Belmar Bytes

The days of the "off-ramp" are over. In this episode, Scott Billows and Matt Hui discuss the most significant change to the Salesforce Partner Program in 15 years: a shift toward long-term customer success. They explore why the traditional "break-fix" support model is being replaced by "Hypercare", a managed service that moves partners from simply taking orders to orchestrating high-value growth. Learn how this new era of partnership is designed to remove organizational friction and ensure your technology remains irreplaceable.

The healthcare landscape is shifting from "doing tasks" to "delivering outcomes." Dr. Eleanor Castillo Sumi explains the five-year journey of CalAIM and what it means for the future of community-based organizations. We explore the transition to value-based contracting, the power of predictive analytics, and how smaller organizations can position themselves as equal partners in a changing system. Learn why optimizing your data today is the only way to transform your organization’s impact tomorrow.

In this episode, Scott Billows and Matt Hui break down the shift from CRM as a "system of record" to a "system of action". Drawing from recent leadership meetings in Toronto and Vancouver, they discuss why organizations are moving away from hiring more headcount and instead leveraging technology like Salesforce Agentforce to 1X, 2X, or even 3X their output. Discover how "digital workers" can help your team diversify revenue and stabilize operations without the burnout.

What happens when a public health system faces a billion-dollar budget cut? You innovate. Tom Zazueta, COO, explains how Valley Health Foundation is using technology as a "force multiplier" to offset funding gaps and better serve the safety net of Santa Clara County. This episode explores the future of AI in the non-profit sector, specifically how tools like Agentforce allow leaders to "ask their data questions", and the importance of finding the right strategic partners to achieve mission-critical milestones.

• The Transition: Moving from for-profit tech startups to the non-profit sector.
• The Tech Stack: Implementing Salesforce (Experience Cloud), NetSuite, Slack, Asana, Rippling, and Ramp.
• The ROI of "Self-Investment": Reframing overhead costs as essential tools for community impact.
• Advocacy as Scale: How the foundation helped pass a tax measure to return $1.65 billion to the local healthcare system.

As we hit the three-year mark of the current AI cycle, the debate surrounding the "replacement" of enterprise software and knowledge workers is reaching a fever pitch. In this episode, Scott Billows and Matt Hui break down the current state of artificial intelligence, arguing that we are still in the "very early part of the first inning".

They dive into the trending fears that AI will eradicate SaaS giants like Salesforce, explaining why these tools remain essential foundations as systems of record and compliance. The conversation also shifts to the "knowledge worker," debunking the idea of total job replacement and focusing instead on how AI is supercharging productivity, increasing the "surface area" of what organizations can achieve, and raising the high watermark for quality and human judgment.

Key topics discussed include:

• The "Vibe Coding" Trend: Why AI replaces tasks, not entire professions, and how job descriptions for developers and consultants are evolving.
• Real-World Adoption: Why AI pioneers like OpenAI and Anthropic are still hiring human Salesforce administrators and software developers.
• The "Output vs. Expectation" Cycle: How increased efficiency leads to higher complexity and a greater need for human accountability and trust.
• Practical AI Wins: A look at how the Belmar team uses tools like Google Gemini and automated transcriptions to streamline content strategy and customer communication.

From waking up at 3:00 AM to process donations to tracking campaigns in real-time, Leslie Stewart joins the pod to discuss the Alberta Cancer Foundation’s move to Salesforce.

Scott Billows and Leslie Stuart dive into the challenges of untangling "Frankensteined" legacy systems and the massive benefits of cloud adoption. 

Whether you are a fundraiser or a systems director, Leslie’s advice on process mapping and data hygiene is a must-listen for anyone looking to modernize their nonprofit’s tech stack.

Episode Highlights:

• Mitigating Risk: How a CFO and leadership team drove the decision to overhaul critical systems.
• Real-Time Results: Shifting from reactive, 24-hour delays to watching donations and campaign success in real-time.
• Platform vs. Application: Why growing organizations should choose platforms that allow for innovation rather than "in-the-box" applications.
• Future-Proofing: Preparing data foundations today for the use of AI tomorrow.

We are deep into the January rush and the end of the Salesforce fiscal year, but we’re taking a moment to step back from the screens. In this episode, Scott and Matt discuss the undeniable energy of in-person events, from tech happy hours to executive dinners.

