Meraki Unboxed

Cisco Meraki
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Join us as we chat with experts from inside and outside Cisco Meraki. Hear about the latest in technology and the people and culture that drive the business. We’d love to hear your feedback—share it with us at community.meraki.com.

  1. SEP 17

    Episode 138: Converging Forces: The Next Wave in Networking

    In this Meraki Unboxed podcast, Cisco and Meraki are converging to deliver unified networking solutions. The episode covers the transition between brands; the impact on customers and partners; and how a strong, collaborative culture drives continued success during change. Our guest, Cisco Networking Specialist Jeff Perlmutter, shares practical sales strategies, the roles AI and innovation play in the networking portfolio, and advice for building authentic relationships in a rapidly evolving technology landscape. Check out the episode now! Host Sammy Brenner, Virtual Sales Leader, Cisco Meraki Guest Jeff Perlmutter, Cisco Networking Specialist, Cisco Meraki Jeff Perlmutter is a tenured Cisco Meraki networking specialist with over a decade of experience helping enterprise customers across the Bay Area rethink how they approach networking. He brings a mix of technical expertise and practical insight to every conversation and is passionate about helping customers navigate change, simplify complexity, and get the most out of their technology investments.

    45 min

  2. AUG 13

    Episode 137: Class Is in Session: E-Rate 101

    In this Meraki Unboxed podcast, we’re getting schooled. Tune in to learn about the E-Rate program, a vital federal resource helping K-12 schools secure funding for internet connectivity. Join our host Sammy and guests Cedric Lockhart and Janell Tennyson as they discuss sales leadership strategies, Cisco’s competitive edge, the significance of the five-year funding cycle, and common misconceptions about E-Rate funding. Class is now in session! Host Sammy Brenner, Virtual Sales Leader, Cisco Meraki Guests Cedric Lockhart, Senior Director, Cisco Networking Sales for Public Sector Cedric Lockhart has a passion for connecting with people and developing winning teams. While serving as Captain in the U.S. Marine Corps, he learned that the best leaders focus on the people, set a positive tone, develop plans that overachieve the objectives, and think BIG! He has carried those same core beliefs into his sales leadership career.  Cedric currently leads the $3.5B Public Sector Networking Business. During his 15-year Cisco-career, Cedric has held a number of sales and sales leadership roles, including leading the Cisco Meraki Americas business, Enterprise and Service Provider business for Cisco AppDynamics, Mid-Atlantic Regional Leader for Enterprise, and other roles in corporate tech sales. Janell Tennyson, Sales Business Development, E-Rate Lead Janell Tennyson is E-Rate Lead for the Cisco Public Funding Team. Janell is an experienced grant writer with over 16 years working in the telecommunications industry. In her current role, she is responsible for overseeing the entire E-Rate process and educating the field, partners, and customers to better understand and effectively utilize and maintain compliance with E-Rate rules and regulations.

    40 min

  3. JUL 23

    Episode 136: vMX Marks the Spot: Unifying the Cloud Frontier

    In this Meraki Unboxed episode, we discuss something that’s very near and dear to our host Tanner’s heart (and team)—the new Meraki vMX! This virtual security and SD-WAN powerhouse unifies on-premises and cloud networks, tackles modern security challenges, and streamlines management with automation and a unified dashboard. Tune in to hear Tanner and his team discuss the latest features, cloud integrations, and how vMX is reshaping distributed networking for hybrid and multicloud environments. https://meraki.cisco.com/product/hybrid-cloud/vmx/vmx-small/ https://meraki.cisco.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/vMX-datasheet-20230421-english.pdf https://meraki.cisco.com/form/trial/  Host Tanner Yehlik, Technical Marketing Engineer, Cisco Meraki Guests Simarbir Singh, Product Manager, vMX, Cisco Meraki    John Shea, Technical Solutions Architect, Enterprise Networking, Cisco

