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The Composable Conference Article

<hr /> <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jina-zohori/">Jina Zohori</a> is a customer fanatic. OK, maybe customer-centric is more corporately apropos. But given her passion and gusto, fanatic feels a little more on target. It reflects her enthusiasm for championing success at a human level – and bringing <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/agility">Agility CMS's</a> powerful yet simple solutions to content creators and developers.She also sees this rabid customer commitment as a holistic calling, one that marshals an entire organization's collective efforts.“Being customer-centric isn't just marketing's job, or sales’ job, or customer success,” she said during our chat at <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/the-deep-dish-on-composable-6-tasty-takeaways-from-the-mach-alliances-2025-conference">“The Composable Conference”</a> a few weeks ago. “It's an engineering job. It's everybody's job. Technology is for everybody. And that experience, driven through our technology, doesn't have to stop at our customers.”That attitude is one of the many reasons why Jina is a rockstar leader – and exactly what Agility needs to navigate the dense and fiercely competitive jungles of the headless CMS landscape. As president, she combines her tech savviness and business acumen to drive strategy and meet the needs of her users, especially those in the deep trenches of digital experience and content creation.When I met with Jina at the recent <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/the-composable-conference-2025-takes-shape-as-mach-alliance-announces-speakers-and-new-events">MACH Alliance conference in Chicago,</a> I was eager to talk to a headless CMS that was a member of the open, best-of-breed cabal. This year’s conference modified the formula a bit, and I wanted some perspective on what’s changed through the CMS lens – and how the Alliance is continuing to support the goals of <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/what-is-a-content-management-system-cms">content management systems. </a>This is a key question, especially as the market wrestles with questions about the ROI of composable strategies. As stories of failures and <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7310313384015511552/">contradictory posts by VTEX</a> color the decision-making, customers are looking to their trusted SIs and vendors to help them navigate the complexities.As a 22-year veteran of the space, Agility is taking it all in stride. A big part of their success? You guessed it: customer centricity. And as Jina explained, that’s manifested through Agility’s focus on meaningful outcomes.“Our bread and butter isn’t just our content management system as a platform,” she said, “but the experience you gain through that as an editor, as a developer, and of course as an end user consuming that content on the front end.”<h3 id="the-evolution-to-headless-cms">The evolution to headless CMS</h3>While we didn’t go deep into the archives, Agility’s heritage is arguably one of its key advantages. With more than two decades under their belt, they’ve seen market opportunity and turmoil – and continued to persevere. Over the years, the Canadian-born and bred platform has earned a stellar reputation, powering large-scale enterprise brands like Cineplex, Scotiabank, and Mitsubishi Electric with its headless CMS. Like many of its legacy peers, life began as a solution to a common agency problem.“When we were building sites for our customers, we realized, 'Hey, it'd be really great if we had a CMS for this,'" Jina said. "Not only would we be able to have everything housed in one really nice package, but it would give the customer more autonomy, so they're not reliant as much on the developers, which would be us at that point.”As a consultancy, building websites opened more doors for implementing their homegrown CMS. As the footprint expanded, the mission shifted from easing the burden for their internal developers and giving more ownership and domain to their customers.The pivot to a headless CMS architecture came later, as CEO and co-founder <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonvoigt/">Jon Voigt</a> and CTO <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/joelvarty/">Joel Varty</a> saw the advantages of decoupling to provide even greater control and autonomy for developers. According to Jina, this journey began before the headless “Gold Rush.”“Prior to ‘headless’ being coined as a term, we were already looking at how we become more cloud-native, API driven, and decoupled,” she said.It wasn't quite SaaS at that time, but as Jina explained, Agility was aiming for greater flexibility and optionality, so the front end – whatever it might be, whatever channel the presentation layer should be – provided greater freedom and control.“It allows users to just be able to do more.” And the rest, as they say, is history. From an architectural perspective, Agility’s scalable and flexible posture makes it a seamless solution for composable stacks. I’ve spent a lot of time in the Agility UX, and it reflects thoughtful and persistent innovation. The company makes a conscious effort to engage customers around product betas to help perfect their tooling, which has resulted in its <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://agilitycms.com/product/web-studio">rock-solid Web Studio</a> and other features that put the headless CMS over the top. <h3 id="the-road-to-mach">The road to MACH</h3>Agility has been a member of the MACH Alliance since mid-2023. Since then, the Alliance has ballooned to well over 100 member technologies, many of which have aligned to deliver a myriad of composable solutions. As Jina described, the MACH ecosystem of partners – and the resulting collaboration – has really made an impact for Agility.