Our Blog

The image features a man with short gray hair and glasses, wearing a light blue button-up shirt. He is standing with his arms crossed, exuding a professional and confident demeanor. The background is a solid dark blue, creating a stark contrast with his light-colored shirt. To the right of the man, there is a blue oval-shaped badge with the text "MVP Microsoft Most Valuable Professional" inside it. The overall composition highlights the man's professional achievement and recognition by Microsoft.

News ·

Brian McKeiver Earns Dual Microsoft MVP Honors Again – Cloud Native and AI

BizStream co-owner Brian McKeiver has been named a Microsoft MVP in both Azure Cloud Native Development and Azure AI Services for 2025. Learn how his leadership drives BizStream’s secure, scalable, and ROI-driven AI solutions for enterprise clients.

By Michelle Lentz//

Events ·

Join Us for Beer City Code 2025

Join BizStream at Beer City Code 2025! We’re proud to sponsor West Michigan’s premier software development conference. Connect with our team, grab some SWAG, and be part of the growing tech community in Grand Rapids.

By Michelle Lentz//

Advice ·

How Web Design Shapes Your Brand Through Interaction, Storytelling, and UX

Discover how strategic web design goes beyond logos to build brand loyalty through interactive experiences, storytelling, and intuitive UX. Explore real-world examples from Apple, Mailchimp, Patagonia, and Spotify.

By Coe Lacy//

Culture ·

Meet Our Six Interns Making the Most of Summer 2025

Discover how six talented interns are gaining hands-on experience, mentorship, and career-shaping skills through BizStream’s Summer 2025 Internship Program.

By Michelle Lentz//

Graphic featuring Brian McKeiver with text stating he has earned the Xperience by Kentico Marketer Certification. Includes the official certification badge on an orange background and a professional portrait of Brian on a purple background with design accents.

Kentico ·

Brian McKeiver Achieves Xperience by Kentico Marketer Certification

BizStream Co-Owner Brian McKeiver earns the Xperience by Kentico Marketer Certification, showcasing his continued leadership and deep expertise in digital marketing strategy and implementation on the Kentico platform.

By Michelle Lentz//

Comparison diagram contrasting Traditional CMS and Storyblok with Netlify. On the left, the Traditional CMS flow shows editors and users interacting through a single server with direct access to databases, resulting in delays. On the right, Storyblok’s headless CMS architecture allows editors to work in the cloud (storyblok.com), which connects to a global CDN and enables multi-head deployment across devices via APIs, offering faster and more flexible content delivery.

Advice ·

Why Marketers and Developers Are Turning to Headless CMS for Better User Experiences

As audiences engage across more devices and formats, delivering a seamless experience is key. A headless CMS offers marketers and developers the flexibility to create and manage content efficiently—enhancing user experiences at every touchpoint.

By Kile Lindgren//

Promotional graphic for a CSAE 2025 Annual Conference breakout session titled “From Insight to Impact: Why Discovery is the Key to Association Transformation.” Features headshots of speakers Rob Bean, Senior Strategist at BizStream, and Jordan Ellertson, Senior Account Strategist at BizStream, on a black background with blue accent circles.

Events ·

Join BizStream at CSAE’s 2025 Annual Conference

Discover how BizStream helps associations turn insights into action at the 2025 CSAE Annual Conference. Join our session on leveraging Discovery to drive digital growth and member engagement.

By Michelle Lentz//

News ·

Kile Lindgren Recognized as Storyblok Ambassador

BizStream’s Solution Architect, Kile Lindgren, has been named a Storyblok Ambassador! Learn how Kile is helping shape the future of headless CMS through education, innovation, and community involvement.

By Michelle Lentz//

Advice ·

Rise Above the Noise: Tell Your Members a Better Value Story

Learn how to build an inclusive website experience for all visitors—and a sustainable approach to accessibility governance.