    46 min

  4. JUN 27

    Episode 135: Live and Let AI: Cisco Live 2025 Recap

    Recap the highlights of Cisco Live 2025 San Diego in this episode of Meraki Unboxed. From exciting product announcements to the growing impact of AI on the Cisco portfolio, we explore how innovation and customer focus took center stage.    Tune in for insights into the event’s dynamic culture, networking opportunities, and what’s next for Cisco and its partners. Host Sammy Brenner, Virtual Sales Leader, Cisco Meraki Guests Rachel Greene, Inside Sales Director, Cisco Meraki Mike Yin is the Global Solution Engineering Director of Secure Network at Cisco. He is an experienced and successful technical sales leader with a proven track record in both startups and established companies.   Having joined Meraki in 2012, Mike held sales engineering leadership positions in the biggest growth markets and propelled the business to over 60x revenue growth. Then, as the global SE leader, Mike helped establish Meraki as the primary platform for Cisco Networking and transformed the industry through cloud and simplicity.    Mike is passionate about building a team culture that thrives on a sense of purpose in helping customers achieve their own mission. The team paved the way for many best practices such as demo mastery, API and ecosystem, and MEDDPICC adoption. This has not only resulted in astronomical revenue growth, but also a sustained world-class renewal rate.    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Catch up from Cisco Live:: https://cisco.com/ Announced at Cisco Live: https://www.cisco.com/?socialshare=video-livestream   Powering the future of secure AI infrastructure: https://newsroom.cisco.com/c/r/newsroom/en/us/a/y2025/m06/cisco-powers-secure-infrastructure-for-the-ai-era.html   Unveiling secure network architecture to accelerate workplace AI transformation: https://newsroom.cisco.com/c/r/newsroom/en/us/a/y2025/m06/cisco-unveils-secure-network-architecture-to-accelerate-workplace-ai-transformation.html   Transforming security for agentic AI era, further fusing security into the network: https://newsroom.cisco.com/c/r/newsroom/en/us/a/y2025/m06/cisco-transforms-security-for-the-agentic-ai-era-further-fusing-security-into-the-network.html   Powering AI-ready data centers, from hyperscale to enterprise: https://newsroom.cisco.com/c/r/newsroom/en/us/a/y2025/m06/cisco-powers-ai-ready-data-centers-from-hyperscale-to-enterprise.html   Cisco 8000 Secure Routers: https://www.cisco.com/site/us/en/products/networking/sdwan-routers/cisco-8000-secure-routers/index.html   Cisco C9350 Series Smart Switches: https://www.cisco.com/site/us/en/products/networking/switches/c9350-series-smart-switches/index.html   Cisco C9610 Series Smart Switches: https://www.cisco.com/site/us/en/products/networking/switches/c9610-series-smart-switches/index.html   Blogs: Cisco New Family of Cisco Smart Switches  From AgenticOps to Assurance  Meet the Cisco Deep Network Model  Redefining Branch Networking  Wi-Fi for the AI Enterprise Expanding the Edge of Possibility

    36 min

  5. MAY 14

    Episode 134: Humans of Meraki: Helen Fream on Shaping Careers, Communities, and Confidence

    In this Humans of Meraki episode, Helen Fream takes us on her dynamic Cisco journey—from designing the popular Meraki e-learning program to championing mentorship and leading Women of Meraki. With humor and heart, Helen shares how she’s created opportunities, mastered public speaking, and pursued her love of sustainable fashion. You won’t want to miss this uplifting conversation, full of insights on inclusion and growth and making bold moves in the workplace! Embark on the Meraki FIT journey  https://community.meraki.com/t5/Meraki-FIT/ct-p/merakifit Host Sammy Brenner, Virtual Sales Leader, Cisco Meraki Guest Helen Fream, Instructional Designer – Join & Connect Enablement  Hfream@cisco.com Helen is a Learning & Development professional with a strong background in instructional design, program management, and digital learning solutions. Throughout her career at Cisco, she has built global onboarding initiatives and created impactful learning experiences for diverse audiences. Known for her creativity, organization, and cross-functional collaboration, she is also a passionate advocate for diversity and inclusion, having led the ERO Women of Meraki, as a sustainable fashion enthusiast, and as a dedicated Toastmaster!

