Dreamforce 2014: A Focus on Philanthropy

You might recently remember that the Babel team talked to reporters in the US and UK to find out what they thought the key trends might be at Dreamforce 2014. From security and privacy to analytics and data, much of what was predicted is still to be seen because the biggest trend during the event turned out to actually be philanthropy.

From the kickoff of the show, Dreamforce focused on giving back to the community by raising money to feed people in need. Walking around the expo, there were countless bins for canned food donations and every local news story focused on encouraging the public, both those in attendance and at home, to help salesforce reach the goal of One Million Meals for the hungry.

The big announcement on Monday, the first full day of the event, was from Marc Benioff, Founder, Chairman and CEO of salesforce.com He committed to match the number of meals donated, up to one million. Life coach, motivational speaker and keynote, Tony Robbins, committed to do the same. If these goals are reached, the conference could deliver up to 3 million meals to those in need.

For those in the Bay Area, you are likely already aware of the conflict between the technology industry and the community. With rents skyrocketing and many people blaming the tech world for the many changes happening in the city, it’s important that big companies focus on giving back. Salesforce is leading the charge with their latest effort, as of Wednesday the donations were close to $750,000 so it is very likely the conference will reach the One Million Meals goal.

No matter where you are, you can donate by visiting: https://www.dfgives.org/million-meals/