By Drew Veach//

Events ·

Helping Associations Build Inclusive Digital Experiences: Join BizStream at CSAE’s Upcoming Webinar

Discover how associations can move beyond compliance to build inclusive websites. On April 24, CSAE hosts a webinar with experts from BizStream and Recite Me focused on practical accessibility solutions.

By Michelle Lentz//

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Advice ·

Breadth vs. Depth: Which Learning Path Should You Take?

Struggling to decide between mastering your current tech stack or exploring new tools and languages? This blog post breaks down the pros and cons of breadth vs. depth in developer learning, with real-world examples to help guide your growth path.

By Ben Buurstra//

Events ·

Unlock AI for Your Business: Drew Veach to Host CCF Enterprise Workshop Series

Join BizStream’s Drew Veach on April 23, 2025, at MI Software Lab for Cascade Community Foundation’s Enterprise Workshop Series. Learn how to apply practical AI tools in your nonprofit or small business.

By Michelle Lentz//

Events ·

BizStream at Merge 2025: Blending Product Thinking with Software Modernization

Catch Brian McKeiver and Dave Valko at Merge on April 28 as they present “Blending Product Thinking with Software Modernization,” a session exploring how product strategy and real-world lessons can guide smart legacy transformation decisions.

By Michelle Lentz//

Advice ·

2 Trends All Member-Based Organizations Need to Know

Discover two key strategies member-based organizations are using to grow: stronger storytelling and smarter, modern website experiences.

By Drew Veach//

Kentico ·

BizStream Earns Kentico’s Upgrade Expert Badge

BizStream is now a Kentico Upgrade Expert! As a trusted Kentico Gold Partner, we specialize in seamless Xperience by Kentico upgrades, ensuring optimized performance and future-ready solutions. Learn more about our expertise and how we can help with your upgrade.

By Michelle Lentz//

Events ·

Stir Trek 2025: Catch Brian McKeiver’s Talk on Building Your Own Copilot

Join BizStream’s Brian McKeiver at Stir Trek 2025 in Columbus, OH. On May 2, catch his session, How to Build Your Own Copilot for .NET Devs, and explore Azure AI Foundry, Semantic Kernel SDK, and Copilot Studio to build your own AI assistant. Don’t miss this one-day tech event with expert talks, networking, and a screening of Marvel’s Thunderbolts!

By Michelle Lentz//

Kentico ·

Brian McKeiver Among the First to Earn Xperience by Kentico Content Modeling Certification

BizStream's co-owner and Solution Architect, Brian McKeiver, is among the first to earn the Xperience by Kentico Content Modeling Certification! Learn why structured content is essential and how this achievement reinforces BizStream’s expertise in content modeling and Kentico solutions.

By Michelle Lentz//

Events ·

Brian McKeiver Speaking at AAM Summit 2025

Join BizStream's Brian McKeiver at the AAM Summit 2025 in Phoenix, AZ, where he’ll share insights on website personalization. Learn how delivering the right content at the right time can enhance client engagement and business growth.

By Michelle Lentz//

Kentico ·

Xperience by Kentico’s Taxonomies: What’s New & Why It Matters

Discover the latest enhancements to taxonomies in Xperience by Kentico. Learn how improved content organization, omnichannel support, and smarter filtering can boost SEO, streamline personalization, and make content management more efficient.

By Christian Stam//

Events ·

Join BizStream and Kentico at Swaay.Health Live 2025

Join Kentico and BizStream in San Diego for Swaay.Health Live 2025—the premier event for healthcare B2B and B2C marketers.

By Michelle Lentz//

Graphic featuring Brian McKeiver, co-owner of BizStream, as the keynote speaker for the Midwest Collegiate Computing Conference (MWC3). The presentation title reads 'Building Your Own AI Agents' with a professional photo of Brian on the right against a blue background.

Events ·

Join Brian McKeiver at the Midwest Collegiate Computing Conference

The Midwest Collegiate Computing Conference (MWC3) will be held on March 21-22, 2025, at the Grand Valley State University Eberhard Center in Grand Rapids, MI.