“What MACH does for us is it gives us that sense of community,” she said. “Not just headless in the CMS space, but all these other vendors that come together and provide a full composable solution. Which, again, gives more autonomy to our customers to be able to easily plug and play with different technologies to fit their stack and their needs to better service their customers.”<h3 id="mapping-the-future-with-ai">Mapping the future with AI</h3>AI was on everyone’s mind at “The Composable Conference,” from agentic AI to agentic commerce and beyond. Like all of its other endeavors, Agility has been careful and intentional around its AI roadmap, blocking and tackling around the hype and engaging with customers around their practical and “blue sky” wish lists.Being at the conference helped crystallize things for Jina – and reinforce Agility’s approach.“Obviously, AI is a big part of what our future roadmap looks like,” Jina said. “But being really strategic and listening to these kinds of stories helps refine that for us. So there's an idea of what you think your customers would want, and you're like, okay, I'm gonna give them AI. But really, how is it impacting their day-to-day experience in our platform to do more with less?”As Jina explained, Agility’s AI play is focused beyond the low-hanging fruit, focusing on tangible ways to make their product experience easier, smoother, and more enjoyable to use.“You're on the platform for eight hours a day sometimes,” she reminded me. To that end, usability is key, and AI should help simplify everything from block editors to manipulating pages and templates. “We're really focused on that day-to-day usage and how we enhance and make that better for our users.”<h3 id="takeaways-from-“the-composable-conference”">Takeaways from “The Composable Conference”</h3><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/the-deep-dish-on-composable-6-tasty-takeaways-from-the-mach-alliances-2025-conference">As I've written about previously,</a> this year’s MACH Alliance confab provided different tracks for attendees, designed for the early “MACH Curious” to “Active” and “Pro” practitioners. Obviously, Agility falls into the latter, and I wanted Jina’s perspective on what stood out.“I've been hearing some of the stories from potential customers, and a lot of the MACH Alliance members are telling us about their pain in the beginning of moving towards a composable stack,” she said. I heard this from attendees as well. She noted that some of this angst might have come from the lackluster promise of easy-to-use software combined with a gap in proper training – or even the introduction of “green” staff with limited experience.One of the big changes Jina zeroed in on was the shift in narrative surrounding use cases. Based on her observation, last year’s content focused more on vendors and how their composable tech stacks were central to solving problems. This year, brands took center stage, and customer experience was the focal catalyst for composable transformation. Interestingly, Jina gained a lot of perspective on this from attending the “MACH Curious” sessions.“I wanted to [know] what triggers people to want to move to a composable solution,” she said. “If they're solving these problems with their monolithic solution, and it’s doing the thing it's supposed to do – the website's up, it's running, it's great, it's converting – what's triggering you to think about what else you can do to make things easier?”Smart. And as Jina noted, uncovering the factors requires a deeper dive with the people working on the product and the solution, and the brands in attendance were openly sharing their lessons on a multitude of dimensions. She found this to be incredibly refreshing.“I love that we're [putting] customers first,” she said exuberantly. “It's not all about how I use these really great brands to build out my tech stack, and now we're making X/Y dollars. A lot of the presentations actually had some of the metrics completely wiped out. Because it wasn't about that – it was about the customer experience.”An “agile” conclusion if there ever was one. Here’s six minutes with Jina:  <figure class="media"><div data-oembed-url="https://youtu.be/dIXrxCrTBho"><div style="position:relative;padding-bottom:100%;height:0;padding-bottom:56.2493%"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/dIXrxCrTBho" style="position:absolute;width:100%;height:100%;top:0;left:0" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe></div></div></figure> <hr /><h4 style="text-align:center" id="looking-for-guidance-on-agility-cms?-talk-to-an-expert.">Looking for guidance on Agility CMS? <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/contact">Talk to an expert.</a></h4><hr /> <h3 id="upcoming-events">Upcoming Events</h3> <img style="width:33.07%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2025/05/contentcon25-logo-1747412490394.png" /><h4 id="contentstack-contentcon-25"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.contentstack.com/contentcon">Contentstack ContentCon 25</a></h4>June 3-5, 2025 – Chicago, USAThe future of digital is waiting for you! Contentstack presents ContentCon, the premier event for digital teams and industry leaders who are reimagining the future of digital experiences. Join us for two days of transformative presentations and workshops designed to help you put personalization and AI strategies into action. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://contentcon2025.site.zuddl.com/">Register today! </a> <img style="width:31.83%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2025/01/cms-connect-2025-logo.png" alt="" /><h4 id="cms-connect-25"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmsconnect25">CMS Connect 25</a></h4>August 5-6, 2025 – Montreal, CanadaWe are delighted to present the second annual summer edition of our signature global conference dedicated to the content management community! CMS Connect will be held again in beautiful Montreal, Canada, and feature a unique blend of masterclasses, insightful talks, interactive discussions, impactful learning sessions, and authentic networking opportunities. Join vendors, agencies, and customers from across our industry as we engage and collaborate around the future of content management – and hear from the top thought leaders at the only vendor-neutral, in-person conference exclusively focused on CMS. Space is limited for this event, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmsconnect25">so book your seats today.</a>