    44 min

  6. MAR 31

    Episode 133: Picture-Perfect Protection: New Cisco Meraki MV Solutions

    We’re back with another Meraki Unboxed episode where we unpack Cisco Meraki MV solutions and their role in blending physical security with IT networks. We’ll chat about how cloud-managed security and AI are making workspaces safe and introduce you to the new MV53X bullet and MV84X multi-imager cameras. Plus, find out how our new Cross-Camera Tracking feature is revolutionizing surveillance without using facial recognition. And sprinkled throughout the discussion are deployment strategies, industry use cases, and the scoop on upcoming physical security events. Listen now! Products  MV53X PDP  MV84X Datasheet (coming April 2025)    Other Activations  Build Physical Security Superpowers with Smart Bullet Cameras and Multi-Imagers Blog  Meraki MV ISC West Invitation Upcoming April 10 Webinar Host Tanner Yehlik, Technical Marketing Engineer, Cisco Meraki Guests Shashank Nalla is Product Manager of the Cisco Meraki smart camera portfolio, where he drives the development of cloud-managed AI-enabled smart camera solutions. With expertise in product strategy, hardware development, and cross-functional collaboration, he delivers innovative products that streamline modern physical security solutions. Prior to Meraki, Shashank worked at Osram, where he contributed to the development of advanced lighting and sensor products. His experience spans multiple industries, equipping him with a deep understanding of technology and customer needs to deliver impactful solutions. George Bentinck is Vice President of Product Management – IoT and Edge Intelligence at Cisco Meraki. He leads the strategic direction and growth of AI-enabled products, including MV smart cameras and MT smart sensors. Since joining Cisco through the 2012 Meraki acquisition, George has been instrumental in developing new product categories and expanding into new markets.        With a background in sales engineering at Avaya and Nortel, George holds a Bachelor's degree in internet engineering from the University of Exeter. He lives in San Francisco and enjoys designing sensor systems for optimizing race car performance in his spare time.

    47 min

  7. MAR 13

    Episode 132: Humans of Meraki: Rishi Korada on Building a Successful Career with EQ, Mentorship, and Resilience

    In this episode of Humans of Meraki, Rishi Korada, a Senior Solutions Engineering Manager at Cisco, shares her career journey from the Cisco Sales Associate Program to becoming a Meraki Sales Engineer. She shares insights on overcoming gender bias in a male-dominated field, the critical role of emotional intelligence in sales engineering, and the transformative role feedback plays in personal development. Rishi also highlights how a strong team culture and mentorship have propelled her career, encouraging listeners to trust their instincts, pursue opportunities, and build connections to achieve their professional goals. Learn about the Cisco Sales Associate Program (CSAP): https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/about/careers/communities/students-and-new-graduates/sales-associates.html Host Sammy Brenner, Virtual Sales Leader, Cisco Meraki Guest Rishi Korada is a seasoned professional with over 13 years of experience in the computer networking industry. She currently serves as a Senior Solutions Engineering Manager for specialist network engineers supporting the Commercial West area at Cisco, having held roles as a solutions engineer and SE manager. Throughout her career, Rishi has supported a diverse range of sectors, including global service provider, global enterprise, and commercial segments, while specializing in verticals such as sports/media, healthcare, retail/hospitality, and fintech. A passionate advocate for building high-performance teams, Rishi thrives on continuous learning and problem-solving. Outside of her professional life, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, traveling, discovering new cuisines, playing basketball, and listening to audiobooks and podcasts.

    49 min

  8. FEB 21

    Episode 131: Unveiling the New MS150 Switch and the Future of Cloud Management

    Tune in to this Meraki Unboxed episode as we flip the script on cloud-managed switching. Discover the impact of the new Cisco Meraki MS150 access switch and its role in the Cisco portfolio—enabling exciting use cases with scalability and security. We’ll also discuss the latest developments in cloud-native IOS XE, the evolving capabilities of Catalyst 9000 Series Switches, and other trends and announcements on the horizon.  Meraki MS150: https://meraki.cisco.com/product/switches/access-switches/ms150/   Cloud-Native IOS XE Documentation: https://documentation.meraki.com/MS/Cloud-Native_IOS_XE/Cloud-Native_IOS_XE_Overview   Switching Community: https://community.meraki.com/t5/Switching/bd-p/switching Host Tanner Yehlik, Technical Marketing Engineer, Cisco Meraki Guests Nico Darrow, Senior Technical Marketing Engineer, Cisco Meraki Korey Rebello, Leader of Product Management, Cisco

    45 min
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4.8
out of 5
17 Ratings

About

Join us as we chat with experts from inside and outside Cisco Meraki. Hear about the latest in technology and the people and culture that drive the business. We’d love to hear your feedback—share it with us at community.meraki.com.

Information

  • Creator
    Cisco Meraki
  • Years Active
    2019 - 2025
  • Episodes
    139
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2025 Meraki Unboxed
  • Show Website
    Meraki Unboxed

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