By Michelle Lentz//

Business partnership concept, woman hands holding 2 pieces of puzzle

Advice ·

How to Connect with—and Win—Customers: Build Better Buyer Personas

To generate effective leads, you need to market to the right people at the right time. Do you know how to change your personas so that you can reach your best customers?

By Drew Veach//

BizStream and Refactored logos displayed side by side on a dark blue background with decorative circles, symbolizing their partnership or collaboration.

News ·

BizStream Expands Strategic and Digital Capabilities with Acquisition

BizStream’s acquisition of Refactored, a leading digital agency, expands its strategic capabilities to deliver innovative and scalable solutions. This partnership strengthens BizStream’s offerings with advanced marketing strategies, unparalleled expertise in Storyblok Headless CMS, and a custom Web Accelerator solution designed to simplify technology adoption, reduce costs, and minimize project risks for clients.

By Michelle Lentz//

Events ·

Join Brian McKeiver at GVSU’s Innovation Day: Celebrating 40 Years of Computing

Attend GVSU’s Innovation Day 2024 on December 6 to celebrate 40 years of computing! Hear from Brian McKeiver, proud GVSU alum and BizStream co-owner, during the Distinguished Alumni Panel.

By Michelle Lentz//

Events ·

Brian McKeiver Speaking at CodeMash 2025

Catch Brian McKeiver, co-owner and solution architect at BizStream, as he speaks at CodeMash 2025, sharing insights on developer estimates and MACH architecture for web development. Join him and other tech experts at this unique conference in Sandusky, Ohio, January 14-17.

By Michelle Lentz//

Kentico and Azure logos with a plus sign in between

Kentico ·

Enhance Kentico 13 Search Index with Azure AI Search Semantic Ranker

Learn how to enhance your Kentico 13 search index by integrating Azure AI Search with a Semantic Ranker. This guide covers setup, implementation with .NET 6 MVC, and key tips for improving your site’s search functionality, offering a more refined user experience.

By Sean Lakies//

Group photo of six BizStream team members who earned the Xperience by Kentico Sales Certification. The individuals are arranged in a grid of two rows. Each person is smiling and standing confidently against a vibrant, solid-colored background.

Kentico ·

Six BizStream Team Members Earn Xperience by Kentico Sales Certification

BizStream celebrates six team members earning the Xperience by Kentico Sales Certification, further enhancing their ability to guide clients through the digital experience landscape.

By Michelle Lentz//

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Kentico ·

Simple Guide for Creating an Azure AI Search Index in Xperience by Kentico

Learn how to set up an Azure AI Search index in Xperience by Kentico with this step-by-step guide. From project configuration to search strategy implementation, this post walks you through the integration process using .NET 8.0, Visual Studio, and the Kentico Xperience Azure Search NuGet package, ensuring optimized search functionality for your website.

By Parker Ovadek//

A superhero-themed digital illustration featuring a strong, confident figure with a muscular physique, wearing a blue and red suit with a unique emblem on the chest. The character is floating in a futuristic server room, holding a laptop, symbolizing technology and digital prowess. The superhero's red cape flows behind him as he moves, emphasizing action and power. The background showcases a sleek, high-tech environment with rows of servers illuminated by glowing lights, adding to the dynamic, tech-savvy atmosphere of the image.

Advice ·

Breaking the 10x Developer Hype: Your Path to Rockstar Status

Have you heard about the mythical ‘10x developer’ who’s supposedly ten times more productive than everyone else? According to our Web Developer, Will Dixon, it’s all just hype. Read on to discover what he believes truly sets great developers apart from the rest.

By Will Dixon//

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Tutorials ·

From .bak to .bacpac: Managing Azure Migrations with Non-Standard Backups

Migrating a project to Azure can come with unexpected challenges, especially when dealing with non-standard backups like .bak files instead of the expected .bacpac format. In this blog post, we share how we navigated these obstacles, providing a step-by-step guide to overcoming Azure's limitations and ensuring a smooth transition for complex database migrations.

By Courtney Klawieter//