MACHtales: Voices from “The Composable Conference” with Jina Zohori of Agility CMS

matt-garrepy

<hr /> <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jared-smigelski-1b0023163/">Jared Smigelski</a> isn’t a dentist, but he’s doing his part to improve smiles.That’s not easy when you’re modernizing a digital ecosystem that’s been in place for decades. It’s a bit like performing dental work that’s long overdue. Where do you start? How do you ensure a pain-free outcome?When I met Jared at “The Composable Conference” a few weeks ago, I was immediately drawn into his career arc at <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/benco-dental/">Benco Dental. </a>He's spent the last 13 years supporting and incrementally improving his company’s digital properties, starting as a software engineer and moving into product and application ownership. Now, he and his team are embarking on a “composable cleaning” that aims to transform his company’s IT posture with a MACH architectural approach – a move that could improve Benco’s competitive agility while future-proofing it for the next wave of tech innovation.“We’re a hundred-year-old company, maybe more, and the site’s been around since there’s been a site,” Jared said. “So it’s heavily monolithic, heavily legacy. All the logic is all over the place, and a lot of it lives on the front end, so we’re looking to pull a lot of that apart. In theory, MACH principles are perfect for what we’re trying to do.”This initiative is exactly why Jared and two of his key practitioners were attending the annual <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/the-composable-conference-2025-takes-shape-as-mach-alliance-announces-speakers-and-new-events">MACH Alliance event in Chicago</a>. They had already started down the composable path by assessing a move to the cloud, embracing an API-first approach, and even procuring several tools to begin “drilling” into their strategy. “We’re in a position right now where we’re integrating a lot of these tools that are already within the Alliance,” he explained, mentioning <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.bloomreach.com/en">Bloomreach</a> and <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/contentstack">Contentstack</a> by name.But going composable can be like pulling teeth, fraught with challenges and mired by the looming potential of failure. For Jared, the MACH Alliance community provided a bit of Novocain for his concerns, and hearing the successful use cases from other practitioners made him hopeful about their prospects. For me, this is a fantastic story and a compelling use case. First, it’s an opportunity to hear from a digital leader at the very beginning of his MACH journey, starting with an aging monolithic legacy system – and one that’s homegrown. It's brownfield with a bit of green on the edges. It’s also an example of an enterprise application within the B2B healthcare vertical, which gives it a differentiated spin from the typical retail examples we’re accustomed to in MACH. Finally, Jared’s frankness captured some of the real stakes at play when considering a composable path. In our chat, we delved into his selection of Contentstack as a CMS foundation and what influenced his decision. We also discussed how their roadmap for AI is already beginning to take shape as they consider the possibilities of a MACH-powered future.Will it be easy to realize this vision? Not likely – and he knows this is a years-long gamble for both his team and the company. Getting there could, at times, feel like a mouth full of braces. But with the right planning, mindset, and execution, a more structured and (dare I say) beautiful smile awaits. <h3 id="avoiding-digital-“tooth-decay”">Avoiding digital “tooth decay”</h3>Benco is a storied brand in the dental industry. As the largest privately owned, full-service distributor of dental supplies, equipment, consulting, and equipment services in the US, it has a rich heritage built on almost a century of success. Founded by Benjamin Cohen, the company has remained family-owned and laser-focused on its mission of "delivering success smile after smile."​ Based in Pittston, Pennsylvania, Benco is also the nation's fastest-growing dental distributor with more than 50 regional showroom locations and five distribution centers servicing more than 30,000 dental professionals in all 50 states.As you might imagine, this unabated growth is driving more dependency on Benco’s digital properties, which feature e-commerce shopping capabilities. And while legacy and longevity are key attributes for a brand, Benco’s aging website and infrastructure have been a key source of pain as it looks to scale. To avoid this digital “tooth decay” and get to the next step of digital transformation, Jared has embraced a composable strategy – and tapping the MACH Alliance and its community of expertise is one way he’s hoping to achieve success as he begins to execute.   “The principles, they’ve been around since modern development architecture has been around,” he said, referencing the tenets of MACH. “But actually having some place that pulls it all together is really helpful. We’re here to try to learn more about these principles, get some actionable content when we go back, so we can implement a CMS successfully on the first try.”