Blazing Trails

As the COVID-19 vaccine rolls and we can begin to anticipate a new normal, we reflect on the tools, people, and technologies that guided us through the last year and will continue to help us in the years to come.

Joining the podcast are Dr. Ashwini Zenooz, Salesforce's Chief Medical Officer, and Meredith Flynn-Ripley, the SVP of Product Growth and GM of the Vaccine Cloud at Salesforce. Dr. Ash and Meredith discuss the challenges they observed at the beginning of the pandemic and how Salesforce and Work.com stepped in to help solve these problems.

We encounter inequalities in the world all the time, and it’s only a special few who not only recognize the injustices but speak up about them. Jillian Mercado has never been able to stay quiet when she sees others in need. She's an actress, fashion model, and founder of Black Disabled Creatives –– and she’s here to tell us that speaking up shouldn’t be a special occurrence, but something we do every day.

In today’s conversation, Jullian is joined by host Linda Aiello EVP, Employee Success (HR) at Salesforce for a discussion about representation in the fashion industry, how she used social media to share her story, and why it’s everyday actions that bring about the biggest lasting changes.

What is grit? Is it something that you’re born with? Is it a skill you have to practice? Or is it a combination of the two?

On today’s episode, Angela Duckworth, a MacArthur Genius Grant winner, academic, and author, explores that question with Kobie Fuller, the Chairman and Co-Founder of Valance Community. Marie Rosencrans, an SVP of SMB Marketing at Salesforce, leads the wide-ranging conversation. They discuss what qualities are common in overachievers, how leaders use stress to fuel themselves, and what it takes to build a gritty team that will succeed in the short and long term, regardless of the obstacles thrown in their way. 

Whether distributing PPE, helping with vaccine rollouts or making a push toward a more sustainable future, Accenture is innovating to drive positive change and impact.

On today’s episode, Salesforce founder and CEO Marc Benioff sits down with Julie Sweet, the CEO of Accenture, to discuss what it takes to get these kinds of initiatives off the ground and the leadership needed to bring about holistic changes when huge obstacles stand in your way. The two discuss how to prioritize when facing multiple challenges all at the same time, and they dig into the power of partnerships and teamwork in bringing about lasting change that goes beyond just your own front office.

In a matter of months, everything we knew about working and operating a business was flipped on its head. And with that almost overnight transformation have come new challenges for employees and employers alike.

In this episode, you’ll hear from Bret Taylor, the president and COO of Salesforce, and Stewart Butterfield, the CEO and co-founder of Slack. Bret and Stewart Bret speak with Megan Greenwell, the editor of Wired.com, and explain why the overnight reinvention of work will have a positive impact in the long run, plus they share their perspective on work-related trends they believe are here to stay.

2020 was a year of dramatic change – social, economic, cultural. So what did we learn? And what can we take with us into 2021 and beyond?

Joining the podcast is civil rights activist, co-founder of Campaign Zero, and host of the award-winning “Pod Save the People,” DeRay Mckesson. DeRay sits down with Salesforce Senior Managing Director Lola Banjo to discuss how he got started in activism, what it takes to bring about lasting change, and what you can do locally in your community to be an ally. In his words:

“What I've learned in the social justice space over the years is that there is infinitely more work done on the problems than the solutions… I don't need another speech. I don't need a march. I don't need a workshop. I don't need a movie. I got it. The question becomes, what do we do? How do we do it? And I think that is messy work.”

“Live in the moment” is more than a quote displayed on decorative throw pillows. For Derren Brown, it’s his motto for life -- a mindset and lifestyle he’s adapted from the Greek stoics. Derren is a mentalist and illusionist, star of Netflix’s ‘The Push’, and the best-selling author of ‘Happy’.

In today’s wide-ranging conversation, Derren joins host Vicky Nisbet, AVP of Comms & Media at Salesforce UK, to discuss practical tips for “living in the moment” and what he thinks is the key to lasting happiness. Plus, he shares what we often get wrong about goal setting and uncovers ways that quarantine has unlocked opportunities for us to reconnect with our inner selves.