Will Nelson is the Copilot Lead at Microsoft, where he leads federal executive engagements for Microsoft Copilot, focusing on AI applications. With a background in product operations, internal tooling, and early-stage tech companies, he has launched new products, built scalable systems, and bridged gaps between emerging tools and real-world outcomes. Before Microsoft, Will was a Founding Product Ops Intern at Pie Insurance, where he grew the commercial auto vertical from zero to $2 million in premiums. 

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

• [3:04] How Copilot enhances Microsoft Teams meetings with transcription, translation, and context-aware summaries
• [10:22] Automating low-value tasks with Copilot
• [13:21] Will Nelson explains how Copilot chat clarifies acronyms and technical terms in real time
• [17:45] The benefits of indexing organizational knowledge in Teams
• [22:30] A demonstration of Copilot’s universal translation capabilities
• [29:28] Copilot’s integration in Word with inline editing and sidebar tools
• [40:11] How context-rich prompts improve AI outputs

In this episode…

Many organizations waste time in meetings, scatter knowledge across various tools, and engage in repetitive administrative tasks. Employees often feel bogged down by minutiae rather than focusing on high-value work that drives impact. How can integrating AI into daily office applications reduce inefficiency, free up human creativity, and improve team productivity?

Microsoft Copilot embeds AI directly into familiar tools like Word and Teams. The technology includes meeting transcription, automated agendas, real-time translations, and post-meeting recaps that free teams from administrative burdens. AI integrator Will Nelson recommends using AI to clarify acronyms, generate podcasts from transcripts, and role-play for interviews or presentation prep. By leveraging AI as a facilitator rather than a replacement, businesses can focus on mission-critical work rather than minutiae. 

In today’s episode of The Digital Deep Dive, Will Nelson, Copilot Lead at Microsoft, returns to chat with Aaron Conant about how AI tools can enhance daily workflows. Will talks about streamlining project management, enhancing collaboration in Teams, and the importance of context in prompting.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Aaron Conant on LinkedIn   
• BWG Connect  
• Will Nelson on LinkedIn 
• Microsoft Copilot  
• “A Deep Dive on Microsoft Copilot and Productivity With Will Nelson - Part 1” on The Digital Deep Dive 

Quotable Moments:

• "You now have a facilitator built into every single meeting that is keeping things on track."
• "If you are not using or adapting and using these… tools, you will be left behind."
• "The narrower of a scope that we give, generally, the less hallucinations you have."
• "Now you are empowered to go do with these meeting minutes, with these deliverables, what you need."
• “This is the worst it will ever be. It's the worst it will ever be."

Action Steps:

1. Leverage AI to automate meeting recaps: Automating summaries, agendas, and deliverables saves time and ensures critical details aren’t lost. This shifts attention away from tedious note-taking and back toward mission-focused work.
2. Use translation features to expand collaboration: Real-time translation in meetings makes diverse teams more inclusive and effective. It removes language barriers, allowing everyone to contribute equally and with confidence.
3. Adopt AI as a facilitation tool: Integrating facilitator agents keeps meetings structured and accountable. This ensures goals are met and follow-ups are completed without overburdening project managers.
4. Increase knowledge density through AI summaries: Condensing long meetings into digestible summaries or podcasts helps employees absorb essential information quickly. This improves decision-making and boosts productivity without requiring extra time investments.
5. Practice with AI role-play scenarios: Using AI to simulate interviews or presentations provides a safe environment to refine communication skills. This preparation boosts confidence and reduces the risk of underperforming in high-stakes situations.

About BWG Connect...

BWG Connect provides executive strategy and networking sessions that help brands from any industry with their overall business planning and execution. We network and knowledge share together to better understand and adapt to the newest trends, strategies, and pain points shaping growth in the digital space. BWG Connect, in conjunction with BWG Strategy, has built an exclusive network of 125,000+ senior professionals and hosts over 2,000 virtual and in-person networking events on an annual basis.

In addition, we have had 1x1 conversations with over 5,000 brands and have a real-time pulse on what digital strategies are successful and why. This in-depth knowledge allows our team to operate on the cutting-edge and provide our clients with best-in-class guidance on how to win in the digital world. We have provided free consultations and strategy sessions for companies of all sizes, from start-ups to Fortune-100, to enable growth, resolve issues and make curated service provider introductions that can impact your digital footprint.

We have held to the philosophy of providing high-level insights and actionable knowledge with no sales pitches in order to provide to our network the ability to listen, learn and act to improve themselves as well as their organizations. Our ultimate goal is to be the resource out there to help digital executives find the research they need to excel in the modern marketplace.

If you are interested in getting involved with any of our current or past events, you can find them here. If you are looking for help & would like to set up some time to chat with our team, you can schedule a time or reach out directly to Aaron@bwgconnect.com or Tiffany@bwgconnect.com.