<h3 id="the-mach-community:-a-retainer-for-knowledge">The MACH community: A retainer for knowledge</h3>As Jared mentioned, the goal of attending “The Composable Conference” was to seek insight and walk away ready to take action. The education piece continues to be a shining example of where the Alliance excels, and that came through in spades during the first day’s keynote sessions and focused workshops. That said, I spoke to a number of attendees who felt that the conference's content was on point, but that “actionable” component might not have been fully realized. This is one area where the Alliance can continue to improve its value to members and the market at large. This year’s session tracks did provide a clear and concise framework for attendees, allowing them to select a path that best fits their current status – from early-stage “MACH Curious” to “Active” or “Pro.” I asked Jared what sessions stood out for him and why they made an impact. “Hearing Andrew talk from Zoro on that first day, that keynote was really pertinent because we’re a similar company,” he said. “We’re a B2B selling to offices, and hearing about that transformation was truly impressive.”He was referring to <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/goodfellow/">Andrew Goodfellow</a>, CTO at Zoro – an online provider of tools, parts, and supplies. As CTO, Andy took attendees through the digital retailer’s early adoption of MACH, and how it ultimately enabled Zoro to go from 2 million SKUs to 15 million and double revenue. You can read more about it <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/the-deep-dish-on-composable-6-tasty-takeaways-from-the-mach-alliances-2025-conference">in my conference overview</a>. Jared also mentioned how <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.vfc.com/brands">the use case for VF</a>, the company behind brands like The North Face and Timberland, struck a chord. It was real and relatable, and gave him perspective on where things are at – and the potential for them to go off the rails. “They had a 1.0 version of a MACH approach, which is where I feel we’re at,” he reflected. “We’re kind of new to this, and you hear the candid truth about their story, right? He said it took them three years to release one site the first time, because they jumped in, rushed it, and didn’t do it right. So it’s cool to hear that other companies are having these same challenges.”<h3 id="a-new-cms-crown-with-contentstack">A new CMS crown with Contentstack</h3>Benco doesn't have an actual CMS – and never has. Instead, they have what Jared described as a homegrown “CMS-like” solution. So the prospect of moving to a mature platform is novel… and even a little nerve-racking.“I almost wish we could skip past that first phase where we picked the wrong one and we try to migrate to another,” he said, laughing. “We’re in the very first phase of this. We’ve never integrated a CMS.”Jared mentioned that he had already settled on Contentstack, a composable DXP with a headless CMS as its foundation. While the platform already presented key advantages based on their goals, some soft attributes added confidence to his decision.“We had some really good experiences with their sales team and technical folks,” he said. Relying on experienced voices has been key for Benco as early questions arose like, Where’s your data map? or Where’s your architecture diagram? They simply weren't prepared.The MACH Alliance community has been pivotal to supporting education within the composable category, and platforms like Contentstack have helped bridge the awareness gap from the very beginning. “The Composable Conference” helps to crystallize things over a two-day period, but <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/mach-alliance-taps-dylan-valade-of-abbott-to-drive-expanding-ridemach-education-program">programs like rideMACH</a> are shepherding the cause throughout the year with courseware, certifications, and real-world insights from people who have done the work. “This has been really helpful to see and get to connect with people who’ve had those experiences," Jared remarked, "and help talk through what you do the first time.”<h3 id="removing-the-legacy-plaque-to-make-way-for-ai">Removing the legacy plaque to make way for AI</h3>Composable is already proving its value as a key conduit for AI innovation and adoption. Enterprises that have a composable posture are arguably better equipped to shift, experiment, and deploy new AI solutions, and the MACH Alliance is focusing more attention on this – specifically with the advent of its <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/mach-alliance-launches-new-mach-ai-exchange-to-help-enterprises-streamline-ai-adoption">new MACH AI Exchange.</a>  While Jared and his team are consumed with the elemental steps of their composable strategy, I asked him about AI and where it fits with his organization’s plans. From his perspective, he sees early gains within Benco’s content operations practice and how they leverage the new CMS.“The biggest use case that comes right to mind for AI, especially in something like a CMS, is getting our titles, blog posts, articles, all that stuff SEO optimized,” he said, reflecting how humans aren’t the best at knowing how to game the algorithms for search. This is one way that AI could have a solid impact on performance in the near term.But the future? With a composable architecture, Benco could certainly dive into the realm of more advanced personalization and optimization, akin to what Zoro achieved – something Jared and his team are eager to sink their teeth into.Here’s five minutes of brain floss to sharpen your smile: <figure class="media"><div data-oembed-url="https://youtu.be/BuUbmrwne-I"><div style="position:relative;padding-bottom:100%;height:0;padding-bottom:56.2493%"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/BuUbmrwne-I" style="position:absolute;width:100%;height:100%;top:0;left:0" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe></div></div></figure> <hr /><h3 id="upcoming-events">Upcoming Events</h3> <img style="width:33.07%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2025/05/contentcon25-logo-1747412490394.png" /><h4 id="contentstack-contentcon-25"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.contentstack.com/contentcon">Contentstack ContentCon 25</a></h4>June 3-5, 2025 – Chicago, USAThe future of digital is waiting for you! Contentstack presents ContentCon, the premier event for digital teams and industry leaders who are reimagining the future of digital experiences. Join us for two days of transformative presentations and workshops designed to help you put personalization and AI strategies into action. