Grow Your Skills & Visibility in Microsoft Fabric (with Shannon Lindsay)

LIVESTREAM DATE/TIME 📅

October 3rd 9:30 AM (PT)

DESCRIPTION 📄

Fabric Community Contests are a great way to get hands-on with Microsoft Fabric, grow your skills, and build visibility in the data community. In this livestream, we'll take a closer look into recent Fabric Community Contests - including Notebooks, Translytical Task Flows, and the Dataviz World Champs. We'll share how participants have gained confidence, recognition, and even new career opportunities.

We’ll also preview upcoming contests in the Fabric Skills Fest and share tips for building a portfolio that stands out. Whether you’re looking to practice your skills, share your work, or simply get inspired, this session will show you how contests can open doors.

GUEST BIO (Shannon Lindsay) 👤

Shannon’s background in global public health has shaped her commitment to community and accessibility, guiding her work leading Fabric Community Engagement at Microsoft. She loves helping people find their place in the data world—a journey that began when she first discovered the magic of Power Query, sparking a lasting enchantment with Microsoft BI tools. Now, whether she’s conjuring up data insights with the Workout Wednesday team, gathering with fellow data witches in user groups, or brewing up connections, Shannon’s focus is on making data feel less intimidating. She’s dedicated to building a welcoming community where data pros and newcomers alike can learn, grow, and connect—casting spells of empathy and connection to bring people together.

Mastering Roster & Timesheet Reporting: From Minutes to Millions - with Kane Snyder

DATE/TIME 📅

September 5th at 1:30 PM (Pacific Time)

DESCRIPTION 📄

Ready to transform your workforce data from basic hour tracking into strategic business intelligence? This deep dive takes you through real-world techniques for handling complex timesheet analytics with minute-level precision. We'll tackle the challenging DAX calculations, data modeling considerations, and performance optimizations that make the difference between simple reports and enterprise-grade workforce insights that actually drive decisions.

What You'll Learn:

• Advanced time intelligence DAX for overlapping shifts and complex scenarios

• Data modeling strategies and optimization for granular timesheet data

• Roster vs. actual comparison techniques

• Real-world implementation patterns from enterprise solutions

Perfect for:

Power BI developers, business analysts, and anyone dealing with complex workforce reporting requirements who wants to move beyond basic time summaries to actionable workforce intelligence.

GUEST BIO 👤

I’m Kane Snyder, a Head of Analytics, Principal Fabric Architect and Analytics Practice Lead with deep expertise in Power BI, DAX and Microsoft Fabric. I’ve guided multiple organisations—across banking and finance, tourism, risk management, environmental emissions, HR, IT governance, law, freight, transport and sales—to build end-to-end analytics solutions that balance cost efficiency with business value. I have a background in business management and have held numerous leadership roles both in business and the analytics space.

I live on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland Australia where I spend my time surfing, camping, 4 wheel driving and playing music.

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(Livestream Replay) Power BI DataViz Championship: Watch the Winners & Finalists Present Their Reports!

DESCRIPTION 📄

🔥 Join us for a special livestream showcasing the Top 3 finalists from the Power BI DataViz Championship — including Jon Sandmann, the first-ever global champion!

🎨 See the best of Power BI data storytelling as these top-tier report designers walk you through the visualizations that wowed the judges.

👀 In this session, you’ll:

• Get behind-the-scenes insights into their design process

• See expert techniques for layout, UX, and interactivity

• Learn how to craft truly impactful data stories with Power BI

🧠 Whether you're a Power BI beginner or a seasoned pro, this event is packed with inspiration, tips, and creative spark. 📅 Don't miss it — hit that reminder and join the chat live!

GUEST BIO (Injae Park)👤

Injae Park is a Microsoft Data Platform MVP who combines his technical expertise with a passion for teaching by sharing his insights and practical tips through his YouTube channel @PowerBIPark. Injae's content ranges from beginner tutorials to advanced techniques, and as part of the Power BI Core Visual Representatives - he aims to bridge the MS Developer team with the Power BI community. His education in psychology and economics as well as his experience in consulting gives him a well-rounded perspective on the Power BI Developer experience, making his tutorials both engaging and accessible.

GUEST BIO (Shannon Lindsay) 👤

Shannon is a data and analytics witch with a background in global public health. She’s currently casting spells at Microsoft, working to ensure Power BI is accessible to all users. Shannon spends as much time as possible in the data community, participating in user groups and working with the fabulous Workout Wednesday team.

GUEST BIO (Lakshmi Ponnurasan) 👤

Lakshmi is a Microsoft MVP and certified Power BI specialist known for her creative, insight-driven reports. As a Product Lead, she combines her technical skills with a passion for storytelling and community engagement. A 2025 DataViz Championship finalist, she also shares tips on her blog and mentors aspiring professionals in the data space.

GUEST BIO (Javier Gomez) 👤

Javier is a certified Power BI instructor and founder of one of the largest Spanish-speaking data analytics academies. Originally from Mexico, he began his digital journey at age 9 and has since combined his background in engineering and business to empower others through data. Passionate about making analytics accessible, he now helps professionals visualize and understand their data using tools like Excel and Power BI.

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(Livestream Replay) Everybody's Favorite Power BI & Fabric Topic: Licensing! - with Stephanie Bruno

DESCRIPTION 📄

Many of us would prefer to avoid the topic of Power BI and Fabric licensing like the plague, and it's no wonder why. Between Premium, PPU, Pro, and Free options, Power BI licensing was already complicated enough. With the introduction of Fabric capacities and even more considerations to think through, it can quickly get overwhelming.

But fear not, the witch and wizard are in the house to break it down and simplify it for you by explaining the details and even providing a high-level calculator. We'll have an engaging discussion on some of the nuances and how to decide what you need so you'll be on your way and ready to make some decisions.

GUEST BIO (Stephanie Bruno) 👤

Stephanie is the co-founder and grand high witch at data-witches.com. She is a Microsoft Data Platform MVP who specializes in turning complex data into clear insights using Fabric and Power BI. Before becoming a full-time witch (and like so many of us in this field) she had a long and winding career path. In her case, it was mostly spent working on a shoestring budget at non-profits, where she learned how to get as much as possible accomplished with few resources (the inspiration for the licensing calculator). When not at her computer she can be found chasing after her kids, doing never-ending laundry, mixing cocktails, baking goodies, and planning her next adventure.

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