The conversation dives down a rabbit hole regarding the "hierarchy" of client communication: when is it okay to move from email to text, to FaceTime, and finally, to asking for a selfie?. Plus, we talk about why "trust is currency" and preview some exciting upcoming events in Toronto this spring.

Key Topics:

• The Energy of In-Person: Why face-to-face meetings beat virtual calls.

• The Manatee Lagoon: Scott’s recent networking event (not amenity lagoon).

• The Communication Stack: Assessing your relationship status based on whether you text or FaceTime clients.

• The Selfie Hook: How to successfully ask a client for a photo without making it awkward.

  Upcoming Events: The Build Good Summit and True North Dreamin' in May.

In this episode of Belmar Bytes, Scott Billows sits down with Summer Wedlock, CEO of the Canadian Children’s Literacy Foundation (CCLF), to explore why early childhood literacy is one of the most powerful, and often overlooked, drivers of long-term social and economic impact.

Summer shares her journey into the role, what drew her to CCLF’s mission, and why literacy from birth is not just an education issue, but a critical social determinant of health. Together, they unpack the realities facing children across Canada, from the alarming number entering Grade 1 below reading level to the millions growing up without a single book at home.

The conversation dives into CCLF’s Flagship Program, which trains healthcare professionals to integrate early literacy into routine check-ups, ensuring families receive both guidance and books at key developmental milestones. Summer also discusses the Foundation’s expansion into early childhood education, multilingual and culturally relevant resources, and the growing role of evidence-based research in shaping national outcomes.

Key themes include:

• Why early literacy from birth matters more than ever

• The role of healthcare providers and educators in closing literacy gaps

• Addressing inequities faced by marginalized and underserved communities

• The long-term economic impact of literacy, including its connection to Canada’s GDP

• Building national awareness to create lifelong reading habits at home

This episode is a must-listen for nonprofit leaders, educators, healthcare professionals, and anyone passionate about creating lasting, generational change through early intervention.

Welcome back to Belmar Bytes! In our first episode of 2026, hosts Scott Billows and Matt Hui kick off the new year by diving deep into their predictions for the technology landscape over the next 12 months. 

Scott and Matt reflect on the rapid evolution of the market and what it means for organizations trying to stay ahead.

In this episode, we discuss:

• The AI "Tsunami": Scott predicts that 2026 is the year the world wakes up to a massive wave of advancement, where automation and autonomous technologies (like Waymo and humanoid robots) fundamentally change operations for organizations like food banks.
• AI as an Operating System: Matt argues that AI is no longer a "shiny object" or fad; it has become as fundamental as an operating system, caked into everything we do.
• The Trust Imperative: With reliance on data growing, security and trust are paramount. Matt predicts outsized investments in cybersecurity, noting it is no longer a question of if you get hacked, but when.
• From Reactive to Proactive: The duo discusses the shift in Salesforce’s Agent Force, predicting a move from reactive prompting to proactive insights that deliver answers before you even ask.
• Rising Expectations: As tools improve, user expectations for speed and accuracy skyrocket, requiring businesses to ensure their data plumbing is solid.

Join us as we explore how to prepare for this accelerated rate of change and why proactive organizations will have a significant leg up in 2026.

In this episode, Scott sits down with Mike Duerksen, Founder and CEO of Buildgood, a fundraising growth agency serving nonprofits across Canada and the US. Mike shares his journey from a frustrated fundraiser to an agency founder determined to eliminate the "black box" of data and strategy.

The conversation explores the psychology of giving through "Self-Determination Theory"—ensuring donors feel autonomy, competence, and connectedness. Mike also breaks down the cultural differences between the US and Canadian markets, noting that while the US is faster and more entrepreneurial, Canada remains deeply relationship-driven.

The "Black Box" Problem: Mike founded Buildgood to create a more transparent agency relationship regarding data and strategy.

Donor Psychology: Utilizing "Self-Determination Theory" (Autonomy, Competence, Relatedness) to drive loyalty and higher lifetime value.

Market Dynamics: A look at the speed and entrepreneurial nature of the US market versus the polite, relationship-heavy Canadian market.

The F1 Analogy: Why organizations should not slow down during economic downturns, inspired by racing driver Ayrton Senna.

The Teaching Hospital Model: Buildgood’s mission to care for clients (patients) while teaching the industry (doctors).

Upcoming Event: The Build Good Summit, taking place May 13-14 in Toronto.