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://contentcon2025.site.zuddl.com/">Register today! </a> <img style="width:31.83%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2025/01/cms-connect-2025-logo.png" alt="" /><h4 id="cms-connect-25"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmsconnect25">CMS Connect 25</a></h4>August 5-6, 2025 – Montreal, CanadaWe are delighted to present the second annual summer edition of our signature global conference dedicated to the content management community! CMS Connect will be held again in beautiful Montreal, Canada, and feature a unique blend of masterclasses, insightful talks, interactive discussions, impactful learning sessions, and authentic networking opportunities. Join vendors, agencies, and customers from across our industry as we engage and collaborate around the future of content management – and hear from the top thought leaders at the only vendor-neutral, in-person conference exclusively focused on CMS. Space is limited for this event, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmsconnect25">so book your seats today.</a>

MACHtales: Voices from “The Composable Conference” with Jared Smigelski of Benco Dental

<hr /> In French, sur la table rolls off the tongue like a light-bodied Beaujolais, beckoning for another pour. Translated to English, it means “on the table” – the place where we break bread and cultivate conversation. As such, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.surlatable.com/">Sur La Table</a> is a fitting name for a company that focuses on food and dining. The upscale retailer specializes in selling high-quality kitchenware, cookware, cutlery, bakeware, and other home goods. They even offer cooking classes and a popular blog with all kinds of food tips.For <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/mokshika-sharma-profile/">Mokshika Sharma</a>, the company’s Vice President of Product and Technology, the latest dish on the menu is composability. As she shared during our discussion at “<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/the-deep-dish-on-composable-6-tasty-takeaways-from-the-mach-alliances-2025-conference">The Composable Conference”</a> in Chicago, Sur La Table is already adopting a more modular posture across its stack, allowing Mokshika to expand and grow PE holding company <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.cscgeneration.com/our-companies">CSC Generation’s</a> investment in the kitchenware retailer. “My job is really the full umbrella of anything that has electrons and supporting retail,” she said, laughing about the atomic reference. Her role also encompasses some big-ticket requirements like defining the e-commerce product vision, growth and revenue optimization, cost and operational enhancement, and more.The even bigger mandate: Supporting CSC Generation’s mission to help distressed brands and organizations climb out of their technical debt and achieve the next level of technical competency. CSC brings a platform of retail practices into automation and AI, supporting a portfolio that includes Backcountry, One Kings Lane, Touch of Modern, and more. Based in Austin, Texas, Mokshika is a passionate technologist with a heart for brand engineering. She's amassed a deep background in digital retail, an area where MACH principles have proven their potential. She also has the industry chops to back it up, serving as a CIO Council Member at the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://nrf.com/">National Retail Federation (NRF).</a>Retail has long been a sweet spot for the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/mach-alliance-launches-new-mach-ai-exchange-to-help-enterprises-streamline-ai-adoption">MACH Alliance,</a> which clearly attracted Mokshika to its message. As you'll glean from our conversation, she had some key takeaways from the conference that might set the table for future success.<h3 id="a-varietal-that’s-composable-forward">A varietal that’s composable forward</h3>Aligning with the session tracks at “The Composable Conference,” Mokshika admitted to being “MACH Curious” – and as a first-time attendee, that makes sense. But a few minutes into our conversation, it was evident that she’s more capable than curious – and the journey to the MACH Alliance community was a codifying moment.“It really helped me understand how the Alliance is supporting the initiatives we’re already doing in our organization,” she said. This maps to some of the existing best practices Sur La Table is already engaging in around headless and other resources. The conference, in her mind, was more relevant because it reinforced that momentum while providing access to a community that could help drive the next steps. <h3 id="legacy-recipes?-c’est-la-vie">Legacy recipes? C’est la vie</h3>“I think the dream of every technologist is, of course, to be composable 100%,” Mokshika said lightly, although she admitted this dream won’t likely be fully realized. But that’s not the point. In her view, it’s about creating and investing in reusable components – building blocks, so to speak – that can be leveraged well into the future.Of course, one of the roadblocks to composability is the reality of legacy systems. According to Mokshika, there are many legacy processes and tools in her line of work, and much of it is heavily siloed. Breaking it apart takes a lot of careful thought and consideration.