In early November, I had the opportunity to attend the Adobe Champion Workshop in San Jose, and the experience completely exceeded my expectations. As someone deeply involved in shaping enterprise-level digital commerce solutions, spending two days surrounded by Adobe product leaders, engineers, and fellow Adobe Champions felt like stepping into the center of the ecosystem I’ve worked in for years.

The workshop wasn’t just a gathering - it was a behind-the-scenes look at where Adobe Commerce is going, what challenges the community is facing, and how Adobe Champions can help influence the next generation of tools, features, and architectural patterns.

The Power of Community and Shared Expertise

What stood out to me immediately was the level of collaboration in every session. Adobe created an environment where champions were encouraged not just to listen, but to challenge, critique, and co-create.

Over the past year, I’ve led major architectural efforts on various enterprise projects. Hearing Adobe’s own teams discuss roadmaps for performance, services, and extensibility made it clear that the work we’re doing in the field directly influences what comes next.

Technical Deep-Dives and Future Direction

One of my favorite parts of the workshop was diving into Adobe’s technical roadmap alongside the product teams. While I can’t share specific details yet (you’ll have to wait for Adobe Summit!), I can say that the themes and future direction strongly validated many of the challenges we solve every day in real client work.

What impressed me most was how clearly Adobe is listening - actively gathering feedback from partners, merchants, and champions, then using that real-world insight to shape the next generation of tools. The discussions pointed toward solutions that will make complex workflows simpler, performance more predictable, and enterprise-level scalability easier to achieve. It’s the kind of forward momentum that only happens when engineers, product leaders, and practitioners collaborate openly.

Because of the NDA, I can’t get into specifics, but what I can say is this: the technology coming down the pipeline shows how seriously Adobe is investing in stability, speed, intelligence, and developer experience. The road ahead looks extremely promising.

Beyond the roadmap itself, the workshop was an incredible networking and brainstorming opportunity. Connecting with other Adobe Champions - people who are building, experimenting, and pushing Adobe products in completely different directions - sparked conversations that I’m still thinking about weeks later. Those peer-to-peer moments are just as valuable as the official sessions.

Blue Acorn iCi’s Adobe Champions

I wasn’t the only Blue Acorn iCi employee who felt the impact of these conversations. Blue Acorn iCi has three Adobe Champions this year: Gary Howell, Katie Klein, and me (Jelica Ariganello). We all had strong takeaways from the event.

Gary Howell, Blue Acorn iCi’s VP of Adobe Experience Manager Digital Solutions, had this to say about the event: “AI is continuing to evolve and is so much more than data, but turning it into action that drives business outcomes. Adobe is continuing to evolve its products to not only help accelerate marketing workflows but developer workflows as well.”

Looking Ahead: Champion Impact in 2025 - 2026

More than anything, the workshop made me proud of the work our team is doing at Blue Acorn iCi. The challenges I shared during roundtables were met with excitement and genuine curiosity from Adobe’s product engineers.
It’s clear that Adobe Champions aren’t observers. We’re contributors.

I left San Jose already brainstorming upcoming talks, deep-dives, and content I want to share with the wider Adobe community. And I’m excited that this blog post will be the first of many opportunities to highlight what’s happening behind the scenes on the projects we’re building and the innovations we’re shaping.

Contact us to learn more about the impact Blue Acorn iCi is making across the Adobe ecosystem and how we can help businesses elevate their digital experiences.