a clear, step-by-step introduction to the tools and workflows that help manage customer relationships and drive sales. Through 37 easy-to-follow micro-courses and guided learning paths, learners gain hands-on experience navigating the system and understanding the end-to-end sales cycle.

Get familiar with the Sales app interface and navigation
Learn how to manage customer data with accounts and contacts
Track emails, calls, and tasks using activity management
Understand how to create and move opportunities through the sales pipeline
Explore how to create quotes and use sales forecasting tools

This beginner-friendly curriculum ensures learners develop a strong grasp of CRM fundamentals and are prepared to use Dynamics 365 Sales in real-world contexts.

Introduction to Dataverse Security, with Tad Thompson
2025-09-22 09:00 - 16:00 | Sabathani Community Center, 310 E. 38th Street, Minneapolis, MN, 55409, United States
Introduction to Dataverse Security
with Tad Thompson
Cloud Solution Architect at Microsoft
This course provides a comprehensive overview of security architecture and best practices within Microsoft Dataverse, the data backbone of the Power Platform. Designed for administrators, solution architects, and power users, the course explores how to implement robust security models that protect sensitive business data while enabling scalable collaboration.
Participants will gain hands-on experience configuring role-based security, field-level access, and hierarchical permissions. The course also covers integration with Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure AD), auditing, and compliance features to ensure governance across environments.
By the end of the course, learners will be able to:

Design and implement security roles, teams and business units for scalable access control
Apply field-level and record-level security to protect sensitive data
Integrate Dataverse security with Microsoft Entra ID for identity and access management
Monitor and audit data access for compliance and operational insights
Align security configurations with organizational policies and regulatory requirements

Community Event - M365 Twin Cities Networking & Learning Event
2025-09-19 08:00 - 16:00 | Hennepin Technical College, Brooklyn Park, MN, United States
M365 Twin Cities
September 19, 2025
Hennepin Technical College, Brooklyn Park, MN

For community, by community. All about Microsoft solutions.
Join power users, decision makers, developers, and administrators at M365 Twin Cities. M365 Twin Cities is the evolution of SharePoint Saturday Twin Cities, an educational event with sessions delivered by Microsoft platform professionals and MVPs. The event will include a variety of sessions on Microsoft Teams, SharePoint, Power Platform, Microsoft Purview, Viva, Azure, and OneDrive.
M365 Twin Cities is a FREE community-run event being held in-person on Friday Sept 19, 2025.
Sessions offered for in-person attendees only. Sessions will not be recorded, and no hybrid sessions will be offered. We welcome everyone to join us in-person for networking, donuts, and great content!
Fun statistics from our last event on September 6, 2024:

463 registered attendees
260 attendees on-site for the event!
20 dozen donuts
20 boxes of coffee
32 salads, 81 pizzas and cheese bread consumed
275 cans of soda
8 session rooms with 29 presentations
32 speakers
7 awesome sponsors – Check them out!

https://unimax.com/
https://www.procisesolutions.com/
https://www.skynorthsoftware.com/
https://www.rbaconsulting.com/
https://www.highmonkey.com/ – Returning this year!
https://go-planet.com/
https://mytech.com/

3 LEGO sets given away at the end of the day (2 Marvel Groot and a Concorde!)

Assign D365CE Capstone Projects, with Program Ambassador
2025-09-18 15:30 - 16:00 | Sabathani Community Center, 310 E. 38th Street, Minneapolis, MN, 55409, United States
Assign D365CE Capstone Projects
Projects are DUE: Dec 1-5, 2025

Intro to Field Service App, with Andrea Lange
2025-09-18 09:00 - 16:00 | Sabathani Community Center, 310 E. 38th Street, Minneapolis, MN, 55409, United States
Introduction to Field Service App
with Andrea Lange
Technology Consulting Manager at RSM US LLP
In this session, we will introduce the Field Service App and explain how and why this module is used by the Modern Workplace. We will share real world use cases and discuss the difference between Field Service versus Connected Field Service. You will learn each of the Field Service components – Work Orders, Assets, Inventory Management and Scheduling. We will then provide a detailed demo of the Field Service from the perspective of the Work Order Workflow as well as the Self-Scheduling Portal. When this course is complete, you will have a detailed understanding of the Field Service App and know when it is appropriate to deploy this solution and how best to configure the default components for successful delivery.
This course was developed by William McLendon, MVP of RSM US LLP.