“Sometimes it’s a composable answer,” she said. “And sometimes, you don’t need to build the rocket ship, and you can think about what the early starting point is to get to composable.”Mokshika also pointed out the realities of what she called “operational hazards.” These occur when you create a system that is inherently more complex, ultimately driving the need for more people and oversight. To that end, digital leaders and practitioners need to plan carefully as they dive into composable waters. “Now you have to support all these pieces,” she explained. “It’s a very thoughtful exercise you have to do in retail.”<h3 id="setting-the-table-for-success">Setting the table for success</h3>There were a number of ah-ha moments for Mokshika, but she really zeroed in on some key activators around the community collaboration, and where the MACH Alliance has focused its human expertise to support a successful knowledge transfer. “I think the big takeaway is how much people are actually pushing the boundaries of what companies are building for legacy brands to consider and take care of other people’s roadmaps,” Mokshika said. “They’re here, talking to you, asking for advice – and at the same table.”Being at a more focused event also resulted in more substantive conversations. “I’ve obviously been to a lot of retail conferences that are very large, and you don’t have this chance to do a one-on-one conversation as much as I was able to do here,” she commented, “and more so, I didn’t get to do it through a technical lens.”That last point was codified in sessions that featured slideshows with architectures, where Mokshika noted that people were taking pictures of the diagrams and schematics. “I guess the magic here is that they’re actually talking about how to think about your whole ecosystem, and not just the one thing that I’m trying to sell.”While still new to the community, Mokshika’s composable maturity might already be well ahead of the curve. But the point of the conference is to move people and brands to the next step – and that seemed to be the outcome in her case. “I wish I had come here earlier when first joining retail,” she says. “It would have been a great start of my journey.”Take five minutes and join Mokshika at the MACH table. C'est si bon. <figure class="media"><div data-oembed-url="https://youtu.be/d4IL8-XkSag"><div style="position:relative;padding-bottom:100%;height:0;padding-bottom:56.2493%"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/d4IL8-XkSag" style="position:absolute;width:100%;height:100%;top:0;left:0" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe></div></div></figure> <hr /><h3 id="upcoming-events">Upcoming Events</h3> <img style="width:30.46%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2024/11/cms-summit-25.png" alt="" /><h4 id="cms-summit-25"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmssummit25">CMS Summit 25</a></h4>May 13-14, 2025 – Frankfurt, GermanyDon't miss the first European edition of our prestigious international conference dedicated to the global content management community! CMS Summit 25 will bring together top-notch speakers, our renowned learning format, and engaging social events. Hear from leading practitioners like Deutsche Bahn, Dr. Oetker, and more – and join customers, agencies, and CMS vendors as we discuss current trends and what's ahead for the content and digital experience fields. Connect and network at the only vendor-neutral, in-person conference focused on CMS. Space is limited for this exclusive event, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmssummit25">so book your seats today.</a> <img style="width:31.83%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2025/01/cms-connect-2025-logo.png" alt="" /><h4 id="cms-connect-25"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmsconnect25">CMS Connect 25</a></h4>August 5-6, 2025 – Montreal, CanadaWe are delighted to present the second annual summer edition of our signature global conference dedicated to the content management community! CMS Connect will be held again in beautiful Montreal, Canada, and feature a unique blend of masterclasses, insightful talks, interactive discussions, impactful learning sessions, and authentic networking opportunities. Join vendors, agencies, and customers from across our industry as we engage and collaborate around the future of content management – and hear from the top thought leaders at the only vendor-neutral, in-person conference exclusively focused on CMS. Space is limited for this event, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmsconnect25">so book your seats today.</a>

MACHtales: Voices from “The Composable Conference” with Mokshika Sharma of Sur La Table

The ‘Deep Dish’ on Composable: 6 Tasty Takeaways from the MACH Alliance’s 2025 Conference

<hr /> There’s a composable breeze that's building in “The Windy City,” and it might just knock you over.The <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="http://www.machalliance.org/">MACH Alliance</a> is landing its much-anticipated annual event (redubbed “The Composable Conference”) in Chicago this year, and it’s shaping up to be a powerhouse of brands, industry thought leaders, and stellar sessions.This year’s gathering will take place from April 22 – 24 at the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://convene.com/locations/chicago/233-south-wacker-drive/">Convene meeting space in the iconic Willis Tower</a> – a premium building in Chicago’s Loop neighborhood designed at the intersection of natural and urban environments. It’s a perfect backdrop for the transformational themes being explored at this one-of-a-kind conference.The three-day agenda is plush with keynotes and collaborative sessions, featuring industry leaders and technology practitioners. The conference is made possible by the MACH Alliance’s headline partners including <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/accenture-song-brings-its-composable-commerce-music-to-the-mach-alliance-heres-why-it-matters">Accenture Song</a>, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/builderio-nets-20m-from-microsofts-venture-fund-what-it-means-for-the-future-of-headless-cms">Builder.io</a>, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/commercetools">commercetools</a>, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/contentstack">Contentstack</a>, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.publicissapient.com/">Publicis Sapient</a>, and <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/vercel-introduces-sdk-for-building-ai-apps-with-react-and-svelte">Vercel</a>.While this fourth installment ushers in a new chapter for the evolving MACH ecosystem – at a time when technology investments face major economic headwinds – the mission of the event remains clear: help attendees formulate their composable game plan. