Inside The Root Group: Built by Customers for Customers
Andrew Russo, VP Business Systems at BACA Systems, still remembers The Root Group’s first luncheon in Austin, Texas. The meeting took place at Rootstock’s customer conference, Rooted-In, and at the time, the group wasn’t even official yet.
“It was basically a table and people who were interested in a user group came together,” he said. “There wasn’t a structure to the meeting. It was just customers coming together to talk.”
What first started as an informal conversation has since evolved into a consistent, customer-led forum with growing membership, recurring quarterly meetings, monthly Ask Me Anything sessions, and an active Slack channel.
Russo remained involved since this first meeting because he saw the potential. “I saw the group as a way to share information and give back,” he said. “I wanted customers to work together. When people work on their own, it’s hard to achieve momentum. But if we come together, we can actually drive change.”
That belief in a shared mission continues to shape The Root Group today.
A Customer-Led Community
Organized by a volunteer Board of Advisors (BOA), The Root Group is comprised of customers and partners who facilitate meetings, gather member feedback, and guide the community. Russo was one of those who stepped forward to serve on the Board, contributing to the design and structure for the group.
Also among the board’s leaders is Alex Stanley, Director of Systems Strategy at Maple Method Consulting. Stanley joined shortly after implementing Rootstock Cloud ERP at Carmela Industries. “I was new to Rootstock and trying to better understand the solution,” she said. “The Root Group sounded like a perfect way to connect with others who might be facing the same challenges.”
What began as a way to accelerate her own learning developed into deeper involvement. After joining the Board, Stanley stepped into the Vice Chair role and now helps guide quarterly meetings and AMA sessions, ensuring discussions remain grounded in practical customer needs.
When she opened the recent quarterly meeting in January 2026, she restated the group’s purpose: to promote customer innovation, influence Rootstock’s product direction, and to represent the ‘voice of the customer’ to Rootstock and its partner ecosystem.
Quarterly Meetings: Structure & Substance
In 2025 alone, The Root Group hosted four quarterly meetings covering topics such as Salesforce Inspector, transitioning to Lightning, the Rootstock roadmap, package upgrades, and enhancements to the Rootstock Grid. Each quarterly meeting blends customer-led demonstrations, product and platform updates from Rootstock, breakout rooms around various focus areas, and live polling designed to solicit future topics customers want addressed.
“We want the meetings to be useful to members, so we develop content around what customers say they’re working through and interested in learning how others have handled those processes,” said Stanley.
For members like Nathan Moore, Digital Lead at Dura Composites, peer-provided demonstrations have translated into practical value. Moore began participating during his company’s implementation of Rootstock ERP, looking for ways to better understand how others were applying Rootstock in their own environments.
“I quickly realized Andrew was a power user,” Moore said. “Whenever he shares his screen, I’m taking screenshots in the background. The benefit lies in seeing real-world configurations and workflows in action. I see what’s possible and think, ‘We could implement that, too.’”
Ask Me Anything: An Open Forum for Customer Questions
While quarterly meetings follow a set agenda, the monthly AMA sessions create a more open, conversational format. Introduced in 2025, the AMAs bring together a smaller group of members who raise questions or whatever is on their mind — from configuration questions to financial processes or workflow validation.
“We schedule the AMAs on different days and times so as many people can attend as possible,” Stanley said. “It’s a place to not only ask questions but also share experiences and network.”
Unlike quarterly meetings, AMAs do not rely on presentations. One of the Board of Advisors will facilitate the meeting, and a Rootstock representative will join to help address questions, but the direction of the conversation is shaped entirely by impromptu member input. Some participants arrive with specific discussion points; others join to listen and gain perspective.
Slack: Extending the Conversation
Between scheduled meetings, much of the collaboration continues in The Root Group Slack channel, which has steadily increased in participation.
“We’ve seen a significant increase in adoption,” Stanley noted.
Slack provides an informal space for members to post questions, share screenshots, and exchange practical advice. Russo views this channel as a virtual extension of that very first meeting — a place where customers can ask, “Hey, is anyone working with this process?” Oftentimes, peers will chime in with their own experience and lessons learned.
For Moore, Slack offers immediacy. “Sometimes you just need someone to point you in the right direction,” he said. “It’s a great way to get support from fellow users.”
Slack does not replace Rootstock’s formal support channels. Instead, it provides a peer-driven layer of collaboration that strengthens Rootstock’s customer community.
Sustaining Momentum
At its core, The Root Group remains what it was from its inception — customers coming together to talk. But today this collaboration is sustained through recurring meetings and ongoing engagement.
“The biggest milestone isn’t one event,” Russo said. “It’s that we’ve kept the group going. People continue to show up, and that means something.”
For customers interested in joining, The Root Group offers a community of Rootstock users who share real-world experiences and insights. The group has an open call for new members, and getting involved is easy: show up, introduce yourself, and join the conversation.