Intro to OmniChannel, with Pat Petersen, MVP
2025-09-29 09:00 - 16:00 | Sabathani Community Center, 310 E. 38th Street, Minneapolis, MN, 55409, United States
Introduction to OmniChannel
with Pat Petersen
Strategic Technology Leader at RSM
In this session, we will introduce you to OmniChannel within D365CE which is another name for Contact Center. Contact Center is an extension of the Customer Center Module allowing multiple channels of communication in a single environment. The purpose of this session is to demonstrate what Microsoft is working to accomplish with this new experience by curating a Model-Driven App specifically to accomplish a customer service experience with multiple channels of communication.

Power Pages, with David Bacon
2025-09-15 09:00 - 16:00 | Sabathani Community Center, 310 E. 38th Street, Minneapolis, MN, 55409, United States
Power Pages
with David Bacon
Senior Power Platform Developer at Procentrix
In this session, you will learn to build the Microsoft equivalent of a web-based Portal / website using the Power Pages technology. Upon completion of this course you will understand where Power Pages sits within the Power Platform. You will be able to create and customize Power Pages web pages. You will be able to customize the styling to align with an organization’s brand. You will be able to add Dataverse components to a Power Pages website and enforce security. And you will be able to create and deploy a Power Pages website successfully.
This course was developed by William McLendon, MVP at RSM US LLP.

Co-Pilot Studio - PVA, Day 2, with Simon Wang
2025-10-16 09:00 - 16:00 | Sabathani Community Center, 310 E. 38th Street, Minneapolis, MN, 55409, United States
Co-Pilot Studio, Power Virtual Agents (2-Day Session)
with Simon Wang
AI Business Solution Engineer at Microsoft
In this session, you’ll explore the fundamentals of Microsoft Copilot and Power Virtual Agents, learning how they enhance user interactions and automate business processes. You’ll gain hands-on experience configuring and deploying chatbots, integrating them into business applications to improve engagement. Discover how AI-driven automation can streamline workflows and boost efficiency, while Copilot helps generate insights and support decision-making within tools like Microsoft Dynamics 365. You’ll also learn best practices for conversational AI, ensuring clear and effective interactions. By connecting Power Virtual Agents with Microsoft Dataverse and Power Automate, you’ll enable seamless data flow and automated actions. Customize chatbot functionalities for specific business needs and prepare for the Basic Business Application Certification with key concepts and exam strategies.
This course developed by Simon Wang, of Microsoft.

Intro to Project Operations, with Ashley Steiner, Microsoft MVP
2025-09-09 09:00 - 16:00 | Sabathani Community Center, 310 E. 38th Street, Minneapolis, MN, 55409, United States
Introduction to Project Operations
with Ashley Steiner, Microsoft MVP
Director, Business Applications at Elevate Digital
In this session, you’ll learn how Microsoft Project Operations fits into the Modern Workplace and how leverage this business application to optimize project management and automate critical business processes. We will explore key features such as resource allocation, financial setup, and workflow automation to enhance operational efficiency. You will see demos using project templates, defining business rules, and customizing configurations to meet specific organizational needs. By the end of the session, you will understand why businesses want to use Project Operations for seamless execution and improved collaboration and you will be able to configure the baseline functionality of the App.
Key takeaways:

Understand the primary features and benefits of the Project Operations App and how it is used in the Modern Workplace
Understand how CoPilot can be deployed to work within the Project Operations App natively
Understand the baseline configurations to stand up a Project Operations App
Practice configuring key areas of the Project Operations App
Understand inter-dependencies of the App for better approaches to business requirements design discussions

NOTE ABOUT Live Virtual Delivery of Class: This class will be delivered Live Virtual, which means the Instructor will not be present in the classroom. We strongly encourage all students to be present in the classroom as we will still have 2 Trainer Assistants present to assist with Lab Exercises and this material is quite intensive. However, if you feel you will learn best attending from a Virtual Location, you may make PRE-ARRANGEMENTS with the Program Manager 1 week in advance to attend Live Virtual. You are expected to be ENGAGED throughout the class – which means you will need to be commenting on the instruction, asking questions in the Chat and interacting throughout the entire day with responses and emojis to the instructor in the Chat. Failure to be engaged will require that you attend all future Live Virtual Classes in person. This is non-negotiable.