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/mach-two-conference-wrap-six-takeaways-from-the-composable-event-of-the-year">As a previous attendee</a>, I can say firsthand that the quality of these events is top-notch. The speakers are compelling and the event format provides fertile ground for learning and networking. For me, it’s a chance to hear from real companies that have succeeded – and struggled – to make the leap to MACH, and the wisdom they’ve accrued when embracing not only the architectural tenets, but the cultural and philosophical mindset of MACH.“The Composable Conference is the one annual opportunity for business and technology leaders to come together and share the trials and tribulations that enable digital transformations,” said <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobhowland/">Bob Howland</a>, event co-host and chairperson of the MACH Alliance. “The connections and community fostered enable attendees to overlay the unique principles of MACH onto their own composable strategy, building an executable playbook alongside peers and pioneers.”Before we break down the speakers and event details, it’s worth noting that this is an exclusive event with limited space – so secure your space today. The MACH Alliance is also offering a $500 travel rebate to eligible delegates. Registration is<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://machalliance.org/events/composable-conference-25?utm_campaign=5851685-The%20Composable%20Conference&amp;utm_source=PressRelease"> now open</a>.<h3 id="dynamic-brands-take-center-stage">Dynamic brands take center stage</h3>The previous three MACH events have been heavy hitters in the content department, featuring presenters from marquee global enterprises like <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/ikea-mars-ulta-beauty-and-influential-brands-to-be-featured-at-mach-three-conference">IKEA, MARS, Ulta Beauty</a>, and other highly influential brands.This year’s crop is no exception and ups the ante with a more diverse crop of industry players. This includes representatives from Parkland, Zoro, VF Corporation, Wynn Resorts, Prada Group, Wegmans, DXL, Bissell, Firehouse Subs, Diageo, and Altitude Sports. Additional speakers and brands will be announced in the coming weeks, so stay tuned.While speakers and presentations are conduits for knowledge, the Alliance is taking a more hands-on approach to the experience by <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://machalliance.org/newsroom/mach-alliance-elevates-annual-conference-to-help-companies-craft-their-composable-game-plan">actively involving attendees</a> at each stage of the composable journey. To deliver this more immersive vision, the conference will offer a three-track format that features workshops and insightful sessions with experts who have successfully implemented MACH. Based on the Alliance’s persistent <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/mach-alliance-publishes-first-annual-report-showcases-industry-impact-and-plans-for-2024">research and market analysis</a>, it’s clear that a MACH approach can help ensure agility, scalability, and vendor independence in an increasingly AI-driven world. Armed with a solid foundation of insights from dynamic leaders across multiple industries, attendees will be better equipped for the composable journey ahead. <h3 id="remachable-events-on-tap">ReMACHable events on tap</h3>The MACH Alliance is rolling out an enhanced event format for The Composable Conference 2025, with the core of the program dedicated to interactive workshops and roundtable sessions. As mentioned, these experiences will be led by top global brands – sharing firsthand composable insights and expertise while giving delegates the opportunity for direct learning and impactful discussions.This year, there’s an emphasis on incorporating the organization’s popular <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://machalliance.org/ridemach">rideMACH</a> program, a robust eLearning platform that combines its educational vision and intentions with courseware and credentialing. rideMACH has exploded its enrollment in the last year, a clear sign that the market is eager to learn – and hungry for resources.At the conference, attendees can participate in <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/mach-alliance-taps-dylan-valade-of-abbott-to-drive-expanding-ridemach-education-program">“rideMACH Live,”</a> which will bring the Alliance’s online learning platform into a live classroom setting and offer several sessions for delegates to enhance their MACH mindset and technology skills.rideMACH courses are designed to empower all types of learners with the knowledge and skills needed to help organizations embrace open and transformative technologies. As part of the rideMACH program, you can join 1,000 professionals from 200 brands and 52 member companies who are accelerating their composable journeys through rideMACH’s professional development. You can learn more about the rideMACH program on the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://machalliance.org/ridemach">MACH Alliance website</a>.<h3 id="celebrate-the-winners-of-the-mach-impact-awards">Celebrate the winners of the MACH Impact Awards</h3>As a three-time judge of the annual <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/clarks-kraft-heinz-take-top-honors-in-mach-impact-awards-at-mach-three">MACH Impact Awards</a>, I’ve read through a mountain of applications over the years – and I’m still getting blown away. Having watched the gradual evolution of pioneering architectural approaches into more standard practices, I can see how MACH has been adopted, understood, and successfully executed.That’s all good. But it’s also making these awards harder to judge – and this year’s entrants really brought the rain. I can’t wait to share the winners during the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://machalliance.org/mach-impact-awards">2025 MACH Impact Awards Ceremony</a>, which will honor the most impactful global technology projects from these amazing applicants. In terms of updates, this year will feature a “Best Platform Transformation” category that recognizes the challenging path and incremental progress toward composability. <h3 id="advancing-the-mach-mission">Advancing the MACH mission</h3>Along with its advocation for best-of-breed open technology ecosystems, the MACH Alliance has long been a champion of the humans behind the composable movement. Along with its <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/mach-alliance-empowers-gender-equality-with-new-women-in-mach-deib-scoring-tool">“Women in MACH” program</a>, the Alliance continues to telegraph the importance of diversity, gender equality, social responsibility, and sustainability both within and beyond its community.At this year’s conference, there’s a new “People in MACH: Unlocking Composable Business Value Through Culture &amp; Inclusion” that will allow delegates to explore the tangible impact of DEI, allyship, and ethical technology on growth, profitability, and competitive advantage in composable enterprises.There will also be a close integration with the MACH Alliance’s new Community Platform, which was created for both end-user individuals and MACH-certified members to network, share content, and discuss ideas both at the event and long after the conference concludes.“The Composable Conference is where bold ideas meet practical execution,” said <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/the-sommelier-of-machtails-sommsations-danielle-diliberti-uncorks-composability">Danielle Diliberti</a>, event co-host and CEO of Sommsation. “As businesses build for the future and reimagine customer experiences, this event creates space for honest conversations about the challenges, breakthroughs, and strategies shaping the future of composable approaches and MACH.”To learn more about The Composable Conference and register to attend, <a href="www.machalliance.org/events/composable-conference-25">click here.</a> <hr /><h3 id="upcoming-events">Upcoming Events</h3>  <img style="width:24.53%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2025/03/image-1742910054704.png" /><h4 id="the-composable-conference-2025"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://machalliance.org/events/composable-conference-25">The Composable Conference 2025</a></h4>April 22-24 – Chicago, USAExperience the future of composable and MACH principles in “The Windy City” and dive even deeper into the innovative world of MACH architecture and its benefits for your business. Building on the momentum of MACH THREE, this conference will provide your teams with the expert, impartial guidance needed to craft a winning transformation strategy and leverage the latest advancements in automation and Al to maximize efficiency and drive your organization forward. This event is ideal for executives, business leaders, technologists, and everyone in between who is looking to harness the power of composable. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://machalliance.org/events/composable-conference-25">Secure your spot today.</a> <img style="width:30.46%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2024/11/cms-summit-25.png" alt="" /><h4 id="cms-summit-25"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmssummit25">CMS Summit 25</a></h4>May 13-14, 2025 – Frankfurt, GermanyDon't miss the first European edition of our prestigious international conference dedicated to the global content management community! CMS Summit 25 will bring together top-notch speakers, our renowned learning format, and engaging social events. Hear from leading practitioners like Deutsche Bahn, Dr. Oetker, and more – and join customers, agencies, and CMS vendors as we discuss current trends and what's ahead for the content and digital experience fields. Connect and network at the only vendor-neutral, in-person conference focused on CMS. Space is limited for this exclusive event, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmssummit25">so book your seats today.</a> <img style="width:31.83%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2025/01/cms-connect-2025-logo.png" alt="" /><h4 id="cms-connect-25"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmsconnect25">CMS Connect 25</a></h4>August 5-6, 2025 – Montreal, CanadaWe are delighted to present the second annual summer edition of our signature global conference dedicated to the content management community! CMS Connect will be held again in beautiful Montreal, Canada, and feature a unique blend of masterclasses, insightful talks, interactive discussions, impactful learning sessions, and authentic networking opportunities. Join vendors, agencies, and customers from across our industry as we engage and collaborate around the future of content management – and hear from the top thought leaders at the only vendor-neutral, in-person conference exclusively focused on CMS. Space is limited for this event, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmsconnect25">so book your seats today.</a>

‘The Composable Conference 2025' Takes Shape as MACH Alliance Announces Speakers and New Events

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